Entries By mike walter
May 16, 2022
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Monday, May 16, 2022 - 9:47 am PT
Yesterday (Sunday) we awoke to beautiful blue skies and light winds. After a nice breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and salmon we packed up gear and food to cache around Windy Corner. This was the first day of the expedition in crampons without sleds which felt awesome as we made our way up Motorcycle Hill. We had excellent views of the surrounding mountains and could even see all the way down to the tundra below the Peter's Glacier! After rounding Windy Corner the weather was holding and everyone was climbing strong so we decided to keep pushing all the way to 14,000' camp! As soon as we finished burying our cache winds picked up and we got our first taste of some nasty Alaska Range weather. By the time we got back to the Polo Fields the winds had abated and we enjoyed a nice walk back to 11,000' Camp. Winds picked back up overnight and this morning has been a bit frigid and blustery in camp today are taking a well earned rest day to recover from the previous five days of hard effort. We're looking forward to moving to 14,000' Camp in the coming days.
May 15, 2022
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Saturday, May 14, 2022 - 10:08 pm PT
We enjoyed some pretty amazing weather today. We had a relatively easy day retrieving our cache and returning to 11k camp. On our journey we were treated to a unique wildlife viewing, with snow geese flying in formation above us. They landed on the glacier up around Kahiltna Pass, something I have never seen before. Back in camp, the good weather continued and we relaxed and shuffled gear for the next stage of the game. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will establish a camp up above Windy Corner. The forecast looks good and we're climbing strong, so we're optimistic that will happen tomorrow. I'll let you know how it shakes out. Either way, it's good to be in the mountains and we're enjoying our time here.
Go, MAK, go!!!
Posted by: Jenn on 5/16/2022 at 5:46 pm
Great to hear the weather is holding up for the team, sounds like smooth climbing so far. Keep up the hard work!
Go Mike K, Go!!!
Posted by: Tina on 5/15/2022 at 8:57 pm
May 14, 2022
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
May 14, 2022 - 10:04 am PT
It was a bit breezy and chilly yesterday, but it made for great climbing weather.
We packed up camp and headed up Ski Hill, continuing up around Kahiltna Pass and into the 11k camp. Glacier conditions were perfect, and the winds abated as we climbed higher. Everyone is climbing strong and doing well. The plan for today is to go back downhill to retrieve our cache at ~9600'. We're sitting in a good position to start pushing higher on the upper mountain. So far, the weather is cooperating with us and allowing for steady progress. We'll definitely spend a few nights here at 11k to acclimate before moving camp higher, but we may try to get a cache in around Windy Corner tomorrow, as the weather is forecast to be pretty nice.
We'll keep you posted on our progress.
Glad to hear you continue to enjoy good weather. Thanks for the updates, they are really appreciated.
Posted by: Maria Alexandra Velez on 5/14/2022 at 6:18 pm
May 12, 2022
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 9,650'
Thursday, May 12, 2022 - 7:10 pm PT
Today was nearly a mirror image of yesterday's weather: mostly sunny, then partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy. It made for great travel as we ascended Ski Hill. As we gained the 9500' plateau, mostly cloudy changed to light snow and moderate winds coming through Kahiltna Pass. We had another good day, and decided to cache at ~9650' rather than press further into deteriorating weather. After leaving our gear deep in the hole we dug, we descended back down Ski Hill to camp in time for a little siesta. We'll hope for good weather tomorrow so we can bump camp up to 11,200'. We'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for the posts. It is fun to keep up-to-date with the climb!!
Posted by: Deb Beaudway on 5/13/2022 at 3:16 pm
Thanks for updates. Basic weather forecast looks very good starting Saturday.
Posted by: Paul Kent on 5/13/2022 at 11:16 am
May 12, 2022
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,600'
May 12, 2022 - 10:08 am PT
We had great weather yesterday and were able to fly in to Kahiltna Base Camp. We hit the ground running and took advantage of the weather to move to the base of Ski Hill. Light cloud cover kept temperatures perfect for climbing, and the Kahiltna Glacier was in remarkably good condition, which made for a pleasant day in the mountains. Our packs and sleds were heavy, but our team did great getting to camp and establishing camp. This morning the good weather is continuing, and we're getting ready to head off on a carry, establishing a cache up above Ski Hill. We'll be in touch and let you know how it goes.
