Entries from Mt. McKinley

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Move to High Camp, 17,000’

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,000'

Friday, June 8, 2018 - 9:27 AM PT It's been a long day so this will be short, but we woke up to calm conditions above and decided to pull the trigger on our move to High Camp at 17,000'. As we got out of camp, it started to snow and had us a bit nervous about conditions on the Buttress, but as we crested the fixed lines, winds were calm. We walked through snow for the whole day, but it stayed warm and calm, and we rolled into 17,000ft, set up camp, and are ready to go for the summit tomorrow should the opportunity present! RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and team

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Raj, did you get any summit pics? Hope you didn’t forget to snap a few. -E.

Posted by: erik dietz on 6/9/2018 at 11:53 am

Can’t believe you are so close to the Summit. Scott, here’s to great success, joy beyond belief when you get there and a safe journey down. Congrats to you and all the other climbers and guides.

Glenda Bemis

Posted by: Glenda Bemis on 6/9/2018 at 5:23 am

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Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Move to High Camp

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Walter Hailes, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,000'

Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 11:27 PM PT Well, we left our cozy home at 14,000 ft on Denali this morning. When we woke, we had clear views of the route, and could see that winds were calm. As we packed up and started moving, visibility decreased and snow started to fall. We slowly poked our noses a little further, halfway expecting the weather to turn us around, but it never did. It snowed most of the day, but it was relatively warm, and winds were very light. It was almost perfect, we just missed out on the views. Regardless, we have settled in to our new neighborhood, and are enjoying the warm 10 PM sun. We just finished dinner, and are tucking into our sleeping bags to stay nice and toasty. If the weather allows, we'll go for the summit tomorrow morning. Wish us luck! RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Go get em! Enjoy the views from the summit ridge on top of North America. Check out Mt Huntington and then read “Mountain of my fear” in the plane ride home.

Posted by: Tom Romary on 6/9/2018 at 7:37 am

Tyler and team, we hope you reached all of your goals today. We are looking forward to having you home soon to share all of your stories and pictures! Love and miss you! Praying for all of you, mom and dad

Posted by: donna shearburn on 6/9/2018 at 6:23 am

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Denali Expedition: King and Team Break Trail to 7,800’

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

We all turned in early last night with an anticipated 2 AM wake up call. The guides woke at 2 only to see snow, wet tents and zero visibility. Ear plugs back in and snooze until 4:30 AM. The clouds had thinned out, snow was drier and still falling but the saving grace was we could see the lower skies of Mt Francis and the airstrip markers. The Team got ready to go after a quick breakfast and hot drink. The walk down heartbreak hill with big sleds and breaking trail through new snow went surprisingly well. No one broke down and asked to return to Talkeetna so we walked into the thick clouds, think if you were trapped inside of a ping pong ball. There was a faint trail from the teams who arrived late in the night and all of a sudden there was nothing. We plodded through the snow and up the main fork of the Kahiltna Glacier navigating by GPS and the occasional bamboo pole that is placed for just these conditions. Wet snow was falling but not a trace of wind. Sweaty with sore hips we rolled into camp as the cloud bank lifted just enough to see camp at the base of Ski Hill. We are all tucked in our tents and resting up for our carry day to 9600' tomorrow. Our hope is to travel early when the temperatures are cooler and place our cache of food and fuel. Everyone is dry, warm and re-hydrating after a tough day. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

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Hi all, letting you know we are following along on your trail. Doesn’t seem as cold here in California as it is there though. (insert smiley face). You are on for the summit, I feel it in my warm bones. Stay focused and bring me some new jokes. Hang in, hang on, hang out, and head for the summit!
Love to Scott, Hi to Team, and Luck to All!
Mom Selgrath

Posted by: Connie Selgrath on 6/9/2018 at 9:39 am

From all here on Vashon-following you—!

Posted by: Carol Jensen-Scanny on 6/8/2018 at 3:16 pm

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Denali Expedition: Jones and Team Wait Out the Weather with a Quesadilla Extravaganza

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Bryan Mazaika, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Today was another rest day with a top notch breakfast donated from our fellow RMI team Mike Walter who is currently on the way down to the airstrip. The breakfast quesadilla extravaganza started with snow and ended with heavy snow. We said good bye to Walter team and are looking forward to some training in the next few hours to dial in our technique for the next stage of our climb to carry supplies for our high camp. This will set the stage for our summit push when the weather allows. For now we will out chill the snow and let you know how our carry turns out tomorrow! We are wishing good luck to the Van Deventer and Hailes teams as they are pushing to high camp today for their summit bid! RMI Guide Tyler Jones

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Dave and Team! Keep it up! Thinking of you and praying for clear blue skies!

