Monday, June 3, 2013
Our first encounter with snow and wind came after we hit the sack last night. Comfortably tucked away in our well anchored tents, and snug in our mounds of down that encapsulate us each night, we knew we weren't in any danger, and by Denali standards our visit with foul weather was fairly mild. But the winds still kept many of us up more than we would have liked.
So, when I checked the weather at 7:30 and didn't like what I saw, I don't think there was a one of us that missed hearing my wake up call for a summit bid. An hour later the winds calmed and things did look better, but not perfect, so I let the team sleep in.
At breakfast we all confided that we were happy that the day did not turn out good for the summit. Even some of our studs of the trip admitted to feeling the altitude and having some fatigue left over from yesterday's efforts.
Our morning was spent building up walls to protect us from the annoying wind, then by lunch we were back in the tents enjoying the incredible warmth that the suns rays produce at this elevation. Even though outside it was chilly, inside our watch thermometer got as high as 113 degrees. OK, it was measured at the ceiling and we had all the doors closed, but though a little excessive, the heat felt wonderful soaking through our bodies.
Right now the weather looks good. The ominous cloud cap that had settled on the mountain for most of the day has disappeared and I am more optimistic than I have been. The forecast remains the same, for whatever that's worth.
I think we're all thinking that it might just happen tomorrow, but who knows. All I really know is that we're all ready if the day dawns fair. Which means that I too should probably get some sleep.
Goodnight from 17,200' camp.
RMI Guides Brent, Logan and Leah
Hey Virg, Did you see my time capsule when you were on the summit? Isn’t it the most indescribable, unique feeling to reach the top?!! Your feelings run amuck as you slowly comprehend “oh my god, I made it!!” It was your dream, your goal for so long and now it’s a memory to cherish forever! Remember seeing my photos of us eating lunch on the summit! Best lunch ever!! On to Aconcagua!! Why not! I’m very happy for you and relieved for your mom and dad! Big HIGH FIVE buddy! Linda
Posted by: Linda Foss on 6/6/2013 at 8:19 am
Hi Monica—
All the news is very exciting and we send everyone our warmest wishes.
A poem by Rene Daumal:
You cannot stay on the summit forever,
you have to comedown again.
So why bother in the first place?
Just this; what is above knows what is below,
but what is below does not know what is above.
One climbs, one sees. One descends,
one sees no longer but has seen.
There is an art of conducting oneself
in the lower regions
by memory of what one saw higher up.
When one can no longer see, one can
at least still know.
Much love and good weather,
M&D
Posted by: Marianne and john on 6/4/2013 at 7:56 pm
Monday, June 3, 2013
Today was a day of light work and much chilling. We were able to sleep in later than any other day so far, which is always a nice treat in the mountains. We did get some fresh snow overnight, so we spent the first few minutes of the day clearing off tents and backpacks. But by 9:30 we were all feasting on righteous breakfast quesadillas filled with fluffy eggs, crispy bacon, melted cheese and topped with hot sauce, which fueled the crew for our back-carry.
We headed back down to our cache and retrieved all our gear, and began the grind back to camp. While the oblong sleds dragged a little in the new snow, we were still able to complete the trip quickly, and before 1 o'clock we were back in camp. Now we are enjoying all the delicious lunch food we had cached, gorging on tasty morsels.
The team is currently resting and getting ready for a hard day of work tomorrow. We're planning to carry a load up to 14K' camp, and the stretch of mountain between here and there will be the most difficult terrain so far. While it may seem like mountain climbers have some strange fetish for being cold, smelly and sore, there is no substitute for the reward you feel at the end of hard day of climbing. We'll check back in tomorrow with an update, so until then keep sending positive energy and wishes for high pressure!
RMI Guides Tyler, Garrett, and the Crew
James and the team,
Greeting…glad to see everyone is making safe and steady climbing, having fresh snow overnight, and eating well. Stay strong and enjoy majestic views on the mountain covered with snow. Praying for safe journey. Can’t wait to see awesome pictures!
