2008
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Peru
I flew into Lima in the early hours of December 14. A desert city on the Peru’s western coast, Lima is known for its depressing weather, and sure enough it greeted us with oppressive clouds and fog. This was the first day of our week-and-a-half in Peru, during which we would explore Lima, Cusco, and the ruins at Machu Picchu.
Mt. Silliman
In late October of 2008, I led an attempt to climb Sequoia National Park’s 11,188-foot Mount Silliman as part of the Outdoor Education Program. Mount Silliman is in the same area as a peak I climbed last spring, Alta Peak; it lies a few miles to the northwest.
Mt. Sill
Early in September of 2008, I attempted a climb of 14,153-foot Mount Sill in the Palisade Range of the eastern Sierras. About one year prior, I had tried the climb but was turned back on the second morning by inclement weather and ill health. On that trip I climbed Mt. Agassiz instead. This time I was determined to make the summit with my three friends, Kate, Whitney, and Ian.
Half Dome
At the end of June during the summer of 2008, I left for Yosemite with a group of Stanford Outdoors leaders. Our goal was ambitious: to watch the sun rise from the top Half Dome.
Umbria, Italy
After leaving Florence on my journey to Italy in June of 2008, my family and I drove to a small town in Umbria called Lerchi. About a 20 minute drive into the hills above Lerchi is an old farmhouse christened “La Dogana”. Nestled in the hills among the farms and forests of Umbria, La Dogana lies beneath the fortified town of Monte Santa Maria Tiberina. Monte Santa Maria dominates the horizon, its imposing silhouette overlooking the countryside in all directions.
Florence, Italy
I flew into Florence on a Wednesday afternoon in mid-June. Wrestling with jet lag, I went to bed early the first night after a delicious dinner at an osteria a few blocks north of the Arno with my family. The next day we strolled through the city and visited Santa Maria del Fiore, known as Il Duomo.