Entries By jt schmitt

Denali Expedition: King & Team Stalled at 14K Camp

June 17, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Sunday, June 17th - 5:53 pm PT Happy Father's Day to all the Dads following along. The storm broke by mid day with views of the wind blown West Buttress. The Team spent some time walking around camp and getting to know some of the other groups at 14K Camp. We've been eating good, getting plenty of sleep and are all eagerly awaiting a window to climb to 17K Camp. The forecast is 5-6 mores days of high winds above and snow down here in Genet Basin. Books are being swapped and audio books Airdropped. That's all from 14 for now. RMI Guide Mike King

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David: Hope you and team had a safe and warm(ish) Father’s Day, daddy! We’ll get ice cream as soon as you get back to celebrate O:) Love you! ~Theresa

Posted by: Theresa Smalley on 6/18/2018 at 9:50 am

Glad to hear you are comfortable and becoming well read. Know Scott’s mom is breathing easier as you aren’t climbing in the wind. Wishes for calm winds and blue skies…good climbing when the weather is right.

Posted by: Glenda Bemis on 6/18/2018 at 6:54 am

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Weather the Storm

June 16, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 2:22 PM PT We had a foot of snow with enough wind to drift upwards of 3 feet in most places. We spent the morning relocating our posh due to being buried and partially collapsed. The team is putting the finishing touches on a toilet cave so they can see a man about a horse without getting a spin drift bidet in the process. Other then maintaining camp we'll eat, nap, shovel and repeat until the storm passes. Moral is still good and we are hopeful that a clearing will arrive early next week. The wind loaded slopes will pose an avalanche hazard so we'll need a few days minimum to settle the slopes leading to the fixed lines. That's all from 14 Camp. RMI Guide Mike King

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Hi dad! Happy fathers day!! I hope your day is amazing. we miss you. Please bring me back a moose! Love you!

Posted by: Adleigh Faulkenburg on 6/17/2018 at 2:02 pm

Hi dad!!! Happy father’s day! Please don’t get eaten by a bear.

Posted by: Teagan Faulkenburg on 6/17/2018 at 1:58 pm

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Stack Walls at 14,000’ Camp

June 15, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Friday, June 15, 2018 - 5:50 PM PT Today was a prime lesson in the Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. We got some comments and stares yesterday while building 7 foot walls around our Camp with such blue skies and warm temps. This morning we got even more remarks from people as we continued to build. By 4 pm the winds had picked up to 30+ mph gusts and the Pigs who had built their homes from straw were in full scramble mode while our Pigs rested in their tents surrounded by snow bricks. We practiced some skills for climbing the fixed lines, they gets us higher on the West Buttress and will hang out while Denali does what Denali wants to. Currently it's demanding that we, "respect it's authority". RMI Guide Mike King

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Hey Scott! Totally echo what Julie said (except for the “babe” part). Good luck with the weather—pretty much rounds out everything you can possibly come across on the mountain, doesn’t it? Hang in there bud. Hope you brought a good book.

~Chris

Hi Scott. Perseverance - the secret of all triumphs. Kick some booty. Wishing you safe steps and glorious sunrises. - Judy

Posted by: Chris Beaudette on 6/16/2018 at 1:52 pm

Scott-looks like you and team my be stuck at 14,000 for a while due to weather! Not as cold as last time! Maybe guys can get caught up with all the amazing comments people have been sending! You’ve got this babe! Keep warm, hang tight, and then just HOP up to the summit in time! Love you!
Julie

Posted by: Julie Faulkenburg on 6/16/2018 at 9:28 am

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Build Camp at 14,000’

June 14, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Thursday, June 14, 2018 - 7:42 PM PT After yesterday's grueling day the team slept in until the sun hit our tents, 9ish. We had a slow start with salmon and cream cheese bagels and coffee. The goal for today was to build walls around our tents and get our kitchen/dining tent dug out and reinforced. The walls are built by digging through the loose snow into the firm layers below. Then we take snow saws and begin to quarry large blocks to be the foundational row. Each successive layer gets smaller so the wall isn't top heavy. The walls help keep wind from destroying our tents. The team rallied through their wall building then helped the guides finish reinforcing the kitchen tent or Posh as we call it. The Posh is a five sided tent without a floor. We dig a hole in the snow and have benches for people to sit and cooking counters for the guides. Out of the wind and sun we enjoy our meals, today's dinner is hand rolled chicken burritos. With the menacing forecast on the horizon we will put the finishing touches on camp and hunker down for the remnants of a tropical cyclone that is headed for Alaska. People are happy for the sunshine and tired from the 'light exercise' of camp craft. This helps us acclimate in preparation for heading to 17,000' Camp, High Camp, for our cache day and ultimately our summit day when the weather and mountain tell us it's time to go up. Until then we will be at 14,000' continuing to get comfortable being uncomfortable and focusing on the tasks that our in our control and leaving the conditions that our out of our control to Denali. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp

