Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Crossing Their Fingers

June 25, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,200'

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013 We are headed to the summit tomorrow... maybe! Our team is strong, healthy, and happy. We are positioned at 17,000' camp and had frenetic weather all day. We have had sunny, cloudy, windy, cold, and warm weather. Welcome to Denali. We are waiting for a good set of weather to go to the summit, which is predicted to be tomorrow. Cross your fingers for us! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and RMI Summit Team 6

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Good luck everyone! Michael said he saw you at 14k camp and you looked strong! Jack and I are crossing our fingers - we’re so proud of all of you, and we love you Quinn!

Posted by: Liz and Jack on 6/27/2013 at 2:49 am

Great job dad!!! Waiting for you safe and sound at home!

Posted by: Vikky on 6/26/2013 at 11:04 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Move to 17K Camp

June 24, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,200'

Monday, June 24th, 2013 Only 3000 feet to go! We woke up around 4:30 this morning and packed up our 14k camp. We headed uphill towards the fixed lines and hit them as the sun began to beat down on us. It was a stark difference from the other day when it was ridiculously cold from the wind. We worked our way up the fixed lines and gained the ridge on top of the West Buttress. We picked up our cache as we followed the ridge towards 17k camp. By the time we got to camp we were plenty tired. We dug in deep to protect us from the big winds that can happen at 17,000 feet on De-gnarly. Dehydrated meals and hot chocolate in the tent... bed time! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and RMI Summit Team 6

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I meant picture on the Rim…

Posted by: Stacy Turner on 6/26/2013 at 6:33 am

Awesome picture of you all on the summit! A much better view than the one I have in Falls Creek, PA. :-P
Can’t wait to see you on the summit Cindee.

Posted by: Stacy Turner on 6/26/2013 at 6:31 am

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Rest Day at 14K Camp

June 23, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Sunday, June 23rd, 2013 We woke up with a couple of inches of snow on the tents this morning. No storms or winds, just the friendly June kind of Denali snow. We had a very pleasant rest day. We checked in with the camp gossip and watched a few teams head up the fixed line towards 17k. Our plan is to head up to 17,000 ft and make a camp. We have really been doing a great job of sport eating and no one has had any problems with this altitude. We are all very excited because we do not drag any sleds up past this camp. RMI Summit Team 6 P.S. Lance wants Penny to know that he is keeping up with his dental hygiene. (But the rest of him has not washed in ten days! Also, Uchal says Happy 2nd Birthday Lulu!

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Hello Gregory Grasshopper! We all had a fun time in Austin, swimming in the Pedernales, eating, and catching up. We are thinking of you and hope all continues to go well. Midge and Pete say hi.

Love you,
Mum and Bubs

Posted by: Anne Sullivan on 6/24/2013 at 8:05 pm

Great photos and updates! Thank you, it really helps us at home feel more involved, and informed. Great progress and no more sleds. Yea! Glad to hear all are doing well and managing to have a bit of fun too. Message to Steve, love you and missing you, hope you are having a wonderful time.remember, take lots of pictures!

Posted by: Tania K on 6/24/2013 at 1:33 am

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Cache Gear at 16,600’

June 23, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 Movin' on up! We woke up early and set out to cache some gear up high. Even though the sun was not on us, we thought it was warm for 14k camp. We were wrong. As we set out towards the fixed ropes that allow us to climb the steep face up to 16,000 ft safely, a cold wind picked up and made us cold...like Denali cold! I think we needed it because we were getting a bit spoiled. Once we gained the ridge, we were out of the wind and in the sun and immediately life was better. We decided to make a cache a around 16,600' under a prominent rock feature called Washburn's Thumb. We cached some food and fuel for when we head up to our last camp at 17,000' in a couple of days. I was really impressed at how everyone did at the altitude and on the fixed lines. Go team! Rest day tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the RMI Summit Team 6

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Lance’s little ones are off camping with the dinosaurs the next 3 days . BUt we will be thinking about you all and wish you warmer wind and fantastic next few days

Posted by: elisabeth on 6/24/2013 at 6:30 pm

Enjoy your day off, but I am sure you will find something to pass the time. This team likes to stay busy it seems. Tell Q the Bruins are at home tonight for game 6. They trail 3 to 2. Should be a great game 7 this week. Go Bruins!!

