Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Resting at 14,200’

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Mike Haugen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

June 23, 2014 - 7:31 pm PT We decided that today would be a great day to do some more acclimatization at 14,000' on Mt. McKinley. Instead of carrying our gear higher we decided to rest today and then retrieve our gear on our move to 17,000' tomorrow. The team is feeling strong and we are feeling very positive about a good summit bid once we get into position at seventeen. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather for us for a few days! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Team "The Ocho"

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

I see from the other teams that the weather is really bad. I hope you all are dug-in and holding out safe and warm.

Posted by: James on 6/26/2014 at 7:47 pm

Hoping the weather will hold and you guys make it.Weather in Virginia is lovely.

Posted by: Ron Holt on 6/24/2014 at 8:03 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent and Team Rest at 14,000’

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Billy Nugent

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

June 23, 2014 - 5:21 pm PT After a long, tough day yesterday putting in our cache at 17,000', High Camp on Mt. McKinley, we decided last night that today would be another rest day. The team is spending the day relaxing in the tents, and catching up on nutrition and hydration after returning to camp at 14,000' last night depleted. Yesterday's exercise combined with today's rest should make us acclimatize well and make us exceptionally strong on our summit push. It's also good mentally to know what a long day is like and to know that we are strong enough to push through. With our cache up at high camp in and the gang well rested after today we're in a good spot to make our move up and take a crack at the summit. Fingers crossed for a good spell of weather in the near future... RMI Guide Billy Nugent, from 14,000'.

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Hi Michael and Bruce. All is well here. Following your progress on the blog site. I hope you have great weather on your summit day. Bruce, your garden has been eaten by some groundhog. The weeds are thriving though. You’re not missing anything here so enjoy the climb.

Posted by: Joyce on 6/24/2014 at 8:19 pm

Bruce and Michael, best of luck tomorrow, when you get to the top be on the lookout for penguins I understand they are rare that far north, but I have it from good authority that a group is known to nest at the top, out of harms way.

Posted by: Katherine and Reid on 6/24/2014 at 6:36 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Jones and Team Wrap it Up

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Tyler Jones, Geoff Schellens

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

June 23, 2014 - 2:10 PM PT The day, yesterday, dawned cold and windy again, seemingly the weather theme for the entire trip. We decided to launch out of 11k camp anyway, with the siren song of airplane rides motivating our packing. When all the kits were loaded into duffels, we started the Kahiltna Shuffle in whiteout conditions, a stiff breeze keeping the temps cool despite the hard work of dragging big sleds downhill. Soon we passed our friends who were camped at 9500', and stopped in for a quick hello as the weather got just a little better. We continued down the glacier under improving skies, with only one or two minor freak-outs over the cumbersome sleds that threatened to take us out at the knees. Finally the sun broke through, and the last grind up Heartbreak Hill was about as hot as anywhere on earth. But with the blue skies, we knew that the planes were flying - and that kept us moving right into base camp. Within about 10 minutes, our K2 Aviation Otter had landed, and we loaded up the kit and let internal combustion take over. The evening wrap-up by the Susitna River was a special event, and Denali even came out from behind the clouds to give us full closure. It has been an incredible adventure from the very beginning, and while the actual climbing is over, the memories and experiences we've shared will remain. Thanks for following along and for all the support along the way! RMI Guide Tyler Jones and team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congrats to the team! I can’t wait to hear more about the trip and see more pictures. Love you Jake and hope to see you soon

Posted by: Bonnie Garfield on 6/24/2014 at 8:33 am

Tyler, Garrett and Geoff….well done and thank you from all of the John Stenderup family. The RMI experience for John included weather adversity and other circumstances that will be life long lessons for all of your teams. Your superb training enabled some to summit and prevented possible disaster for others. I, and I hope John also, will forever retain “the summit is for the ego and the journey is for the soul” incantation. Thank you. Best Regards, Kent Stenderup

Posted by: Kent Stenderup on 6/23/2014 at 10:13 pm

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Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Walter & Team Thwarted by Rain & Winds on Cayambe

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Mike Walter

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 16,300'

