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Thursday, June 8, 2023, 9:52 pm PDT

This morning we woke up to Joey the Guide’s scrumptious pancakes.  Does he moonlight at Benihana’s?  Conditions weren’t favorable so we made it a rest day.  We ended the day with dinner and optimism for a move to Camp Two tomorrow.  And now, a poem:

All day we were stuck at Camp One
Blueberry chocolate chip pancakes are fun 
Tomorrow we’ll try for 10 And if this happens again
Call our team the cloistered nuns 

- Lenhardt Stevens and the June 4 Denali Expedition Team
 

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June 1, 2023, 10:30 pm PDT

MOUNTAIN DAY 22 -

We had hopes this morning as the base camp manager said to ready everything and that planes were on the way. By 8:30 several planes hit the runway and stayed to load climbers. They departed and as the clouds edged closer, we were told they were launching planes for us and they were trying to get in. But the snow started and visibility shut down and the planes stopped landing. We kept waiting for the snow to stop and a hole to open, but it didn't come. It is now calm, but snowing prolifically. Midwinter, we would be going to sleep excited about the powder day to come. Here, we beg for it to stop so we can make our way home. But we are in a beautiful place, and we count ourselves warm, dry, and lucky to experience the power of the Alaska Range. 

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and team

On The Map

Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - 11:26 am PT

Snow and wind moved in last night, so both RMI Denali Expeditions led by RMI Guides Mike Walter & Pete Van Deventer are resting, tent bound at 17,000' Camp. The weather is not violent, but it is miserable outside of our tents with lots of blowing snow. On the upside, it’s pretty warm for 17,200’.

Hopefully tomorrow’s forecast verifies and we’ll have a chance for a summit bid. In the meantime we’re trying to stay warm and dry, hydrated and fed.

RMI Guide Mike Walter

Thursday, May 20, 2021 - 10:36 pm PT

Sometimes it’s not so fun to be right.  Turns out we were right about the incoming snow storm.   We moved to Camp 1 at 7,800' today through continuous snowy weather.   The guide team safely navigated us across the Kahiltna, while Eric proved he was a talented linguist by regaling us with stories during our breaks. Tomorrow we hope to cache food and extra equipment above Ski Hill and then return to our camp. 

RMI Guides Eric Frank, James Bealer, Jack Delaney and team

On The Map

Explored the crevasses and hidden corners of the Ruth Gorge under a flawless blue sky—no clouds, just pure Alaskan magic. Spent the day weaving through ice and granite, soaking it all in. Came back tired, happy, and hungry. Wrapped it up with a late dinner and the kind of sleep that only comes after a hard day in the mountains.

RMI Guide Dan May & Team

Friday, July 2, 2021 - 1:16 pm PT

Just as forecasted, a storm has settled in on Denali. At 14K Camp it is snowing with some moderate gusts of wind and very little visibility. Up above us on the mountain we can hear the winds crashing over the West Buttress like waves in the ocean.

We're protected and safe, though, with a well-built camp. After a hash brown, egg, and cheese scramble for breakfast, we're just relaxing in our tents or in the cook tent, reading, napping, and sharing conversations, a thin piece of nylon the difference between comfort and suffering.

This storm is forecasted to last into tomorrow, and we're in no hurry to stick our noses in it. Hopefully we'll get some nicer weather in its wake.

RMI Guide Mike Walter