Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Settle in Below Ski Hill
Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 8,000'
Friday June 26th 9:13 pm PT
Our weather took a dive. But our timing and luck have been pretty good anyway. We were up at 1 AM this morning and on the trail by 4 AM (getting breakfast and gearing up while tearing down camp takes a while the first time). The clouds were getting lower and lower until about 7 AM when we were swallowed up by the murk. Wet snow was falling by 8:30, but luckily we were pulling into our intended camp at 8,000 feet by 9:15. So we were indeed lucky to get flown on before the weather deteriorated and happy we were able to make use of what otherwise might have been considered a storm day today.
Just as the snow began to fall, we met up with Mike Haugen's victorious team on their way out. Nice to see them, even if just in passing. Once our new camp at the base of "Ski Hill" was built, we climbed in to rest away the late morning and afternoon. Dinner was under the shelter of our POSH tent in a well-dug dining/kitchen snow pit.
Aside from the weather, glacier conditions were quite good for traveling today and we had very few issues with the multitude of crevasse bridges that needed crossing.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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Comments (3)
Love you lots Dad! Happy to hear things are going well for the team so far, despite the earthquake. I can’t wait to hear more stories! XOXO - Kati, Eric, and Jake :)
Posted by: Katherine Giersch on
From Kayleigh: I know you can do it! Go Daddy!
Posted by: Sharon Lewis on
sending warm thoughts to the team and especially son Pat!
Posted by: kathie grengs on