Posted by: George on 6/24/2013 at 5:05 am

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen’s Team Has a Rest Day at 14K Camp

June 22, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Friday, June 21st, 2013 Ahhhh a day of rest. We did not even move in our tents until the sun hit them at 9:30. We had a morning of slowly cooking pancakes for the group. We believe pancakes are the perfect acclimatization food. We volunteered to be guinea pigs for a medical experiment having to do with high altitude. The test involved having a series of heart rate and oxygen saturation measurements taken and then walk around a track for 6 minutes to see how those measurements change. It was not a competition, but let's just say our group crushed it! If the weather is nice tomorrow, our plan is to move some gear up to 17,000' Camp. On Denali, 60% of the time the weather is good all the time! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and RMI Summit Team 6

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Any smiley faces in the pancakes? Glad you got some rest. Big storms here (well, yes, it is all relative) but all is well. :)

Posted by: KConstantine on 6/22/2013 at 9:25 pm

Pancakes, huh? Well, OK. But you know, the other teams are reporting Pop Tarts. Since we live at 9500 feet, Bill and I are sure proof that Pop Tarts are the best high altitude food ever made. But if you guys want to eat pancakes, carry on.
Love to Steve & Grasshopper from Lisa, Bill, Taii, & Togo

Posted by: Lisa Mackey on 6/22/2013 at 6:56 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Make Their Move to 14K Camp

June 20, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Thursday, June 20th, 2013 We made the move. The wind was blowing most of the night last night. I set my alarm for 2:30 a.m. just to see if the weather was going to allow us to move up camps. Right when my alarm went off, it was as if someone hit a switch and turned the wind off. We got up, packed up camp, and headed up another 3,000 feet. The move only took us about six hours to hike, but we had to work hard building snow walls once we arrived at Denali's 14k camp. This camp, as much or more than the other camps we have been in this far, can receive huge winds that pick up at a moment's notice. We used snow saws to quarry blocks of snow to make walls that surround our tents. All of this hard work will pay off with a full rest day tomorrow. The sun does not hit this camp until around nine in the morning. I am pretty sure that none of us will be out of our tents until he sun warms us up! RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the RMI Summit Team 6

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What is the temperature range at 17,200? Is it balmy? (“No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”?) We’re hoping for both to be good, and for all the luck possible!

Posted by: Kathy Uchal on 6/22/2013 at 6:23 pm

Great to see your progress!! Hope the weather holds up. Mtn Mo

Posted by: Mo on 6/22/2013 at 4:33 am

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen’s Team Makes a Carry Up to 14K Camp

June 19, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 We moved a cache all the way up to 14,000 ft camp today. It is a big day to gain that much altitude with a big load, but our crew did great. In fact, several people commented on how good we looked as we pulled in. We made great time getting back down to 11k. Jake Beren and crew stopped by for a visit as they are relaxing in 11k camp on there way out to Basecamp and the landing strip. Our plan is to move up to fourteen tomorrow, but only if the weather is as perfect as it has been. Steve says hi to Tania! Cindee says hi to dad and wants him to know she is safe and happy! Quinn says hi to Liz! Lance says hi to the girls! I hope Penny's school play went well. Haugen says hi to Amber and the girls! Peter says hi to Bob and Perk! Trust the puppies are doing well. Love to Ivonne. Grasshopper says hi to Annie, Rose, and kin! Katie says hi to Cody! Uchal says hi to all his people in Rock City! Sandra says hi to mom, dad, and Hikari! RMI Guide Mike Haugen

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Glad to hear it’s going so well. We are excited for you all!

