Entries from Mt. McKinley

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp

May 19, 2015

Posted by: Billy Haas, Mike Walter, Solveig Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

May 18, 2015, 11:16 pm PT Hello from beautiful 14 camp! We arrived today under sunny skies and warm temps with light winds that gusted a bit higher as we rounded the aptly named Windy Corner. The move took us just under 5.5 hours and everyone climbed strong and then worked extremely hard building a solid camp here in Genet Basin. Tomorrow our plan is to return to our cache at 13,600, retrieve the rest of our food and fuel, and fully set up shop here in our new location. The views from camp are spectacular and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner of lentils and rice while familiarizing ourselves with the incredible scenery. Our team wants to say thank you to everyone who left comments on our blog. We received them this morning and the boost in morale helped propel us into camp today! Here are a few personal messages from the team members! Keep the positive energy coming our way! Thanks for following along! RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall Hey, Christy, Phillip, gabe, Annie, things going well. Sure miss all of u. Can't wait to see u. Hoping to summit next week or so. Love u all, Brian. To all my family and friends, thanks for cheering us on! It's quite the adventure, the views are incredible. We're staying safe and I'm proud of what we've achieved so far. Can't wait to go further! Dan Dear fam and friends, thanks for following this wild adventure. Getting chilly as we venture up higher. Looking to hit the summit within this next week. Love you fam, go Rangers!! To all friends and loved ones following our progress Thnk you for the posts allis well at 14 camp love you all! Kearney Sagehorn Love hearing all the support! For my fellow Bison, I am flying the guidon at every camp and hope to take it to the summit. "Move out the Way!!" For the family, your in my thoughts constantly and look forward to getting back home safely. Brooke, give the boys a hug and kiss for me. I love you all! - Chris

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Keep pushing Brian. You have been in my prayers. Take in the majesty that you are surrounded by and nail this climb. Amazed at your tenacity. Proud to be your friend! Keep it up brother. You will be home soon.

Posted by: Bill Myers on 5/20/2015 at 7:20 am

You got this Brian and team! I sure hope you figured out your Go Pro so I can watch what you are experiencing.

Posted by: Klay Maynard on 5/19/2015 at 5:40 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Carry to Windy Corner

May 18, 2015

Posted by: Mike Walter, Solveig Waterfall, Billy Haas

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

May 17, 2015 - 11:05pm PST Hello All, We awoke this morning to decreasing winds and clear skies, which gave us the window we've been waiting for to carry equipment around Windy Corner and put in a cache at 13,600'. Our team climbed strong and did a great job managing the few wind gusts we sustained... staying balanced and efficient while moving to higher elevations. We returned to camp in the late afternoon and feasted on quesadilla's with peppers, onions, chicken, and plenty of cheese before turning in for some well deserved rest. Our forecast is looking good and we hope to move to 14,000' tomorrow. It'll be a big day, so we'll rise early and break camp in order to give us plenty of time to get settled in our new home up in Genet Basin. Thanks for following along! RMI Guide Solveig Waterfall & Team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

We’re following you, Solveig, as you climb McKinley. It’s great to hear your progress. Joe & Dianne

Posted by: joe Griffith on 5/19/2015 at 10:02 am

Hi dad this is Gabe, hope you are having fun. Denali is on electrical fence without flags and rocket is done and ready to launch. Hope you get home sometime soon.

Posted by: Gabe on 5/19/2015 at 8:41 am

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Alaska Seminar: Leon Davis & Team Summit Radio Tower

May 18, 2015

Posted by: Leon Davis, Bridget Belliveau

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

May 17, 2015 - 10:24pm PST Good evening all, Today was a great day to be in the mountains! The sun shone bright this morning as we left camp for the north side of Radio Tower. We found great conditions moving up and the ridge offered us amazing panoramas of Mt Hunter, Foraker, and Denali. The team performed very well all day and we spent the late afternoon sitting in shade to review knots. Tomorrow will be tech training intensive here at camp. Pancakes & bacon for breakfast! RMI Guide Leon Davis & Team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Will, I’m sure you were in your element with the knot tying work!! Have a great day today. Love, Mom

Posted by: Judy Kenyon on 5/19/2015 at 4:45 am

Leon, I’ve climbed with you two times on Rainier and have great respect for your guiding skills. McKinley is still on the bucket list and hope to summit some day. Take care and blue skies. Jim

Posted by: Jim on 5/18/2015 at 8:40 pm

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Alaska Alpine Seminar: Elias & Team Ready to Fly to Talkeetna

