Entries By sam hoffman

It was a snowy night at 11,000' Camp, followed by a snowy morning and snowy day. We stayed put.  The team ate a slow and leisurely breakfast in the dining tent, followed by a protracted debate and story telling session, followed by naps books, tv and podcasts.

By afternoon and evening we were getting a little sun and blue sky but it was still snowing lightly.   It was a storm day… which worked pretty well as a rest day too.  We hope to be back in action tomorrow.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, June 22, 2025 - 9:30 pm PT

Forecasts weren’t great for today, but when we looked out in the morning, the actual weather wasn’t bad. We packed up and got our spikes on by 8:20AM to begin working up Motorcycle Hill. It was great to be climbing in crampons and using an ice axe again. We took our first rest break in the middle of Squirrel Hill and our second in the Polo Field just under the end of the West Buttress. It was a little breezy, but since temps weren’t very cold it wasn’t at all uncomfortable.

Most of our day was spent in brilliant sunshine with blue sky, while clouds filled in below us. Windy Corner wasn’t particularly windy, and the travel conditions were good, so we made it to our cache target of 13,500 feet in four hours. We did a bit of hard digging to keep our things safe from ravens.  After one last look at the great South Peak of Mt. McKinley (our destination) we dropped back around the corner and had an easy climb down to Camp at 11k. The final 30 minutes was in a mild whiteout as we descended into the clouds. 

The round trip was a pretty respectable 6 hours and got us back in plenty of time for a restful afternoon while it snowed lightly on our tents. Fingers crossed for moving weather tomorrow as we would like to get to 14k camp.  

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Saturday, June 21, 2025 - 10:26 pm PT

We woke to clouds and a little wind today, but still got in plenty of solstice sun.  The poor weather in the morning actually worked to our advantage. We needed to drop back down to 10,000 feet on the Kahiltna to get our cached supplies and then return up the big hill below 11,000.  That hill is in a glacial bowl that can become quite hot with straight out sunshine.  We found it to be just right with breezes and cloud cover this morning. We were back up before noon.

We are done with snowshoes and on to crampons for the steeper terrain to come. In the afternoon we alternated between rest and review of climbing techniques for the path ahead. If weather allows we will try to put a cache just beyond Windy Corner at 13,500 ft. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Friday, June 20, 2025 9:59pm PDT

Happy Solstice from 11,000 ft

Today was our longest climbing day of the trip so far. We were up just after 2 a.m., in the shadows of the Kahiltna Glacier. Climbing began at 4:20 a.m. on the now-familiar Ski Hill. It was a cool morning, and the walking was easier thanks to a hard overnight freeze.

The hill steepened as we gained elevation, offering a striking view of the pyramidal granite of the West Buttress towering ahead. The team remained in shadow—a welcome relief—when we paused near our 10,000 ft cache from yesterday.

Leaving the main glacier, we stepped into the sun as we entered the basin below 11 Camp. We made it into camp in just under six hours, then spent a couple more building a secure and comfortable site.

There are a few clouds drifting about, but we expect the sun to stay with us well into the Alaskan night.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Thursday, June 19, 2025 9:36pm PDT

We were up and at ’em at 3 a.m., trying to beat the heat. This had us moving up the glacier from our 8,000 ft camp by 5 a.m. First up was Ski Hill—a steeper and longer incline than anything we’ve tackled so far. It was tough, but conditions were excellent after a solid overnight freeze.

It took about four hours to reach our goal: the head of the Kahiltna Glacier at 10,000 feet. There, we dug a deep, raven-proof hole in the snow and cached food and fuel.

The descent was pleasant, with lighter loads and easy walking. The team rolled back into camp at 11:30 a.m. and sheltered in the tents to escape the afternoon sun.

Tomorrow, we’ll move past the cache and camp at 11,000 feet.

RMI Guide Sam Hoffman & Team

Sunday, June 15, 2025 - 10:01 pm PT

It was a long but good day of getting ready to go climbing.  The team met for a fine breakfast at the Swiss Alaska.  We began by hearing out each other’s motivations and inspirations for taking on such a challenge.  We talked over our priorities and strategies and then we got out to the airplane hangar to go through the gear.  Breaking up the day, we made a run over to the National Park Service ranger station in Talkeetna to register and receive a presentation on keeping the mountain clean and ourselves healthy.  But the bulk of the day was spent at the hangar, listening to trains and airplanes revving up and rattling past as we packed and weighed gear for the climb.  We’d finished by early evening and relaxed in town at Mile High Pizza Pie.  Either a little luck we’ll load up the planes and go climbing in the morning. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 11:25 pm PT

Nobody missed a flight and all the bags arrived just fine.  They came from Norway and New Zealand and a few places in between.  Our team -8 climbers and four guides- got together as planned in the Anchorage airport.  We talked gear and logistics briefly before relocating to the curb for our van shuttle to Talkeetna.  It was a day of blazing sun and wide open blue sky in Alaska. 
We broke up the three hour drive with a stop for groceries in Wasilla and then pushed on to Talkeetna, rolling in at about 6:30 PM.  Along the way we had been granted a few breathtaking views of the Alaska Range.  Our first stop was the K2 Aviation hangar to drop off the big bags of gear.  Next we checked in at the Swiss Alaska Inn.  The team then strolled ten minutes through the birch forest and over the railroad tracks to beautiful downtown Talkeetna.  The town was bustling with tourists and the odd climbing team.  We ate our fill at the brewery and then walked the 100 meter length of town to the banks of the mighty Susitna River.  McKinley, Hunter and Foraker shot up into the sky across the river… impossibly high.  Or maybe just possible.  We’ll see.  Tomorrow we get started… packing and prepping in earnest. 

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Good morning! 

The Four Day Climb of Mt. Rainier led by RMI Guides Henry Coppolillo and Bailey Servais reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 5:20 am PT this morning. Both teams went 100% to the summit--an incredible achievement! The guides reported beautiful weather and a great climbing route! The teams are currently descending and will be back in Ashford at Rainier Base Camp later this afternoon.

Congratuations to today's climbers!

RMI Guide Casey Grom led the Four-Day Climb from May 30 to June 2, reaching the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning.
Casey reported breezy and cold conditions, but the team was rewarded with a rare and stunning view of the northern lights. The group climbed well, with six of the eight climbers successfully reaching the summit.

At approximately 7:15 a.m., the team began their descent from the crater rim, and is making their way back to Camp Muir. After a brief rest and repack, they’ll continue the final 4.5 miles down to Paradise. The team is expected to return to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.

Great job, team!

PC: Layne Peters

May 23–28 Expedition Skills Seminar – Emmons: Summit Success!
The Emmons Seminar team, led by RMI Guide Sam Hoffman, successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today via the Emmons Glacier route. Over the past several days, the team has been hard at work training and refining their mountaineering skills.

Early this morning, they made an alpine start from Camp Schurman and reached the crater rim around 8:15 AM. After enjoying their time on the summit, the team will descend back to Camp Schurman, where they will spend the night. Tomorrow, they’ll make their final descent to the trailhead and return to Rainier BaseCamp by late afternoon.

Congratulations to the entire Emmons team on a strong and successful climb!