Entries from Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

Monday, June 25, 2018 - 10:31 PM PT We woke up early to clear, cold skies. Our mission was to carry a load of gear up to our next camp at 17,200 feet. We chose to leave early to avoid the heat wave that can occur on the fixes lines when the sun is hitting them. It seems weird that we are avoiding heat while climbing a giant mountain in Alaska, but the solar radiation bouncing off of all the white snow and other light color surfaces can heat you up something fierce! Although the conditions were sometimes less than ideal with some deep snow and some blowing wind on the ridge, the Super Crew did fantastically! We are all pretty worn out after such a big day and deserve the rest day we are taking tomorrow. Send us some sunshine vibes so we can rest in warmth! RMI Guide Mike Haugen & the Super Crew

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Glo and team! Your lofty goal is now within reach. Hope weather cooperates and you reach summit soon. What an extreme adventure….so proud to know you!
-Mary Ann

Posted by: Mary Ann on 6/27/2018 at 9:39 am

Go Glo and Team! After you rest your weary bones for the next tackle. An arduous journey for sure and so strengthening. Congratulations on all of it. Love and good vibes for the summit.

Mom

Posted by: Michelle on 6/27/2018 at 12:20 am

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Cache Gear Above 11,000’ Camp

June 26, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello, Nikki Champion

Elevation: 11,000'

Monday, June 25, 2018 - 10:52 PM PT At six AM, things were looking positive... not much sign of wind and the upper portions of Denali’s West Buttress were in the clear. We got up and got going slowly in order to keep an eye out for changes... and to enjoy a leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs. We set out from camp at 9:30 in our crampons and carrying ice axes, feeling a little more like climbers. Nice to take a break from snowshoes and from sled hauling. We carried food and fuel for caching, but each of us elected to put it all on our backs and to give the sleds the day off. First up was Motorcycle Hill, a steep but short (40 minute) glacial slope, next we got on squirrel hill, which brought us to the Polo Field -the glacial basin at the foot of the West Buttress. By then we were watching dramatic clouds beginning to form atop the high mountains. Another hour brought us to Windy Corner, which was just starting to get a little breezy when we turned the corner and reached our destination at 13,500 ft. By the time we were digging a raven-proof pit in the snow to bury our supplies, things had whited out and the snow was starting to fall. We’d taken a respectable 4 hours to reach the intended cache, we spent 45 minutes there getting everything squared away and then took just a further 90 minutes to walk back down through the snowstorm to camp at 11,000. There were plenty of other guided parties from different companies on the route today but we all worked well together and there were no traffic jams. Back at camp by 3:45 we snoozed until dinner time. Several of us admitted to being a little tired after this fine day of climbing... but that is not such a bad thing. We’ve planned a rest day for tomorrow and we’ll hope the snow takes a holiday as well. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Jon and Margaret———- looking good… Marlise and I are checking you out this morning…. wishing you awesome vibes…... stay safe…. xoxo

Posted by: Joe Curtes on 6/27/2018 at 6:40 am

Hey Tom ! That is Awesome you are headed up! It looks beautiful! Climb like a machine, 1 step at a time! Tom is Feelin Good, Feelin Strong!!! :) , Dave & Hanna you guys ROCK!!!!

Posted by: Dave Kestel on 6/27/2018 at 3:30 am

Denali Expedition: King & Team Back In Talkeetna

June 25, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Elevation: 348'

Monday June 25, 2018 - 2:11 PM PT We woke at midnight for a 1:35 AM start down from 11K camp. What originally looked like a cloudy day in whiteout navigation mode turned into a beautiful clear morning with alpine glow on Mt Foraker’s Sultanna Ridge. We took some breaks, dug up a cache, and finally walked up ‘heart break hill’ to finish the self propelled portion of our expedition. We waited for 3 hours plus for the weather to clear between the Alaska Range and Talkeetna. Finally, K2 Aviation swooped in with the stunning Turbo Otter ski planes to whisk us back to a rainy Talkeetna. Food, beverages, showers, and sleep are in order... for some of us, in that exact order. Thanks for following along and what a great team to climb Denali with! RMI Guide Mike King

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Denali Expedition: King & Team Take Rest at 11,000’ As they Continue to Descend

June 25, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, JT Schmitt, Ben Ammon

Elevation: 11,000'

