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Posted by: Hannah Smith, Dustin Wittmier, Devin Guffey
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,410'
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 - 11:22 pm PT
Hi,
Patience and more patience. Every day we look at the forecast and wonder how accurate will it be. Is the weather system going to happen or will it be nice out. Its a part of expedition life that is difficult. When do we move? Is this our time? Does it get better or worse? But no one truly knows. Its all in retrospect that we deliberate the decision and know the answer. So we wait. We wait for a forecast that is better than marginal. We have plenty of food and fuel to see if the winds will get better in the next handful of days. Patience is key. In due time it will be our moment, so we wait.
Good night,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Mike Uchal, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
On The Map
John and crew, Stay strong! I am pulling for the weather to begin to work in your favor. You have been so patient ....hang in there! love, dee
Posted by: Deann on 7/7/2012 at 12:46 pm
Nelson, sympathy for Mother Nature at 17,000 camp. I know you toughed out cold and wind, and I hope you can recharge and warm a bit at 14,000 camp. I know you may be disappointed, but few have ever been to 17,000 on Denali. Hang in there and maybe the weather will break and reward perseverance. Love you, stay safe. Dad
Posted by: Bill on 7/7/2012 at 10:10 am
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Mike Uchal, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,200'
On The Map
John, Great to hear all of you are doing fine. We are just home from the “small hills of NC” As we go along in life we do learn more of love, laughter and thankfulness. Blessings to all of you climbing. Jackie and Paul
Posted by: Jackie Winchell on 7/1/2012 at 9:39 pm
What no news fro you Nelson?? I know that you are having a trip of a lifetime. Check in next time the phone goes around. The moms in KC (that would be Mrs. G and me) are worried :-) Can’t wait to see you ... and the amazing photos. I would definitely be up for Killi next year. Lots of love, Mom
Posted by: Jennifer Collet on 6/30/2012 at 5:40 am
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Devin Guffey, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
Hello readers,
What a day, what a day. We woke again to snow and all you can see, white. The forecast didn't call for all this snow and white but it's what we got for 36 hours straight. Hope wasn't lost and the team enjoyed a group activity of stomping out the runway. It didn't look like we would fly but we would at least be ready for those planes. The hours went by and no change. Surely we would spend another night at basecamp...then all of a sudden the clouds started to lift. There was a bustle around camp...planes were coming. The team having done a few false alarm pack ups was dialed. In less than 30 minutes we were fully packed up waiting next to the airstrip for our plane. It is a whirlwind experience to be one second in your sleeping bag on the mountain and the next loading a plane to take you off. In no time we were back in civilization, stinky, tired, and a few shades darker from the sun. A long shower, a hot meal not cooked over the XKG stoves, and a mattress you don't have to blow up later, we are new people. It's been an amazing trip full of ups and downs and always lessons learned about ourselves. We are grateful to be back safe and already look forward to our next adventures.
Thanks for following along! Till next time,
RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team
Thank you for helping to keep molly and the rest of the team safe. She had nothing but glowing praise for all of you. Very much appreciated!!! It sounded like a great adventure.
Thanks again!!!!
Posted by: Todd Wardwell on 6/5/2023 at 2:51 pm
RMI Guide JJ Justman calls in from the summit of Mt. Elbrus.
On The Map
Fantastic effort all the way to the top! Have a fun and safe return.
Posted by: Robert Ward on 7/9/2012 at 9:28 am
Nelson, Kyle and Jacob are at 14,200. Wishing you and your team every success. See you on the way down!! NOLS WADDINGTON 2011.
Posted by: Glenn on 6/25/2012 at 8:10 pm
NELS!!! Miss you.. You better be writing down everything. Stay safe!
EB
PS You win this one.
Posted by: Erica on 6/25/2012 at 5:36 pm
SAYSEE!!! just wanted to say hi and tell you that i love you more than anything! and keep pushing and fighting and everything will be worth it in the end. you are so amazing for doing all that you are doing and i am so proud of you! we all miss you here and can’t wait to see you but for now we are here cheering you on! i think about you everyday and how incredible this is. know that you are in our prayers and you inspire me so much, it’s incredible! i really do love you more than you know- to heaven and back! you’re the greatest sara rose. -emma
Posted by: Emma Payne on 5/1/2011 at 5:37 pm
Hi Linden! Helped deliver my sissys baby 1 day old, in Georgia near the Tornado! Would rather be climbing in Nepal EXCEPT FOR HIS CUTE LITTLE FACE! GOING VERTICAL
Posted by: Hollyanne on 4/30/2011 at 10:30 am
Posted by: Dustin Wittmier, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Ecuador
Elevation: 9,350'
As our first real warmup, the team hiked Rucu Pichincha today. Of all my times on this peak, today was by far the clearest. We were able to identify numerous big mountains once we got off the Teleferico (gondola): Cayambe, Antisana, Sincholagua, Cotopaxi, Rumiñahui, Chimborazo, Iliniza Sur and Iliniza Norte. Being such a clear day also meant we did not get rained on to end the hike nor have to slip around on the muddy trails following a rain event.