Posted by: Paul on 6/9/2018 at 5:56 am

Dave and team, thinking of you guys and hoping the weather clears and you get some clear, calm skies. Couldn’t quite see the mountain from the office, but had a great view of the sleeping lady this afternoon. Pray for us as we embark a hike to Thunderbird Falls with the kids on Sunday - 2 miles/100 feet elevation gain round trip.
Much love,
B

Posted by: Beth on 6/8/2018 at 9:03 pm

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Wait Out the Weather

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - 10:39 PM PT The wolf huffed and puffed, but not on our house today. We woke up early after a short, but intense burst of snow last night, and things looked great. By the time we were done with breakfast though, we were watching huge plumes of snow sail off Denali's upper mountain, which gave us pause. We slowed our roll, and spent the morning watching to see if winds would abate. They did finally, but not until 4 pm or so, way too late for us. We'll try again tomorrow and hope for a different outcome. In the meantime, we are sitting through another intense bout of snow, turning everything white. RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

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Rich and Team…congrats to you all for an amazing journey!! We have kept you all in our thoughts and prayers for a successful and safe climb. Can’t wait to hear all about it and see the amazing pictures! Love Mom and Dad

Posted by: Richard Lewis on 6/9/2018 at 6:01 am

I seriously refresh this page every single morning to see the latest updates. I appreciate the blog and am so happy to see everyone is doing well. Wishing for some good weather and that everyone makes it to summit!!!
Steve- I love and miss you so much. Chika, Lloyd and I can’t wait for you to come home.
Xoxoxo
-Cookie

Posted by: Misty on 6/7/2018 at 9:34 pm

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Fly to the Kahiltna Glacier

June 6, 2018

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,300'

Wednesday, June 5, 2018 - 8:21 PM PT This is Mike King with RMI's June 4th Denali Expedition. We weighed all our gear and loaded up the 2 Turbo Otter ski planes and waited out the morning in the K2 Aviation hanger. Grey skies and a cloud bank at the foot of the Alaska Range prevented an early flight. Around 2:30 we got the call that pockets of blue sky had developed so we buckled up and took off to try and sneak into Denali Base Camp. The flight in was spectacular, clouds above and below and nothing but bluebird in between. Our pilot went through triple crown pass with views of Foraker, Hunter and Crosson. After landing at Kahiltna International we set up camp, rigged sleds and divided the food and fuel rations. With the later departure and the heat of the sun reflecting off the snow we decided to spend the night here. We'll get an early start and travel while the temps are cool and never setting sun low on the horizon. The Team is firing on all cylinders and eager to move up glacier tomorrow and get this expedition started. Thanks for following along and we will check in from the base of Ski Hill tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike King

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Hi Brave Guys! Hi special to Scott! Tony and I wishing you all all the luck in the world! In Russia we have a saying “God loves Thrinity”. We hope this expedition is your lucky charm!! Wishing you good weather and a safe and very enjoyable climb!!

Posted by: Ann and Tony Rausin on 6/7/2018 at 1:49 pm

Want to wish each of you the greatest success. Special hi to Scott (mom and I friends since middle school). Will keep each of you in my prayers. I know you have the best equipment, talent and willingness….so just go climb the mountain and come home safely.

Posted by: Glenda Bemis on 6/7/2018 at 10:02 am

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Denali Expedition: Jones & Team Rest at 14,000’ Camp

June 6, 2018

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Bryan Mazaika, Nick Scott

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - 4:52 PM PT After a busy week of pushing up to 14,000' Camp, we took a much deserved first full rest day. The team had a rough nights sleep at our new altitude and learned how to manage the morning “snowstorm” in the tent that develops from the condensation our breath gives off and freezes on the inside of the tent walls. To sum it up, it’s not a pleasant way to wake up! Despite that, we got to sleep in and wait for the sun to hit our tents before we had a big breakfast with bagels, cream cheese and salmon!! The morning sun helped dry out our sleeping bags before some afternoon snow showers moved through. Tomorrow we might have a more active rest day filled with some training and a walk to the Edge of the World. All and all, the team is enjoying some rest and should sleep much better tonight as our bodies continue to acclimate to our new elevation. RMI Guide Tyler Jones

