Monday June 29th 10:20 pm PT We had a short break from the cloud and snow this morning. When we got out of the tents, there were actually views to be had in most directions and blue skies above. Being at 11,000 ft, it was slightly colder than what we've experienced so far, but a hot breakfast took care of the chills and got us ready for our carry. We set out for "Motorcycle Hill" at 9:30. It was good to be in crampons and carrying ice axes after days of snowshoes and ski poles. An hour put us in the middle of "Squirrel Hill" with great views of Denali's Northwest Buttress and the Peter's Glacier. It began to cloud up as we reached the "Polo Field" off the end of the giant granite towers of the West Buttress. By Windy Corner we were in light snow, but close to our destination. We dug a deep and raven-proof pit in the snow at 13,500 ft in which to cache the food and fuel we were carrying. It was an easy climb down with light packs and we walked out of the snow showers and into sunny and warm camp at 11K again by 4:30 PM. We'll hope for a comfortable night of sleep tonight as we've followed the "climb high, sleep low" rule of acclimatization to altitude. Tomorrow will be a rest day, as part of that same plan. Kryz wishes his dad a happy birthday from Mount McKinley. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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