McKinley Expedition: Breen & Team Trade a Rest Day for a Carry to 16,000’
Posted by: Jackson Breen, Lacie Smith, Raymond Holt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Elevation: 16,000'
Sun 6/7/2026 11:40 AM
Dear reader, pardon the lateness of now-yesterday’s dispatch, but after our ascent to 14k camp, we awoke covered in frost yesterday, only to have our rest day cruelly ripped away from us. Please, sir, but a small helping of hot water for Lizzie’s single-origin Kenyan pour-over coffee? No. Instead, an unspecified group update.
Much to our dismay, our guide’s (*sigh*) relentlessly unimpeachable decision-making meant that in the face of oncoming weather, we would expedite a run to 16k feet to acclimatize and cache food for a later summit bid.
We therefore enjoyed a hasty but quite respectable breakfast of rehydrated eggs and hash browns. (What would it take for *you* to ingest a liter of uncooked egg slurry? Comment below!) As the sun rose from behind the mountain and conditions transitioned in the span of two minutes from bitter cold to oppressive heat, we roped up and set to work.
Everyone climbed admirably. With good communication and low-moderate lingering resentment, we ascended the fixed lines smoothly, cached our food, and enjoyed sweeping views of Mount Hunter (somehow now below us!) and Mount Foraker (watch out, you’re next).
In light of this progress, we now face one of the most strenuous and imposing segments of the climb: three to four rest days while the weather passes with no internet and long since exhausted even-passably-from-a-distance-clean-ish clothes.
But like ice to so many mountains, we cling to optimism. As long as we don’t lose essential gear to our guides in games of chess, and as long as Pattie has enough puzzles and Matt continues to summon answers like two six-letter countries that start with “r” and end with “a,” prospects for the next segment—like the subarctic sunlight at 2 AM—are bright.
To all 13,000 readers of this blog, we send our love and best wishes and eagerly await seeing you on the other side of the mountain.
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- Climber Ricky
Comments (5)
Wishing everyone the very best and please remind Pattie that Coach K said, “Push boundaries with excellence.”
Posted by: Kurt Madden on
I’m also taking a rest day here at 942’ in Ames, Iowa. I feel I don’t quite deserve an actual rest day compared to Team Breen, so it most likely will turn into an active recovery day instead!
Enjoy the rest then go get that 20!
Posted by: Amy on
So pleased to hear all is well despite the necessity of your change in plans. Hope all are feeling well and up for another rigorous climb. Thanks to your support of each other you have been safe and successful, and — not to worry — you all smell fresh from here!
Posted by: Susan on
Cheers to all for reaching your 1600 mark. Awesome job - physically, mentally and physiologically. Ubuntu!
Posted by: Tess on
Cruel cruel world. To anticipate a rest day, only to be asked to climb another few thousand feet including the fixed lines, is rough. We hope you can hear our applause from Washington!
To answer your question about consuming uncooked egg slurry - Team Kuhl is unreservedly in the “No, thank you” camp. We can’t imagine a scenario - in which we would willingly put ourselves - which would precipitate such a choice. But - to each their own. Clearly, you all are made of stronger stuff.
May your puzzles be large, your trivia questions tricky, and your eggs fully cooked. Onward!
Posted by: Team Kuhl on