Entries from Expedition Dispatches
The
Four Day Climb Team June 2 - 5 led by
RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Chris Ebeling were unable to climb due to high winds. The telemetry at Camp Muir shows average winds speeds in the 50 - 65 mph range from midnight on. The teams will descend to Paradise this morning and return to Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 9:29 PM PT
The mountain was surly this morning. Winds were cold and strong when we woke up to attempt a carry to a cache at 13,600’. So we did what all smart climbers would do, and we stayed put and enjoyed warm down sleeping bags and snack food. We put in some serious chill time today, while the mountain continued move the air around until early afternoon. We are definitely feeling rested at this point after two full rest days here at 11,000' Camp, and are looking forward to getting up and attem and moving uphill tomorrow if the improved forecast comes to fruition. Not only are we rested, but we’re also full of macaroni and cheese and bacon from this evenings dinner. Here’s to putting that fuel to work tomorrow!
RMI Guides Robby, Nick, Joe and Team ‘All the Cheese’
On The Map
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 6:41 PM PT
The Team arrived in Anchorage yesterday and we had a nice drive to the little hamlet of Talkeetna. Today we woke up and got a good breakfast on board before diving into an extensive gear check and packing session. The Team members got to know one another as they sifted through Oreos, nuts, candy and all sorts of other gear we will need to climb this mountain over the next three weeks. Once we were packed and weighed in for our flight there was some down time before dinner. Getting out of Talkeetna is always a bit of a scramble but the process of packing for a big expedition is essential to being organized and prepared for the weather and terrain that lie ahead. Everyone is excited and a little nervous to get started and rightfully so, this really is an experience of a lifetime! 3 weeks in the Alaska Range, traveling among giants to attempt the 20,320’ summit of Denali.
We will be checking in daily, thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 6:16 PM PT
Last night was probably the least comfortable night of the trip. We had strong gusts throughout the night that rattled our tents, and kept us all far from sleep. We spent the morning hiding from the cold and sipping on hot drinks. The winds were too high to make a summit attempt. Eventually things calmed down, and we ventured forth into the world. It has turned into quite a nice day up here, with winds near the summit diminishing as well. We’ve had some amazing views looking down at our previous camps and the
Kahiltna glacier winding out of sight. The forecast looks promising for tomorrow. Once again, we’ll wake up in the morning and see what the mountain gives us.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
On The Map
The
Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons May 31 - 5 June checked in from Camp Schurman this morning.
RMI Guide Walt Hailes and team returned to camp after making their summit attempt. The team reached 13,200' before high winds forced their decision to turn around. They plan to do some additional training today and spend their last night on the mountain. Tomorrow they return to the trailhead and then back to Rainier BaseCamp.
The Four Day Climb June 1 - 4 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning under windy conditions. RMI Guides Mike Haugen and Chase Nelson led their teams to the crater but didn't spend much time due to winds. The teams will descend all the way to Paradise today and we look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
The photos is of Mike Haugen's team ascending to Camp Muir on Monday, June 4. Photo courtesy: Skylar King
Monday, June 3, 2019 - 9:11 PM PT
And on the sixth day, we rested. Boy it felt good to just stay in one place for a day. We woke up to some winds and a little bit of snow, and we were due for our annual rest day here at
11,000' Camp, so we took full advantage. There was no up and attem this morning, as we let our bodies sleep, and waited until 9am to indulge in a eggs and hashers feast. We had a little bit of sun midday, but most of the day the mountain seemed to spit snow and coat us in clouds as we practiced some climbing skills that are pivotal for the coming days. Not much else to report from a day of rest, and that’s a beautiful thing. We’re hopeful to carry tomorrow to a cache site at 13,600’, but the mountain will make the call in the morning.
Until then, stay tuned.
RMI Guides Robby, Nick, Joe, and Team Tasty Bite
On The Map
Monday, June 3, 2019 - 5:49 PM PT
When we poked our heads out of the tent this morning, we hoped to see sunny, calm skies beckoning us to climb this mountain. It was definitely sunny, but winds up high were blowing snow into the stratosphere. As much as we hoped to climb today, it was an easy decision to stay put here at
17 Camp. We slept in, reinforced our camp with some big snow walls, told some jokes, and talked about the beach. Fortunately it hasn’t been too windy here in camp. We’ve been able to get out and stretch our legs from time to time, inspect other camps for architectural inspiration, and chat with the neighbors. We can see the tundra from up here, the only green in sight, 15,000 feet below us. We’ll do an early dinner again, and get organized in hopes of climbing tomorrow. At this point it all just depends on what the winds do.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
The RMI Denali May 8th Team led by RMI Guides Mike Walter, Alan Davis & Alex Halliday returned to Talkeetna yesterday. After lots of waiting at 14,000' Camp on both the ascent and descent, the weather allowed the team to depart Kahiltna Basecamp. Once in Talkeetna the team sorted gear, arranged rooms, shuttle transportation and flight homes. The trip ended with a celebratory meal before spending their final night in Alaska. All team members should be making their way back to their respective homes. We would like to congratulate them on a safe and successful expedition.
Thanks for following along on their adventure.
Monday, June 3, 2019 - 7:33 AM PT
It was a busy day yesterday. We woke to clear skies with great views of Foraker, Hunter, and Crosson. As we crawled out of the tent you could here the sweet sound of the planes coming in. At that moment we knew we were gonna fly out. This was not a drill, but go time. In record speed we packed up camp and dragged all our gear to the airstrip. Somewhere near 100 people stood around waiting anxiously to board a plane. Like clock work the planes landed, loaded up a team, and flew off so another plane could land and repeat. We waited our turn, a lot like waiting for your number to be called at the DMV, we waited for our name to be called. After a couple hours, it was our turn to load up the plane and hit the slide to the sky. Showers, beers, and comfy beds were in our future. After organizing and cleaning gear, we loaded into a van headed to Anchorage. We enjoyed one final dinner together, reminiscing about the fun time we all had together the last week and a half. It's been an amazing adventure with great people. Lots of laughs, lots of learning, and lots of great memories were shared by all on the team. As we all load planes going to different states to rejoin our normal routine, I wish the best of luck to the entire team on their next adventure.
Till next time,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
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SUCH an amazing experience!!!! Even just making it to Muir was life-changing, I’m *definitely* coming back to try again another year :) Thanks for being such a great team, great guides, and a great expedition overall!!!! -Kristin
Posted by: Kristin Lundine on 6/21/2019 at 12:53 pm
Summit or no summit, it was a great experience. Terrific group of people and awesome guides. Y’all have inspired me ... hmmm, that Peru seminar looks pretty fab :-)
Posted by: Barry French on 6/6/2019 at 4:22 pm
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