Entries from Mount Rainier
The
Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide
JJ Justman reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. JJ reported cold, windy conditions on the summit. Despite the weather, 100% of the team reached the summit! The team will descend back to Camp Muir before continuing their descent to Paradise and on back to Ashford later today.
Congratulations climbers!
The Four Day Summit Climb June 9 - 12 led by RMI Guides Mike Walter and Zeb Blais reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning around 8 am. Mike reported clear conditions with moderate winds as they were making their ascent above High Break. The teams were able to enjoy some time on the summit. They began their descent from the crater rim at 9:20 am. The teams will return to Camp Muir for a short break before continuing down to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb Teams!
The
Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams, led by
Mike Haugen and
Mike King, turned at Ingraham Flats this morning after a rough night of snow and high winds. The guides reported an ominous cap over the mountain after checking in from Camp Muir. Shortly after 8:00 a.m., both teams began their descent to Paradise.
The
Four Day Summit Climb team led by RMI Guides Seth Waterfall and Nick Hunt were unable to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams turned back at Ingraham Flats this morning.
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall called from Camp Muir shortly after 7 am, reporting 8-10” of fresh snow at the Ingraham Flats and very cold temps. Both Summit Climb teams have begun their descent from Camp Muir to Paradise.
The
Four Day Summit Climb teams led by
RMI Guides Dave Hahn and Ben Liken made their summit attempt this morning but turned back after reaching 12,500' due to increased winds and cold temperatures. The teams have returned to Camp Muir were they will have a short break before continuing to Paradise.
We look forward to seeing the teams at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon. Good work teams!
On Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 2:02 p.m. PDT,
RMI Guide Brent Okita reached the summit of Mt. Rainier for the 500th time, becoming only the second person to reach this exclusive milestone.
Brent; along with RMI Guides
Leah Fisher and
Christina Dale, Peter Dale and Aaron Mainer; ascended Mt. Rainier via the Disappointment Cleaver route. It was a windy day on the summit but the team took time to celebrate at Columbia Crest. After many hugs and photos were exchanged, they traversed to Liberty Cap for their ski descent of the Edmunds Headwall. Brent described his 500th summit and ski descent as “one of the coolest days of my life!”
To put this in perspective, Brent has logged over 9,000,000 vertical feet on Mt. Rainier throughout his 30-year career. “Brent is a mentor, leader, and above all an inspiration to all mountaineers,” said Peter Whittaker, owner of RMI. “The fact that Brent has challenged himself on this mountain for 30 years and successfully summited Rainier 500 times is extraordinary. Even more amazing, Brent continues to climb at the pace of a 20-year-old guide and will likely climb Rainier another 20 times this summer...his endurance and fitness are unmatched.”
Brent, 55, has worked at RMI since 1986 as a professional climbing instructor and guide, leading teams of climbers on ascents of Mt. Rainier. In that time, he has also reached the summit of Mt. Everest (via the North Side) and led over two dozen RMI guided parties up 20,310’ Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. Other ascents to his credit include Vinson Massif (Antarctica), and several expeditions to the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps (Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Jungfrau).
Setting records is not Brent’s motivation; his 500 summits of Mt. Rainier are a natural consequence of his tenure with RMI and dedication to the sport of mountaineering. With no thoughts of retirement, Brent plans to continue guiding climbers on Mt Rainier and Denali for the foreseeable future. In the winter months he pursues his love of skiing, working for Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol. He and wife, Julie, make their home in Enumclaw, WA, where they enjoy bicycling and hiking.
Congratulations Brent!
The
Five Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Mike Uchal and the
Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Eric Frank Reached the summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Eric radioed in from High Break while the teams were on their descent and reported the winds of about 40 - 45 mph on the mountain.
RMI Guide
Casey Grom and Team also checked in from the
Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz, the team is camped on the Wilson Glacier having a great time training.
Congratulations to today's teams!
The
Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide
Mike Haugen reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. Mike reported clear skies and 25 mph winds. The team has started their descent and are en route back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team!
The
Four Day Summit Climb led by
RMI Guides Seth Waterfall and Nick Hut reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The team reported clear skies and great climbing conditions. They were able to some time on top enjoying the views before starting their descent.
Congratulations to today's teams!
The
Mt. Rainier Summit Climbs, led by
JJ Justman and
Mike King, reported a nice day with light wind, clear skies, and warm weather from the crater this morning. Both teams had a leisurely break after topping out at Columbia Crest. They left the crater to begin their decent just before 7:30am.
Congratulations to the team! Climbing to 12,500 ft in those conditions is quite an accomplishment. Thanks to the guides for keeping everyone safe. We look forward to giving hugs and kisses to Team Medley.
Love you guys,
Lilly, Maddie and the moms
Posted by: Nancy Connolly on 6/9/2016 at 1:04 pm
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