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Today we launched for 747 Pass but were turned back halfway through our day due to 2-3ft of trail breaking. We are now back at camp and battening down the hatches for another round of weather! We’ve had the great pleasure of passing time with plenty of card games and a delicious dinner of Pad Thai. Tomorrow we plan to work on skills and wait until the weather breaks!

RMI Guide Sam Marjerison

The Four Day Climb (June 2-5) led by Joe Hoch and Ben Ammon turned at the top Cathedral Gap (10,640’) early this morning due to strong winds that were making climbing and continuing uphill very difficult. They are back at Camp Muir and plan to descend from Paradise later this morning. They will be back in Ashford this afternoon. 

Way to hang in there team!

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

On the second day of our trip we had a leisurely morning, enjoying our breakfasts while the sun worked its way out of the clouds. We spent half the day practicing roped travel and discussing some of the other techniques involved in glacier travel. After the sun had us half baked we turned around and skied the warm, soft snow on the glacier back down to camp. After a brief siesta we dove into some more technical skills associated with crevasse rescue. Once the spongey parts of the brain seemed at capacity we chilled a little more and made dinner. 

The next day started much earlier with the goal of reaching the crater rim. Undesirable snow conditions made skiing off the top a less attractive prospect. We left camp in the dark and hacked our way through some frozen piles of avalanche debris and old tracks and back onto the glacier. Slowly the pale gray light of dawn bloomed into a stunning sunrise. We paused to take it in, multifaceted in its varying refractions and reflections, the sunrise, as seen from on high, cannot be captured in word or image but only seems to exist in fleeting experience or inferior replica. But I'll attach an image anyways. We made it up to the crater in good style and soaked in the sun and sulfur. The particularly active steam vents were an exciting reminder of the dynamic nature of our mountain home and geological world. The skiing down from the crater was, at first, quite poor. I've skied worse snow but I don't remember when. But thankfully it improved as it became denser and then softened. We broke down camp and descended to the trail. On our way in we were able to skin on the fresh snow over most of the trail. On the exit we walked most of it as the new snow was quickly headed down to join sulfur creek. We finished our trip at Tacos Tecalitlan which has quickly become one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. 

This trip was a success thanks to an enduring team and a little love from the weather. Thanks to this storm I'm hoping to keep my ski season going for at least a few more weeks. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler

Monday, May 18, 2026

The Mt. Baker Summit & Ski Team reached 9,700', the crater on Monday and decided to call that their high point due to snow conditions and incoming weather.  The team descended on skis back to Camp and then continued their descent to the trailhead. Although conditions weren't great for skiing, the team enjoyed their time in the mountains and celebrated their adventure in the late afternoon, completing their trip and continuing their separate ways after sharing a meal. 

Saturday, May 16, 2026

After a cold dreary gear check in the rain, huddling under the picnic shelter in Sedro,  we were delighted to find that it was snowing at the trailhead. Our team did well managing the winter weather on our way up to camp where there is about two feet of new snow. The moment we found a suitable site the sun popped out and has us going to bed warm and dry. 

Tomorrow looks like easy weather so we're planning on going for a ski tour and learning some rescue skills. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler

MERVEILLEUX ENFER!

Cet oxymore correspond tellement bien à notre environnement. Lorsque le ciel est dégagé et que le vent cesse, nous avons l'immense privilège de contempler la merveille qu'est le Denali. Des glaciers à perte de vue, that's huge! Les pics rocheux gigantesques jouant avec les nuages, that's so wild ! La glace d'un bleu vif des séracs suspendus, that's so cool man ! Et la neige poudrée scintillante au soleil, for sure ! Ce soleil justement, nous apporte de la chaleur et une luminosité qui ne cesse jamais (masque obligatoire pour dormir !). Mais il est aussi notre première menace invisible ! Whaaat ? Sans protection, votre peau brûle littéralement. Même sous la tente, la crème solaire est indispensable, that's so badass! 

Les autres menaces, elles, sont bien perceptibles... Les crevasses sont béantes mais les plus dangereuses sont celles que l'on ne voit pas, that's so impressive!

Quand le temps se gâte, c'est à dire presque tout le temps..., le froid mordant vous glace jusqu'au os. Couplé aux rafales de vent, les gestes les plus basiques du quotidien deviennent un enfer avec nos équipements (non je ne vous parlerai pas du poop...). Enfin installés dans nos duvets pour quelques heures de repos, après avoir évacué la neige qui s'est infiltrée à notre passage, nous avons le plaisir de prendre sur la tête au réveil toute l'humidité de nos respirations sous forme de glace...

Bienvenue dans ce merveilleux enfer !

