Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
June 3, 2023 10:48 am PDT
We woke up to snow,
Was hoping to be in town,
More freeze dried it is.
June 2, 2023 10:01 pm PDT
The planes come and go,
but we are still here waiting,
tomorrow we fly?
RMI Guides Nikki, Leif, Lauren & Team
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Devin Guffey, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
Hello readers,
We woke with hopes of people flying. It snowed over a foot during the night. A light fluffy snow, good for skiing. The clouds lingered and the sun tried to poke out here and there. The once fluffy snow soon turned into nice sticky snow for snowman making. In order for Plane to leave or arrive the runway needed to be stomped down so the planes didn't get stuck. All of basecamp came together on skis and snowshoes to consolidate the snow for the planes to land safely. By late afternoon, the plane that slept overnight revved up its engine and flew away. Five K2 Aviation planes made their landing and two RMI teams made it off. Before four of those planes could U-turn back the clouds rolled back in, and we were told they would try again tomorrow.
Snow began to lightly come down as we got back in our tents and ready for another night. Fingers crossed Saturday clears up and we too can fly off This mountain.
Still at Basecamp,
RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team
Bags - we miss you and can’t wait to see you! Much love, Enzo and Liv
Posted by: Olivia on 6/4/2023 at 7:28 am
We love you Shihan (Eva)! We have enjoyed being on the journey with you and your team. Cheers to snowman making and the beauty of the journey and the views around you. Excited to see you home safe soon. Much love to all from The Fox Family
Posted by: The Fox Family on 6/4/2023 at 7:03 am
The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Joe Hoch reached the 14,410' summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Joe Hoch reported a beautiful day of climbing with 20 mph breeze from the southwest. The team is on the descent making their way back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to Today's Team!
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
June 2, 2023, 11:39 am PDT
Yesterday we woke up to clear skies, but the clouds and snow quickly made their way in. A few planes snuck in, but we were unable to make our way back to Talkeetna. So we sit, and continue to wait for our weather window to get off the Kahiltna Glacier and return to Talkeetna, beds, and showers. Until then we keep eating our snacks and watching movies.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion and team
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Josh McDowell
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at about 7:45 am PDT. RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Josh McDowell lead their teams up the Ingraham Direct Route on what Dave Hahn described as a near perfect climbing day. They crossed the crater to reach Columbia Crest, where they celebrated with high fives and selfies before starting their descent.
Congratulations Team!
It’s been an honor and pleasure climbing with you all yesterday. I will never forget the moment. Thank you again Dave, Tom, Cal, Team B guides, and all the climbers.
Posted by: Indradjit Harbani (Aji) on 6/3/2023 at 5:07 pm
Great job, everyone!
Posted by: Steven Danskine on 6/3/2023 at 2:40 pm
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Tatum Whatford, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
June 1, 2023, 10:30 pm PDT
We had hopes this morning as the base camp manager said to ready everything and that planes were on the way. By 8:30 several planes hit the runway and stayed to load climbers. They departed and as the clouds edged closer, we were told they were launching planes for us and they were trying to get in. But the snow started and visibility shut down and the planes stopped landing. We kept waiting for the snow to stop and a hole to open, but it didn't come. It is now calm, but snowing prolifically. Midwinter, we would be going to sleep excited about the powder day to come. Here, we beg for it to stop so we can make our way home. But we are in a beautiful place, and we count ourselves warm, dry, and lucky to experience the power of the Alaska Range.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and team
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Devin Guffey, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
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June 1, 2023, 9:14 pm PDT
Hello all!
After a a quick nap of a couple hours we woke at 10:00 pm and packed up our camp. Just before midnight we began our walk out. During our nap the clouds faded away and gave us a beautiful view out. The air was crisp and so were the views. The moon light the dusk sky and hues of pink and purple faded in and out. We were the only team walking on the Kahiltna. As we took our final steps uphill on Heartbreak Hill we were greeted by a sea of tents at basecamp. Many hopefuls waited to check in and try to fly out. We had a couple hours before check in so we grabbed our sleeping bags and took another quick nap. As teams awoke you could feel the anxious and desperate energy of teams wanting to get off the glacier. Unfortunately, none of the RMI teams were able to fly. One plane even got stuck here at basecamp unable to fly out with the clouds engulfing camp so quickly. Our once clear morning turned into a wet afternoon. We are now curled up in our tents trying our best to stay dry and optimistic as we wait for weather to improve to we can off. A celebratory beer cached at basecamp has helped the mood. If we close our eyes we can pretend we are showered and sitting at the brewery. Weather is suppose to improve by Saturday so fingers crossed for clear skies both here and in Talkeetna. As for now, after only some naps we are pretty sleepy from our walk out.
So goodnight all,
RMI Guides Hannah Smith, Devin Guffey, and Erika Birkeland, and Team
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
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June 1, 2023, 5:13 pm PDT
After a successful summit day we descended from high camp to 14k Camp for the night. After a hearty burrito breakfast we descended to base camp, a 10-hour trek. We had excellent weather and perfect snow conditions for our lengthy descent. Unfortunately, snow returned in the morning and we were unable to fly off the glacier. K2 Aviation has pilots and planes on standby to come pick us up when the weather breaks. Who knows when that will be, but until then our climbers are dreaming of hot showers, cold beers, real food, and flush toilets. Nothing is easy about climbing Denali, and this final hurdle is testing our climbers'mettle. Hopefully we'll see the skies soon and the dreams will come to fruition. Fingers crossed.
RMI Guide Mike Walter and team
Excellent everyone! Hang in there!!
Posted by: Jamie on 6/3/2023 at 11:51 am
I’m so proud of you Scott! I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Posted by: Debbie Eldridge on 6/3/2023 at 4:13 am
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Leif Bergstrom, Lauren Macklin
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,200'
Short and sweet dispatch for now. We didn't get the summit window weather we were hoping for, so we packed up and headed down to basecamp. Now we are sitting in the snow, seeing if we can fly.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion
Posted by: Eric Frank, Jack Delaney, Evan Sather, Lacie Smith, Nick Sinapius, Sam Hoffman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four-Day climbs led by Eric Frank and Jack Delaney reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. Lead Guide Eric Frank reported a gorgeous day and some of the best weather he's had in recent years.
The teams were starting their descent this morning around 9:30AM PT and will be back at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon. Nice work!
Is the Ingraham Direct route still open?
Thanks!!!
Gabe
Posted by: Gabe Geers on 6/1/2023 at 4:45 pm
Jonathan! Another chapter written, capturing a timeless beauty of nature filled with adventure. Looking forward to seeing your photos and hearing your stories! Safe travels home, we love you! Mom & Christina
Posted by: Joy Deffenbaugh on 6/4/2023 at 4:50 pm
Matt, what a spectacular adventure! Peaks and valleys, something you have always been able to navigate. Love you!
Posted by: Kathleen George on 6/4/2023 at 5:51 am
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