Posted by: K Constantine on 6/20/2013 at 6:36 pm

Glad to see the progress on the map! Hope you all are having a most wonderful adventure! Miss you terribly and love to Steve.

Posted by: Tania K on 6/20/2013 at 6:15 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Sport Eating at 11,000’

June 18, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 We are getting beautiful weather day after beautiful weather day! We retrieved our cache from 10,000ft. We are now set to bring a load up to around 14,000ft. This will be great for our acclimatization since it fits into the climb high and sleep low model. The team has really been doing a great job of taking care of themselves. We are doing a lot of sport eating and drinking as we sit around camp. I am usually a hydration nag, but this crew is on top of it! Stay Classy North America! RMI Guide Mike Haugen

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So great to hear you have good weather. The pictures are amazing. Keep trucking. Love, mom and dad.

Posted by: Kathie Constantine on 6/19/2013 at 8:51 pm

Grasshopper, Big Steve, & Quiet Sandra - Cheers! Hope you’re enjoying a few rewards after work? That is along with proper hydration. Keep it up! Remember, hills are your friends!! Mtn Mo

Posted by: Mtn Mo on 6/19/2013 at 7:36 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen And Team Settle in At 11,000’

June 17, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Monday, June 17, 2013 We are on the mountain! After walking up the glacier on our long approach, this camp feels like we are actually starting to make some headway towards the top. We will be at this 11,000' camp for a minimum of three nights, so we are dug in pretty solidly. The plan for tomorrow is to do a back carry. This means we will walk back down to our cache at 10,000', dig it up, and then bring it back up to our new camp at 11,000 ft. It shouldn't be too hard of a day, but it is very important in our acclimatization scheme. Although there are no bad views in this place, we have an amazing view from this camp. From a safe distance, we get to watch some giant ice cliffs calving off some large chunks. The heat of the nice weather days has made for some dynamic snow and ice conditions. Summit Team 6! Led by RMI Guide Mike Haugen

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Please tell Cindee she’s a bad-a$$ and that Zoot and Ruby miss her and that we don’t know the internet passcode! Hahaha. The whole team is an inspiration. Keep it up guys! Climb it like a BOSS!! Maija

Posted by: Maija Markul on 6/20/2013 at 2:21 pm

Wow, what amazing pictures and updates!

Hey Steve! We’re cheering you on and can’t wait to see you guys when you get back. Have an amazing time on the adventure. Heading up Snowmass this weekend and will take a moment for you!

Posted by: James on 6/18/2013 at 8:03 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen’s Team Moves to 9,600’ Camp

June 16, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,600'

Sunday, June 16th, 2013 Happy Father's Day to all of our dads from Summit Team 6! We bit off another chunk of the mountain this morning ascending to 9,600 feet. Only 10,600 feet to go! We arrived at our new camp around mid morning. Our team is quickly becoming McKinley camp experts, so it did not take us very long to dig in camp. We had some extra daylight (oh yeah, it is always daylight), so we decided to dig a monster posh house. A posh house is our version of a cook tent. It is like a snow cave where the cooking and seating area is dug into the snow below ground level. The roof is a big top-like tent that is held up by a pole that goes from the apex to the floor of the snow pit. Now we have room for company. The weather forecast looks stellar so we should be able to move up to 11k Camp tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Haugen and Summit Team 6 P.S. Lance says thank you to his wife and girls for the Father's Day card!

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Wow!I am speechless! What a great experience! I am so proud of my friend Cindee Teer! I hope all goes well, and everyone is safe! The Turner Family

Posted by: Ingrid on 6/17/2013 at 7:01 pm

It sounds like things are going so well! Steve, we are thinking of you constantly. Tania went home today and we miss her, but we had fun this weekend talking about how WE are not on a glacier, but enjoying summer in the mountains. Just so you know, Tania did awesome this weekend.

Posted by: Lisa Mackey on 6/17/2013 at 7:01 pm

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