Hi, this is Brent from 17,000' on Mt. McKinley and I just wanted to report that we did summit here last night and we actually just going to bed right now, [it's] about 3:30 in the morning. It was a bit of an epic night with some trail breaking and some cold winds but everyone did really well and we are all safe back at camp. So congratulations to the team here, we will be descending down to probably 11,000' [camp] tomorrow. Alright, talk to you later. Bye bye.
- RMI Guide Brent Okita
Gary, Congrats! It’s been awesome to follow along! Rory keeps asking me “how does Uncle Gary do that?” He’s excited to get back to the climbing wall! Love, Lorrie, Chas, Carson and Rory
Posted by: Lorrie, Chas, Carson & Rory on 6/16/2012 at 4:37 pm
Congratulations Kristen! We want to hear all about it when you get back to the Upper Valley.
Held hostage by the fickle nature of the weather for ten (or is it eleven now?) days at 17,200' my brain is in hardly any shape to draw all the parallels to that epic saga and our own story here. But some stand out:
Ours has become a very long story of the challenges we face when not all elements in our world are in our control. And in our struggle to deal with these challenges, we face a bit of an emotional roller coaster as optimism fades when a new reality asserts itself.
This morning the hope of a nice summit day came crashing down as we received heavy snow and high winds starting in the wee hours of the morning. Tyler Jones at 14,200' camp reported over two feet of new snow and 50 mph winds.
So, once again we dug out camp with face protection, heavy gloves or mittens, and ski goggles on before breakfast. It was here that, given what we've been through up here, and the reality of just how long a human being can actually live at this altitude and harsh environment, we chose Thursday as our 'up or down' day. But, this still gives us a chance to summit. Tomorrow might not be perfect, but, Thursday has been forecasted to offer 'light and variable' winds.
I'm generally an optimist, but at this point even I can succumb to a heaviness in my outlook after having so many of my summit plans thwarted. But, as we discover in Tolstoy's classic, sometimes what matters most is not some obvious achievement, but rather a deeper sense of accomplishment or understanding that comes with living life well, and to the fullest.
Let's hope tomorrow our dispatch will be a bit more succinct. Like just one word.
Love, kisses and heavy thoughts from your team at 17,200'.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Nice work Kristen, we’re all excited for you here in Norwich. Put some rocks in Brent’s pack and tell him Stu says hello.
Posted by: Stuart Close on 6/15/2012 at 5:52 pm
I am the mother of one of the climbers from Alpine Ascents who made the summit on Saturday, June 2—I think the last team to summit. He has been back home for a week now and you guys/gals are still up there (we hope). Just want you to know that we have all (son, father, mother, neighbors for goodness sake!) been following and cheering for your team and checking on you every day. You have provided immense entertainment—and inspiration. We think if you make the summit you are the team of the season. Our very best wishes…
Last night we received another foot of snow, though it wasn't nearly as windy as the previous night. Although it was a significant storm, come morning something about it felt different causing me to check the weather regularly. Sure enough, by the time we got up at 9:30 the skies had cleared and it was beautiful. Except for the winds blowing the new snow around Denali Pass and the ridge above.
It was yet just a little too windy for us, plus all the trail breaking of the previous days was gone, so we hung out at camp and enjoyed our nicest day at 17,200' yet. Another day for the snow to settle will help reduce any avalanche risk as well However, a report by another guide that poked his nose into the conditions affirms what we have been seeing already, and eases my mind considerably.
After a breakfast of grits, Leon, Lindsay and I went down to 16,200' to help out our next group led by Tyler Jones by bringing their cache of food and fuel up to 17,200'. This eases their move day enormously, and gets some provisions up here in case our already less than stellar luck with the weather turns south even further.
And now, for the first time all trip, I'm very optimistic about our chances for the summit. Things seem like they are finally falling info place. Of course, tomorrow is another day ...
Right now it is warm and windless, and we are getting ready for dinner. Wish us luck!!!
RMI Guide Brent Okita
Well, we're still here at 17,200', day 7 up here and no summit in sight. In my 22 years of doing this I've never stayed here over seven days. I guess there's a first for everything.
But the team is still strong and committed to tagging the summit despite our little weather delays. And it's still only day 17 for us, so we're still well within our time frame for these trip.
This morning was nasty, so we relaxed in our tents until 11:00am and had the brunch that has become all too familiar these days. At that time the wind and snow abated somewhat and I entertained for the first time doing an evening climb of sorts. With a bit of a cloud cap over the summit conditions were not ideal, but we had been having some rather consistent clearing in the afternoon and evenings, and with daylight throughout the evening, late starts are not unheard of.