Posted by: Soonja Choo on 6/4/2013 at 5:02 pm
To James Choo -
Just learned that Walter Glover will be doing the Mt. Rainier 5-day Summit Climb, June 13-17.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
The weather has finally changed. No more perfectly sunny , windless days. Instead, this morning we saw some clouds both below us and above. But they were fairly light clouds and the winds remained calm. A change none the less. After sixteen days of perfect weather these clouds might seem ominous, but in reality the weather was fairly nice. So, we picked up and moved up to high camp at 17,200'.
Gambling on the weather is one of those things that is just a part of mountain climbing. Do you stay or do you go? Given the relatively benign weather forecast I opted to take advantage of a nice day to move up.
An early start allowed us to reach camp by 3:00 where we were able to have our pick of walled tent spaces. We were even able to dig in the Posh House. After a little while some snow started falling and we figured we'd just have a simple dinner and allow the team to eat in the comfort of their tents. After all, we had had a big day with heavier packs that our previous climb and folks could feel the effort. But, not this team. It's impressive that when offered room service at 17,000' everyone of the team chose to get together for dinner.
No, today there was no singing, but everyone was in good spirits and hoping to get a good nights sleep. Our plan is to check out the weather in the morning and go for it if things are good. Otherwise, we'll have a good rest day.
It's great to be in position for a summit bid finally. All we need now is one good day.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guides Brent, Logan and Leah
Stay strong! You are almost there! Well, actually you are already doing and seeing places and things that most of us only dream of, so please appreciate how far you have come as well!
We love you, Dennis!
Shelly, Jon and Tasha
Posted by: Shelly Uhlir on 6/5/2013 at 8:50 pm
Jeff H and friends—Hoping today is the day! Here’s to a fabulous summit.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Today we woke to a splitter red sky, the most beautiful morning of our trip. As the saying goes, though: red sky in morning, climbers take warning! The weather continues to cloud up and a few snow flakes have fallen between breaks in the clouds. This change is rather abstract compared to the last few week of very high pressure over the region. With an early start the team climbed well for 5 hrs. We now find ourselves enjoying some well earned down time back in the tents eating, drinking, sleeping and chatting. Most importantly hiding from the seemingly gorilla strength sun rays in our new home at 11k. Tomorrow we plan to sleep in, have a deluxe breakfast, and retrieve our luggage just a short way down the hill. Each of our team members want to say hi to family and friends; we are doing great and love you all! We'll check in after our grocery shoppe and petrol refill.
RMI Guides Tyler Jones and Garrett Stevens
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Just knowing that today we had absolutely nothing to get accomplished gave us all that sense of ease and happiness often felt on the first day of a great vacation. Breakfast (yes, smoked salmon, bacon, fried bagels and cream cheese) didn't even start until the sun had warmed up camp, and lingered almost to lunch.
We relaxed outside in the sun and inside away from its strong rays. Some got horizontal and read or napped, while others of us hung out in the Posh talking about everything from music and movies to food, wine and other delicacies.
Those of us with FM radios gave a brief news summary, and like many discussions of any depth, eventually the tide of our conversation turned to politics. But with such a nice group of folks who are fast becoming good friends, the talk was of a healthy sort and not the ugly type seen all too often elsewhere.
I don't know if it was the Indian cuisine we had for dinner or what, but dessert was accompanied by song, poetry, comedy and a lot of good natured ribbing. The day has ended all to quickly, we all agree.
We ended our day by listening to the evening weather forecast, which has been calling for an end to the incredible high pressure we have been enjoying and calling for clouds and some snow, but all with fairly light winds. I've certainly heard of worse forecasts, so we'll just wake up in the morning and see what we see. If the skies are anything like they have been, we'll break camp and retrace our tracks back up the fixed lines and West Buttress, having the added confidence that comes with having climbed it once before. But we'll need good weather to tackle that climb again. Otherwise, another day or two here will only make us stronger for the summit later.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guides Brent, Logan and Leah
Monica, Im in sunny fla, dad and i are following your adventure and know you and the team are doing great!all our thoughts are positive and confident in your skill And strength. We toast you with a glass of wine out on the dock each night! Cheers!