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Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Wait Out the Weather at 14,000’ Camp

June 6, 2018

Posted by: Walter Hailes, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 - 4:43 PM PT We were all set to climb to 17,000' Camp this morning but Denali had other plans for us. By 8 am this morning we could see strong winds blowing across our climbing route on the Buttress. We decided to put the move on hold until the winds slowed. Luckily, Mike Walter's team at 17 Camp provided hourly updates on the weather situation and we eventually decided that the weather was too severe to climb into today. Not all was lost though, we took some time to remodel our mountain kitchen and built a new outhouse. Obviously important facilities when waiting out bad weather. We will wake again tomorrow planning to move and see what the weather allows. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Sending big love; so proud of you guys; we’re cheering you on!

Posted by: Taina on 6/7/2018 at 3:01 pm

Better to be in your tent, wishing you were on the mountain, than on the mountain, wishing you were in your in your tent. Slow and steady. Well done!

Posted by: Tom Power on 6/7/2018 at 8:54 am

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Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Summit!

June 6, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,200'

Wednesday, June 7, 2018 - 10:59 am PT Nothing is easy about Denali. After two hard days of climbing and finally reaching the summit yesterday, we are currently hunkered down in our tents, avoiding the wind and spindrift that the mountain is throwing at us this morning. It is currently too cold and windy to safely pack up and climb down the exposed West Buttress. So we're on standby, chilling out in our tents waiting for the wind to abate. Hopefully we'll be able to bump camp down to lower altitude and warmer temps soon. RMI Guide Mike Walter Tuesday, June 6, 2018 - 10:50 pm PT Despite a less than ideal weather forecast, we awoke to clear skies and no winds. We fired up the stoves and woke our team. Muscles were weary after climbing for seven hours yesterday, but we couldn't pass up this opportunity. The weather stayed good all day and the route was in great shape. It was a hard day of climbing but we got to stand on the top of North America! We were ten hours round trip (high camp-summit-high camp). And now that we've eaten dinner and crawled in our tents, the temperature has plummeted, winds have increased, and snow is falling. Timing couldn't have been better. We will start our descent tomorrow... RMI Guide Mike Walter

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So proud of all of you! Please keep yourselves warm. Miss you guys, and can’t wait till you’re in Talkeetna. Shower Beer is everything. You’ll see.

Posted by: David Head on 6/7/2018 at 8:44 pm

Wow!!! How incredible!! Alex and Tom we are all super excited for your summit!! Must be incredible to see from the top!! Enjoy every moment and we miss you. Nicole

Posted by: nicole celona-jacobs on 6/7/2018 at 1:40 pm

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Wait One more Day at 14,000’, Ready for Move

June 6, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Tuesday, June 5, 2018 - 10:46 PM PT So there we were, standing in our cook tent on Mount Denali. This morning was a beautiful morning, and it really doesn't get much better here in Alaska, but tomorrow's forecast had been showing elevated winds for some time. With that stability of forecast, it didn't look like a summit day tomorrow, so we decided to drag our feet at 14,000' for one more day. It was a beautiful rest day, well enjoyed by the whole team. The cook tent was humming this evening with the energy of expectation of a move to 17,000 ft Camp tomorrow. We are all excited and ready, and can't wait to give high fives to RMI's Denali Team led by Mike Walter as we pass them on Denali's West Buttress. RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and team

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Hope you are taking it all in, warm and comfy. Did you bring smores?

Posted by: Tim on 6/7/2018 at 3:48 am

Good luck tomorrow John and Raj…i know you’ll summit! Anxious to see your push become reality!
MUSH

Posted by: Sue Mamer on 6/6/2018 at 2:13 pm

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Entries from Mt. McKinley

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Move to High Camp, 17,000’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Move to High Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King and Team Break Trail to 7,800’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Jones and Team Wait Out the Weather with a Quesadilla Extravaganza

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Wait Out the Weather

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King & Team Fly to the Kahiltna Glacier

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Denali Expedition: Jones & Team Rest at 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Wait Out the Weather at 14,000’ Camp

Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Summit!

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Wait One more Day at 14,000’, Ready for Move

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