Entries from Mt. McKinley
We were up early... but that didn't do much good. The clouds snuck in again overnight and by morning it was socked in and starting to snow at
14,200 ft. For a few hours, we held out the hope that conditions would improve, but we had no such luck. The two other guided teams at 14 decided they'd seen enough and by late afternoon they packed up and took off for Windy Corner, the Kahiltna and the airstrip. We bid them goodbye, wished them good luck and turned to look at a virtually empty camp. Now, the only other team trying to climb is made up of three Danish guys in a tent about 100 ft away. Our team is in surprisingly good spirits despite the roller coaster of yesterday's fresh hopes and today's bleak realities. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but we can't wait for all that many more tomorrows.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
It started out like Groundhog Day as we got out to start the stoves.... socked in with clouds and light falling snow... 14,200 camp was in the soup. I joked to the gang at breakfast that there certainly wouldn't be any climbing on this day (admittedly a lame joke on the heels of so many non-climbing days). We took a few enjoyable extra minutes at breakfast since the weather was so poor outside the POSH tent. It seemed a good time to read out the comments posted on the blog (and cut and pasted into a message for us by the RMI office). We all got laughing and forgot about the storm and then a funny thing happened. We unzipped the tent, walked outside and the storm was gone. There was the usual sea of clouds just below us, but only calm, blue skies above. Within a few minutes, a plan was hatched to team up with the other guided teams at 14,200, to get the climb leaders up in the direction of those suspect slopes and to determine once again just how suspect they still were. Mountain Trip sent two guides, Alaska Mountaineering School sent three, and
Tim and I went to represent RMI. Meanwhile
Cody and
Solveig conducted a course in ropework and belay techniques for the gang in camp. Those of us on the survey mission found ways to keep getting higher without taking unreasonable risks. It took all day long and a few mini-conferences as to the best way to proceed -we traded off the honor of being out front where trailbreaking and risk evaluation were both essential and intense jobs. By late afternoon we felt we had a good understanding of the snowpack and where we could and couldn't go. We agreed that it was reasonable to try busting through the last couple hundred feet of snow to reach the fixed ropes. We took a cautious approach, setting up good anchors and a protected belay station, since by this point we were dealing with a fairly steep slope, crevasses, and all that recent snow we've been moaning and groaning about for days. It all paid off as we reached the security of the ropes without incident.
We knew we finally had a safe route to take our teams climbing toward the
West Buttress in the morning. Which is just what we'll do if the weather cooperates. Having reached about 15,500 ft in elevation, it was a thrill to ramble down the "safe trail" at flank speed and spread the good news to our climbers.
We still need plenty of luck, and there still may be insurmountable obstacles between us and the summit, but at least we finally get to go looking for them.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Another day at 14,200 ft on Denali... waiting for the sun. For as ominous as things appeared when we turned in last night, things stayed relatively calm through morning. We enjoyed a few hours of sunshine and the team made good use by cutting snow blocks and fortifying our dining tent. Meanwhile, a couple of guides from each of three different teams (and three different guide companies) made forays onto the first hill en route to the fixed ropes. Each made assessments of the snowpack independently, but then we compared notes and found all were in agreement... there were positive signs that stabilizing processes were ongoing, but these were still definitely outweighed by the signs that unstable conditions prevailed. Too much chance of avalanche. No climbing the
West Buttress today. Back together at 14 camp, Tim Hardin gave our assembled team a great lesson in snow science, explaining how a pit dug in suspect snow could reveal plenty about the layers within the pack and their ability to hold to one another... or slide. The day turned cloudy as usual and light snow fell again. There was some letup at dinner and we enjoyed views of the wind-sculpted cloud caps on Denali, Foraker and Hunter. We were each challenged again to stay tough, patient and focused as we said goodbye to three more of the guided groups we've shared the hill with. This once bustling and eager climbing camp is down to three guided teams and one small independent team. We're still getting good forecasts for the days ahead- of cloud and snow and more cloud, we are just hoping they turn out to be wrong.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
This day started out fine. We definitely felt like we'd dodged a bullet since forecasts had predicted 6 to 12 inches of new snow overnight at
14,200 ft. We got nothing and liked it. The morning seemed perfect as we ate breakfast in strong sunshine and calm conditions. We had high hopes for the sun working its stabilizing magic on the avalanche slopes between us and our climbing goals. Since the clouds were gone, the team geared up for another walk to the Edge of the World. This trip would be pretty simple compared to yesterday's as we now had a packed trail to follow. It was a thrill to reach the rocks this time and to look down into the abyss. We took hero shots, posing on the high points and basked in the sunshine. The clouds began to form as we walked back toward camp. Unfortunately, they kept building and by dinner there was a massive cap on the mountain and wind was scraping hard at the ridges around us. We happen to be perfectly sheltered from this particular storm at the moment, but it is obviously nasty above and around us... not exactly the stabilizing influence we were seeking. So we'll go to bed and hope for better things in the morning. We are still doing fine for food and fuel, but are aware that a few more of the teams around us have reached their limits and are now focused on descent.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Another unwelcome pulse of moisture and wind came through in the night. The wind was far more significant than the new snow as it worked to slab up the substantial snowfall we'd already gotten on the steep walls above. While things died down and the sun showed up on time this morning, it didn't take very long for folks to realize we'd suffered a setback in the snow stability department. But there wasn't so much that could be done to change that reality and so we made the best of things. We geared up, roped up and took a hike to the edge of the world, which is what everybody calls the rocks a short distance from camp that mark the edge of the 14,200 ft basin we're in. From that edge one can look straight down thousands of vertical feet to the
Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. Except we could not, due to clouds and murk, and plowing through above the knee powder made it feel like a little more than a short distance away. We went for the workout and to keep our minds focused on climbing during this big delay. And that seemed to work nicely for us. One could sense the great drop-off and the immensity of Denali's South Face lurking in the clouds.