Posted by: meredith on 6/3/2013 at 4:51 pm
Monica and team, I’m betting by the time you get this message you will be in high camp ready for your summit day. Be strong..it is such an amazing view from the top of North America…soak it all in and then get down safely… Good luck team…
Saturday, June 1, 2013
This morning we got up at 4 am as planned to carry our first load of luggage up towards 11,000'. Breakfast was a quick affair of granola cereal and bars, and by 5:30 the team was underway. Our slow, steady pace helped us gain elevation, while the moderate breeze blowing down the glacier kept anyone from overheating. The peaks of the Alaska range glowed at the tops as the sun crept higher in the east, lighting the summit ridges of Mt. Crosson and Kahiltna Dome. Looking back down the main Kahiltna Glacier at our breaks, we were treated to a morning view few people get to enjoy: snow, ice and rock in every direction, sculpted by nature into a cathedral worthy of reverence.
All too soon we arrived at our cache location, but we enjoyed the acclimatization benefits of working a little bit at 10,000'. The crew all worked well and within minutes we had safely buried all our gear and turned back towards our warm tents at 7,800'. The pace was quicker as we dropped back down, and we were soon dropping our packs and crawling back into our tents to avoid the ruthless solar radiation. The team is now focused on rest and rehydration, preparing for our move to camp at 11,000' tomorrow.
We'll keep you posted as we continue to climb higher, stay tuned!
RMI Guides Tyler, Garrett and the Crew
Friday, May 31, 2013
Excitement, trepidation, anxiousness and a whole slew of other emotions ran through the team last night and this morning as we prepared to make our carry up the fixed ropes to 16,200' and beyond. How would we do on terrain steeper than any most of us have yet tackled? How would we do with the altitude? Everyone had similar questions that only time would answer.
Our day started in the early morning before the sun hit camp. Temps were probably around 0-5 F. But we knew we wanted to avoid any traffic jams on the fixed ropes if possible. And an early start would help insure a smooth ascent.
An hour and a half and 1,200' above camp the sun finally warmed our bodies. It amazes me still how in a five minute period it can go from bitingly cold to almost sweaty hot. With the fixed lines above we were psyched that we would have warm conditions to deal with them.
We all progressed well up the lines, so well that everyone wanted to continue further up the West Buttress to make our cache.
With climbing conditions on the ridge in great shape our progress was good, and before we knew it we were less than an hour from 17,200' camp. Although a challenge to climb at that altitude, everyone was up to going all the way to camp. Most people find just getting up to 16,200' challenge enough. But around 3:00pm we were there!
What made this day so especially memorable was the fact that this was the first time in my twenty three Mt. McKinley expeditions that the entire team had made it all the way to 17,200' camp.
We're back at 14,200' camp now and are looking forward to another well deserved rest day. After dinner we enjoyed reading all your blog replies. Thanks so much for all the support!
Good night from 14,000'
RMI Guides Brent, Logan and Leah
Monica and team, I hope the weather cooperates tomorrow! I’ve been calling in all my favors to Mother Nature.. Hopefully it’ll work! I’m so happy for you all to have made it to 17,200, now all on to the summit! Good luck!!! Miss you! XOXO
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 1:30 pm PT
We have made our first move up the mountain to the base of Ski Hill at 7,800' on the main Kahiltna Glacier.
Since our arrival yesterday we enjoyed a great first feast of totally loaded quesadillas and snoozed up just a few hours of rest before the 2am wake up. We organized our literal mountain of equipment and food in to individual group loads for what will hopefully be our only single carry. This mean we won't have to carry all our equipment at once but rather double carry, stashing equipment high and gaining fitness through mileage with manageable packs. Mileage is what we will need as the days grow harder and longer the higher we climb.
