Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Taylor Bickford
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,200'
.jpg)
Saturday, June 22, 2019 2:34 PM PT
We're taking a planned rest day today to better acclimate and get strong for our forays on the upper mountain. The day began clear and we enjoyed a leisurely brunch as the sun warmed our cook tent. Now, in the afternoon, clouds have risen and there are a few snow flakes falling. Everyone has retreated to their tents for some rest, reading, and relaxation. We will review and practice the technical skills needed to ascend the fixed ropes, which run from ~15,200' - 16,000'. We plan to head up there tomorrow to take a cache of supplies up high before returning to our comfortable 14k Camp. We'll let you know how it goes.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams were walking into the crater rim just before 7:00 a.m. The weather is fairly warm with a cloud deck at 6,400'. They will spend some time on top as they cross the crater rim to Columbia Crest before starting their descent.
Congrats, Alex & Hamilton! Cant wait to see more pics and hear all about it
Posted by: Russ on 6/23/2019 at 5:11 pm
alex and hamilton, i am so very proud of you, and cannot wait to hear about it; love, dad
Posted by: Steve Wrenn on 6/23/2019 at 10:10 am
Greetings again from the Caucasus! Here’s a quick recap of our last couple days on the mountain:
Yesterday we ascended to the top of Pastukhova Rocks at over 15,000’ and enjoyed a nice 3,000’ descent. The best snow conditions were up high where the colder temperatures have kept things preserved - smooth and flowy. Everyone got a sense of the reality of high altitude skiing: ski a few turns, stop to pressure breathe, ski a few turns, stop to pressure breathe... on down the mountain.
For a little extra acclimatization this morning, our group hopped on a snow cat and enjoyed a free ride up to our high point yesterday, this time arriving in about 25 minutes. With pleasant weather, we took the opportunity for some mountaineering skills training and review. We then skinned up to 16,000’, a new altitude record for a few members of our group.
It’s a been a productive couple days of acclimatization and rest here on Mt. Elbrus. If the weather looks good in the morning, we’ll see if we can sneak our way to the top.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
On The Map
Posted by: Mike Haugen, Jenny Konway, Grayson Swingle
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'
.jpg)
Friday, June 21, 2019 - 10:18 PM PT
We are sitting in the sun at 11K Camp. Happy Solstice! We have over 19 hours of daylight and it never gets dark anyway.
We had a great climb up here from our last camp. The team is really performing well with all of the hard work it takes to climb this mountain.
We have our submissions for the haiku contest. If you would like to vote for your favorite, please leave us a message on the blog. As most climbing trips tend to do eventually, many of our conversations and most of these haikus center around the clean mountain cans (CMC's) that we use to collect and remove our human waste from the mountain. What these lack in elegance and beauty, they make up for with creativity!
1)
Loners crevasse it
But all guides and their clients
Leave no brown behind
2)
Dinner so spicy
Feeling it burning my insides
CMC lookout
3)
Sleep eat hike eat sleep
Heavy load and extreme temps
All to make the top
4)
Mountain CMC
Thank you for taking our crap
You're a team player
5)
When I'm not at work
I crap in cans; hope for sun
Still better than work
6)
Scaling Denali
Be sure to use riser bars (on snowshoes)
Unless you are Grayson
RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Team Siete
On The Map
#3 - Go get it guys!
Posted by: Will Ellis on 6/28/2019 at 3:46 pm
#1 and #4
Great job team. So fun watching this adventure.
Posted by: Russ Williams on 6/24/2019 at 11:23 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith, Chad Gaffigan, Luke Wilhelm
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'
Today was an unexpected rest day at Kahiltna Basecamp. We were up just after 12:30 AM and had breakfast under clear skies, just as we’d hoped for. The glacier surface was freezing up nicely. It turned out that one of our team had a rough night and seemed to be in the midst of some acute illness. Fairly quickly it became clear that we needed to push back our travel plans in order to let the illness play through. Despite all being freshly caffeinated... we unpacked our sleeping bags and went back to bed. It became a day of brilliant sunshine and blue skies... just what the doctor ordered in terms of restful, easy conditions. Our patient improved and we seem to now be on course for tomorrow’s early departure. It was a test of our team’s patience and flexibility... which we passed with flying colors. But it also must be admitted that it was nice to simply rest after a bunch of busy days getting to and then onto Denali.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Posted by: Mike King, Avery Parrinello, Dominic Cifelli
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'
Friday, June 21, 2019 - 7:55 PM PT
We got up and started packing when the sun hit the tents this morning. It’s nice to have the Buttress to yourself and not have to contend with uphill traffic. The Team probably could have used a few more hours of sleep after the big summit day but the weather was splitter and we launched with the hopes of getting to 11 Camp.
