International Everest 2002 Expedition aka a couple of Americans plus others climbing on an Asian Trekking Permit

Updates are below...

This expedition left for Tibet to climb the North side of Everest on 4/9/02. Mr. Timothy Gregg and Ms. Julie Kay Smith are climbing the North side of Everest on an Asian Trekking permit together. Julie is from in Centralia Washington where she is a micro-biologist. She has been climbing for probably close to 20 years major peaks all over the world.  Both Julie and Tim are from the state of Washington. Both have climbed Denali and Aconcagua and have extensive climbing resumes on lower elevation peaks.

Update 6/8/2002: Alejandro Villarreal Paras reports his and Tukten Dorjee Sherpa Summit 

Alex tells EverestNews.com, "Tim and Julie went to 8,500 two days after and turned around. They must be home now."

Update 5/15/2002, but note this is from much earlier: Sources close to Julie report: As of May7th, Julie was at 21,000 foot ABC on Everest. She was doing fine. Julie and Tim have established the  23,000 foot camp on the North Col and was be moving up there today (5/7). The plan was then start to establish their final two high camps and will try for Summit sometime toward the end of May. They now plan to use oxygen. The weather has been good and bad with storms and clear days, but the hardest is the wind.  The many trips up and down the mountain to establish these camps that it is very hard.

Update 5/20/2002: "We're going for it!", Julie has contacted her friends off the mountain. These sources report all high camps are set to 25,000 feet. Julie and Tim are planning to leave for the Summit on May 22nd. They both are feeling good, and feel they are ready for the big test. Now, "God willing", and "weather permitting" they hope to Summit on the 25th. (The 24th in America...) The weather forecast they have [from who's knows where] is not great, "with high winds, but expecting to go down to 30 mph in a couple of days."