Entries By ben luedtke

8.22.26

Mountains, marmots, and bears, oh my. What an adventure. Huge shout out and thanks to our climber Josh for an incredible trip. We laughed, we almost cried, and we had the time of our lives.  After a few thunder showers and some park requests that may have been answered, we finally got the meal of Mexican food we deserved. Until next time, thanks for tuning in!

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Josh Osborne 

8.21.26

Today was a day for adventure. We took off in the morning and climbed a very loose, but entertaining piece of rock called Tepeh Towers. We then roamed the vast snow covered slopes of the Inspiration and McAllister glaciers, poking our heads in places maybe no one has ever been?! A bit smoky, quite warm, and weather looming in the future, we decided to bump back down to our low camp and keep yogi company for another night. Did I mention our nap?! We're productive AND efficient. One last request for the park service would be a water slide at the base of the Eldorado glacier; people would love it, and so would we. Off to bed, early to rise.

- RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Josh Osborne

8.20.26
1. Blueberry pancakes for breakfast with 2 black bears. Check.
2. Move to high camp and enjoy lunch with an epic view. Check.
3.Summit Eldorado and enjoy a sunset dinner there. Check.
It's all about the meals y'all. Oh and we got a bathroom with a killer view and a toilet seat. We are living large.

-RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Climber Josh Osborne

8.19.26
Just 2 guys out looking for an adventure. Josh and I quickly found one trying to cross the creek 1 min from the parking lot. Given the steep nature of the trail for the first 2 miles on this trip, we have come up with a list of suggestions for the Park service:
1.Keep the air on please, it's too hot.
2. A lot of the steps are too big, can we make them shorter?
3. More shade, where did all the trees go?
4. What's with all the loose boulders in the boulder field?

All jokes aside, we ate some berries, stole a marmot's lookout to enjoy dinner with a view, and we can't get over the pure beauty of this place. Tomorrow we move up to high camp for further exploration and at least a summit or 2, maybe more.

-RMI Guide Ben Luedtke and Climber Josh Osborne

8.17.26

Summit Success!

8.16.26

What initially looked like a potentially stormy start on day 1 of our climb turned out to be a beautiful and very warm day. We made our way to beautiful Lake Ann and set up a camp down low for the night. Tomorrow, we wake up early to make our attempt for the summit up the infamous Fisher Chimneys. Wish us luck, we will provide an update on our day tomorrow!

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke 

August 14th - 1:43pm PST

Back once more for your final Glacier Hunter dipatch. After an incredible day of Hunting with great success, we had returned to high camp just in time. With rest and relaxation on the to do list, the weather decided different. Instead of a swim in the alpine lake with sasquatch, a hail storm ensued. It was light, but the naps that followed were hard. Enjoying one last dinner we turned in early for the long journey out today. Awoken amongst the final night's stars, we wished upon a shooting one that sasquatch was doing well. An early morning start apparently meant all the marmots came out to play. "Our hunt is over, you're too late for tuna time," we said, but they didn't seem to care and kept asking for more. Enticed by blueberries we were, but the trailhead brought so many more gifts. Back in Darrington, we reminisce. Come back next year when we do it again. The hunt may be successful, but it never truly ends.

Cheers!

-Your 2026 Team of Glacier Hunters

August 14, 2026 1:43 pm

Back once more for your final Glacier Hunter dipatch. After an incredible day of Hunting with great succes, we had returned to high camp just in time. With rest and relaxation on the to do list, the weather decided different. Instead of a swim in the alpine lake with sasquatch, a hail storm ensued. It was light, but the naps that followed were hard. Enjoying one last dinner we turned in early for the long journey out today. Awoken amongst the final night's stars, we wished upon a shooting one that sasquatch was doing well. An early morning start apparently meant all the marmots came out to play. "Our hunt is over, you're too late for tuna time," we said, but they didn't seem to care and kept asking for more. Enticed by blueberries we were, but the trailhead brought so many more gifts. Back in Darrington, we reminisce. Come back next year when we do it again. The hunt may be successful, but it never truly ends.

Cheers!

- Your 2026 Team of Glacier Hunters

August 13, 2036 7:37 pm

Welcome back once again! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, people of all ages, the Hunt ended due to technical difficulties...we're kidding. It is with great congratulations that we award this team with the official summit of Glacier Peak. The hunt was successful, the views were beautiful, and the rope legs were real. Sasquatch, however, is yet to be found. Thank you one and all for tuning in to our program, Alas!! We are not done yet. Tomorrow we venture towards home, where the grass isn't greener but the toilets have seats. Until then our friends.