We had an alpine start this morning, waking up in the middle of the night for our summit attempt on Cayambe. At midnight the winds were moderate and there was a beautiful, clear, and starry sky above us. We were psyched to see the clear sky, and we hoped that the winds would subside a bit throughout the day. By the time we left the climbing hut (15,300') at a little before 1 a.m., a cloud had settled in on us and it was raining lightly. As we ascended, the wind and rain increased in intensity and the temperature kept dropping. After about a thousand feet of climbing, we were soaking wet and the wind speed was strong enough that it made climbing difficult. With another couple thousand feet more to climb, we turned around and headed back to the comfort of our climbing hut. Wet and cold, we drank some hot tea and then crawled in our sleeping bags for a few hours of well deserved sleep. We are all off of the mountain now and headed for the Hacienda Chilcabamba, located just outside Cotopaxi National Park. We will take a rest day there tomorrow, drying out our clothes and getting ready for our climb up Cotopaxi. We will be in touch again tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Hi Dan! Bummer about Cayambe, but I am glad to hear you are playing it safe. The exact same thing happened to us! We got up at 9am and had big plans to spend the day on the beach. Just as I was getting really settled into my lounge chair with a tasty beverage, a big storm cloud rolled in! The temps dropped to like 75F and the winds were blowing beach toys everywhere. Overweight beach goers were waddling about the sand in a panic. It was pandemonium. We had to ride out the storm sipping our cocktails on the balcony. It was really rough, but I intend to press on. We plan to attempt more lounging today. I am with you in spirit, my brother! I will have an extra margarita in your honor and keep my fingers crossed for better weather in Cotopaxi! Love, your big sister.

Posted by: Tera on 6/25/2014 at 11:04 am

Gook luck with Cotopaxi. Thinking of you. Love Mom and Dad

Posted by: Magda on 6/25/2014 at 7:48 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry to 17,000’ Camp

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Chase Nelson

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

June 22, 2014 - 11:26 pm PT Hey, it's Billy checking in here from 14,000' on Denali. Our team had a great day up on the West Buttress today. We were able to carry a load of food, fuel and supplies up to 17,000' and get the cache in at 17,000' Camp. It was a long day on the Buttress though. We had mostly clear skies but lots and lots wind and lots of blowing snow. So it made for a tough day all in all everyone did really well. Everyone is hanging in there and we are hoping to rest tomorrow and then set up for our summit bid whenever the weather decides to open up. That is all for now. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

RMI Guide Billy Nugent checks in from 14,000 ft on Mt. McKinley

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Greetings Michael, Bruce & the Rest of the Team: Hope Mother Nature offers up a summit bid soon! You guys are awesome - we are following the blog every day!

Posted by: Chambos on 6/23/2014 at 5:43 pm

Heyooooooooooooooooo!!! You’re almost there! Whoop whoop! You got this! We can’t wait for you to come back because we have a fourteener called Mt. McCornley waiting for you to tackle :)

Good luck and finish strong!
-Work peeps

Posted by: Team Olson on 6/23/2014 at 4:28 pm

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Mt. Rainier: Four & Five Day Summit Climbs Reach Summit

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier

Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guide Casey Grom radioed from the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:33 am with his Four Day Summit Climb Team along with the Five Day Summit Climb led by Lindsay Fixmer. The Four and Five Day Summit Climb teams reported great conditions on the mountains and a beautiful day with barely any winds. The teams were going to start their descent just before 8 am and will return to Camp Muir and then continue to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon. Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congratulations, John! Very proud of the way set goals & focus to reach your goals.
Can’t wait to hear the details. You have a BIG team cheering for you.