So, we set out for the summit knowing full well that if we encountered worsening weather we'd simply turn back. The important thing for us was to get in some walking to maintain out strength, acclimatization, and mental health.
The route that we had punched in the day before was gone, so we had to plow through 1-2' of snow to establish the route. Luckily the snow was quite stable and allowed us to reach almost 18,000' before I made the tough call to turn back in the face of some increasing winds and certainly not improving conditions.
But, we had reestablished the route and gotten in a little exercise. And everyone had climbed well! We'll be ready when the weather gods finally allow us to climb.
Back at camp over dinner we discussed just how long we might stay here at 17,200' waiting for our opportunity. Wednesday seemed like a date that would be reasonable to make our last day here. We have food and fuel to go beyond then, but for those of you wondering when your loved one will be coming back, I would say a few days after that would be reasonable. That being said, we do have some on the team that are willing to stay on beyond then. And for them, I guess I'd have to say that I too would be willing to stick around.
But... Let's not go there quite yet.
Kristen would like to wish Billy a happy birthday. And Gary would like to send Angela hugs and kisses from 17,200' camp.
All for now. Thanks for reading our dispatches!
RMI Guides Brent, Leon , Lindsay and the rest of the team
Day 6 at camp 17! Woke up to a foot of fresh powder around noon. Had a late brunch of leftover cereal, oatmeal, and soup. After some posh time we hit the shovels and dug out our tents. The rest of the afternoon we'll be reading and eating, two of our favorite pastimes in the comfort of our tents. We're cautiously optimistic that tomorrow will bring a summit bid! We're in good spirits and have plenty of resources to stick it out for another couple days!
-Kristen and Gary
Any day in the mountains builds wisdom and respect for the mountaineering experience. You guys are sure getting your share! Everything is crossed: fingers, toes, skis, ice axes, crampons,... Safe travels.
Posted by: Nate Ayer and family on 6/9/2012 at 5:35 pm
277 highpointers here at Timberline Lodge are sending you the patience and will power to hang tough.
Good things come to those who wait...
At least that is what we must remind ourselves of. Another day of marginal weather had us scratching our heads about the possibility of a summit bid while other teams have had enough and are headed down. But with a fortified camp and a weeks worth of food and fuel, we plan to exercise patience and optimism. As storm days stack up, it is all too easy to let altitude and lethargy tear a person down. Exercise is the best remedy, and so this afternoon we climbed the first hour of the autobahn to stretch the legs and open the lungs. With new snow covering the route, we worked hard breaking new trail up to 17,700 feet, and the pickets that protect the steep slopes had to be dug out. To be sure when our time comes to go for the top, our team will be the most acclimated and best conditioned team at high camp.
High and Mighty at 17K
RMI Guides Okita, Davis & Mann
Hey Double A hope ypur not freezing your #$## off that would suck… Can’t believe you guys are hanging in there at 17k. Life at sea level is nice and warm but I’m sure the views and experience y’all are having is really special. Stay safe… Looking forward to good weather for you so you can achieve the summit, good luck too you and all your partners up there.
Posted by: mark on 6/8/2012 at 11:59 pm
“High and Mighty at 17K” is beautiful also in your realization of humility to circumstance—to your group, and specifically to Kristen who is the daughter of deepest friends and a young woman of deepest conviction, Godbless.
This morning we woke up to clear skies and beautiful views. Unfortunately, as we sipped on our morning coffee the clouds began to grow and the wind picked up. Today was not our summit day, instead we got the team moving around and doing more home improvements. I can positively say that RMI Okita has the best looking camp at 17.
Today's renovations included lowering the floor of the posh ( or cook tent) and revamping the kitchen scene. After these improvements were made everyone enjoyed some reading and napping before a delicious dinner of tortellini served with a cream garlic sauce and sun dried tomatoes. The conversation was flowing over dinner, with stories of bike racing, pets, hunting and books.
Again we are optimistic about tomorrow's weather, which is calling for a high pressure system to move in.
Wishing the wind away,
RMI Guides Lindsay, Leon, Brent and team
No. I'm afraid there were no royal celebrations of summit success for us today as we began the morning getting up with guarded optimism that the clouds and wind above us would dissipate just enough to allow us to get in a summit bid. But that did not happen, and instead we retreated back to our tents after prolonging our time over breakfast in the Posh.
Unfortunately the clouds descended and eventually we were enveloped in wind and snow that just took some of the energy and motivation we needed to work on camp. So, instead we spent a restful morning in our tents, snug and warm from the elements just beyond the thin nylon fabric we rely so vitally on for our comfort and survival.