-Your 2026 Glacier Hunters

August 13, 2026 11:00 am

100% Summit Success. Ben & Team just called from the summit of Glacier peak with the entire team on top!

Augsut 12, 2026

Thank you for that brief, day long commercial break, we are back on Glacier Hunters and boy howdy do we have a story for you. Last night, the wind howled loudly over and through our tents, covering us in a film of fine silt but it didn't ruin our (questionably) healthy game of euchre. We rose early in the clouds wondering if sasquatch was preparing to pounce. No dinner bells on us, so we think we're safe. We then climbed through the mist of water vapor mixed with smoke to our high camp. We called out to the marmots along the way, enticing them with tuna time, but had no success. They must have been sleeping in.

Suddenly, there was a break in the clouds. "Glacier peak, is that you?" The broken mist made it hard to tell. To prep for our continued hunt, we waddled out to school like a bunch of penguins and played on the dry shores of the white chuck glacier. Refreshed by some of the high-quality H20 it had to offer, we returned to camp.

"There it is!" We're sure of it. A silhouette of Glacier Peak hangs in the distance. Tonight we rest. This is it. Tomorrow we will climb. Will our nerves keep us in check? Do we have the courage to complete the hunt? Does this volcano have what it takes to give us a shot? Sure does. Don't go anywhere because we'll be right back after another break with the results of this journey.

-Your 2026

Glacier (Demon K-pop) Hunters

August 10, 2026

Hello one and all and welcome to another episode of Glacier Hunters (copyright infringement expected).

This week, we journey once again in search for the infamous, desolate, and awe-inspiring volcano known as Glacier Peak. "Did I pack enough food? Where's your extra pair of underwear? Why is there only one blue bag in my blue bag? Is this where sasquatch lives?"

These are the questions we've been asking ourselves from the start. Last night, 9 of us met as total strangers (mostly), 3 of them rummaged through everyone else's stuff like it was Christmas morning (gear check), and then we all met this morning at a remote location (trailhead). As the team made their way to camp 1 of the trip, it was beautiful, and then it was hot. It was easy and then was all uphill. It was conversational, and then it was quiet (not really).

Will this group become friends? Will they find sasquatch or the missing pair of underwear? Will the hunt for Glacier Peak end in success?

As we sit at camp eating freeze dried macaroni, rice, and other unknown substances, we hope you'll stay tuned to find out. Anything could happen.

Goodnight.

-Your 2026 RMI Glacier Hunters

Luedtke and team enjoyed a successful ascent on Mt. Shuksan via the Fisher Chimneys. The team had 100% summit success on a blue bird day, nice work!

Sunday, July 19 - 9:40pm PST

Luedtke and team made it to the summit of Mt Baker for a sunset climb, with 100% of the team at the top. 

Great work team!

RMI's four-day climb, led by guides Nikki Champion and Ben Luedtke, reached the summit of Mount Rainier this morning at 6:30 a.m. The team reported high winds on the mountain, so they tagged the summit and promptly began their descent toward Camp Muir at 7:00 a.m.

After regrouping at camp, they'll continue their descent to Paradise and return to Ashford later today.

Congratulations to all the climbers and guides on a successful summit!

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 9:37 pm PT

Hey daily blog readers,

For whoever you are reading this blog for… well now is the time to call them. Ring them. Yes now. 

They have a story for you. 

Thanks for following along ✌️

That’s a wrap. 

❤️

RMI Climber Devon Levesque

Monday, June 29th

It’s been 3 days since we touched the summit of Denali. Yesterday we dreamt of burgers and beers in Talkeetna—we should be sitting at the bar right now. But today it is still a dream. 

Last night we left 14K camp at 8pm to make the 12-hour descent to the glacial airstrip at 7K, where we hoped to hop on a 9am plane to Talkeetna this morning. The same frozen airstrip we landed on nearly 3 weeks ago; though 3 weeks of warm summer rain have surely changed the shape, image and safety of the Kahiltna glacier. 

By 2am we made it to camp 1 at 7.8K feet, where we first slept on June 11th, still 5.5 miles and 4 hours away from the airstrip. It was a total whiteout in a freezing rain storm. Navigating was nearly impossible and the temperature was too warm to cross the lower glacier due to the risk of breaking through a crevasse. 

Our guides made the right decision to bunker down and pitch our tents for a few hours, with the hopes of waking us at 5am, giving the glacier a few more hours to refreeze. Warm whiteout conditions persisted all night and all morning. I write this at 3pm, weary, wet, dehydrated and tired; we’ve been resting and waiting in the tents all day. 

