Entries from Mt. McKinley
June 21, 2016 - 9:27 pm PT
Rest days are the best days!
Our team made the most of this one with an extended pancake breakfast, followed by several hours of heated "uno" playing. By mid afternoon though, the team was all business as we sorted group gear and provisions in preparation for our carry to
14 Camp tomorrow. It actually takes a good amount of thought splitting up expedition loads; we want to be sure we won't be carrying tons of weight on our move day, but also need to leave enough provisions at 11 Camp should we get caught in a storm cycle after the carry. But as of now, the packs are packed and we are excited to head up the mountain tomorrow! The solstice sun is shining brightly on us as we nestle in for the night. We'll catch you on the flip side!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
On The Map
June 22, 2016 - 12:17 a.m. P.D.T.
The final RMI Expeditions
Denali trip of 2016 is kicking off. The team assembled in Anchorage today, with a few reunions and a few introductions, and made the traditional pilgrimage to Talkeetna. Bill, our Denali Overland driver, got the van out of the Anchorage rush hour traffic and out onto the open road with big views of the Chugach foothills and the Talkeetna Mountains. After a last stop for provisions in Wasilla, we cruised on up to epic views of the Alaska Range itself just before pulling into Talkeetna. We settled our climbing gear at the airplane hangar and checked in to the venerable Talkeetna Motel. Some of the team ventured out to sample local beer and appetizers, some went straight to the mattresses after long days of prep and travel. We'll dial down on pre-climb details tomorrow morning...Tonight it was unwind and get settled in the land of the midnight sun.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
June 20, 2016 - 11:11 P.M. PDT
Few things are as satisfying as watching a storm clear and being able to once again see the mountain you are trying to climb. Our stormy weather did just that, allowing us to do a rapid pack and move up to our 11,200 ft. camp.
We spent the afternoon digging in and letting our tents dry out, and everyone is looking forward to a well deserved day of
rest and acclimatization tomorrow. It was a stunningly beautiful evening up here, watching the clouds roll over Kahiltna Dome and streaks of solstice sunlight streak Mount Foraker. Fingers crossed for good weather to come.
Love from,
RMI Guide
Mike Haugen and Team El Siete
On The Map
June 19, 2016 - 8:33 pm PT
Happy Father's Day!! We love all our dads, and hope they're having a great day wherever they may be- enjoying breakfast in bed, playing golf, sunbathing on Ping Island, or beekeeping.
The weather went from bad to worse over night. We took turns every hour tightening guy lines and shoveling snow from around the tents to prevent any wind incidents or tent buryings. The crew was in great spirits as we ate our way through the day staying comfy in the tents. We had a great Ramen and veggies meal to which we added sriracha sauce and called it Mountain Pho.
The weather seems to be improving a tiny bit and we are hopeful that tomorrow will bring sunshine, rainbows, and the ability to move up to our next
camp!
Send us your best weather vibes,
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
June 18, 2016 - 8:58 pm PT
Remember how yesterday we told ya'll that despite the high clouds and other warning signs of low pressure that the weather was holding? Well, it sure isn't anymore. We delayed our departure from Camp 1 by a few hours and caught a lull that lasted long enough for us to travel to
9,600 Camp comfortably. We established camp and chilled the afternoon away as the winds and snow built. We are well fed, warm, and snuggled in for the night, hoping that the weather allows us to travel to 11,000 Camp in the morning. Only time will tell, but for now the psyche is high.
Love to everybody,
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
On The Map
June 18, 2016 - 7:51 pm PT
We woke up this morning at 3:00 AM to a wet snow fall on the lower
Kahiltna Glacier. I personally stayed up all morning waiting for it to taper off. Finally at 6 we decided to push to the runway and see if we could get a flight out today. After a couple hours of walking we turned the corner and started up the Southeast Fork, aka Heartbreak Hill. At this point we heard some planes began landing and with the shear excitement of beer and burgers we made our way up to the landing strip. The weather was in and out so we didn't all get flights out immediately but throughout the early afternoon we all got off the glacier and flew back to Talkeetna. We are currently having dinner at the West Rib and preparing for a big night of celebration.
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens
June 18, 2016 - 7:18 pm PT
It was anyone's guess how today would turn out based on the snow piling up on our tents this morning. We dragged our feet a little before downing a cup of coffee and packing up our camp. We pushed down the glacier in a near whiteout, unsure if any planes would venture into the Alaska Range today. After a great trip the team was ready to head home, but we had to still wait and see what
Denali had in store for us. As we descended, the visibility improved and it began to look like some fancy flying might just get us to a shower after all. The weather continued to cooperate and it wasn't long before the awesome pilots at K2 had us back in the land of green forests, running water and options for food. And like that we left the Range after a few great weeks with our teammates.
It was an exceptional adventure, made great by the team who shared the effort to make it happen. Thanks to all involved for making it happen and we will all be home soon!
RMI Guide Jake Beren
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and Team called at 2:25 pm PST to let us know they have flown off of the mountain and expect to land in Talkeetna shortly.
Congratulations Team!
RMI Guide Jake Beren and Team called at 2:25 pm PST to let us know they have flown off of the mountain and expect to land in Talkeetna shortly.
Congratulations Team!
June 18, 2016 - 12:40 am PT
Hi all, sorry there hasn't been a dispatch since we summited, we've been busy and on the move a lot. The team did a fantastic job climbing the
Upper Rib yesterday and we all made the summit just after 7:00 PM. After some hugs, photos, and congratulations we began our descent down to 17 Camp on the West Buttress. Thirteen hours after we started climbing we were crawling into our tents, exhausted but very satisfied with our accomplishment. This morning we woke up early to get low on the mountain before the 50 mph forecasted winds rolled in this afternoon. I am truly amazed at how strong this team is, even after a big summit day everyone climbed very well as we made our way down the Buttress and fixed lines to 14 Camp. Here we took about an hour to retrieve our cache and re pack before we hit the trail to 11 Camp. I thought for sure folks would be tired at 11 camp, but no. We dug up our cache here rigged for traveling with sleds and kept descending. We are currently at the base of Ski Hilll, 7800', getting a little rest and waiting for the cold of the night before we walk the lower Kahiltna Glacier back to the landing strip. Weather permitting we will be on board an airplane first thing in the morning.
Thanks so much for following along throughout our expedition
RMI Guide Geoff Schellens and the Upper West Rib Team
On The Map
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Great news! Pictures are stunningly gorgeous! We will all pray for good weather!
PS: be careful, Phil cheats at UNO
Posted by: TOM on 6/22/2016 at 12:12 pm
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