Back at camp, we did more of the things we've already been doing so well... eating, drinking, resting, chatting and watching the snowy slopes above when the clouds permit. What we really need is a few hot, very sunny, stable days to settle the snow.
Several of the teams surrounding us in camp were running low on food and fuel and could wait no more. They began their descent of the mountain as we were sitting down to dinner. Things actually cleared up quite nicely about then with calm, blue skies above and a thick sea of clouds below us stretching to all horizons. It may be a tricky situation but it remains beautiful.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
We all thought it was a little colder than predictions called for last night. It might have been as low as 10 below zero Fahrenheit, but that is just a guess. But that would have been because the sky finally cleared. It was clear through much of the morning and early afternoon, but nobody went climbing. There are perhaps eight or ten groups here at 14,200 ft, between guided and smaller non-guided teams, but all of us shared a great respect for the new fallen snow and its need to settle. Neither the teams that are throwing in the towel and looking to go down, nor those of us that are looking to go up, want to get impatient and get avalanched. So we took it easy today and hoped that the sun would shine hard enough to heat up the snow and settle the hazard. We watched the last National Park Service Ranger Patrol of the season work with their B3 helicopter for a good chunk of the day to sling load all of their equipment and personnel out of camp and off the hill. My gang practiced the techniques we plan to employ for getting up the "fixed ropes" on the steep terrain between 15,000 and 16,200 ft. We also built a new walled latrine with all of the modern conveniences. And we waited. Patiently. We received a bunch more great messages from the blog (they were relayed to us as we don't actually surf the web up here) and those produced plenty of smiles and laughter. Thank You.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The Four Day Summit Climb led by
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall reached the summit of Mt. Rainier just after 7 am PT with 100% of their team! They reported light winds from the south and blue skies.
The Five Day Kautz Glacier Climb led by
Jason Thompson also reached the summit this morning. They started their descent from the crater rim just after 7 a.m. The team will return to their High Camp for their final night on the mountain.
Congratulations to today's teams!
Plenty of snow came down overnight and throughout the day. The team did a great job getting out in the night to dig out tents, despite the mean winds that made the morning a bit rough. By about 10 AM though, winds were lessening and we were able to have a group breakfast in the rebuilt POSH tent. Walking even a few steps out of camp, one was generally up to mid-thigh in the new snow... meaning we didn't walk out of camp much. We let it snow. We rested. We read. We chatted. We passed time and then we ate dinner. The eight o'clock weather forecast was eagerly anticipated and it actually gave some reason for optimism this time. We were told that the snows would fade this evening and that tomorrow (Monday) wouldn't be half bad. And that is good. We need a day that includes a bit of sun to settle the avalanche hazard surrounding us.
As we came out from dinner and prepared camp for another night of storm, we were pleased to get a break. The sun appeared (briefly) and we were able to see the entire
West Buttress and South Peak and even a splash of blue sky overhead. Perhaps it was the new snow covering everything or maybe it was because we hadn't had much scenery at all to look at lately, but we found the view to be breathtaking and brilliant.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
At 3:30 this morning I was startled awake by what I thought was the rumbling of a distant avalanche. Perhaps my mountain senses have an automatic alertness to these deep thunderous roars that will pull me from the deepest sleep. As I poked my head out of the tent door, I remembered where we are.
Two days ago I broke the news to the team that a serious storm was brewing and the risk of staying at high camp, in my opinion, outweighed the reward of a potential summit. Going for the top on Monday or Tuesday would put our total time there at eight or nine days, well beyond anyone's preference. So we packed camp with heavy hearts and set off on our descent.
We moved efficiently down to eleven thousand feet where we rested for six hours. The alarm went off at 5:00 am to no one's delight and we headed toward
basecamp at 7:30. By 3:00 pm we were drinking MGD and relaxing in the sun. K2 aviation was optimistic about flying us off so morale, all things considered, was high. That was until one hour later the clouds moved in and it began to to snow. That was more than 24 hours ago.
Now as I write this at 4 pm on Sunday, we have received two feet of snow. Welcome to
Mt. McKinley! We have all just come in for lunch after two solid hours stomping down the runway so if the storm does abate, planes might fly. This is all we hope for now, the high pitch sound of propellers and don't think twice about those avalanches in the distance.
This is
Adam Knoff signing out.
On The Map
The weather forecast was right on this time... A day of snow. It was a little bit like the inside of a milk bottle for most of the time. There were a few hours when the clouds were thinner and the sun's heat could be felt through the storm, but the snowflakes never quit falling. It was not going to be a climbing day for our team and so we turned it into a fine rest day.
Solveig Waterfall taught an excellent course in avalanche beacon use.
Tim Hardin and
Cody Doolan built the mother of all snow kitchens. The team listened patiently to old guide stories and chatted over the current events we could pick up from the Anchorage FM stations. We had a few sessions of cutting snow blocks and building walls around the tents. Mostly this was done for exercise and to get warm, since as yet this particular storm hasn't come with the wind which would necessitate walls. We are happy for that and are somewhat resigned to another day or two of this same system.
Best,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Brian,
I hope the weather allows for more progress for climbing today. Stay safe, focus on the destination, but enjoy the journey! We send our love! Inez and Ian
Posted by: Inez Bulatao on 7/16/2012 at 3:38 am
Dr. K.
We are awe inspired by your bravery and sense of adventure! Can’t wait to see you again, best of luck to you and your team. Hang in there, we know you will make it to the top, we are sending you light and love! Have fun in the tent! We love you and miss you! -Track A2 (the best track)
Posted by: Track A2 on 7/15/2012 at 6:53 pm
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