Monday, June 25, 2018 - 12:14 AM PT This is Mike, checking in from 11,000' Camp as the team continues their descent to the airstrip. We woke at 17,000' Camp this morning after a long summit day. The team packed up and headed down the West Buttress with spectacular views of the Alaska Range. Once on the fixed lines we baking in the mid day sun and were looking forward to getting our cache sorted and headed to 11,000 Camp for some dinner and rest. We got water and high fives from the other RMI Teams and turned in for some rest, not sleep. We'll plan on hitting the road at 2 am in hopes of getting an early flight to Talkeetna. The weather isn't promising so an extra night or 2 at the airstrip might be in our future. RMI Guide Mike King

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Congratulations on your successful climb and descent…..... Lot’s of good memories, pretty pictures and the satisfaction of a job well done….......My granddtr and her husband are with the Hauger team, Lindsay and Matt…

Barbara Jones

Posted by: Barbara Jones on 6/25/2018 at 8:42 pm

Mike, congratulations to the team. We know everyone is anxious to Talkeetna. Hopefully, you will get some rest before meeting us in Colorado. Mom and Dad.

Posted by: Ron King on 6/25/2018 at 8:46 am

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Move to 11,000’ Camp

June 24, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello, Nikki Champion

Elevation: 11,000'

Sunday, June 24, 2018 - 9:45 PM PT We busted out of camp at 9,500 ft by 7:10 AM. There was still plenty of cloud out and about, but not so much in the direction we wanted to go. Of course things were a little cooler at the lofty heights we were reaching, but not unpleasantly so. We reached the corner at Kahiltna Pass in just over an hour’s time and left the mighty Kahiltna Glacier. A couple of tough uphill pushes then brought us to 11,000. Conditions were sunny, calm and nice as we built camp -we’re starting to get good at this stuff. The afternoon was spent napping and prepping for tomorrow’s carry to 13,500. In the late afternoon and evening we got a heavy and hot snow shower. We dodged it eating burritos in the dining tent. After dinner, things got fun and busy as RMI Guide Mike King’s victorious climbing team came down to share camp for an evening. They’ll head downhill in the early morning and we’ll be looking upward. Best Regards Dave Hahn

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Sue- we are with you on every step! We are there pulling the sled with you, hauling the pack, and climbing! You so have this!!!
-Lots of love, Your crazy tent mates from downtown Kahiltna 2017!!

Posted by: Patty Kudla on 6/26/2018 at 7:07 am

Margaret and Jon, Amy just told me about your climbing adventure and who it honors. What a special tribute to your father, Margaret. Wishing you and all of your team a safe climb. We are cheering you on from Melbourne! Go Go Go!!!!

Posted by: Kristi Darby on 6/26/2018 at 2:34 am

Denali Expedition: Haugen & Team Retrieve Cache, Ready to Move Higher

June 24, 2018

Elevation: 14,000'

Sunday, June 24, 2018 - 8:59 PM PT Oh what a day! We awoke to cool, clear skies and quickly readied ourselves to go retrieve our cache at 13,500. As we walked and the sun began to rise higher in the sky our numb digits started to gain some life and the beautiful views put a little pep in our step. When we returned from the cache we lounged in the sun, listening to Rusty’s eclectic musical mix and filling our bellies with a delightful bagel breakfast. Later we practiced running belays and traveling on fixed lines in preparation for tomorrow’s cache at 17,000'. Our Super Crew cruised on through it and will do great with tomorrow’s climb. We are now packing bags and picking out the perfect food to stash at 17,000' Camp. We plan to rise early for our climb and be back tomorrow afternoon for some proper rest time. All is well here at scenic 14,000' Camp! RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Super Crew

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I hope the weather cooperates on your final day(s).
MS-150 riders missed Rusty’s intense bicycle face. Lol
Safe climbing to all.
Carlos

Posted by: Carlos Bernal on 6/25/2018 at 6:31 pm

Looks like the weather is finally in your favor! Hey Daddio (aka Craig Clark)- Finally have some news! It’s a GIRL! Another granddaughter on the way! Love you!

Posted by: Nicolette on 6/25/2018 at 6:13 pm

Denali Expedition: Haugen & Super Crew Move Up To 14,200’!

