uh oh…I just realized that I didn’t tell him to check Mom’s backpack for rocks! Let’s hope that she only carries the rocks down the mountain instead of up. She has this strange theory about helping rocks find their proper place on this earth. She might have a rock from Colorado which she thinks belongs on the top of Kilimanjaro.
Come to think of it, she wouldn’t be carrying the rocks herself - I sure hope she gives her porter a really big tip!
Yeah, those poor guys probably didn’t know what they were getting into. “Why didn’t anybody tell me it was a crazy rock lady from America?”
Not trying to hijack, not trying to hijack - Fretful, it’s not an actual class, it’s work-study in environmental preserves on the north island, offered through the University of California. In the summer (winter there.) Followed by a two-week tour around the country.
I was going to make a thread about it when I got more information and it was less up in the air.
Tanzania would also be cool. Sounds like the entire Geobabe family is really connected with rocks.
Tell him to say hi to Ndugu.
OK, I’m going to take a stab at this -
Is that like saying to someone visiting the U.S. “Say hi to John”?
You bet she has a rock. It’s not from Colorado, it’s from Old Rag in Virginia. At least it’s a small one - she showed it to me when I was there a week ago. Years ago when we climbed Long’s Peak, she took a big honkin’ 5 pounder!!! Imagine this - At jimbobboy’s the day before, we’re paring down our packs, weighing them repeatedly, counting squares of toilet paper to keep the weight down, and she’s hiding a friggin’ 5 pound rock. Jim and I didn’t know about it until she pulled it out prior to our descent.:smack:
I got an email from Mom Vacation!
Wow, what a feat! And Kyle is still going!
According to their itinerary, Wednesday was a rest day and then Lava Tower was to be their camp on Thursday night. She must have started back down on Friday while Kyle continued up. Today is summit day with a quick descent to camp at 11,000 ft and finishing the descent on Monday.
I am beside myself with joy and relief. I can’t wait to hear from Kyle. Way to go Vacation Grandma and Grandson!
Wowie Zowie !!!
That’s great news, Anita!!
Safe and sound and hungry! Although I’m sure she’s already marched off to dinner by now. 
Kyle made it to the top!
My Mom sent a fax to my office with a diagram showing that she made it to Lava Tower at 15.300 ft and that Kyle made it to the summit! The second page is a certificate from Tanzania National Parks
"This is to Certify that Kyle Easter has successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, right to the Summit - Uhuru Peak - 5895m.
Date: 2nd Feb 2003
Time: 8:05am
Age: 17 years"
It is signed by the Guide, Park Warden, and the Director General of Tanzania National Parks.
::::trying to find the words…and failing::::
I guess I’m speechless.
That’s great news, Anita - congratulate him for us all!!!
See About Schmidt, and you’d get it.
Thanks, RT.
They arrive at Dulles tomorrow at 2:25. I just can’t wait.
Yay for Mom! Yay for Kyle! Pretty damn cool stuff.
One more cool nephew for UncleBill!
They are home!
I asked Kyle if he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed, and he said he was more looking forward to a shower. It had been 10 days! He was supposed to be able to shower and change before the flights home, but Arusha had experienced a water main break and the best the hotel could do was give him a bucket of water and a bathtub. He was pretty ripe. I don’t think he made any friends on the plane. Phew!
My generally reticent son is now effusive. His dinner got cold because he couldn’t stop talking. He has about 140 pics in his digital camera I’ve yet to see. Can’t wait!
I’ll have to think of a new nickname for him since moose are not known to climb mountains. How about Yeti?
His classmates are calling the mountain “Kylemanjaro”.
Clever kids.
Kyle? Talkative? Really? I hope you had the video camera rolling! Burn those pix to CD and ship it down south, we are dying to see them!
His pics are breathtaking! He seems to be a natural photographer: good shot choices and composition. Plus the new digital that Uncle Harald Bluetooth and Uncle Jimbobboy gave him for Christmas worked like a champ. Nanna is going to love all the sky, cloud and sunset shots. (Especially sunset over Mt Meru!)
CDs and prints to come soon. Maybe Aunt Geobabe and Uncle UncleBill can suggest an easy way to put them on-line.
how’s my coding?
Coding wonderful, sis! But just call me UncleBill, ya hear? I’ll let the wife handle the online hints, she’s the wiz.
Kyle is an outstanding young man, with huge potential.
Now that he’s set the bar so high, we will expect him to be accomplishing even greater things in the future.
Speaking for the Colorado Vacations, I can only say that we hope he will not sneer at our piddling little hills next time he comes to visit.