Rieke is more confident and relaxed this time. Last year, there was a large element of the unknown facing him. Although Rieke has climbed Rainier several times, that was his first time up the Emmons Glacier route. He fretted last year because he could not mentally visualize what was ahead. He wasn't sure how his arms would hold up over days and days of continuous cranking.
Uncertainty is a scary thing.
I'm much more confident this year. He has climbed the Kautz Glacier route before. He made all sorts of minor mistakes on the 1998 climb that slowed and hampered the party. This year, everyone knows what to avoid. Also, this year's expedition is organized differently.