What do we actually do during these times while waiting for the weather to improve? Of course, reading, listening to music, playing games all come to mind, but simply catching up on sleep is huge. With winds buffeting our tents during the night, coupled with the excitement and anxiety that affects us all before a possible summit day, we can all use the downtime. In fact, it's the climber that deals with this forced inactivity well that tends to be the better climber. A capacity for patience is a hallmark of good expedition climbers.
But, I never thought that spending an entire day in the old fart sack helped you out much in terms of adjusting to the altitude, so when we got a nice break in the weather we went out and built the nicest bathroom on the mountain, walled and roofed, and ready for whatever the mountain throws at us. At least we'll take comfort knowing that, when that inevitable time comes, we'll be able to answer that call without sheets of wind blown snow covering our clothes and all too vulnerably exposed parts of our anatomy.
As for tomorrow, though the forecast calls for high winds what I'm seeing right now makes me think we have a chance. The winds have calmed and it's sunny and beautiful, with simply gorgeous views of the Alaska Range from our perch here just below the summit of the tallest peak in North America.
And now, some closing words from the poet laureate of the arctic, our own Lindsay Mann:
At 17 we stay
Wishing the wind away
Cutting blocks and sawing snow
People see out camp and say wow!
A ceiling for our bathroom was done
To give us privacy from everyone
Stories over dinner we share
cause team morale is still there
Hoping to get the summit
As soon as these winds plummet
But for now we sit tight
And wish for a beautiful night
Good night from Brent Okita, Leon and Lindsay
Please ensure this marvelous structure remains intact for the next two weeks. I hope to get the chance to witness such a fine piece of engineering with my own eyes.
We fared well on our first night at 17,200'. Any little headaches of the day before vanished come morning and everyone was in good spirits by the time I 'woke' them up at 10:30. Needless to say we didn't go for the summit this morning. It was somewhat windy and cloudy all day with snow falling occasionally. Just another day at 17,200' camp.
After rather prolonged brunch we got after building some respectable walls for our tents and Posh House. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to build a nice boudoir to house our CMC (clean mountain can). But, there's always tomorrow should we not get a chance for the summit.
The weather forecast is not promising for the next couple of days, but considering that they are as often wrong as right up here, that doesn't bother me. I'll be getting up in the cold morning hours regardless to see for myself.
Everyone is feeling good and doing well up here in this rather inhospitable world of cold and high elevation. And when it came time to crank out the block cutting and wall building this team went after it. That said, we all sure appreciated getting out of the gusty winds and snow when the time came to finish for the day. Lunch in the Posh and some horizontal time in the tents never felt better.
Finally, we all want to shout out a big Happy Birthday to Phil. Phil. we miss you dearly and wish you were up here with us, cutting blocks and eating dehydrated meals. Now tell me, can you beat that down there? I didn't think so.
Let's hope for a change in the weather. It doesn't seem quite so windy right now, so ...
Goodnight from 17,200'
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Lindsay
Hi, this is Brent along with Leon and Lindsay calling from 17,000’ camp on the West Buttress here on Mt. McKinley.
We have just gotten up to our high camp here today after a grueling but a great climb in which everyone climbed super well. Right now it’s about 10 o’clock and the guides are just getting into their sleeping bags after getting dinner and filling up water bottles and all that good stuff.
Currently the conditions are pretty good, a little windy just 20 mph winds. We are in a bit of a white out, a little snow blowing but not too bad.
We are up here now, the forecast isn’t for horrible conditions but not bluebird, perfect conditions either. And that’s ok for us because we wouldn’t mind a rest day after our big climb up from the 14,000’ camp this morning.
We’ll be waking up early to check the weather just in case we have a perfect day. If that’s the case and there’s no wind then we are going to go for the summit tomorrow morning. So wish us luck on that. Otherwise we’ll be here and we have plenty of supplies to last us through any storm that might come our way.
That is all from 17,000 foot camp.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
RMI Guide Brent Okita checks in from 17,000 ft on Mt. McKinley
17.2K so far! How quickly you’ve done this! SO proud of the whole group. Cant believe that you may actually have a shot at the summit so quickly! Wishing you the best of weather and warm sleeping bags for the night! Missing my nightly conversations with Pea! Enjoy the view from the top of the US Kristen and then come home safe and sound! Love you.
Posted by: Timothy Kelliher MD on 6/4/2012 at 6:55 pm
Gary, Congrats! It’s been awesome to follow along! Rory keeps asking me “how does Uncle Gary do that?” He’s excited to get back to the climbing wall! Love, Lorrie, Chas, Carson and Rory
Posted by: Lorrie, Chas, Carson & Rory on 6/16/2012 at 4:37 pm
Congratulations Kristen! We want to hear all about it when you get back to the Upper Valley.
Posted by: ASOLO USA on 6/15/2012 at 1:39 pm
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