Last night’s march from 14K to 7.8K was a true test of patience, resilience and will. We each pulled heavy sleds and carried heavier packs loaded with 3 weeks of gear, garbage, extra food, dirty clothes and full poop buckets. Freezing rain stuck to our glasses and made the trail hard to navigate in our snowshoes. The snow was deep yet our steps felt firm and slippery; it was too wet to make a snowman, but not yet slush. The night was dark and white. We wandered in procession, 11 people deep, for endless hours. Our spines ached, our shoulders burned, and our toes tried to punch through the front of our boots. I must say, the air tasted delicious, heavy, and nourishing. Though it felt like we’d never reach our destination. 

But we pressed on, motivated by the dream of loading up the plane and flying toward a hot shower and cheeseburger. We had visions of beer and salads, clean clothes and haircuts, familiar routines and comfy beds. Unfortunately, that dream is delayed. For now, we sit in the tents in a white out and wait indefinitely. The seconds feel like hours and the hours feel like days. We’re munching on the stale snacks that we avoided eating for the last 19 days. We call this point of the trip our “Shackleton” era. This mountain is a mental battle as much as it is a physical one. Today might be the most challenging test yet. 

We achieved our goal, but our mission is far from complete.

A 5.5 mile, 4 hour trek awaits as soon as the weather gives us a window. We are ready at a moment’s notice. Then, shortly after we hope a plane can meet us at the glacial base camp and bring us back to the real world. 

We are close but we are not done yet. We miss you and we cannot wait to celebrate with you soon. 

Love from a rainy tent somewhere on the lower Kahiltna glacier, 

- RMI Climber Jimmy D 

Sunday, June 28 - 9:15PM PST

Sleep came easily for most of us last night. What had been a few hours at 17 was closer to 10 at 14, and we rolled like cats in the sun when Ben called us to breakfast at a leisurely 9am.

Rations have run low, and breakfast burritos are a distant memory. Faced with the choice between granola, oatmeal, and mountain house meals we swore to never eat again we chose freeze-dried, splitting biscuits and gravy and a breakfast scramble.

Kitchens are gathering places the world round, and here is no different. We lingered around the warm stoves and laughed about memories from the summit.

Soon it was noon and we gathered all of our remaining rations for a picnic lunch. Some were down to shredded pop tarts, others *cough Jimmy* still had ten pounds of food to spare. We traded, tasted, and Mike hoarded pounds of candy for the hopeful hike out.

Then games, music, movies and laughs as the snow gently drifted through the tent door. Ben told us the hope is to hike out through the night, but we’ll have to see about the weather.

That uncertainty has become the mark of this mountain and our trip.

There were a half dozen times as we pushed to the summit that Ben almost turned around. Avalanche risks were a-plenty, even 150 feet from the summit. If we did turn, that would have been the right decision.

So we could hike out tonight, or tomorrow. There may be more avalanche risk, or there may not. Our bodies could feel strong, or weak. The winds may be calm, or pick up. The glacier could be frozen when we cross overnight, or it may have cracks that add hours to rain at the airfield until the clouds clear.

This could be our last day eating gas station food, or it may be longer than that. As I turn 40 this year that’s the thing I keep thinking about - delays.

Many of us fashion our lives to take the straight line from this to that. We’re at 14 camp and thinking about Talkeetna. I often want to be someplace other than here.

The lesson I’m being invited to learn is that all of life is here in front of me. What’s more, the interruptions and detours are not only the spice but the substance of life.

(Please know - there is also tragedy, suffering, and injustice unequally distributed in the world. Those things aren’t fair and shouldn’t be wished on anyone).

But I do wish bad weather, on me and on you. That’s what refines our character, holds us still while our roots grow deep, and leads us from comfort to greater adventure. It can’t always be sunny out, we equally need the night.

I guess what I’m saying is that, while I need a summit (or airfield) as a heading, I want my heart to be where my feet are, especially when it’s not what I would have chosen.

That's the only way I would have learned that crampons can be trusted on ice. It’s how, as a 100-degree-Texan, I learned that life in the snow isn’t what I feared and that cloud cover keeps us warm. As an only-child and introvert, I learned that I can live in a tent the size of an elevator with two grown men for 20 days.

We should celebrate when life goes well and smoothly (like our first week here). And when our flight’s canceled, business slows, relationship ends, or we feel adrift I hope to remember that the interruptions, storms, and false summits have a gift that I wouldn’t find any other way That’s doubly true when you have a friend, sibling, spouse, climbing partner, or fellow guide to find the mystery in the moment.

I’m excited to get home, and grateful it will take a few more days than we expected.

 - RMI Climber Hudson