Entries from Mt. McKinley
The first plane got out over an hour ago with Leon, Clay, Steve, Hao and Sergey. Two other planes came in to take two other groups out then returned minutes later, unable to safely get out because of clouds that came in to obscure visibility out of the mountains. As I began this we were still hopeful that planes would fly, but since then we have put up tents as it has now started to snow. Could this be the front forecasted to come in?
In many ways this has been the most difficult part of the trip for some. The dashed hopes, uncertainty, and expectanct waiting. People may get angry with pilots' decisions, or even guide services' decisions on what flight company to do business. But all that seems so trite and inconsequential when the realities of the situation are understood. These pilots work under such pressures to get people in and out under sometimes very adverse conditions, and i'd rather they be just a little conservative with my life, as well as those of my clients. Hearing stories of 'other' pilots ducking into and out of holes does not inspire me to any great degree.
Besides, getting 'stuck' here on the Kahiltna Glacier, one of the most beautiful places in the world, with Mt Hunter towering over us just 10 minutes away, and Foraker just across the way, 10,000' above us, seems to me OK.
Since composing the above we've spent a restful day in the tent. Some 'quality tent time.' A thing we've not had in abundance on this trip. And tonight we've joined with the half of Tyler Jones' group that got flown in for a fun and entertaining dinner in the Posh tent. Would I rather be in Talkeetna right now? Perhaps. But times like this evening remind why I love my job. Getting to know new folks, laughing at ourselves, and sharing with others.
I guess I'm OK with being 'stuck on the mountain.'
RMI Guides Brent and Maile
Hi, this is Andres from the West Rib Expedition. We are having a rest day at 14,000’
Yesterday, we carried to 16,200’ to make a cache. So we now have some groceries and luggage up there, now we are having a rest day back at 14,000’. Everybody is doing great, in good spirits. Good weather here right now and we look forward to climbing again in a couple days. Everything is well here and we are having a great time and looking forward to the climb.
RMI Guide Andres Marin
In climbing, like the rest of life, patience and flexibility will pay off in the long run. And yesterday both our patience and flexibility were tested as the weather toyed with our emotions. We were at the hangar and ready to go by 8 am, and only needed a break in the clouds to get onto the glacier. So we waited... and waited... and waited. By 11:30, hunger had set in and we ordered some pizzas, which of course was the step we needed to take to get our chance to fly. Half the team powered down a couple of slices and changed clothes, and hustled over to the Otter to try our luck. Within minutes 6 of us were airborne,
heading up the Kahiltna under low clouds. Unfortunately, due to low clouds and no visibility on the glacier, we were turned back about 20 minutes out of Talkeetna. So back to the hangar for more group bonding and ping-pong.
By 7pm, we had exhausted our entertainment at the hangar and headed out to the river to enjoy the rest of the evening. That's when the phone rang; the K2 team thought there was a shot and wanted us to mobilize ASAP! So we sprinted back to the hangar and had half the team suited up and ready in even less time than before, and were airborne again for the last try of the day. But the clouds hadn't cleared across the passes or up the Kahiltna glacier, and the plane turned around shortly after takeoff.
Today will be more waiting to fly, but we'll be spending our timeworking on our climbing anchor and crevasse rescue skills. We're hopeful to get on the glacier, but prepared to wait until it's just right. Cheers for now from soggy Talkeetna!
RMI Guide Garrett Stevens
A plastic jar of moonshine was brought out to the cheers of the 60-70 climbers lounging about, usually draped across some part of their gear. It was drained quickly.
Earlier in the morning the skies looked dismal for planes to fly in, but as the morning progressed the weather outlook followed suit. And sure enough, another flight service got in using their ILF equipment to be able to take off and land in the fog of Talkeetna, something no other Denali plane has. So we watch expectantly for K2, our flight service to get into action soon. After a number of flights by TAT and another service we heard that K2 had turned back, not willing to risk flying into the clouds around the glacier near the airstrip. Our faith that our ride home is coming fades and frustration mounts while watching TAT customers get flown out for well over an hour. And now, a thick ground fog has enveloped the airstrip here on the SE fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. It's 4:30 and my generally optimistic outlook is certainly not what is was a few hours earlier.
But I've seen this story develop in the past. Many times I've been on the winning side of the situation, looking at climbers awaiting rides while I was on my way to a hot shower and cold beer. But today that is not the case. And it's not the fault of the pilot who turned back either. He simply refused to take the chance the other pilots did - the chance of crashing the plane with me and my group on board. So, we wait...
A couple of climbers entertain us with some blues ukulele and harmonica. Ipods are out, as are books that have yet to be finished, as we all try to relax and will the fog away. Thoughts of dinner in Talkeetna are being replaced with thoughts of putting tents back up. But, we still have plenty of time. So we wait, as do you, for our return home.