May 17, 2015

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Good morning! We're packing up as we speak, and are scheduled to fly back to Talkeetna in the next few hours. Unfortunately we can't report another summit from yesterday. We continued to have more snow through the early afternoon and our fears for avalanche danger were confirmed when the temps climbed up later in the day. We settled for just the approach to the lower Pika, as we tested an incredibly reactive snowpack; while no climbing, that provided a super valuable safety learning opportunity for everyone. That's it for now, our next post will be from civilization with some pics. Best, Rmi Guide Elías deAndres Martos and Team

Mt. McKinley: Van Deventer and Team Make a Move

May 17, 2015

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Robby Young, Josh Maggard

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,500'

We woke to sunny skies, and the forecasted winds didn't arrive down low where we were. After bagel, cream cheese, and bacon filled breakfast sandwiches we crashed our camp, loaded our sleds (more and more team members are naming their sleds each day - the better to curse them by), and started the climb up Ski Hill. The steeper terrain with all of the weight of our gear was a big effort, different from yesterday's long miles with little elevation change, but the team handled it really well, and pulled into a cozy camp at 9500' this evening. A big meal of Mac and cheese fortified with bacon put everyone into food comas, and were crawling into the sacks for the night. Tomorrow, we plan to move to 11k to really start the process of acclimating. That's all the news from here. We'll be in touch tomorrow. RMI Guides Pete, Robby, Josh, and team.

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Chris and team,
Happy to hear your able to start to climb to 11k….thinking of you all and hope acclimating goes well for you.
Dad is TDY in Sunny California this week…it reached 91 today in DC…
Thinking good thoughts for all of you…stay safe…
love, Mom

Posted by: Dave and Melissa on 5/18/2015 at 5:08 pm

Pete my man…Happy Mon from flatlands of IN…Great expedition wishes amigo to you and your crew…You are the best…Godspeed…Waltero…Didn’t see any Primrose, nor Iris, Tulips, Colombine nor corn in that landscape - What gives ?

Posted by: Waltero on 5/18/2015 at 2:24 pm

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Alaska Seminar: Leon Davis and Team Fly to Basecamp

May 17, 2015

Posted by: Leon Davis, Bridget Belliveau

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,300'

Greetings all We departed Talkeetna into cloudy weather and for a while there we did not think we would make it. But thanks to the skill of our K2 pilots we were able to sneak in as the skies briefly parted. As a result of our teams hard work and cooperation we now have a fortified camp. We will sleep well behind block walls and we are excited for a chance to climb the radio tower tomorrow morning. Tonight we sleep under clear blue (still) skies and just a whisper of a cool breeze. Until tomorrow then! RMI Guide Leon Davis & Team

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Will: looks beautiful. Stay warm and cozy in your tent. We’re all thinking of you. Mom

Posted by: Judy Kenyon on 5/18/2015 at 6:08 am

Tents??? I figured you guys would be sleeping in hand dug snow caves! Have fun Dad,it looks beautiful there!

Posted by: Johnnie Newland on 5/18/2015 at 3:06 am

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Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Remain at 11,200’ Due to Wind

May 16, 2015

Posted by: Billy Haas, Mike Walter, Solveig Waterfall

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

May 16, 2016, 5:26 pm PT Winds overnight at our 11,200' camp were quite formidable, but our camp survived well due to our team's hard work in building walls in the previous days. By this morning, the winds abated somewhat at camp, so we rose early and fired stoves. We were hoping that we would be able to climb to Windy Corner at 13,600' to place a cache of supplies for up higher. Unfortunately, it wasn't our day and the winds continued through most of the day. Instead we spent the morning adding more snow blocks to our camp for further wind protection. Everyone is doing well and in good spirits. We'll try again tomorrow to get our cache up high. That's all for now. RMI Guide Mike Walter and team

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Chris and team,
Glad to hear your reinforcing that snow wall…Dad and I can only imagine how tough the weather conditions your enduring. We will continue to think good thoughts and prayers…hope the winds calm some so you can start the next phase of your journey.
We enjoy these updates so much…thank you.
Mom and Dad

Posted by: Dave & Melissa on 5/17/2015 at 8:56 am

Got the blog info from LaNette this morning. Will follow your progress. God bless.

