Hello Everyone, Today the team left behind the busy city life of Moscow and have arrived safely at the base of Mt. Elbrus. We caught an early flight to Mineralnye Vody, which is known for its abundant mineral springs and then headed to the mountain via a four hour bus ride. The drive was reminiscent of the rural Midwest we have back home, full of farms and beautiful sunflower fields that stretched on as far as the eye could see sometimes. The only difference was that the cows seemed more content standing in the middle of the road than in the fields. It sure made for an exciting ride to say the least! The plains quickly gave way to the deep Baksan Valley that sits at the base of Caucasus Mountains. Everyone still seems a little tired from all the travel, but we are all happy to be in the mountains now.