In the meantime, the flavor of moonshine lingers softly on my palate, leaving me wanting...something more.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Yesterday we moved from 11,000 ft camp to our current home at about 14,200 ft. We spent the entire day in a cloud with a little snow but it was still quite warm.
Today we are relaxing and enjoying another sunny day on the flanks of Denali. We picked up our cache this morning and had the rest of the day to rest and recuperate. Everyone is having a great time and we excited to keep moving higher.
RMI Guide Walter Hailes
Weather in Talkeetna and on the mountain has prevented the pilots from dropping off or picking up teams on the Kahiltna Glacier. Brent's team is on the list and ready to be picked up once the weather clears.
The next RMI Team heading on to Mt. McKinley will be lead by Tyler Jones. Tyler and his team are packed and ready in Talkeetna and hope to be flying on soon.
Hello, this is the May 31st RMI McKinley Expedition checking in. We are all packed and ready to go. Everybody is super psyched, looking good and strong. It looks like a great crew and we are all super excited.
Unfortunately, the weather is not being super cooperative for us to fly from Talkeetna to the Kahiltna Glacier. We spent today getting packed up, rigged and ready for the glacier so as soon as we have a break in the weather we'll take it and get flown on.
All of our gear is packed in the K2 Aviation Hangar and we are staged and ready to go. We will return to the hangar in the morning and hopefully we'll be able to fly.
We will send more dispatches as we get further along in our expedition.
RMI Guide Garrett Stevens
It's been a long day that started in the wee hours of the morning. The alarm sounded about 2 hours after I sent our last dispatch. 2:00 am was a harsh hour of the day to begin our final walk out the Kahiltna Glacier, but essential to safely navigate and cross the crevasses on our way to the airstrip.
At that time the day is about as dark as it gets, which is to say it's about as dark as 1/2 hour after dusk, perhaps. Combined with cloudy, overcast weather, I wasn't entirely psyched for the walk out. But, as the morning developed things began looking brighter. We finally started off at 4:20 am and initially encountered great walking conditions. Unfortunately, as we lost elevation the snow became softer and softer, having not frozen hard overnight because of the cloud cover holding the earth's heat in. This resulted in a few minor crevasse 'falls' where some individuals broke through crevasse bridges up to their waste at most. Of course, by the time you hear their stories, these crevasse falls will have taken on epic proportions. (A night at the bar can have the same effect)
Well, we finally arrived at Base Camp with our weather outlook improving and hopes to be flown off in short order high in everyone's mind. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had something else in store for us, as it's now evening and raining out. Although comfy and snug in our tents, and happy we're not enduring a big storm up high, we of course would rather be back in Talkeetna, and a little closer to you.
Hope to see you soon!
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Maile
This mornings attempt to summit with Clay ended as thoughts of family and a safe return home overwhelmed any ambition to tag a summit that, by this time in the expedition, seemed somewhat less important than the experience of the trip as a whole.
So, on the return back to 17,200' we decided to break camp and get off the upper mountain. By that time clouds were building and the winds started getting stronger. Our descent down the Buttress went smoothly even as snow and clouds increased. I was impressed with how the skill level of these climbers had so dramatically improved in the short time we had been climbing together.
At 14,200' camp we were greeted by RMI Guides Adam and Andres of the RMI West Rib trip, who, along with several other guides and climbers, congratulated the team on slipping in the summit before the big change in weather.
So, now here we are at 11,200' camp where we've picked up our cache from a week ago. The RMI Team lead by Walter Hailes is camped here and helped us out tremendously, allowing us to eat a quick dinner in their place and fill water bottles. We are now trying to get a few hours of sleep before waking up at 2:00 am to make our final descent to Kahiltna basecamp. We're getting on a nighttime schedule and traveling on glaciers frozen by the night's colder temperatures which are safer and less liable to collapse under a climbers weight.
But, we are in a race of sorts to get to the airstrip on the SE fork of the Kahiltna before the next weather system arrives. So, goodnight again as we turn in to catch a couple of hours of shut eye.
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Maile
Rest, rest, rest...the order of the day was rest. After five days of mountaineering work on Mt. McKinley everyone enjoyed our first day of eating, napping, reading, more eating and then bed time.
As luck would have it that the first windy, snowy day coincided with our day of rest. Perfect timing. As we get in bed for the night the sky is clearing and the wind has subsided. We are hoping for another good day tomorrow as we climb to 14,000 feet.
Happy anniversary Steve and Denise.
RMI Guide Walter Hailes & Team
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I don’t care how long it takes to get off the glacher just be happy you are all safe and that the piolts are making the right decissions. Just make the best of it, in a few months you will be wishing you were back up there. Have fun Maile and all
xoxo love Mom
Posted by: ginny myers on 6/4/2011 at 4:41 pm
Brent, thank you so much for your wise decisions regarding our loved ones. I appreciate that. Zac we miss you so much and we can’t wait to see you when you get safely off the mountain. Love you, M, T & B
Posted by: mary candelario on 6/4/2011 at 1:57 pm
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