Hey, it's Billy again checking in for Solveig and the rest of the crew. We're enjoying a great rest day here at 11,200 feet. We're enjoying some sun, a little stand up comedy in the cook tent. Everybody's enjoying a good laugh. We had a great breakfast of smoked salmon and cream cheese on toasted bagels. We plan on spending the rest of the afternoon drying out gear, organizing and just recovering from three days of hard work, single carrying into 11,000'. So, you know, we hope to prep for our carry up around Windy Corner tomorrow morning and getting all the loads packed up and everything ready to go. So,we'll check in with you guys again tomorrow evening and let you know how that works, but all is well, everyone's in great spirits. And we're having a great time. Cheers.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Hi this is Seth checking in for Ed, Kevin and Mark. We’ve all returned from Denali safe and sound. We ended our trip without going to the summit which was a disappointment but was the best call for everyone. We had a great time but the unseasonably cold and windy conditions were not condusive to an enjoyable climb for us. For me climbing is all about the experience and the people you share it with and this trip was one of the most enjoyable that I have had. While we did not top out we did return safely. That is the best reward of all.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
Ran into this team a few times between base camp and Kahiltna Pass while I was there last week. Got sick and had to descend in a bit of bad weather, so I totally know what it was like up there. Good work all. You had a pretty tight camp.
Posted by: Charles Miske on 5/17/2011 at 1:16 pm
Way to go to all who made it as far as you did. Kevin-we look forward to hearing about the experience & glad you are safe.
Hey this is the RMI seminar checking in from Kahiltna Glacier. Today we moved our camp closer to the base of Mt. Francis we are hoping to make a summit attempt of Mt. Francis later this week. We spent the afternoon fortifying our camp as a small storm is upon us. We also spent the afternoon reviewing and learning more about anchors. Tomorrow will be a good day of training and hopefully this weather will move on. We'll check in later.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson checks in from the Kahiltna Glacier
We're resting at Camp 4 today, with beautiful weather. The forecast is for pretty high winds the next few days, so we'll likely be here through the beginning of the week. Hopefully the winds abate (or the forecast doesn't verify!), and we can move up high soon.
We enjoyed a late breakfast with lots of bacon and coffee this morning, and now we're lounging around, reading and whatnot. Our spirits are high, and we're hopeful that we can move up high soon.
Thanks for the posts on the blog, it's always good to hear from friends back home.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Just wishing you a good night’s rest and letting you know your family is thinking of you and sending all our love!!! I love you….Megan
Posted by: Megan on 5/15/2011 at 10:04 pm
SEND IT, RAPPSTAR!!! Btw bacon and coffee at 14,000 feet? Sounds like pretty much the best Sunday ever! Get after it, take pics, and stay safe my friend!
Hey gang, this is Billy checking in for our McKinley expedition on our fourth day on the on the mountain. We moved up from Camp 2 to at 9,600' up to our Camp 3 at 11,200'. The team moved incredibly well. We were only 2 and a half hours from camp to camp, single carry, so no back carry in the future for us. We spent a lot of time this afternoon, digging out camp and building walls and building a pretty elaborate cook tent. It's been a very low snow year up here in Alaska. So with barely a meter of snow on the glacier definitely made for some creative cook tent construction. But our walk up was really nice. It kind of alternated hot and cold. We arrived in camp with perfect, sunny weather and we're sitting pretty at this point. Tomorrow's plan calls for a rest day. So, wish us luck. It's gonna be a trying day laying around the tent tomorrow. That's about all for now, and checking out from Billy, Solveig and the rest of the crew. Have a good one.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Hi this is the Alaskan Mountaineering Seminar checking in for the day. This morning after we got an early start and breakfast we headed up the South East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. After three hours of challenging technical climbing we were rewarded with a chance to stand on top of Radio Control Tower under blue skies and perfect condition. After our time on the summit we came back to our base camp and spent some time working on building snow anchors. The weather has turned to a cloudy outlook with a little bit of snow. Everyone is tucked in for the night resting for our training day tomorrow. Take care and send your thoughts to keep us warm on the Kahiltna.
RMI Guide Eric Frank checks in after the team's climb of Radio Tower Peak.
We had a great sunny day today and we took advantage of it by carrying a cache of gear to approximately 16,700' on the West Buttress proper, just below a prominent rock called Washburn's Thumb.
In order to get there we climbed up the head wall on the north side of camp and ascended approximately 800' of steep, 50 degree ice with the help of fixed ropes and mechanical ascenders. The views were phenomenal. And everyone did very well with their first experience on the fixed ropes.
We were out for eight hours today (ascending, descending, digging a hole for our cache, and relaxing up high on the ridge), and everyone is a little tuckered out from the long day and high altitude. That's to be expected, though. We'll take at least a full rest day to recover. Now we're in position to wait for a good weather window to move to high camp and go for the summit. It looks like the next few days will be pretty windy up high, so we'll be in a holding pattern until the weather improves. In the meantime we will be resting, eating, and mentally preparing for the strenuous climbing ahead of us.
Also, I spoke with RMI Guide Billy Nugent via radio tonight. Apparently they are having technical difficulties and are unable to send email dispatches (their sat phone still works for communication though). They are camped at 9600' and doing well. They plan to move to to Camp 3 (11,200') tomorrow.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Kenny, God speed and wish you well to the summitt. take care.
Your brother brian, jeannie, matt, and tasha
Posted by: brian young on 5/16/2011 at 2:06 pm
Hi Jeff! Glad to hear things are going well and you are feeling great. Stay focused and I can’t wait to see you. I miss and love you lots! Good news the Bulls beat the heat tonight 103-82, you would have loved it!
-Erica
Hey, this is the Alaska Seminar checking in from the Kahiltna Base Camp. Today we went out on the Kahiltna Glacier and did a nice glacier tour for a few hours. Went around the beautiful Mt. Francis and also did some knot training, sled rigging and lots of fun stuff here. Beautiful weather on the Kahiltna and tomorrow looks to be the same. Wish us luck with good weather.
RMI Guide Jason Thompson
We broke out of base camp bright and early enjoying bluebird perfection walking up the Kahiltna today. Wasn't too hot nor too cold and virtually windless. Six hours of walking brought us to base camp at 7,800' at the base of Ski Hill. The team is strong, moving well, and having a great time thus far. After chowing down on a great beef stew dinner, we shut down camp and crawled into our tents just as the sun went behind the mountains and the chill set in. Time for some well-earned rest after hauling up big loads. We'll check in again tomorrow from our next stop along the way.
RMI Guides Billy Nugent, Solveig Garhart and the rest of the crew
The weather was splitter today at Camp 4; cloudless skies, warm temps, and no wind. We took a rest day today and prepared for our carry of food and fuel for high camp, which will hopefully happen tomorrow. The weather forecast looks promising.
In addition to resting, we took a fifteen minute walk over to The Edge of the World, a spectacular veiwpoint that is situated at the far south side of Genet Basin. From here we could see nearly straight down 6,000' to our first camp of the trip, some nine days ago. The team is acclimating well to the altitude, and everyone's spirits are high.
Thanks for checking in on our trip; we'll keep you up to date with our progress.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
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Hi Drew Thinking of you and following your progress. Enjoy beautiful Alaska. Stay safe. Love D lo
Posted by: D lo on 5/17/2011 at 10:29 am
Sounds like a great time so far! Enjoying the updates so much. Stay safe and patient. I love you- Janie
Posted by: Janie on 5/17/2011 at 5:55 am
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