Posted by: Richard Wang on 5/17/2015 at 8:26 am

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Mt. McKinley: Van Deventer & Team Fly on and Set Up Camp

May 16, 2015

Posted by: Josh Maggard, Robby Young, Pete Van Deventer

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,600'

May 16, 2015 1:09 am PT Hi all, While yesterday became a waiting game that ultimately left us sleeping in town for another night, this morning was sunny and blue, and immediately after breakfast, we loaded the planes and were off! The flight in was spectacular with great views of the range. After a couple hours of sorting loads, packing, and rigging, we walked out of base camp and on to the lower Kahiltna. We made great time, and now we are snugly tucked into camp after an eventful day. Time to catch some Zzzz. We'll be in touch tomorrow. RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Josh Maggard, Robby Young, and team

On The Map

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hi Renee, Tell Pete great they manage to do updates of how things are going. Hope the weather stays good and not too windy.The updates are good so family and friends don’t worry too much. Best of luck to you and the team. Sounds absolutely fantastic. Thinking of you.
lv Maureen

Posted by: Maureen Lococo on 5/17/2015 at 6:26 am

Thanks for the updates keeps us all informed that is awesome!!
Good morning Matt and Kevin hope you guys got a goodnight sleep stay safe and warm.
Dad and I pulled weeds got rid of the grass in the plants and mowed your yard looks great!!
Miss you Matt have a safe climb to the next up date :)
Love you mom xo

Posted by: Terri on 5/17/2015 at 5:37 am

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Alaska Alpine Seminar: Elias & Team Climb Big Arapiles

May 16, 2015

Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

May 16th 2:06 am PT Good morning from Little Switzerland. We had an awesome day yesterday!!! We woke up to marginal weather and spent the morning mastering lead climbing techniques and tricks at the belay. As things stabilized, we broke again into groups and climbers took the lead and responsibility to guide us to Big Arapiles, both up and down; It was an incredible outing and Vanessa, Tyler, Kyle, John and Paul made us proud. Our plan today may change, as we are receiving a ton of snow. We'll check back in later and let you know. Standing by from the Pika Glacier, RMI Guides Elias de Andres Martos, Sean Collon, Andy Hildebrand, and team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Way to go V!!!
Enjoy every minute, be safe and I will see you soon! 80 degrees is waiting for you :)
Love you,
Brett

Posted by: Brett on 5/16/2015 at 3:11 pm

Grandma and Grandpa say hi to Taylor and the group. Looks like fun, next time we would love to go with you. Stay safe.

Posted by: Stan & Ruth Briggs on 5/16/2015 at 2:54 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Take Another Rest Day Due to Winds

May 15, 2015

Posted by: Mike Walter, Solveig Waterfall, Billy Haas

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

May 15th 2:30 pm PT Overnight winds here at the 11k Camp were strong, but subsided a bit by morning. We woke early and fired stoves for a much anticipated cup of coffee...followed by a breakfast of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and bagels (it's not all about suffering up here). Our team was ready, but the winds up above Motorcycle Hill and around Windy Corner, where we intend to place our cache, never subsided to levels that we were comfortable with. We ended up taking another rest day here at 11k, which is always a good thing. Hopefully we'll be able to make our cache tomorrow. We'll keep you posted. RMI Guide Mike Walter and the team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Chris and Team, Your breakfast sounded as good as being at a 5 star resort!...mountain view…with whistleing winds~ lol We have 89 degree temps in DC today…took a very humid 9 mile run with Dad around the Capitol and Lincoln early this morning.
We had 34 people over for a BBQ to welcome the Smiths to the IG team last night. Nice enough to be outside and watch the boats float by.
Landon and Cohen had friends over to play and Landon was on his Best behavior Brooke said. She was proud of him! Cohen is still loving his Blue Elmo..lol
The twins have made it to 4.3 and 5 pounds…all is well and we are awaiting the end of this month for their arrival~
Sending all of you good thoughts and a break in the weather!
love, Mom

Posted by: Dave and Melissa on 5/16/2015 at 12:36 pm

enjoying the Blog. Ron and Kim are heading back to SC today. Temps in the 80s today and we are having a Community Free Car Wash today.
Love you Brian and prayers going up for the entire team.
Dad

Posted by: Duane Mycroft on 5/16/2015 at 4:28 am

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Entries from Mt. McKinley

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Carry to Windy Corner

Alaska Seminar: Leon Davis & Team Summit Radio Tower

Alaska Alpine Seminar: Elias & Team Ready to Fly to Talkeetna

Mt. McKinley: Van Deventer and Team Make a Move

Alaska Seminar: Leon Davis and Team Fly to Basecamp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Remain at 11,200’ Due to Wind

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Van Deventer & Team Fly on and Set Up Camp

On The Map

Alaska Alpine Seminar: Elias & Team Climb Big Arapiles

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team Take Another Rest Day Due to Winds

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