June 14, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - 10:53 PM PT With a forecast that hasn't been stellar, the guides woke at 2:30 AM only to see strong winds above. We continued to check for high winds until 6 am, needing to make a decision on whether to move camp or burn another weather day, we opted to pack up. Hoping for the sun to calm the wind we started out at 9 am through boot high snow, calf high snow, knee high snow and you guessed it thigh high snow. We made good time without any congestion on the route, but it was not an easy day. Once we picked up our cache at 12,500' we slogged up towards Windy Corner. Packs were heavy, sleds didn't help and the loose drifted in snow made for a tired team. We got chased around Windy Corner by a storm then promptly walked into a basin where the wind had stopped and we were quickly to hot. Today's lesson was, "learn to be comfortable, being uncomfortable". Freeze or fry is all you can expect up here, ideal doesn't exist. We will take a well deserved rest day tomorrow and maybe for the next week if the projected Pineapple Express weather front dumps 9 feet of snow. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

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Diana King here, Mike’s Mom. We to enjoy keeping up wit the Team from Atlanta. Wish he could get home more often.

Posted by: Diana King on 6/15/2018 at 2:09 pm

Robb-o!!
Sending some positive weather vibes your way!! Hope you, Cole and the rest of the team are having an awesome adventure!!
XOXOXO

Sharoni

Posted by: Sharon Del Vecchio on 6/14/2018 at 5:17 pm

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Cache Gear at 12,500’

June 12, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,000'

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 - 5:32 PM PT We'd already sent in the dispatch yesterday and then skies cleared up and we enjoyed a sunny evening. Today however, we woke to grey skies up above and clouds pouring over Kahiltna Pass. The teams in camp all got a slow roll to see who would break trail up Motorcycle Hill. This led to a bottleneck and a slow pace. After an hour the clouds had descended and snow was blowing. Our goal today was a cache around Windy Corner, but due to the volume of climbers, new snow and low visibility we opted for a 12,500' cache. We are back at Camp at 11,000' hoping to get a chance to move up to 14,000' Camp in the next few days. RMI Guide Mike King

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Take Weather Day at 11,000’ Camp

June 11, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,000'

Monday, June 11, 2018 - 5:35 PM PT Not much to report from 11,000' Camp. Today we woke to snow, after breakfast we were shoveling snow and about every two hours since there has been more snow to shovel. The one caveat is that the wind is light. The Team has been working on "out chilling the storm" as a long time RMI guide once put it. We are hopeful that the weather begins clearing tomorrow so we can put a cache in striking distance of 14 Camp. Everyone is healthy and warm. RMI Guide Mike King

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Alex,
After hunting around the RMI website we are 90% sure this is your expedition. Stay warm and tend to the small details: feet, hydration, etc… Best to the whole team- and Malin says you did this to yourself :)

Posted by: Matt & Malin on 6/12/2018 at 9:50 am

Scott, I’ve got my eye on you - and the summit! Keep your leg warm!
Love, Mom

Posted by: Connie Selgrath on 6/12/2018 at 8:29 am

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Back Carry and Return to 11K Camp

June 10, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Sunday, June 10, 2018 - 3:08 pm PT Clouds and snow moved in last night just prior to dinner. We had the chance to see our 2 RMI Teams who had been on the summit Friday and get some route info. The snow continued through out the night with minimal accumulation. When we woke, there were faint views of the surrounding peaks and ridges. After breakfast we roped up and walked down to our cache at 9700' and dug up our food and supplies. There has been a low pressure system moving in from the North and being near the demarcation line was quite stunning. As we turned the corner onto the Kahiltna Glacier, we could see clouds rolling over Kahiltna Pass and Kahiltna Dome while the view South was blue skies and calm weather. Soon we were engulfed in the clouds and light snow for the walk back to 11,000' Camp. Now we are back in our tents listening to snow fall and enjoying the warmth of the sun trying to cook through the clouds. The Team is doing well, we are hopeful that the winds stay calm so we can carry around Windy Corner or even into Fourteen Camp tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike King

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Great job everyone and hi dad (David McCampbell)! Keep up the great work. Loving these updates!
-Patti

Posted by: Patti Van Lange on 6/10/2018 at 9:56 pm

Hi JT-

My dad and I had a JT Type 2 day of fun just for you.. Sixty-two miles in the pouring rain. We hope you are enjoying your time up there! The pictures are beautiful! Sending big hugs from the Emmer family!

