Entries from Mt. McKinley

Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Move Up to Camp 1

June 14, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 9,600'

Friday, June 14, 2013 Greetings from Summit Team 6! We bit off a huge chunk today with our move from Basecamp to Camp 1. We carried all of the food, fuel, equipment, and clothing that we will need for our expedition. Needless to say, we carried heavy! We made the trip up glacier in just under five hours. Once in camp, we made a bombproof tent site sheltered from the wind. It took us around an hour to get camp setup and organized. We took advantage of another beautifully warm and clear afternoon to take some siesta time. This was much needed since we woke up at 2:00 a.m. to pack up this morning. We are just getting ready for a Dinty Moore and mashed potatoes dinner. I would imagine it will be another early evening since we have another early wake up time scheduled. Our plan is to carry gear up a bit higher and make a cache and then return to the same camp tomorrow. RMI Guide Mike Haugen and McKinley Team 6

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Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team Get Their Break!

June 14, 2013

Posted by: Tyler Jones

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,200'

Friday, June 14, 2013 Light and variable wind started over night with warmer temperatures. We woke early to beat the heat and the people that have collected at the 14 camp over the past week of stormy weather! We began our climb to high camp in cold squeaky snow conditions. The headwall where the fixed lines are located were a bit more difficult than our trip up the other day as the wind nearly stripped all the snow and left firm icy climbing! From the top of the lines we began a perfect climb up the West Buttress, which is the most exposed and picturesque part of the climb. The climb was hard but the team did very well. We have sparked our match for our summit push! Currently we are again cowering from the most intense sun of the trip basking in our shelters at 17,200' Denali high camp! Our chill mentality had payed huge today and with a bit o' luck we will have nice weather tomorrow for our summit push! More food, water, and relaxing for the eve. We will try for a call from the summit tomorrow afternoon! Hi Five! RMI Guides Tyler Jones, Garrett Stevens, and Team!

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Happy Father’s Day , Justin! Anxiously awaiting to hear that you and team have summited. As one of the guides alluded to in a previous blog, this experience is about more than just climbing a snowy mountain!!!! Can’t wait to hear all the details and “meet” your new friends. Be safe! Love you——Mom and Dad

Posted by: Vicki Hersh on 6/15/2013 at 3:10 pm

Safe and happy travels. Cheers to grandpa! mwha!

Posted by: Sharon on 6/15/2013 at 12:35 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Enjoy Their Rest Day

June 14, 2013

Posted by: Jake Beren, Leon Davis, Josh Maggard

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Friday, June 14, 2013 It sure felt nice for the team to get a little extra time in sleeping bags this morning before an epic pancake and bacon breakfast. Then it was off to practice for the fixed lines and Autobahn just outside of camp. The team is primed and ready for moving up on the mountain, skills sharp and energy high. After a siesta, we will take a stroll over to the Edge of the World and take in the sights nearly 7,000 feet down the NE Fork o the Kahiltna before dinner. Not a bad day up here at all. RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Peter/Dad, Happy Father’s Day from all of us! Love, Nathaniel

Posted by: Nathaniel on 6/16/2013 at 9:38 am

Happy Father’s Day. Hope you are having the best ever. Miss you here. Safe travels to 17,200. x, Bonny

Posted by: Bonny Rogers on 6/16/2013 at 8:17 am

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Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Retrieve Cache and Race Around for Science

June 14, 2013

Posted by: Jake Beren, Leon Davis, Josh Maggard

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Thursday, June 13, 2013 Today we "rested" at camp, but it hardly felt like it. After breakfast we put on some empty packs and boogied down to retrieve our cache at 13,500'. The wind kept our somewhat spirited return trip from being too hot. Once back and rested, we fortified camp with stellar walls for the afternoon. Some of us even found a little time to participate in a high altitude medical study which had us racing around in the name of science. Then dinner and a few songs around the stoves and off to bed. The team impressed everyone around with our hard work and we really earned some down time tomorrow. Maybe there will be some actual rest for this not so weary crew. RMI Guide Jake Beren

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I’m so impressed with all of you! Amazing. Good luck & safe journey up.
Karen

Posted by: Karen Hoffman on 6/14/2013 at 1:40 pm

I take it that Grasshopper will NOT be at happy hour today in McKinney, then. (It was his turn to buy, you know). Safe journeys!

Posted by: Tim on 6/14/2013 at 12:30 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Team Haugen is on the Mountain!