The descent was fairly warm and provided for lots of photo opportunities as we traveled on the ridge that was obscured in clouds during our ascent just a few days prior. After getting down the fixed lines we spent 3 hours at 14 Camp to collect our cache of food, trash, human waste and equipment. Our friends of RMI 6 had some water for us and we said our goodbyes. Pulling sleds around Windy Corner is always an ordeal but the new snow made for good trails and traction. A little under 3 hours had us down Squirrel and Motorcycle Hills. We are settled in at 11,200’ waiting for some dinner and water. Our plan is to launch in the early AM and head for the airstrip. Cooler temperatures will make traveling on the Kahiltna glacier easier and first flights are around 9 am. Unless we get pinned down by weather the next dispatch will come from Talkeetna. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Posted by: Mike Walter, Taylor Bickford, Nikki Champion
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,200'
.jpg)
Friday, June 21, 2019 3:09 PM PT
After a relatively warm first night at our new 14K Camp, we leisurely got our gear together and descended back to retrieve our cache at Windy Corner. We had beautiful weather and returned back to camp with all of our supplies by 12:30. We took advantage of the good weather and headed out to The Edge of the World, a point outside of the 14K Camp with dramatic views thousands of feet down to the Kahiltna Glacier.
The rest of the afternoon we are resting and buffing out our camp for a comfortable stay here.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
On The Map
So proud of all of you! Keep up the great effort. Paul
Posted by: Paul Fields on 6/23/2019 at 12:04 am
Casey and team….very impressive. Keep safe!
Posted by: Paula on 6/22/2019 at 11:13 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith, Chad Gaffigan, Luke Wilhelm
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'
Thursday, June 20, 2019 9:27 PM PT
We made it onto the mountain first thing after breakfast today. Things went about as easily as they possibly could. The weather in Talkeetna was fine and first reports from the mountain were similar. It wasn’t like we were racing our two planes in to the mountains trying to take advantage of some tiny break in the weather. We took the standard team photograph under the nose of a big red K2 ski-equipped Otter and then got busy loading up. Just as the planes were lifting off the runway we could see a young moose some fifty feet off the port side wingtip. The rest of the flight was just the normal beautiful as we crossed from green and flat tundra to white snow and steep black rock. After 45 minutes, at around 9:30 AM our pilots had us on final approach to Kahiltna International. We had a little work to do then, dragging loads from the airplanes to a suitable campsite in the snow, and building tents. But we did all of that in the middle of a spectacular -and for many of us- unfamiliar setting of giant peaks and surreal cloud forms. We set into a few training sessions reviewing glacier travel techniques and crevasse protocols. The afternoon was endless and easy and then we sat together in a snow dining room to have dinner and take a break. Finally, the team had a few last chores getting packed and sorted before an early bedtime. Just as we finished up, a speed climber came trotting up the SE Fork on snowshoes. The man casually and cheerfully claimed a new round trip speed record for Denali of 11 hours and 40 minutes. Our lower jaws hit the snow in disbelief and astonishment. We congratulated the man and went back to launching our three week version of the same thing. The gang was in bed by 7 PM. The alarm will go off at 12:30 AM and we’ll get motivating.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
Cheering you all on from the lower 48 in hot and steamy Maryland. Looking forward to hearing your news and adventures. XO N. and P.
Posted by: Sandy Bemis on 6/24/2019 at 5:36 am
Here’s to good luck, good weather and a good summit!
Lou & Ingrid
Posted by: Lou whittaker on 6/22/2019 at 9:01 am
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by RMI Guide Andy Bond climbed throughout the day yesterday and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier via the Emmons Glacier. Andy and team have spent the week honing their alpine mountaineering techniques including: crevasse rescue, anchors and running belays, route finding, and fixed line travel. It is currently snowing, so the team is breaking down camp and will be descending and making their way off the mountain today.
Congratulations team!
I was part of the two person team that climbed along side you guys. Congrats to everyone on the team. Also wanna say thanks for keeping others in mind you guys had a fantastic professional team and it was great hanging out.
Posted by: Donnie Stephens on 7/4/2019 at 3:47 am
That’s awesome!
Posted by: Jenni Campbell-Watt on 6/21/2019 at 8:33 am
Posted by: Mike King, Avery Parrinello, Dominic Cifelli
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 20,310'
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
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
-640x480.jpg)
Keep it up C-Bass. The photos are keeping me cool since it’s 94 here in Florida
Posted by: Andrew Klock on 6/23/2019 at 11:41 am
View All Comments