Friday, July 5th, 2013 10:57 p.m. PST
Finally a break in the weather. Things calmed down during the night and the upper layer of clouds began to dissipate. As we watched for an hour or two beginning at 5 AM, the weather went back and forth for a while, but once we committed to getting the team up and getting going, it all began to go our way. We dealt with slightly cooler temperatures and steady breezes as we left camp at 9 AM for our carry, but we had big blue skies overhead which was great for everybody's morale. Snow conditions were perfect for walking, which was a little surprising after so many days of falling snow. It seems that it had been such a long dry spell previously, that the surface had gotten firm from wind and sun. When new snow landed on that surface, it just blew clean. At any rate, it was perfect for our crampons today. We got up Motorcycle Hill and halfway up Squirrel Hill in the first hour, which entitled us to enjoy grand views of The Northwest Buttress and the Peter's Glacier. The second hour took us into the "Polo Field" as folks now call the basin which the end of the West Buttress towers over. We moved through this area without much visibility as another cloud had found us. By the time we reached Windy Corner, we were walking out of the cloud and getting big views again. Windy Corner has been a concern for several weeks now as the June heat wave had produced a rockfall hazard in the area. But there had to be some benefit to the storm that was keeping us down, it froze things up nicely above the corner and our passage was fast and safe. We cached food and fuel at 13,600', just past the corner. It had taken four and a half hours to reach our destination. We buried things deep to thwart the cache robbing ravens, and then began an easy descent with light packs. By 3:45, we were back in camp, basking in sunshine. There is still plenty of cloud around, but for the moment it is below us. We hope it stays that way as we want to move to 14,200' tomorrow. All were excited and energized to finally see beyond the corner. Denali's South Peak was no longer far away or on some horizon, it was front and center... and gigantic.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Good to hear that you are finally able to move. I arrived in Moscow yesterday with Casey Grom and teamates. We fly up to the Elbrus area tomorrow morning.
-Larry Seaton
Posted by: Larry Seaton on 7/6/2013 at 9:49 pm
Dear Will and team: Glad that you can finally get on the move again, and that it was a good weather for the most part. Heard from Amy yesterday, and she relayed the news. Your Dad says hi, and sends his love. Hope today brings another day of good climbing.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Our storm got real in the night, with cannon-like broadsides of wind and ice particles assaulting the tents. It was serious enough that the guides were out stumbling around from midnight to 2 AM, cutting snow blocks and building walls, but not serious enough that the whole team needed to be in on the fun. It snowed and blew for much of the night, with the wind changing direction every now and then in order to keep things interesting. Although the alarm had been set early for climbing, it was obvious as the morning progressed that we'd simply have to hunker down and ride out the storm. Around mid-morning we rallied the whole crew to eat breakfast, dig out tents and build more walls. Then it was back into the tents for a few hours. We finished the day with some avalanche transceiver training by Zeb Blais, a fine dinner by Erik Nelson and Mike King, and some tall tales by yours truly.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hope the weather improves so that you guys don’t have to stay cooped up in tents on the side of the mountain. Hopefully the avalanche transceiver training will be for naught, but glad that you have it.
Saturday, June 29th, 2013
Conditions at 4:45 AM were perfect for moving from 8,000' on the Kahiltna Glacier to 9,600 ft. So we did. We'd gotten up at 2:00 a.m. to have a hot breakfast and we could see scattered clouds overhead and a cap above Denali's summit but there was no wind. Our route up Ski Hill was blissfully free of dicey crevasse crossings and the snow surface had frozen up enough to make walking and sled pulling a bit easier than yesterday. Even so, Ski Hill was long, slow, and uphill. We were up to 9,600' in just over three and a half hours. Already by this point, digging in and building a new camp in a beautiful place was becoming routine. Clouds cleared down valley so that we had unobstructed views of nearly the entire length of the Kahiltna while we worked. The sun became brutally intense by midday, but by then we were sheltered in the tents, napping, drinking water and reading.
We got together for dinner in the evening as things cooled down. We talked strategy for our move to 11,000', secured camp for the night and turned in early once again.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Thankful for technology that gives a picture into this experience. 93 in Tacoma. Headed for Whidbey and Dungeness crab tomorrow. Prayers for your safety going up constantly.
Posted by: Donna Nelson on 6/30/2013 at 4:23 pm
Mike & Max Reese + team - Wishing you cold , firm snow and calm weather during your ascent! Thinking of you while sitting on a beach in Costa Rica. Best Wishes!
