Entries By erika birkeland

Saturday, May 21, 2023 - 10:30 pm PT

Good evening readers,

Today we woke to a wet rain falling on our tents. The plan was for an early start but we postponed our departure by a few hours watching the clouds. After yummy breakfast burritos we began breaking down camp and hit the trail. The team made their way back up Ski Hill on our way to our new home at 11,000' Camp. After walking for a few hours of descent weather we hit a hot pocket that made everyone go into a heat panic. But we persevered and made it to some cooler temps. At our last break the snow flakes got bigger and a chill hit the team but this was short lived and we were back to being hot as we rolled into camp. It was a tough long day with heavy packs but it sure feels good to be here. We made camp, ate dinner and it's off to bed to let the bodies recover. Tomorrow we will back carry down to our cache to be reunited with all our gear and then rest for the majority of the day. Snow falls as we get snuggled in. Frequent taps on tent walls make the snow slide down. We will see how much snow falls through the night.

Good night all,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

Friday, May 19, 2023 7:50pm PDT

Day two complete!

We woke to beautiful weather for our walk uphill to cache our gear. Camp was busy early in the morning with teams packing to move or carry. The team made fast work packing, and we were walking roped up only two hours after waking. Firm snow helped the sleds pull easily. The temperatures warmed fast and before we knew it was toasty out. So far, we have not experienced the Denali cold. I’m sure it is coming but right now we might as well be in the southern states.

Once we dug our hole deep enough that no ravens could get to our food, we headed back to camp.  It got a bit dire for a second with the overwhelming heat, but everyone made it in good style. A well-deserved down time was enjoyed before we rallied for dinner. During our rest we were greeted by a little bird that landed on my food, I think that is a good sign. Burritos filled our bellies, and we discussed tomorrow's plan.

As we lay in our tents resting for tomorrow a light snow makes a pitter patter on our tents. Fingers crossed it stays light and we can move to 11k camp tomorrow.

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

Thursday, May 18, 2023 10:55pm PDT

Hello from the Kahiltna Glacier!

What a busy day it was. We loaded planes and were in the air by 9am. It was chilly morning in Talkeetna, warmed by bour last Lattes and Michael but man was it hot on our walk. I thought it was cold in May. We took off downhill on what is called heart break hill. It is not heart breaking yet but it will be on our return. But that is a way away from now. Everything is so big around us you have little idea how far everything is. Is it close or is it miles away? We walked for 5.5 hours to reach our camp at the base of ski hill. It is a tough walk with heavy sleds and heavy packs. You really enter a pain cave to push through. One stretch is your quads, the next your hip flexors, the next your calves, something is always uncomfortable. But hey that is what we signed up for!

After setting up tents and moving in we gathered for dinner. We carried in pizza from Mountain High Pizza, and it was delicious. We topped off the night with a hot drink and the crawled into our sleeping bags. It’s a marvelous feeling to lay down and release the body. Tomorrow we will carry gear to just over 10k feet and then return to our camp for the night. The lighter loads will feel a lot better going up ski hill. Weather is moving in so fingers crossed it stays at bay till we return to camp or even better till the following evening so we can get to 11k camp. The team is looking good, and morale is high.

We are all excited to keep moving uphill.

Goodnight all,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

Hello fellow readers!

Welcome to our journey! We have wrapped up day two of our Denali Expedition. Yesterday the team met at carousel 1 of the Anchorage Airport with heavy duffels in tow. A rainy drive through the woods of Alaska brought us to the launching pad of Denali Expeditions, Talkeetna. Talkeetna is a Native American word meaning where the rivers meet. At the end of town, you can stand where the Susitna, Chulitna, and the Talkeetna meet with views of Hunter, Foraker, and Denali off in the distance. Today the clouds covered up the mountains but the river rushed by with huge chunks of ice floating along down stream, making for a gorgeous view. It was a busy day for the team sorting gear and getting ready for our flight tomorrow. We are separated into two teams with five going on one plane and four on another. As of now, the weather looks good for getting onto the Kahiltna glacier. The team enjoyed their last dinner in civilization before eating a bunch of noodles and burritos on the mountain. You can see and feel the excitement but also the nerves and jitters for what lies ahead. It's going to be an amazing adventure and a memorable one too. Not only because we are climbing the tallest peak in North America but we are doing it as a team of all Ladies! So say hello to your all women's team, The Tatas. 

Stayed tuned for what's next,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

Success! The Four-Day climb led by Taylor Bickford and Seth Burns reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 7:45am. They enjoyed a good climbing route and weather during their ascent.

The team will be back at Basecamp this afternoon to celebrate their hard work!

The Four Day Climbing Teams led by RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Dustin Wittmier reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team has clear skies and calm winds for their climb. A blue bird day!  The team is back at Camp Muir and will begin their descent to Paradise shortly.

Congratulations Team! 

The Four Day Climbs August 7 - 10 led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Ben Ammon reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  As of 7:30 am the teams were at 13,100' on their descent. They will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing down to Paradise.

The program will conclude this afternoon at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers.

The Four-Day teams reached the summit this morning at 5 am! RMI Guides Brent Okita and Christina Dale reported great route conditions and no winds on the summit. They are currently finishing their descent to Camp Muir for a quick break before packing up camp and starting their descent to Paradise in the summer sunshine.

Congrats team!

RMI Guide Hannah Smith reported beautiful climbing conditions from Glacier Peak today. The team went 100% to the top of one of Washington's most remote volcanoes. The team spends two days trekking into camps before starting their summit attempt. The team is staying at White Pass Camp to enjoy some well-deserved rest before descending to the trailhead tomorrow.

Congrats team!

The Glacier Peak Climb with RMI Guide James Bealer reached the 10,541' Summit yesterday. The team spent most of the approach to high camp in the clouds, but got incredibly lucky on summit day, as the clouds parted, and the peak showed off beautiful hues of pink. The team had a clear day for climbing.  For two of the team members this summit completes their quest to climb all FIVE Washington Volcanoes! 

The team will descend about seven and a half miles to the trailhead today and celebrate in Darrington.

Congratulations Team!