Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 11:09 PM PT
Well, we did it and several entities tried to tell us it wouldn’t happen! Last night the weather forecast failed to mention the building high pressure and instead called for mostly cloudy skies, snow and light wind. We got up at 5 am and there were clouds over the summit and blowing snow. At 7 am the upper mountain was blue bird with a few clouds out to the North. We got the Team going and then the 17 Camp traffic jam merging onto the Autobahn formed right in front of our eyes. It’s like driving down the highway and you're thinking, “damn I am making great time” then 30-car pile up in the blink of an eye. We pumped the brakes and saw an opening, waited about 15 minutes in the sun and 15 in the shadow of
Denali. A guided group had an issue and there were three ropes pulled over so we swooped into the HOV lane only to experience an average commute to Denali Pass.
From the pass we ascended towards Zebra Rocks, a steep rocky ridge that is comprised of white granite and a black rock, it’s name escapes me due to altitude, sun, exertion and a little CO from the stoves. After topping out in the mellower terrain above Zebra we meandered towards the Football Field with views of the Farthing Horn and Arch Deacon’s Tower formations. The group had put in a big effort and there were a few who thought they had reached their high point, only problem was that it was more mental then physical. We rolled through the small hills into the Football Field for a warm break just below Pig Hill. Once up Pig Hill we were in the cold wind on the Southside of the summit ridge as we rounded the Denali Horn. A short stint brought to the Northside of the corniced ridge and we were in calm air and warm. We topped out at 4:15pm and enjoyed amazing views of the lower glaciers and really all of North America cause there was nothing on terra firma higher than us.
It’s been a great expedition and the summit on a great day is just icing on a 20,320’ cake. Tomorrow we descend to 14 Camp and from there the weather and fatigued legs will dictate when we hit the airstrip. There’s still a lot of terrain to cover and we have to collect all our cached gear, food, trash and human waste. The full packs and sleds to the airstrip will be a rite of passage for the Team, they don’t know yet but their hearts are going to break on the last hill into the airstrip but beers and burgers heal all of Denali’s aches and pains. Thanks for following along, this isn’t the last post but we might not get to another one until we hit Kahiltna Glacier Regional airport...no fake prestige airline clubs just some buried treats in the snow for an amazing group of climbers who have been an absolute pleasure to spend the last 16 days with.
RMI Guide Mike King & Team
Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 8:06 PM PT
We had another early wake-up to avoid climbing in the heat of the day. We left camp around 3:45 and headed uphill to cache some gear around 10,200'. We carry so much food, fuel, and warm clothing that it is nice to break up the heavy loads as we ascend. In addition, it helps to work hard uphill and then come back down and sleep.
The team was awesome today, making the round trip in exactly six hours. Since we were back in camp early, we had a glorious mid-morning /late afternoon nap and continued to sport eat. We need all of the energy we can get to climb this beast!
Our plan for tomorrow is to head back uphill, this time moving our
camp to 11,000'. We are hoping this good weather stays with us for awhile.
I asked our climbers to come up with a haiku about the day. All of the haikus seem to be involving the bathroom and our clean mountain cans. We will post the best of tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Team Siete
On The Map
Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 6:54 PM PT
We rose early again today with another beautiful morning to greet us. In the cold we packed up camp and headed up Motorcycle and Squirrel Hills, traversed the Polo Fields and climbed around Windy Corner. After 4 1/2 hours we arrived at our current
camp at 14,200' in Genet Basin. It's been a warm and sunny afternoon here as we look down over the clouds and out to Mount Hunter and Foraker to the south. The afternoon was spent excavating and erecting camp. Tomorrow we will go back downhill to Windy Corner (13,600') to retrieve our cache. That will be a short mission, so we'll get the rest of the day to rest and home our skills for the upper mountain.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 5:42 PM PT
Yesterday we had a nice hike at the
Cheget ski area, reaching 10,000’ and getting some beautiful views of the Caucasus.
Today we woke up at 6,800’ and by early afternoon had ski toured up to 14,000’. This was with the help of three gondolas that we shuffled all our gear on and off, en route to our camp here on the mountain. One of my favorite days on these trips is the first day we get to ski - a reminder of why we’ve come all this way with all these heavy bags. Everyone was psyched to ski today. I think we’ll do it again tomorrow...
