Mt. McKinley Expedition: Burns & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp
Posted by: Seth Burns, Jackson Breen, Raymond Holt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14, 200'
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Friday, May 23, 2025 11:08 pm PDT
Happy Friday Everyone!
To our family and friends back at home, I’m excited to share that we have made it to Camp 3—14,200’—a huge milestone in our journey! This is where we will call home for the next week or so while we acclimatize and hit the fixed lines around 17,000’ to prepare for summit attempts.
Today we woke up to a cool, crisp, bluebird sky, and that meant one thing: we were packing up Camp 2 and headed to Camp 3. After a quick breakfast, we packed up our camp, stuffed our packs to the breaking point, and loaded a couple of sleds with all our gear and food.
It was time to trade in our snowshoes and put on our crampons. That’s right—it was time to go climbing, finally! As we headed out with an ice axe in one hand and a trekking pole in the other, we stared up at Motorcycle Hill. It was time to go to work.
We had a 35-degree pitch with roughly 1,000’ of gain. From there, we made our way to Squirrel Hill—another 30-degree pitch—then up to the Polo Fields, where we finally got a bit of flatter terrain. The views are like no other and bring grace to the grind.
Then it was up and around Windy Corner, which didn’t disappoint, greeting us with some lovely wind :). We continued to embrace the day as we made our last push into Camp 3. We are home! Our biggest push in one day with 3,000’ of vertical gain.
As I sit here and write this—and I know the team feels the same—with a sunburnt face, a back that feels like it carried an elephant, and feet that feel like they ran an ultramarathon, I couldn’t be more grateful and proud of this team and all we’ve accomplished over the past six days. Getting to Camp 3 took everything we’ve got—congrats, team!
To our guides: every day you continue to inspire us, nail the weather reports, and keep us moving upward. Thank you for all your efforts!
That’s all for now—time for dinner (bacon mac and cheese!) and some much-needed rest days. Onward and upward this team goes! Keep sending the positive vibes and prayers our way—they’re working!
- Will
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Comments (3)
Congratulations on this big achievement! Your team sounds like a climbing machine- working together step by step, giving and receiving wise decisions, knowing when to push forward and when to pause. Enjoy these days of rest, preparation and may the weather lift you to the top. Stay safe! Luv u Grace & Jason
Love,
Grace’s folks
Posted by: Lela & Victor Ling on
Your perseverance and teamwork in the face of such difficult conditions are incredibly impressive. We are eagerly awaiting the next update and praying for continued strength, endurance, and safety for you all.
Enjoy your amazing adventure!
Posted by: Chris & Theresa Mize4 on
I’m loving these blogs from the team! It seems as though there’s a special bond, and it is destiny you are in this together!
Just keep climbing! And stay safe!
Posted by: Amy Breen on