Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Retrieve Gear
This morning was the first in a while that we weren't getting up early, desperate for conditions to be favorable. We got the stoves started around nine, which sounds late and lazy, except in these parts, the sun doesn't get around the mountain until 9:30. It was socked in and cloudy for our breakfast, and then snowing again, but without any wind. We were set to do our "back carry" -dropping down to pick up our cache from the other day, but we'd also been in touch with Pete VanDeventer and knew his team was descending and would pop out of the clouds any minute. It made sense to greet his gang and to exchange notes at 14,200 before going to get our carry done. It was fun to see their team, flush with success and excited to nearly be done with their climb. In the early afternoon, although it was still snowing, we set off into the murk to find our 13,600 ft cache. The cache was undisturbed, which was a relief. Guess we'd buried it all too deeply for the Ravens. It took just over an hour to make it back up to camp with the cargo. People retreated to their tents for a snooze while a few of us built a new kitchen-dining complex. The clouds began to drop and the sun got shining brightly for dinner and the few remaining hours of the day -it ducks behind the West Buttress at 9 PM and the temperature seems to drop about fifty degrees in a few minutes at that point. But we were treated to great views of Mounts Foraker and Hunter sticking out from the solid base of clouds spread below us. The forecasts still call for snow, but luckily they aren't always right in just how much snow we'll get and at which elevation it will fall. A calm day tomorrow for our carry to 16,200 ft would be greatly appreciated.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
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Comments (3)
thank you for diligently posting on your team’s progress. best of luck on your summit bid, and hoping for your safe descent.
Posted by: michelle on
Good luck. Great reading about your progress.
Rachael
ABQ Uptown 985/NM/CO
Posted by: Rachael C. Lujan on
Thanks for all the great updates! You guys certainly deserve some calm weather after having to be patient at 11,000 for all those days, then working so hard the next few days in tough weather. Good luck on the Headwall, whenever you manage to get to it. Tell Anders all his friends and his very large extended family send their love, and we know what he wants from Cosi!
Posted by: judy christofferson on