Posted by: Nelia on 6/23/2014 at 3:22 pm

Prayers have been answered for your safe trip and return. Aren’t you great. It is special to have a dream and fulfill it. We are so proud of you and your dreams and your hard word work to achieve them. Mark you be the man !!! Have a safe trip home. Looking forward to seeing you soon and hearing about it. Congratulations
Love
Dad

Posted by: Nyles Eskritt on 6/23/2014 at 3:14 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Knoff and Team Carry to 11,000’

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Adam Knoff

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,300'

These are the McKinley moments that tend to recharge the batteries and make the hard days tolerable. Inside the tent, wrapped in a mountain of down, fed by the culinary expertise of Lindsay and Andy with views straight down the Kahiltna Glacier that knock your boots off. The simplicity of this entire process creates an appreciation for simple rest not realized in other facets of ordinary life. Get up, work yur' arse off, get real tired and hungry, eat and go to bed. No technology distractions, no depressing news feeds, simply us and the mountain. Having just completed day three, we are all pleased with our current position. We awoke this morning to chilly temps, blowing snow and low visibility. Because of our lower elevation of 9,300 feet another move day seemed a bit much so we opted for a carry that landed a majority of our team's unneeded gear at the 11,000 ft camp which we plan to move to tomorrow. These first four or five days can be some of the climb's hardest but everyone has handled it with grace and competence. We anticipate another strong team performance tomorrow. Big hugs go out to friends and family who are taking the time to follow along. Hasta mañana, RMI Guide Adam Knoff

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Wishing the team well on this climb. Rest up when you can and make the most of the good weather which is sure to come. Best of luck, Peter

Posted by: Peter Williamson on 6/24/2014 at 8:07 pm

Adam and crew, stay warm and Adam your Uncle’s Jeff and Paul and Grandpa Gordie all say good luck as well. Be safe!

Posted by: Kris Bowdtich Kirschhoffer on 6/24/2014 at 5:35 am

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Take a Rest at 14,000’

June 23, 2014

Posted by: Mike Haugen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

After a big day yesterday, we had a rest day here at 14,000' on Mt. McKinley. We practiced some more fixed rope techniques and got ourselves organized. Our plan is to move our cache up to 17,000' camp tomorrow. This will allow us to carry much lighter on our move day and to further our acclimatization before we make our big move up to 17,000' Camp. RMI Guide Mike Haugen and "The Ocho"

On The Map

Ecuador: Walter & Team Ready for Cayambe Summit Bid

June 22, 2014

Posted by: Mike Walter

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador

Elevation: 15,300'

We had a very windy day today amidst the clouds at 15,300'. Despite today's weather we're optimistic about our Cayambe summit attempt for tomorrow. Caio for now! RMI Guide Mike Walter

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

We’re with you in spirit at half the elevation. Good Luck!! G&R

Posted by: George on 6/23/2014 at 9:44 am

Good luck to you all. Be safe !

Posted by: Kris on 6/23/2014 at 5:00 am

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Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Back in Talkeetna

June 22, 2014

Posted by: Jake Beren, Leon Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 348'

June 22, 2014 - 8:16 pm PT It seems bizarre to have been in deep winter this morning at 14K Camp, waiting on the snow to stop, and now in summery Talkeetna. But here we are. The snow did let up enough for us to load up some BIG packs and make our way down the mountain. We descended under a beautiful crescent moon until the typical storm conditions at 11K Camp abated and we were able to trade the GPS for some sunscreen. The lower glacier was in fine condition and the team put in another solid effort, putting us at the runway ten minutes before our first plane landed. The journey today was tough, but all were up for the challenge and now are enjoying that first shower in civilization before a meal prepared on something other than a MSR stove. It's good to be back. Thanks to a fantastic team for an amazing expedition and everyone back home who helped make it happen. We were lucky enough to get to see the view from up top and all the hard work paid off. Nice job everyone. RMI Guide Jake Beren

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Congratulations Jared!!!! Such a huge accomplishment. We look forward to hearing all about it when you get back.

The Data Systems Team

Posted by: Trina Roskelley on 6/24/2014 at 10:40 am

Well Done Team!!! Congratulations !~! Rosemary

Posted by: Rosemary on 6/23/2014 at 12:44 pm

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Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Resting at 14,200’

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent and Team Rest at 14,000’

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Jones and Team Wrap it Up

Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Walter & Team Thwarted by Rain & Winds on Cayambe

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry to 17,000’ Camp

On The Map

Mt. Rainier: Four & Five Day Summit Climbs Reach Summit

Mt. McKinley: Knoff and Team Carry to 11,000’

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Take a Rest at 14,000’

On The Map

Ecuador: Walter & Team Ready for Cayambe Summit Bid

Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Back in Talkeetna

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