Les nouvelles du lundi 18 :

Hey buddy ! Aujourd'hui on s'est équipé et avons préparé nos "stuffs" pour aller les déposer à la 2eme cache, awesome !

Mais... les guides ont finalement décidé d'annuler car une nouvelle tempête arrive...

A des fins d'entraînement nous avons montés la Motorcycle Hill et, we figured it out une fois en haut pourquoi nous n'avions pas intérêt à poursuivre vers Squirrel Hill, Polo Fields et le fameux Windy Corner!

Alors, dans la lignée des derniers jours, we spilled the tea ! Des moments d'échanges joyeux, renforçant la cohésion de cette team maintenant bien soudée et où la bonne humeur et l'entraide règne. Et pour moi c'est cours d'anglais hundred percent!

Le délai s'allonge encore pour espérer rejoindre le sommet, fingers crossed!, mais nous préférons nos vies à la précipitation. La patience fait partie intégrante de l'expédition.

Il n'est pas possible de vaincre le Denali, notre plan est d'attendre qu'il accepte de nous laisser aller to the top, pour admirer de tout en haut ce merveilleux enfer! 

NB: tous les mots en en anglais sont ceux que j'entends des centaines de fois par jours, impossible de les oublier, Yeah Yeah !

Note personnelle : à ma famille, mes amis, mes collègues et tous ceux qui suivent mon projet OXYFIGHT, je veux vous dire que je suis en excellente forme, que je dors particulièrement bien et que les américains sont terriblement attachants et gentils avec moi ! A ma femme et mes enfants, I LOVE YOU

RMI Climber Thomas / OXYFIGHT (le frenchie)

RMI's four-day climb led by guides Dan May and Calvin Jiricko made it to the summit this morning around 7:40am. They reported a nice morning although a bit breezy. They are currently on their descent back to Camp Muir, and they will return to Ashford this afternoon. 

Great work up there, team!

Windy Corner

By: Joanie Mayer Hope

11,000 Camp — Denali

On a mountain in the snow

Narrow cliff and rocks below

Waits a dreamer with a heavy heavy load

Shrouded summit in the sky

In the journey is the why

In the marrow of this life is sacrifice

Chorus

There is a place called Windy Corner which few will ever see
A passage from what was to what someday may be
Up at Windy Corner, steady steps gentle strength
Silhouettes of seekers, embrace the loss of living

Windy Corner is the place

Of acquiescence & of grace

Dare to fail, live to die, alone & loved

You must give all to get there

But but you may not succeed

Reckoning of wonder, earth’s breath under your wings

Chorus

There is a place called Windy Corner which few will ever see
A passage from what was to what someday may be
Up at Windy Corner steady steps & gentle strength
Silhouettes of seekers embrace the loss of living

Bridge

If the end of life is death

What is the meaning of success?

The legacy we leave

The sparks of joy we manifest?

The pain we heal?

The love we feel?

Adventures breached

Or summits reached?

The courage to jump fully in

Be naked in our humanness

Final Chorus

Up at Windy Corner steady steps & gentle strength
Silhouettes of seekers embrace the loss of living

The Five-Day climb led by RMI guide Tom Skoog was unable to climb the route due to deteriorating conditions. Instead, they enjoyed a beautiful sunrise at Ingraham Flats. They are back at Camp Muir and will start their descent back to Paradise this morning. 

Nice work, everyone! 

Hello from Talkeetna!

All of our travels went well yesterday and we are moved in to our hopefully temporary accommodations in Talkeetna. Today will be a packed day with a meeting with the park service and then lots or organization and preparation for our expedition.  Everyone is excited to be here and get things moving. Send us good weather vibes!

-RMI Guide Seth Burns and Team

white noise of the night

flapping prison of nylon

sky breaks evening light

- anonymous

June 18th - 7PM PST

We started stoves at 12:30 AM today and hopped into our climbing boots.  Conditions looked to be perfect.  It was a clear night and the glacier surface had frozen up just right to make walking and sled dragging easy.  Or easier, at least.  As expected, it took a good while to get geared up, to break camp, get breakfasted and rigged for glacier travel. We were moving by 3:45 and watching the first sun way up on Mt Foraker’s 17,000 ft slopes. In contrast, we were still in deep shadow as we worked along the immense Kahiltna glacier.  By a little after eight, we’d already reached our destination for the day The base of Ski Hill at 8000 ft.  It took a few more hours to build a secure camp and then we made good use of it, diving in tents to avoid the midday sun.  We will carry a load up the glacier tomorrow and return to this camp.  All are feeling strong and enjoying the scenery.

-RMI Guide Dave Hahn