Again Mountain Madness showed their muscle and had us on the first flight out.

We said our goodbyes, got another prayer scarf (never can have too many of those before a flight in or out of Lukla) and got on the plane. Again, it was a crystal clear morning.

No big deal. Just roll down the ski-jump-like airstrip at Lukla and you’re winging your way back to Kathmandu. No worries.

Some combination of emotions from completing a grueling trek which had been an obsession for well over a decade plus the release of sitting in an airplane, ipod playing a favorite song, and the mountains receding into the distance started a torrent of tears rushing down my bearded face.  My time with these friends was slipping away. Nothing I could do about it except let it be part of the moment.