Friday, June 28th, 2013
As planned, we fired up the stoves shortly after our 1 AM wake up. The plan in getting up so early, was to be moving during the coldest part of the day when we could hope that the glacial surface would be frozen solid. That would make sled hauling and walking in general a lot easier than pulling through slush, but more importantly, a freeze would make things safer, bridging the crevasses we'd need to cross. It was apparent this morning, as we ate breakfast and took down tents, that we weren't going to get a hard freeze. Temperatures hadn't dipped low enough, and there was cloud overhead that seemed to act as a warm, damp blanket, insulating the glacier and messing with our plans. But things had firmed up a little anyway, and by 4:15 AM when we hit the trail, snowshoes were doing the job in preventing "post-holing". Rigging up properly for such travel is far more complicated when sleds are in the mix, so the fact that it took some time to get organized was not unexpected. That extra time paid off when we were able to move good and steady without any gear glitches or malfunctions. The first hour took us down about 500 feet in elevation to the main Kahiltna Glacier where we turned North. We began to meet a few rope teams on their way out and it was great to meet an old friend or two in passing and to hear of their adventures on the mountain. Our second and third hour-long pulls took us past Mount Francis (hiding in cloud) and the junction with the East Fork of the Kahiltna. By the fourth and fifth sections of the climb we passed the Kahiltna Peaks and made it to the NE Fork junction... about where we wanted to be at the base of Ski Hill. By this point we were thankful to have cloud cover giving us relief from the sun as we built camp and crawled into tents for an afternoon snooze.
After a quiet and easy afternoon in the tents, we met for dinner in the deluxe POSH dining complex dug by Zeb, Erik and Mike King. We turned in early once again anticipating another early start tomorrow.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Thursday, June 28th, 2013
We enjoyed a final, but ample breakfast at the Roadhouse and then hurried out to the airstrip to get ready for flying. Sure enough, conditions were favorable and so we loaded up in two big and beautiful K2 Aviation ski-equipped Otters. There was some smoke in the skies from forest fires and a little cloud as well, but we had magnificent views of forests, rivers, lakes... and then eventually of nothing but gargantuan mountains and glaciers. Our pilots, Randy and Jeff, had us into the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier and safely landed by 9:00 AM. After unloading and a few handshakes, they were off and we were left in our breathtakingly beautiful new home. We set to building camp and then spent a lazy afternoon reviewing rope techniques and getting set for glacier travel. We ate an early dinner under the intense Alaskan summer sun, did a few more last chores and then turned in. It was good to touch base, via radio, with the other RMI teams on the mountain and to feel like we'll soon be joining in the fun. The plan is to be up at 1 AM if the weather stays fine and we'll hope to be on the march a few hours later.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
The Christofferson family is sending our best to Anders and the rest of the team. We love all the pictures and updates! Looking forward to hearing how you are all doing after carrying all those heavy loads “on your march” today!
Posted by: Judy Christofferson on 6/28/2013 at 5:51 pm
Hahn Team
To Mike & Max - we are grateful to be able to follow you on this blog and will enjoy watching your adventures. Thinking of you and wishing you good weather and a safe climb.
Bill & Caryl Reese
Posted by: Bill & Caryl Reese on 6/28/2013 at 11:48 am
Wednesday, June 26th, 2013
The climbing team ate a hardy breakfast at The Talkeetna Roadhouse. We talked climbing and safety as we chewed bacon and swilled coffee. Our excellent meal prepared us for a giant day of packing and organizing to fly on to Denali. Longtime legendary NPS climbing ranger Roger Robinson gave our pre-climb briefing at the ranger station, after which we trooped on out to the K2 Aviation hangar to get into the nuts and bolts of getting our gear ready for the mountain. We worked through some unbelievably hot hours, checking tents, stoves, ropes, pots and clothes. Massive cumulonimbus clouds formed as the day went along and thunder boomed, but the storm never really hit Talkeetna.
We enjoyed a great dinner together at the popular West Rib Pub and then turned in. All were intent on resting up from this big and busy day to be ready for a bigger and busier day tomorrow, hopefully one that gets us onto Denali.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
To Max and my Dad: Wanted to let you know that although the wifi here is limited, I’m still able to check up on the blog at least once a day. Thinking of you and wishing you the best! Have a safe climb!
Posted by: Ellie on 6/27/2013 at 12:26 pm
Dave Hahn and Team -
Sounds like that warm weather is still hanging around up there. I’ve followed some of the previous RMI teams and they were all hit with hot weather at some point during their climbs.
