Laila along with Sam the Wolfdog had already climbed Yale in "their spare time" on the previous day. Spare time that is from their concerted effort to support me in my race, for which I am very grateful.

This was the longest trail for me. I had already psychologically prepared myself to allow sleep once below timberline. When I had reached that point I had to talk myself into continuing all the way to Avalanche Gulch where a tent and a sleeping bag awaited me. Very hard. Very long. But within the realm of possibility. Indeed it did happen! That road from Denny Creek TH to Avalanche Gulch is long! I don't know exactly how long in miles, but psychologically it is very long in the hot morning sun. Laila thankfully met me in the truck two miles before the end, but I had to finish on my own. She could only provide encouragement and support as I labored to the end-the sleeping bag, my salvation, my relief, and the eternal womb.

Laila tried to steer me towards the aide station, but I refused it. Sleep was my only desire. Just tell me where the tent is, that was all I wanted to know. The tent was in the early morning sun though and we had to make some adjustments to bring it in the shade. Once done I went straight to dreamland. An hour and a half later I was awake as the sun shifted and heated up the tent. Laila was gone. The truck was gone. My clothes were gone. I had to pee very badly. Surreptitiously I set out to relieve myself. Where was my wife to be?? She had driven to Buena Vista looking for moleskin for my blisters. Fifteen minutes after I had awoken she arrived.

After a considerable degree of "babying" and feeding I was prepared and ready to tackle Princeton, the final fourteener of this long, long day. This next peak would be the final peak for me in the race, Nolan's 14. It was a long, long ways yet to go to even knock this one out.

From Avalanche Gulch, along the Colorado Trail to the Maxwell Gulch jeep track was ten miles. I didn't know this as I set out, optimistically forecasting my ascent of Princeton in a mere three hours from Avalanche Gulch. Even "humping it" the tough journey to Princeton's summit took better than five hours.

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I pressed on as rapidly as I was capable of. Fred, Jim and company waited patiently on top of Princeton for the ceremony. Where was Laila? Catching snippets of radio talk I kept a steady course. Where was Laila? Though I was only climbing at 12,600 feet I heard Fred state that I would be on the summit in fifteen minutes. I would have to set a world record for altitude gain to achieve that! Laila in the meantime was not on the summit. Fred encouraged her gamely. Would the marriage happen after all?
Well, yes it would. As I neared the summit finally, Laila was there. What a happy, glorious moment. A dream comes true. Jim Nolan presided over the vows and ceremony--broadcast over our FRS frequency "14". Blake Wood and John Robinson delayed on Shavano, Jim Nelson on Tabeguache, for the ceremony as it was broadcast…Eric Robinson and Ginny Laforme had waited on Princeton's summit to be our best man and best lady. What an incredible moment. A marriage made in heaven-as close to it as you can get anyway. Here's hoping the rest of our lives are as "storybook".