Maddy

Posted by: Madeline Emmer on 6/10/2018 at 8:38 pm

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Denali Expedition: King and Team Cache at 9,700’

June 8, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,700'

Friday, June 8, 2018 - 3:15 PM PT The clouds cleared after dinner last night with expansive views of the lower Kahiltna Glacier. We were able to see the descending RMI Group after their successful summit and glean some route info. With the surrounding peaks providing the backdrop, we set off at 5:30 AM for 9700' on the glacier. The route ascends Ski Hill, think fun blue run at a resort. Our goal was to cache food and fuel to make the move to Camp 2 lighter. We took a lot of breaks to take pictures and not over do it after yesterday's heavy day. We are all back in camp at 7800' drying our boots and enjoying the heat on the tents. The plan is to eat, sleep then move to 11,200' tomorrow. We'll take advantage of the cooler temps and leave before 5 AM. The route is in incredible shape with lots of snow and a well traveled route. The climb doesn't get easier but these first 5 days of getting in position to climb above 11,200' are tough on the hips, feet and shoulders. Still keeping our fingers crossed while we listen to bush planes fly overhead. RMI Guide Mike King

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Following your climb as Scott’s mom is a life long friend. Scott I hear my son tell her baseball players “you have the best equipment money can by, you have the talent and are physically fit, s just .....hit the f——-g ball. I think you have all those things and more so jus climb the mountain. May your God be with each of you and keep you safe.

Glenda Bemis

Posted by: Glenda Bemis on 6/10/2018 at 4:38 pm

Climb on Scott!

Posted by: Chris Beaudette on 6/9/2018 at 10:56 am

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Denali Expedition: King and Team Break Trail to 7,800’

June 7, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

We all turned in early last night with an anticipated 2 AM wake up call. The guides woke at 2 only to see snow, wet tents and zero visibility. Ear plugs back in and snooze until 4:30 AM. The clouds had thinned out, snow was drier and still falling but the saving grace was we could see the lower skies of Mt Francis and the airstrip markers. The Team got ready to go after a quick breakfast and hot drink. The walk down heartbreak hill with big sleds and breaking trail through new snow went surprisingly well. No one broke down and asked to return to Talkeetna so we walked into the thick clouds, think if you were trapped inside of a ping pong ball. There was a faint trail from the teams who arrived late in the night and all of a sudden there was nothing. We plodded through the snow and up the main fork of the Kahiltna Glacier navigating by GPS and the occasional bamboo pole that is placed for just these conditions. Wet snow was falling but not a trace of wind. Sweaty with sore hips we rolled into camp as the cloud bank lifted just enough to see camp at the base of Ski Hill. We are all tucked in our tents and resting up for our carry day to 9600' tomorrow. Our hope is to travel early when the temperatures are cooler and place our cache of food and fuel. Everyone is dry, warm and re-hydrating after a tough day. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

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Hi all, letting you know we are following along on your trail. Doesn’t seem as cold here in California as it is there though. (insert smiley face). You are on for the summit, I feel it in my warm bones. Stay focused and bring me some new jokes. Hang in, hang on, hang out, and head for the summit!
Love to Scott, Hi to Team, and Luck to All!
Mom Selgrath

Posted by: Connie Selgrath on 6/9/2018 at 9:39 am

From all here on Vashon-following you—!

Posted by: Carol Jensen-Scanny on 6/8/2018 at 3:16 pm

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Entries By jt schmitt

Denali Expedition: King & Team Stalled at 14K Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King & Team Weather the Storm

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King & Team Stack Walls at 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King & Team Build Camp at 14,000’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King & Team Cache Gear at 12,500’

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Take Weather Day at 11,000’ Camp

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Back Carry and Return to 11K Camp

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Denali Expedition: King and Team Cache at 9,700’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: King and Team Break Trail to 7,800’

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