It’s good to finally be in position here on Mt. Elbrus. Acclimatization and rest is the plan for the next couple days.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
On The Map
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 11:42 PM PT
Things started out quiet and cloudy in Talkeetna today, continuing what had been a string of manky weather. We met at the venerable Roadhouse for breakfast and the opening strategy session for our
Denali Expedition. Fortified with strong coffee, the team moved on to the nearby Talkeetna Ranger Station of the National Park Service for our mandatory pre-climb orientation and briefing. We were honored to have Roger Robinson himself give our slideshow and discussion on safety and environmental policies. Roger is in the fortieth and final year of a phenomenal and heroic career with the NPS on Denali. By the time we headed out to the airstrip to pack and organize gear at the K2 Aviation hangar, the clouds were on the run and blue sky and strong sunshine were breaking out everywhere. We conducted a thorough gear check and packing session through the afternoon, culminating in a weigh-in to get everything tagged and set for loading on the beautiful DeHaviland Ski Otters parked on Talkeetna’s tarmac. Our 11 person team -7 climbers and 4 guides- got together at The West Rib pub for dinner on the patio as cottonwood buds floated like thick snowflakes in the sunshine. Most of the team wandered on down to the banks of the Susitna River to check out Denali, shining 50 miles to the west and crowding the sky. Then it was back to the hotel to tidy loose ends and get a final night in a bed. Tomorrow looks mighty good for getting started.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
The Four Day Climb June 17 - 20 was unable to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning due to high winds and cold temperatures. RMI Guides Eric Frank and Pepper Dee and teams made an alpine start for the summit but turned back at approximately 11,900'. Once back at Camp Muir the teams will continue their descent to Paradise to conclude their trip.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 8:24 PM PT
We had a smooth early morning departure from basecamp this morning. It looks like we brought the A-team! Everyone did great as we moved our heavy loads over five miles up the Kahiltna Glacier.
The weather has been great all day with sunshine, no wind, and warm temps. We were able to see
Denali for much of the day, which was a pleasant change from the overcast days we have had.
Our plan is to cache some food and gear around 10k and then come back to this camp and get ready to move up the next day. It looks like the weather may cooperate with us. The adventure continues!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
On The Map
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 4:56 PM PT
We got an early start today, leaving camp at 8:15 am headed up loaded with food and fuel to cache around
Windy Corner. The weather was beautifully clear and calm and the temps were perfect for climbing. By 11:15 we were at our cache sight at ~13,600'. After digging a deep cache hole to protect our food from hungry ravens, we started off back downhill at 12:25. By 1:15 we were back at camp with plenty of time to rest and relax. The plan is to hit the sack pretty early tonight with the intention of moving our camp up to 14,200', colloquially known as Camp 4. We'll check back to let you know how it goes.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 2:47 PM PT
We had a slight breeze all night and while the flapping fabric was not enough to keep us up the first night at
17,200’, it had several people not sleeping well. The guides got up at 6:30 am to check the wind and weather. Snow was billowing up into the atmosphere and swirling down the slopes that we would need to climb. We pumped the brakes a bit to see what the heat from the rising sun would do to the winds. After a few more hours the snow was still spinning and we decided it was too late to begin a 12-hour summit bid. The early afternoon has us resting in warm tents and taking some laps around camp to force us to breath more. Just sitting in the tent won’t help us get ready tomorrow. Our plan is to get started shortly after the sun hits camp and be on top early afternoon. Everyone is feeling better then when we first got here yesterday and anxious to finish this wonderful expedition.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 - 7:22 AM PT
Our expedition has begun and the hard part is done. We managed to come together in the Anchorage airport from throughout North America. As a bonus, all of our gear made it through as well. We loaded up in the traditional Denali Overland van and trailer and got out of rush hour Anchorage traffic for the three hour push to the North. We couldn’t see much of the mountains as clouds were down pretty low, so we focused on enjoying the many shades of green on the valley floor. A stop for groceries in Wasilla broke up the ride nicely and we arrived in Talkeetna by 8PM. There was a brief tour of town before the team settled for the night in the comfort of the Swiss Alaska Inn. The work begins in the morning-packing and permitting.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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So happy for you all! This is amazing! Love the group photo
Posted by: Catherine Nock on 6/23/2019 at 10:16 am
Congrats on yet another successful climb Nephew Mike King! Thanks for sharing your teams mission! Safe Travels today and every day!
Posted by: Bill King on 6/23/2019 at 4:33 am
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