I knew he was going in ahead of me, after starting, I started thinking it was going to be tough, would he make it as far as he said, otherwise, I may have taken the short way across the lakes. Also thinking, if I went across the lakes, would he be camped along the trail and I would miss him. Some stress at this point. My one disappointment was he only came back on the trail a very short ways before he turned his headlamp on, way before I was to be expected. I think he forgot that part. Conditions sure dictated plans for this trip. Funny, on a trip over the 4th of July weekend, he was the stronger hiker the first day, but not by much. The second day which turned out to be our last day, I'm standing with my pack on still during "breaks", while he has his pack off, laying on the ground saying how tired he was. We had a long lunch, he's laying down yet again, I'm checking out the wet area by our stop, looking at the plants and holes where some little critter that lives in such conditions. He's good to go with, better than solo at times. There is an older guy who goes with us, we all get along pretty good. All three of us have done a couple trips together, this young guy I have done four trips with him now maybe.