I've done this trail four times now. Each time I tell myself it'll feel familiar. It never does — not really. The ridge looks the same in photographs but the light changes year to year and so does whoever you bring with you and so do you. This time it was just me and one other, and we talked less than we ever had on a trail, which turned out to be exactly right.
We camped at the same spot on the second night. The fog came in around ten and stayed until morning. By the time it burned off there was nothing left to say and nothing that needed saying. Some trips are for stories. Some are just for going.