I realized, looking around at the exhibit, that we had found far more stuff in 2001 than we'd found in 1999. We were older and wiser about how and where to look, for one thing, and we'd devoted far more energy to searching in 2001.

When Jake Norton and Brent Okita found the camp that Mallory and Irvine had departed from on their summit day in 1924, we all shared in the thrill, since Andy Politz, Tap Richards and I had just spent three days figuring out where it wasn't, with help from Jochen and Eric via telescope and radio. I remembered that I'd personally made three separate camping trips above 8000 meters on that trip. Tearing myself up, wearing myself down, but absolutely intoxicated by the chance of discovering fascinating things.

Seeing the 1922 oxygen bottle on display had me thinking back to the three days I'd spent scouring the site below Advanced Base Camp on the East Fork of the Rongbuk Glacier. How two bottles had already been found there (one by Jake and one by John Race) and how determined I was to find the third that I somehow was certain must be about. A steady trickle of climbers walked by about 30 feet from me, curious as to what I could be up to among the rock piles covering the ice. I remember finally sitting down amidst the crushed cans and "trash" that I knew were from 80 years back and how excited I was to finally see that bottle among the rocks, perfectly camouflaged like a number in a color-blindness test. And I loved the way some further story had been told by the split in its solid metal, either an explosion due to its own pressures, its ride through the glacier, or the power of expanding ice within it.

It all got me remembering how much fun I was having just this past spring (2002) on Everest's south side. The mountain was big and hard and dangerous. I know I've already beaten that story to a pulp, but what I forgot to tell, what with life swirling around like crazy ever since, was how we brushed up against a few more of the world's secrets. I sure didn't think that the Khumbu Valley and the southern approaches to Mt. Everest had secrets left to tell. After all, the trek to Base Camp has been cruised by many thousands of people over the years. It is very popular, and for good reason, in my book, amazing scenery and rich history.

A fair percentage of those making the great pilgrimage to 17,600 feet and the start of the Khumbu Icefall have been fully aware of, and fascinated by that history. In fact, while standing in our latest discovery site during the climbing season, one could see hundreds of those pilgrims, trekkers, climbers and yaks just a stone's throw away. But it is best not to throw stones, such action would convince them further that you were nuts for standing out on a dirty, busted up glacier surrounded by history.

— Dave Hahn, MountainZone.com Columnist