HWMR

Well, the day did not start off as planned. Hoping to beat the winds, I decided I’d begin at 0400 MT. I knew it would be cold, but I had no idea how much that would affect things. At 21℉, I had been out for 20 minutes when my nutrition hoses were frozen. Needing a few extra layers, I turned back and left my nutrition bladder for Bailey to meet me with later. Another 20 minutes out and I knew that if I pushed through this on the first day, it was just going to be digging a hole that was unnecessary. Confirming that we could restart when the sun rose, I had a quick bite to eat and went back to bed for 1.5-2 hours. AT 0730 MT, I was ready to begin anew. Now at 24℉ and with nutrition strapped on my chest, inside my jersey, it was still frigid, but doable.