June 13, 2013

Posted by: Mike Uchal, Mike Haugen

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,300'

Thursday, June 13, 2013 We are all safely nestled in our tents just off the landing strip at basecamp. We had a magnificent flight from Talkeetna to basecamp at the flanks of Denali. The weather on the glacier is as warm as I have ever seen it. For this reason, we are not traveling today and instead used the warm weather during the day to organize our backpacks and sled loads. We worked on some crevasse rescue techniques as we are about to head out onto the Kahiltna Glacier; a glacier filled with giant cracks in the ice. We are going to travel up glacier tonight so we can travel on firm snow and solid snow bridges. Wish us a solid freeze! RMI Summit Team 6 - RMI Guides Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Katie Bono & the team

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Ahh, I think I see you guys! Wait, nope just a speck on my screen. Grrr.

Guide guide away Scoob! I am sending “everyone will summit” vibes out to your team!

Miss YOU!

Posted by: Amber on 6/15/2013 at 9:10 pm

Good luck Grasshopper (Greg) Will be following you guys. Be safe
Glenn

Posted by: Glenn Bracey on 6/15/2013 at 2:23 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team Send Greetings from 14,000’

June 13, 2013

Posted by: Tyler Jones

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Thursday, June 13, 2013 Today we are all contributing to the blog. Have had big winds once again and are fixing our kitchen tent and building more walls - getting a little stir crazy! Hope you all enjoy the words from each of us! Hi to my family, I love you all hope to give grandpa a hi five soon! Kiss to Bean. Love, Ty Hello to all my family and friends! Kisses to Amy, a big scratching behind the ears to Barley, Blue, and Miles. Thanks for all the positive wishes! -g Wendy, Taylor and Nathan. Love and miss you. I hope you feel my hugs and kisses at bedtime. Be home soon. Love Dad Dear Michelle, I love you and miss you and the girls so very much. Please give all of my love to A-Bear and K-Bear, and tell them daddy will be home soon. Also, pass along my love to my mom, dad, Clubbie and Chevy. Love, Justin. To my Hubby, I hope you're flying high this week and passing all your tests. I really really miss you right now. Give my love and lots of treats to the girls :) Until i get home i'll leave you with reflections of a week at 14,200. To quote the crew from BBT"It was a snowy nightmare from whence there's no return." Tiamo mi amore-Jess To my family and friends, thanks for all of the support, love and prayers. I am "living the dream" at 14K. The DeLorme transceiver is no longer working, thus no updates there. I love you, Matt! You are my light. I love you Mom, Dad, Bud and all my family. Stump, there was a C-17 overhead yesterday--your handiwork? ;) Dad, sadly there is no Denali branch of Subway, but I'm sure you can petition corporate headquarters as one of their most valuable customers. :) Bernard and Judy, the boots are fantastic and keeping my feet warm, thank you! I love you all and miss you all so much. -Robin Friends, family, countrymen, lend me your ear! The Denali wind gods have saddled us at 14000. The team is at the mercy of Mother Nature and patience is the name of the game. It also means my work schedule is a bit hosed. Team PCET don't count on me coming in next week! Poof - ha! To all loved ones we are sitting strong and doing well. Hope to see you soon. James. Hello to my dear family Mom Dad Sue Ryan Mia Ron Jodi Dannie Casey Nell Meg Ivy Maggie and awesome friends from frosty Denali! Thanks for all the comments and positive vibes sent! Love you and miss you!! All is good here - hoping our "out chilling" will soon end and we can move up the mtn in the am. Hope all is well with all you! Have I told you that I love and miss you? :) I do! Lori

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Hurry home. You are missed. Michelle and I are already planning our girls trip. Love you Clubbie.

Posted by: Kathy Guyette on 6/14/2013 at 3:59 pm

Now this is what I call a 14er “Ground Hogs’ Day experience…reliving it over and over! How fun…each day you can make it more perfect and more perfect then you can proceed to summit!~ Remember, Lori, we all expect you having a jumping picture on top of North America :)! Have fun mountain bonding!!!

Posted by: Sue Lopez on 6/14/2013 at 3:44 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Flying to McKinley’s Kahiltna Glacier

June 13, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Thursday, June 13, 2013 RMI Guide Mike Haugen called from Talkeetna, Alaska this morning. The weather is beautiful and the team is packed and ready. They are loading their planes at the K2 Aviation Hanger and will be flying to the Kahiltna Glacier today. We wish them a safe and successful expedition on Mt. McKinley!

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Have a safe ascent and descent after you all summit. We are so proud of you QL.

