Happy Birthday Jared!  Jared awoke to the Stiller family tradition of breakfast in bed. Luckily our kind tea house owners humored us and helped arrange a tray to deliver.  Jared is now 9 year olds and the new record for birthday at highest altitude at 13, 959 feet. Micayla held the prior record for a birthday at Francies Hut (part of the 10th Mountain Hut Division) in Breckenridge, Colorado at 12, 300 feet. She is plotting how to regain her title.

Onward today, crossing our longest swinging bridge yet, over the Jarsang Khola River. Popy-Don has truly controlled his dislike of heights and only clutches the sides of the bridges at the middle now.  We are all so proud. Popy-Don is not fond of the childrens predilection to jump in the middle of the bridge to maximize the swing. We trek into Thorang Phedi (phedi meaning “foot of the hill”) at 4540 meters (15, 000 feet).  Past more yaks today and appreciated the reopening of the high trail that was closed earlier this season secondary to a landslide.  We are already higher than the highest point in the continental United States...And the mountains surrounding us are higher still. We are preparing to cross Thorong-Pass tomorrow and achieve 5416 meters (17, 873 feet). The equivilent of taking on a fourteener tomorrow... From the top of a fourteener.  Boy that gives some Colorado perspective!

Everyone continues to feel well.  Popy-Don has restarted preventive dose Diamox as he had AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) on arrival in Manang. A prior episode of AMS predicts a recurrence.  We have decided to give everyone a prevention dose of Diamox tonight to hopefully achieve a pleasant experience for all crossing tomorrow. The weather at the end of trekking season is spectacular and we continue with blue skies, unobstructed visability and warm afternoons wearing short sleeves until the sun goes down. We attire ourselves in a fleece jacket and hat, admire the alpenglow and sip tea. Tonight, a special treat, birthday cake (all ingredients except eggs hauled from Colorado). Happy Birthday Jared, our now nine year old!

Crossing the Thorong Bridge	Water Break on the way to Thorang Phedi
Mt. Annapurna IV
Happy Birthday Jared!

Jared going to cut happy brithday cake