June 15, 2017
Every once in a while in the mountains, things work out juuust right.
Our team woke up today in Talkeetna to bright blue skies, a view of the high one from town, and a scheduled flight in to the Kahiltna Glacier at 9:00 AM. And just like that, after a full breakfast, we found ourselves waving goodbye to the greenery of the Alaskan low country and saying hello to the towering masses of ice, rock, and snow that make up the Alaska Range.
The team took full advantage of the clear weather on the flight in to snap photos and marvel at the jaw dropping scenery. And then before we knew it, we were digging in camp at 7,300 feet at Kahiltna Base Camp. We passed a relaxing day snacking, sorting out our gear, and brushing up on glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills. After a tasty burrito dinner, we have finally settled in to our tents to get horizontal before an anticipated early morning push up to ski hill camp tomorrow.
Mount Horiskey, here we come!
Love to all,
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
Posted by: Mary Ann hickey on 6/18/2017 at 12:34 am
Julian,
Hi Daddy, we are so glad the first couple of days are going well. We hope your sled is behaving itself. we are booked to flightsee Denali on the 4th. We miss you!
June 15, 2017
Hello from 17 Camp, this is Jake Beren calling in for RMI's Denali team. We woke this morning to high winds up high and quite cold temps again. So we decided to pump the brakes and cross our fingers for tomorrow. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but we are hoping to give her a go tomorrow. So that's it from 17 Camp, a little bit more of the same, but we're all happy, healthy and hanging tough up here. So we'll give her a shot tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Bye.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
RMI Guide Jake Beren checks in from 17,000 ft on Denali.
Lindsay, it’s unfortunate that you could not summit ... I would still think that the journey to 17K was an amazing experience anyways. There is always another time!
Posted by: Manish on 6/17/2017 at 5:38 am
Cheryl so sorry to hear that you weren’t able to summit but I’m sure this has been a very unforgettable experience. Wishing you a safe trip home and can’t wait to see you.
June 15, 2017
Well the mountain is doing it's own thing at the moment. The winds are well more than forecast and the temperatures are chilly. The team is hanging in there and tomorrow will see us to the top or we will start our descent. We're hopeful on our efforts and time spent waiting that we will be rewarded with a trip to the summit of Denali tomorrow!
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
We enjoyed yet another perfect day of climbing. After a nice four course breakfast at the Shira Camp the team shoulder their packs and ascended to over 14,500', a high point for all team members. After a nice break and taking in some great views above and below we then had to descend into our new camp, Barranco. Situated in an amazing valley at just under 13,000' we are here enjoying more fantastic vistas. As usual our fabulous local outfitter had camp and snacks all set upon arrival. We have had a few intermittent showers of a mixture of snow and rain but overall it's not too bad. Everyone is doing well and we are enjoying our time on the mountain.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
June 14, 2017
Greetings from 17 Camp. Today high winds and low temps provided a combo that will keep us from climbing Denali for another day. But our fingers are crossed that tomorrow may have something better in store for us, so please do the same down in the south land. Hopefully we will be calling you with a little bit different news. For right now the team is doing 17,000' Camp, we are hunkered down, being patient, full bellies, happy, healthy and hoping to go for the summit soon. That's all for now.
RMI Guide Jake Beren
Cheryl just got your text and hope you reach the summit tomorrow. Be careful and my prayers will be with you and your team. Love you.
Posted by: Jo on 6/15/2017 at 9:17 pm
Jim Walker—good luck on the climb to the summit. All of the Guff clan and all of Vineyard Lane is very proud of you. We look forward to hearing all about the climb in detail over some good burgundy at the Chanty. Be safe. Drew
Good morning from little Swiss,
We came to an end, but not without reward...Yesterday we had, after a patient wait for blue skies, the most amazing of the climbing days we could hope for. the Middle Troll, reigning over the Pika, towered for hours above us, as its splitter granite cracks discerned a feasible access to its airy summit. The team climbed seamlessly, and all the training of the last week payed for an incredibly well oiled "uphilling" engine. We climbed into the evening, as the morning and early afternoon were still foggy; climbing into the evening light of Alaska's summer was very special.
We're now cooking our breakfast and soon we'll fly back to civilization... wait to see our pictures!
RMI Guide Elias deAndres Martos & Team
RMI Guides Mike King, Jenny Konway, Jessie Poquerusse and Ben Ammon are leading the Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons June 11 - 16, 2017. The team met on Sunday and spent the day discussing logistics of the trip including an equipment check and some technical training. Their second day was spent on the slopes above Paradise practicing rope travel, ice axe arrest and cramponing techniques. On Tuesday morning they loaded up in the shuttle and drove to the White River Campground where they met the trail head and started their climb. Yesterday they moved to Camp Schurman at 9,440' and have continued their training. This morning they made their summit attempt but due to low visibility and tough walking the team made the tough decision to turn around 11,400'. They have returned to Camp Schurman where they will do some additional training. They will spend their last night on the mountain tonight and start their descent tomorrow. We look forward to seeing them back at Rainier BaseCamp tomorrow afternoon.
The Four Day Summit Climb June 12 - 15 led by RMI Guides Win Whittaker and Paul Rachele enjoyed a nice hike to Camp Muir yesterday after completing their Climbing School the day prior. This morning, however, the weather prevented the teams from making a summit attempt on Mt. Rainier. Win reported high winds and precipitation in the form of snow. The teams will descend from Camp Muir and return to Ashford this afternoon.
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Tyler Reid tagged the Crater Rim of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Tyler reported blowing snow and strong winds from the west as they climbed into a cap. The team spent a short time on top before starting their descent to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team!
The Five Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Adam Knoff reached 13,200' on Mt. Rainier today. The team reported blowing snow and strong winds from the west as they climbed into a cap. With the deteriorating conditions and slow climbing, the team made the decision to turn before the summit.
Congratulations to today's team!
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Go Glo!
We
Love you
Ma & Pa
Posted by: Mary Ann hickey on 6/18/2017 at 12:34 am
Julian,
Hi Daddy, we are so glad the first couple of days are going well. We hope your sled is behaving itself. we are booked to flightsee Denali on the 4th. We miss you!
Love Karen, Austin ,Lexy & Gavin
Posted by: Karen Sander on 6/17/2017 at 10:06 am
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