Wednesday - June 4

The day I'd been looking forward to. We're all tired but charged. Let me first say, heights scare me to death. The living crap out of me. Palms sweat at the thought. Terrified. Get it? First task, build a Tyrolean rope bridge (look it up sweethearts) across a river, probably 60 feet above, small rapids, lots of rocks. Took for freaking ever, running from one side to the other, trying to figure out the knots, pretty frightening to think that this thing was supposed to support our weight, suspended over the river and rocks. We did it, with the gracious and extensive help of our guides Glenn and Tobias. We worked frantically, then launched Siranoush, me and Imran across, triumphant and laughing our asses off. Then a mental game, pieces of paper passed around, clues on each, we had to figure out which farmer drove a truck. Smart cookies that we are, we finished in 15 minutes. Then the thing I wanted and feared, repelling. The scene was magnificent, waterfall into Lake Tahoe to our right, snow-capped mountains behind. I was afraid for a moment, then let it go as I watched the team one by one go over the edge and down to the ledge below. When my time came, I felt - nothing. No fear, no excitement, just ready to get it done, the ritual, the mechanics. Finally, there was building a natural protection for an egg that was dropped from 5 meters and singing our team "song". Our egg, sadly, did not come away intact. The song, however, was a triumph, the whole team choreographed and flapping away to Becca's lyrics.