Posted by: George Landers on 6/14/2013 at 3:53 pm

Best of luck to everyone. Be safe and don’t forget to have fun.

A big shout out to Cindee Teer!

Posted by: Alyse Parrino on 6/14/2013 at 3:32 pm

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Mt. McKinley: June 11th - Team Haugen Arrives in Talkeetna

June 13, 2013

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 358'

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Hi All! We are hanging out in beautiful Talkeetna, Alaska. We had a gorgeous day for organizing and packing our gear. the sun is shining and the mountain is visible in the distance. The team met up in Anchorage yesterday and have been slowly molding into Summit Assassin RMI Team 6! They really are a great crew! Our gear is all bagged, weighed, and tagged. We got the word that we are all supposed to fly to basecamp around 9 tomorrow morning so we are all scrambling to get in those last correspondences and last minute tasks before the morning. We are all set for an incredible expedition. Off to bed for an early start- RMI Guide Mike Haugen

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

June 13, 2013

Posted by: Jake Beren, Leon Davis, Josh Maggard

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 A fine day for a move presented itself to us this morning and we certainly made the most of it. Leaving our 11,000' Camp in the early morning cold is great training for the chill of higher altitude and we made a solid bid before the sun came out in force. It's nearly always hot coming into 14 and today was no exception. We were treated to some real hospitality when we arrived in the form of another RMI Team, led by Tyler Jones and Garret Stevens. Freshly hydrated, we set to work building camp and rebuilding ourselves with a big meal and early night's rest. Tomorrow is a rest day, but I hazard a guess that we will be working in some way most of the day, retrieving a cache, fortifying camp and practicing for the fixed lines. It is exciting to be up here with such a great team! RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Galen,
I wait eagerly everyday for updates, checking the blog multiple times (despite the fact that I have subscribed to notifications). I have also read the blogs of the team you saw come down after their summit as well as the other team who’s also at 14k but started before your team. Reading all of these incredible stories and lush descriptions makes me jelly :( and reminds me of when I camped on top of tajumulco. Looks like there’s a bit of very cold and fierce wind and you may have to wait before climbing to 17k and/or to the top. By my calculations, you have 2/3 days of buffer time so hopefully the winds will die down a bit. Or “if you can hold on. If you can hold on, hold on.” Today I found myself thinking and brainstorming about our travel and it made me happy. I hope to see you soon R

Posted by: Alice on 6/14/2013 at 1:04 am

Keep up the great work everyone!I miss you Michael, have fun and be safe. Love Vien.

Posted by: Vien Vail on 6/13/2013 at 5:22 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team Wait Another Day

June 12, 2013

Posted by: Tyler Jones

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Today is unfortunately another out chill situation. Garrett and I woke about 6 this morning to continued strong wind from 16,000 feet and above. The nature of the climbing is steep and exposed. With wind and a very cold north east flow, the risk of frostbite and loss of balance from the wind gusts, we have chosen to stay another day and hope for less wind tomorrow. We try to conserve our lunch food and avoid the piggy tendency that sitting and waiting in the tents provides! The weather is clear and warm in most of Alaska, but at the altitudes we want to venture into, the jet stream is on! On a more positive note, RMI Guide Jake Beren and his crew pulled into camp this afternoon, making for a great meeting of the minds in our 14,200' home. We are excited to spend some time with friends and climbing partners from past trips, although we do have high hopes for a move tomorrow. Report back soon! RMI Guide Tyler Jones

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Jess and team,

Mother nature will cooperate, she is just having one of those days. Weather down here not much better. Keep up the spirits, it will get better.

Jess, miss you here! Keep up the great work.

Love, Hector

Posted by: Hector Valle on 6/13/2013 at 4:35 pm

Robin and Team!
Kudos to all of you for staying put and being safe! I have faith that conditions will be much better tomorrow and you will be able to move to your high camp.
Stay safe and stay warm and lots of prayers for your safe successful climb tomorrow. As the lyrics go “movin on up!” Look forward to your next blog from high camp!
Love DAD

Posted by: Matt Prosser on 6/13/2013 at 6:18 am

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Entries from Mt. McKinley

Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Move Up to Camp 1

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team Get Their Break!

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Enjoy Their Rest Day

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Beren & Team Retrieve Cache and Race Around for Science

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Team Haugen is on the Mountain!

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team Send Greetings from 14,000’

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Flying to McKinley’s Kahiltna Glacier

Mt. McKinley: June 11th - Team Haugen Arrives in Talkeetna

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

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Mt. McKinley: Jones & Team Wait Another Day

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