Mt. McKinley Expedition: Champion & Team Arrive in Talkeetna, Ready for Expedition
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Hannah Blum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Elevation: 348'
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - 7:27 pm PT
We’ve officially made it to Talkeetna! After a long travel day yesterday for most of the team, we all finally met up at the Anchorage airport and started our journey north. A few hours (and some great scenery) later, we rolled into Talkeetna, dropped our gear at K2, and made a beeline for Denali BrewPub. Over burgers and beers, we got to know each other a bit better—swapping stories and sharing what brought each of us to Denali this season.
This morning kicked off our first full day together, and it was a busy one. We started with a deep dive into the packing list, making sure everyone is dialed for the climb ahead. Mid-morning, we took a short walk over to the National Park Service office for our official briefing. We were lucky to have fellow RMI guide Alan Davis—who’s also working for the Park this season—lead our session. Afterward, it was back to the hangar for final packing, sorting group gear, and manifesting everything to get ready for tomorrow’s flight.
The team is looking strong, stoked, and ready to get this expedition rolling. We’re hoping for good weather and an early flight into the Alaska Range tomorrow so we can hit the ground running. Stay tuned!
RMI Guide Nikki Champion
Comments (4)
Enjoy every moment of it Caroline and remember the butterfly is right behind you.
Posted by: Page Evans on
Enjoy your climb and return healthy! I wish You best weather to enjoy each of the sights! Care of each other!
Elisabeth
Posted by: Elisabeth Jente on
Be safe and have fun, Andy!
Posted by: Bob Ashburn on
Best of luck to all the team and especially Jeff Wright, we’ll be cheering for you!
Mark and Coleen
Posted by: Mark Stanton on