It's a ritual, a tradition, a rite of passage. For the second year in a row now Dan Lanning has taken the team to Spencer Butte, six miles south on the outskirts of Eugene, to signify the end of summer training and remember teammates who can no longer take the journey.
Solemnly the Ducks file up the 2,058-foot outcrop of volcanic rock. From the bare top a hiker has a panoramic view of the Willamette Valley, downtown Eugene, Autzen Stadium. It's a place to reflect from which you can almost see the future.
Lanning told the team, "So look, we do this every single year.