ISSSP Wake Up To Life Hike, ISSSP LC 2007

5:15 am: I’ve always heard that the wake up to life is an experience not to be missed.People I spoke to last night at theGrand Evening went on and on about the sunrise, the moon set and the desert scenery. They even said they were going to show up *again* this morning to do the hike. Now, at 5:15 am, after getting my full 3 hours of sleep, the irony to “wake up to life” is not lost on me.

It is dark and I am without my coffee. More importantly, it appears all the people who said they were going to do the hike again this morning are seemingly missing from the bus, including our own Jessica Harper.

5:35: Our guide told us some interesting tidbits on the drive to Pinnacle Peak. We’re in the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix is 5th largest city in the US, and the city has been growing by 40 percent a year since 1990 while most cities are in the 14 percent annual growth rate (not sure if that’s an average across every city in the US or of just major cities… just quoting what the guide said). It also takes 30 years to grow a cactus arm.

5:50: Ok, I found Jessica and everyone else that said they were coming. In the early morning light (or my haze), I couldn’t see as clearly.

6:20: Ken, a native American Apache, met us on the trail and told us about Arizona and the Scottsdale history. It was a great break from the hike, and very interesting to learn more about the beautiful desert.

6:45: End of hike. What a glorious hike. Now I’m awake and alive. Prasad Raje, CEO of Instantis, championed both days of hikes and those that were lucky enough to take one of the spots (space is limited and they are taken *very* quickly) on both days had perfect weather. Snacks and water throughout highlighted ISSSP’S AND Instantis’s attention to detail and customer delight throughout.

Rob Tripp from Six Sigma Advantage loading the bus