I bet the lower Kahiltna has opened up quite a bit and you will have a severe zig-zag path through that area.
Have a safe climb!
The Four Day Summit Climb led by Brent Okita and the Five Day Summit Climb led by Tyler Reid both reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning just after 7 am PT. Brent reported beautiful weather - bluebird skies without any wind. The low marine layer of clouds we are experiencing in Ashford tops out around 6,000' -7,000’.
The teams started their descent around 8:30 en route to Camp Muir. They will take a break there before continuing their descent to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's teams!
Awesome job, so glad you made it! So proud of my husband Curt! Yaaaay
Posted by: Rebecca McCLellan on 5/19/2013 at 5:01 pm
You did it! Scott I’m so excited to hear you made the summit! You must be so proud! I know I’m proud of you. I can’t wait to hear the stories! Safe travels home. I love you.
Our Five Day Summit Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and JJ Justman reached the Summit of Mt. Rainier today. The team reported fair weather with winds of about 15mph and a cap on the top of the mountain. The teams spent some time on the summit and are now on their way back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations Brent, JJ, and teams on the first summit of our 2013 Mt. Rainer climbing season!
Thanks again to JJ and Brent as well as all the other guides for a great climb! So glad to be a member of the first summit team of the season! You guys are truly amazing and I had a wonderful experience with RMI!
AAIRE Avalanche Level 2 with Wallowa Alpine Huts
There has not been any recent snow accumulation in the last week leading up to my course. I am hoping to see characteristics of an intercontinental snowpack, only time will tell. The drive into the Wallowa Mountains in Eastern Oregon is flat with Oregon’s “Little Switzerland” rising out of the horizon. The temperature is in the single digits and the sky is clear. Re-crystallized snow, I think to myself, could mean good ski touring.
Through out the course the weather stayed cold and clear, which allowed our group to tour in several different areas digging snow pits and discussing travel techniques from a guide’s perspective. For me the most compelling aspect was comparing our morning observations, forecast and trip plan with what was actually happening in the field area. Our instructors, Lee and Mike stressed the need to hone our snow test skills to perform instability tests with accuracy and detail.
I leave the course with one phrase embedded in my subconscious, “does this slope have the propensity to propagate?” All I can do is continue digging and looking at snow, at least there is no shortage of that as a mountain guide.
RMI Guide Mike King
Hey All!
Checking in one last time here from Mendoza where our intrepid crew has just checked in at our hotel, dusty and stinking from 15 days on the trail. After our rough awakening at Camp Cólera and rallying "lights and sirens" style to save our camp we had a relatively uneventful walk down to Basecamp where we were greeted by the great staff at Grajales. Then there was yesterday's walk from Basecamp to Pampa de Leñas which is normally a bone-crusher, this time it was all gravy after our battle up at Cólera. The herrieros (mule drivers) at Pampa de Leñas treated us to a delicious asado that was mostly beef tenderloin, salted and grilled over wood coals! The crew was very appreciative after so many days of hard work. After sleeping out under the stars last night, today saw another seven miles of easy walking til we hit the road and loaded up for our shuttle to Mendoza. We are certainly tired but, again, very psyched on our accomplishment and intend to spend the next several days enjoying Argentine cuisine and wine. The gang is even going to head out on a group winery tour in a couple days since we're kinda stuck here with our early arrival from the mountain. Lotsa love from way down south, signing off...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Great article Billy! We trekked to to the Base Camp of Aconcagua around the same time in February 2013 and stayed in the Andes for 7 days, it was truthfully fantastic the whole way around. The views, the place.. one of a kind experience.
I must agree on the asado as a good lunch option while we enjoyed the fresh mountain air, although having a veggie trekking partner she wasnt so into the meat-based lunch, although they did BBQed some veggies..for her, awesome. We hired a Mendoza-based company Acomara, which provided us with english speaking guides so that was a plus for us. I dont know how you guys dealt with the language barrier but for us having these guys that spoke good English sure made the whole experience smoother.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Dave and Team-
Good to hear that you are finally able to move. I arrived in Moscow yesterday with Casey Grom and teamates. We fly up to the Elbrus area tomorrow morning.
-Larry Seaton
Posted by: Larry Seaton on 7/6/2013 at 9:49 pm
Dear Will and team: Glad that you can finally get on the move again, and that it was a good weather for the most part. Heard from Amy yesterday, and she relayed the news. Your Dad says hi, and sends his love. Hope today brings another day of good climbing.
Posted by: Vicki on 7/6/2013 at 10:30 am
View All Comments