We have been happy to be in Quito, adjusting to life in Ecuador, but are now ready to venture into the countryside. Tomorrow, we head for our second acclimatization hike on Fuya Fuya and will stay the night at La Casa Sol, just outside of Otavalo.
Awesome!! All the Best to you Dustin and Team!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 1/27/2023 at 4:49 am
Posted by: Robby Young, Steve Gately
Categories: Guide News
Car rentals are notoriously expensive, but we found a deal on an old Toyota Rav4 with decent tires that seemed to be held together well enough for half the price, and we were off. We drove the length of the main highway on the south side of the island, also known as the Ring Road, passing by the active and massively glaciated volcanoes along the southern coastline. Finally reaching the Eastfjords, we were a bit discouraged by the high snow levels in these broad fjords, but found charm and beauty in the tiny and isolated fishing villages. We spent a couple days skiing spring “corn” snow as it slowly softened with the warmth of the low angled sun of the springtime. An experience of a lifetime, the clear nighttime skies lit up with the Northern Lights like we could have never imagined. Domes of vibrant green and purple rocketed over our heads while we camped in the empty Neskaupstadur town campground, taking in the show in awe.
Moving northward and then west, we drove across the volcanically active rift valley where the Earth’s crust was being created in real time, creating hundreds of miniature volcanoes, steam vents, and rugged lava fields. Eventually, we reached the Troll Peninsula, the skiing mecca of Iceland. In recent years, the “Troll” has increased in popularity with skiers through recent ski films and the presence of Arctic Heli Skiing. The popularity of this place was well justified; we found some of the best spring corn skiing we’d ever experienced, with the Arctic Ocean serving as our backdrop. The aesthetics and quality of skiing was only matched by the hospitality of the people we met in the small village of Dalvik. Our days here were spent skiing while evenings were filled mingling with locals and tourist skiers alike on the front steps of the local Kaffihaus (Coffeehouse), which doubled as a pub in the later hours of the evening. As with many of the small communities in Iceland, the owners of our hostel also ran this Kaffihaus, serving their own fish stew from their friends’ fishing boats, and serving beer brewed a couple doors down the street.
Traveling onward, we drove the barren and isolated roads from Dalvik to the northwest corner of the island: a series of peninsulas collectively referred to as the Westfjords. We hunkered down in the town of Isafjordur, surrounded by hundreds of steep ski runs that plummet to the ocean, as the snow began to fall. We spent the next six days drinking coffee, while the snow pounded down outside, immediately jumping in the car as soon as the sun made one of a few brief appearances. In a neighboring fjord near the village of Flateyri, we found the siren that had drawn us to Iceland: a beautiful fjord that held the deepest and driest powder of the trip; a long series of steep chutes looming above the ocean. After a winter of scraping and scratching by in Utah, this mythical run made our ski season whole!
During these rare moments of sun the formula looked something like: drive around the fjords looking for ski runs (the best were steep rock-lined couloirs), climb up, ski right back down to the car, manage to drive our manual transmission Rav4 in ski boots to another ski run, and repeat.
The snow in the Westfjords did not let up for days, even as our time to return to Reykjavik approached. The most hair-raising adventure of the trip was driving the fjords and passes back to civilization in southern Iceland. Over one particular pass, we had to put our rental to the test, busting through snowdrifts until we found a lineup of cars waiting to follow a supersized snowplow the rest of the way back to the main highway. Back in the capital, Steve and I celebrated the end of our trip just like we did at the start; enjoying the fresh fish and brews of Reykjavik, knowing that we had only scratched the surface of the skiing that this country has to offer.
_____Robby Young is a senior guide at RMI Expeditions, leading trips in Washington, Alaska, and Peru. Robby calls Park City, UT home, where he is a ski patroller at the Canyons Resort. When not guiding, Robby is found chasing splitter crack climbing and perfect powder around the globe. He is also a talented photographer: view his images at www.robbyyoungphotography.com.
Hector,
Fidel is excited to hear about your every elevation gain. He says “Dad, I really love you. I hope you be safe.”
Xoxo,
Anna
Posted by: Anna Haring on 6/23/2021 at 6:43 pm
WOW! Photos spectacular!
Thinking of you all the time on this terrific journey! So proud of the whole team!
Love you Beej!
Mom
Posted by: Judy collins on 6/23/2021 at 3:46 pm
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