June 24, 2018

Saturday, June 23, 2018 - 9:57 AM PT We’re moving up in the world! Today we moved up to 14K camp in style- everyone in our super crew moved well and took great care of themselves along the way. We arrived to our new home with sweltering sunshine with intermittent bouts of glitter snow and calm winds. We made our castle of a camp and enjoyed all of the things 14K camp has to offer- lounging, walking over to the NPS weather board, watching skiers and climbers coming up and down... Ain’t life grand! We intend to back carry tomorrow and reunite with the things we cached at 13,500 yesterday, then spend the rest of the day brushing up our fixed line and running belay skills before caching at 17K camp. We’re go grateful to be outside in base layers!! Thanks for tuning in and keep your fingers crossed that this great weather continues. RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Super Crew 6

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What a wonderful experience, one so many of us can only dream about so we enjoy hearing of your struggles and success’s ! May the weather remain calm so you can enjoy the sights as well as the climb..
I love you Lindsay and Matt and pray for you daily..

Grams

Posted by: Barbara Jones on 6/25/2018 at 5:23 am

Cody, you are missed and loved by many down here where it’s nice and sunny! So happy to know all is well and that your team has moved up! Prayers are being sent up daily by your family and friends who are following your journey! Uncle Mike says he is living out his dream thru YOU!

Posted by: Susie Petellin on 6/24/2018 at 6:06 pm

Denali Expedition: Hahn & Team Move Up Camp

June 24, 2018

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Avery Parrinello, Hannah Smith, Nikki Champion

Elevation: 9,500'

Saturday, June 23, 2018 - 10:26 PM PT This one started out differently. It wasn’t snowy at 3:30 AM and it wasn’t cloudy. In fact it looked pretty good for climbing. We were walking out of 7800 ft at 6 AM with a big view of Denali’s South Face and some of its classic climbing routes. Our classic climbing route for the day was on “Ski Hill”. Once again we had heavy packs and sleds, once again we used snowshoes and ski poles. The fact that the snow surface had frozen overnight was in our favor, making for good walking. The fact that ski hill is all uphill certainly made things harder, but such difficulties weren’t exactly unexpected. We rolled into our intended site at 9500 ft by 10 AM. Building camp was easy enough in strong sunshine and calm conditions. We snoozed away the warm afternoon, or snacked, read, chatted and hydrated. Dinner in the dining tent was a picnic in the dry and calm conditions. We can no longer see Denali from this particular angle, but the view down 43 miles of the Kahiltna Glacier certainly isn’t bad. Most were in their tents again and turning in by 8 PM when the sun went behind Kahiltna Dome. A little cooler up here now as we start gaining altitude. Best Regards RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Jon & Margaret you are past 1/2 way point! Love the updates. Thinking of you everyday.
Hugs and strength to you both.

Posted by: Joy Reuter on 6/25/2018 at 3:49 pm

Love the pictures! Such an incredible experience Tom! Climb High Brother!

Posted by: Dave Kestel on 6/24/2018 at 1:52 pm

Denali Expedition: King & Team Reach the Summit!

June 23, 2018

Posted by: Mike King, Ben Ammon, JT Schmitt

Elevation: 20,310'

RMI Guide Mike King and his team reached the summit of Denali, 20,310' today around 6:35 PM PT. Their June 4th Expedition met in Anchorage and has spent the last several weeks, acclimatizing, climbing and waiting out the weather. Their patience and perseverance paid off today. Congratulations to the team!

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Great work from the whole team.

Special shout out to Ben Ammon.

Posted by: Kevin Pilloud on 6/25/2018 at 7:45 am

Awesome work to the whole team!! We have done our best to follow the hike and send good vibes to Alex and the team. Make it back safe so we can hear about the adventure ~ Matt & Malin

Posted by: Matthew A Lewis on 6/24/2018 at 6:53 pm

Denali Expedition: Haugen & Team Cache Gear at 13,500’

June 22, 2018

Elevation: 11,200'

Friday, June 22, 2018 - 9:49 pm PT We woke up very early this morning to start checking the weather. We were trying to let the mountain tell us whether to head uphill to cache some gear or to wait another day for conditions to settle down. Denali was cryptic for awhile but finally delivered a confirmation that it was OK for us to climb by clearing the skies up high. We jumped into action and started climbing into moderate winds. The winds stayed with us for most of the upwards climb which kept us cool as the sun finally poked out. The team finally got the view they deserved from our cache site at 13,500'. We have been living in the clouds for too many days! If the weather looks good in the morning, we are going to head up to 14k feet and make our next camp. Fingers crossed for high pressure! RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Super Crew 6

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Hooray! Keep these great reports coming! Enjoy the sun and views.

Posted by: David Clemmons on 6/24/2018 at 4:09 pm

Lindsay and Matt
Amazing!
Keeping you and your team in our prayers.
Enjoy the journey!
Love you,
Aunt Norma

Posted by: Norma Jean on 6/24/2018 at 9:01 am