Hi Everyone:

Last night, I was interviewed at home by a reporter for KCAL News about my Mt. Everest trip. They taped for over one hour in order to broadcast a 1 to 1-1/2 minute segment on the evening news. The program will air either tonight or tomorrow night on channel 9 at 10 pm and possibly channel 2 at 11 pm. So maybe you will want to tune in for my one minute of fame on the local stage.

My photos turned out really good, and I now have photos from my teammates to fill in most of the gaps. So I am ready to share them with you.

As many of you already know, I will be presenting a slide show of my trip on July 22 at the Costa Mesa Community Center. The slide show will begin at 2 pm and will run for 2-1/2 hours. The slide show will be followed by refreshments and a social time. Among the subjects I will discuss are: (i) my preparations for the trip, (ii) the 35-mile trek to Base Camp, (iii) the climbing routes up Mt. Everest, (iv) the different types of expeditions (e.g., guided vs. unguided) along with their cost, (v) the climbing gear required for an alpine ascent, (vi) the perils and challenges of climbing the world’s highest mountain, (vii) the deaths on Mt. Everest in 2007, (viii) the highlights and lowlights of my trip, (ix) my decision to turn around just sort of the summit and how I feel about it now, and (x) my plans for the future. The Costa Mesa Community Center is located at 1845 Park Avenue, Costa Mesa, California. If you received an e-invitation to this event and have not already replied, we would appreciate a response to the invitation so we know how many people will be coming. If you are seeing this for the first time, please reply to edxceo@aol.com if you plan to attend.

I will be presenting the same slide show on September 8 in the Turrentine room at the Escondido Public Library. The library is located at 239 S. Kalmia Street, Escondido, California. The program will begin at 2 pm and will run for 2-1/2 hours.

If these times or venues are not convenient for you, not to worry. I will be posting some of my photos on my website. I will also be preparing a slide show of the trip which I will send you if you are interested.

I have been truly touched by the outpouring of love and support that I received while I was on the mountain and following my return. I had no idea so many people would be interested in this adventure. Thanks so much, and I hope you will return next year for my reprise on this majestic mountain.

Bill Burke