Best of luck to the entire team! I play Pickleball in southern Florida with John Corona. I just returned from Seattle with beautiful views of the mountainous area in Washington. Can’t imagine your strength and courage to climb! Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers that the weather continues good and you have a magnificient climb! Peace to all! Mary
Posted by: Mary Cormier on 5/15/2022 at 6:01 am
Hey !!!! Best of luck on the climb Mike! This grey-bearded old man is headed to Rainier this week and will be ready for you to lead me to 20,310’ in May ‘23! Be safe. Godspeed & Good Weather. If you have any questions about the weather, ask your rock.
Posted by: Tim Morris on 5/12/2022 at 3:50 pm
May 11, 2022
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 348'
RMI’s Denali climbing season is kicking off. Out team spent yesterday in Talkeetna packing and prepping for our expedition. Spreading our gear out in one of K2 Aviation’s hangars, we went through all of our clothing, food, and climbing equipment to fine-tune everything and be sure our checklists were complete. Everything was weighed and labeled for the airplanes. This morning we’ll touch base with K2 to see what the flying conditions are like. Our hope is to fly in to Kahiltna Basecamp today. Located on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier, this glacier runway will be our approach to the West Buttress of Denali.
Our team looks well prepared, and everyone is eager to embark on this multi-week expedition. We’ll keep you up to date along the way as we slowly progress higher on Denali’s slopes. I’ll be in touch with flying conditions and our status.
Sending the best vibes your way!
Posted by: Abby P on 5/12/2022 at 6:40 am
Stay safe and have fun !!!
Posted by: Don West on 5/11/2022 at 9:42 pm
July 7, 2021
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Denali
Elevation: 14,200'
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 - 3:24 pm PT
The winds are calm and it's snowing lightly at Denali 14K Camp. Our plan is to pack up camp this afternoon and journey down into the thicker clouds, hopefully making it to Basecamp sometime in the middle of the night. We're not overly optimistic that we'll be able to fly tomorrow...the pilots at K2 Aviation tell us that this weather is supposed to stick around until Saturday. If all goes well we'll at least be in position to fly off the glacier if a clearing presents itself.
We'll let you know how it goes.
Brad,
Looking forward to you getting back and hearing about your adventure.
Your friends at Modern.
Posted by: Dave Brown on 7/8/2021 at 11:14 am
July 6, 2021
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 - 1:00 pm PT
There's not much new to report today. We're still at 14,000' Camp, waiting for an opportunity to head downhill to the airstrip. Unfortunately we're also still in a snow globe. Apparently it's totally socked in all the way to Talkeetna, with rain in town, so all of the planes are grounded a well. We've got plenty of food and fuel, and we're warm and dry in our camp. The forecast is grim, but we're not desperate, and we'll patiently await a change in the weather.
July 5, 2021
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,000'
Monday, July 5, 2021 - 1:05 pm PT
We're still hanging at 14,000' Camp, amid snow, wind, and very limited visibility. We're hoping for a little break in the weather so that we can pack up camp and head down around Windy Corner and start our descent. The weather isn't having any of that, though. At this point we're comfy and safe at camp and there's no reason to force a descent into terrible weather. As eager as we are to get to Kahiltna Base Camp, it is not a pressing matter because planes cannot fly (much less land on the glacier) in this weather.
We'll keep you posted on our predicament.
Thinking about you Aaron!!! I love you! Love, sissy
Posted by: Emilee on 7/6/2021 at 2:44 pm
July 5, 2021
Posted by: Mike Walter, Nikki Champion, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Sunday, July 4, 2021 - 10:09 pm PT
The weather has not been cooperating with us lately, and the forecast doesn't look good either. Today was the best day in the forecast period and there were still strong winds up high and a huge lenticular cloud on the summit all day. We took advantage of the "best day" to climb up to 16,400' and retrieve our cache; there's a good chance that we would not be able to retrieve it over the next few days. Tomorrow is day 19 of our trip, and our time is running out. With no potential summit day in the foreseeable future we will likely start our descent tomorrow morning. The weather will determine our descent strategy and timing.
Hello to all and special one to Daryl, prayers to all for a one day out of there without any unstable stuff. Tomorrow maybe only 2 or 3 cm of snow, am following you all safely to the bottom. Stop the snow dance.
Posted by: Pat Everett on 7/7/2021 at 10:17 am
I can’t wait to see your pics from the top, MAK!
Posted by: Jenn on 5/20/2022 at 8:54 am
Keep the toes warm and good luck!
I’ll be just over the pole in Svalbard…hit me on the radio….
Posted by: U2 on 5/17/2022 at 8:29 am
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