The arduous loads were all near 100 pounds each. Every climber on our team did a fabulous job getting the heaviest day of the trip over with. We are now truly underway and five miles closer to our goal of reaching "The High One" Denali.
We hope to carry equipment to around 10,000' tomorrow and return to recently renovated camp at 7,800'. We are going to catch some midday ZZZs and hide from the sun!
Will check in tomorrow,
RMI Guide Tyler Jones
Hey Lori, Thank you for the post card. :) You all are amazing! Climb safe! Hugs from Maggie and Casey.
Posted by: Casey Hansen on 6/1/2013 at 5:10 pm
Robin and Team
Mexican food @ 7800’... who would of thought…. What? no Subway?? :)
Hope everyone has a good climb today. You are all in my thoughts and prayers
today for a continued good safe ascent and good weather.
Eagerly looking forward to your daily blogs and new map locations.
Stay warm and stay safe.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Hey everyone, this is Billy. I'm checking in here with our group. We are at 11,000' part way through our descent. After our big summit day yesterday, we packed up our camp at 17,000' and then moved on down. Brent Okita's crew was kind enough to cook us up some dinner at the 14K Camp, and we continued on down to 11,000', where the crew is all, actually snug as a bug, in their sleeping bags out in the open because it is so warm compared to where we've been living. We plan on getting up in the middle the night tonight and making a run for the airstrip hoping to get a flight off tomorrow sometime before the weather takes a turn for the worst. We'll give a shout when we reach Basecamp. That's all for now.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Awakening the crew just before 9:00 a.m. to enjoy a breakfast of blueberry pancakes in our posh house as the sun warmed up camp was a real treat. We knew the noon hour was upon us and a few clouds began to gather around camp. We booted up to walk to the Edge of the World, a place from which you can look 7,000' down to the NE fork of the Kahiltna. From here we were treated to dramatic views of a vertical world, in fact, you could even see our very first camp of the trip, a place we past through, which seems so long ago, but in fact was only eight days ago. Some swirling clouds added the drama of being there.
The rest of the day was spent rebuilding our latrine with blocks cut from the snow to protect us from the weather. And later, we welcomed our other RMI team down from 17,200' camp after their summit day yesterday.
Tomorrow we'll be carrying a load to above 16,200', perhaps as far as 17,200' camp. It'll be a big day for us but we'll do fine. Of course, the first time up the fixed ropes is always a bit of a challenge, but this rest day has been good for us, mentally and physically to get ready for it.
We'll let you know how it goes. Until then, we'll just end with another birthday greeting: Nic, Happy Birthday from Dennis and the team.
RMI Guides Brent, Logan and Leah
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Hey Virg, Did you see my time capsule when you were on the summit? Isn’t it the most indescribable, unique feeling to reach the top?!! Your feelings run amuck as you slowly comprehend “oh my god, I made it!!” It was your dream, your goal for so long and now it’s a memory to cherish forever! Remember seeing my photos of us eating lunch on the summit! Best lunch ever!! On to Aconcagua!! Why not! I’m very happy for you and relieved for your mom and dad! Big HIGH FIVE buddy! Linda
Posted by: Linda Foss on 6/6/2013 at 8:19 am
Hi Monica—
All the news is very exciting and we send everyone our warmest wishes.
A poem by Rene Daumal:
You cannot stay on the summit forever,
you have to comedown again.
So why bother in the first place?
Just this; what is above knows what is below,
but what is below does not know what is above.
One climbs, one sees. One descends,
one sees no longer but has seen.
There is an art of conducting oneself
in the lower regions
by memory of what one saw higher up.
When one can no longer see, one can
at least still know.
Much love and good weather,
M&D
Posted by: Marianne and john on 6/4/2013 at 7:56 pm
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