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Namaste from Everest Basecamp. Our first full day at Mount Everest began with saying goodbye to Scott's Dad, Jeff. As planned, he headed down valley this morning just after a sumptuous breakfast in our dining tent. The team enjoyed mild temperatures and an "easy" day resting and getting organized at 17,500 ft above sea level. We met for a strategy session in which we discussed plans for first week of the climb as well as for "big picture" plans for the how the rest of the climb might play out. Jeff Martin and Mark Tucker worked hard to buff out our electrical and communications systems (we rely largely on solar energy, satelite link-ups and handheld radios in these areas). Importantly, we gathered the entire team so that the American climbers could get to know the Nepali team members and vice versa. Tendi Sherpa and Lama Babu -along with our great chef Kumar- facillitated the introductions. We spent the afternoon resting and chatting. We intend to meet with the famous and hard-working "Icefall Doctors" who are currently putting in the climbing route through the Khumbu, and later we'll tour the Himalayan Rescue Association's basecamp clinic and meet the medical doctors. It seems abnormally hot and dry for early April, and each afternoon we've seen the air get murky with forest fire smoke from somewhere down valley. A quiet day has been punctuated by giant ice avalanches off the surrounding glaciers... keeping things interesting.