Entries By brent okita
June 25, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Henry Coppolillo, Trevor Katz, Sam Hoffman, Mike Bennett, Evan Redman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Five-Day climb led by RMI Guides, Brent Okita and Henry Coppolillo, reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. They enjoyed absolutely beautiful day on top this morning with a great route and enjoyable weather.
They will enjoy a casual walk back down to Camp Muir to do some more training this afternoon and tomorrow morning. The team will return to Basecamp tomorrow.
Nice work team!
June 21, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Mike Haugen, Nicole De Petris, Sam Hoffman, Charlie Harrison, Cal Seeley
Categories:
Elevation: 14,410'
RMI Guides Brent Okita & Mike Haugen reported a perfect day of climbing on Mt. Rainier today. The Four Day Climb June 18 - 21 reached the summit around 7 am and enjoyed some time in the crater before starting their descent. The teams started their descent from the crater rim just after 8 am and will return to Camp Muir. After a short break the teams will continue the final 4.5 miles to Paradise and be transferred back to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
June 15, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Hannah Smith, Josh Geiser, Lacie Smith, Evan Sather, Mitch Valaitis
Categories:
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb June 12 - 15 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita & Hannah Smith reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning just before 7 am PT. Brent reported gusty winds during their climb today. The teams didn't stay long on the summit and are descending to Camp Muir. After a short stop at Camp Muir the teams will continue down to Paradise and return to Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
June 10, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Emma Lyddan reached to summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. The team had low visibility, and light snowfall and only spent a short amount of time on the summit before starting their descent.They will be back at Rainier Basecamp in the early afternoon to celebrate their success.
Congratulations team!
June 3, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Joe Hoch
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Joe Hoch reached the 14,410' summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Joe Hoch reported a beautiful day of climbing with 20 mph breeze from the southwest. The team is on the descent making their way back to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to Today's Team!
May 24, 2023
Posted by: Brent Okita, Andy Bond
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Today our Expedition Skills Seminar Team led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Andy Bond reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. It was an unexpectedly stormy climb into a big cloud cap where the rime stuck to everything and everyone. but the team crushed it! The weather finely broke as they approached their last break giving them a nice view from the top.
The team celebrated their summit back at Ingraham Flats. They will spend the remainder of the week training in and around Camp Muir.
Congratulations Team!
GREAT JOB everyone! I won’t embarrass someone by naming him but he knows who he is and how proud we are!
Posted by: Donna Medica on 5/24/2023 at 7:53 pm
August 7, 2022
Posted by: Brent Okita, Christina Dale, Ben Luedtke, Erika Birkeland, Josh Geiser, Trevor Katz
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four-Day teams reached the summit this morning at 5 am! RMI Guides Brent Okita and Christina Dale reported great route conditions and no winds on the summit. They are currently finishing their descent to Camp Muir for a quick break before packing up camp and starting their descent to Paradise in the summer sunshine.
Congrats team!
Congratulations to everyone! Special thank you to Lead Guide Christina, and to Trevor for all his help with me on the descent. So very proud my son Christian Rainier Culbert summited a 2nd year in a row with RMI. On an even more beautiful day this time when they got to see the sunrise from the summit. I’ll always remember (rue?) the unique challenge of Disappointment Cleaver. Pre-dawn on the Ingraham Flats with Gibraltar Rock looming behind us in that early light, a canopy of stars just beginning to fade above us…a moment I will treasure. Appreciated everything so much; RMI you are a credit to your stewardship of our beloved Mt. Rainier.
Posted by: Geoff Culbert on 8/8/2022 at 7:35 am
I don't know how the Ngorongoro Crater can be beat but Tarangire National Park may have done just that. What an incredible day!
Having gotten some much needed souvenir shopping done on the way to the park we arrived before lunch time and decided to put some miles in before stopping to eat. In the first 3 miles we saw so much game that we had to turn back to eat at the designated picnic stop by the entrance.
With our fill of zebra, wildebeest, impala, giraffes, elephants and more, all at less than a stone's throw away, we went on the search for a lion. Did we ever score, thanks to our safari guides/drivers. Lions hanging in the grass were nothing compared to seeing two hanging out on a tree limb. This was followed up by seeing a young male who was busy digesting his kill from the morning that we passed by earlier. Then, miraculously, we came upon a leopard lounging in a tree, surveilling her area hoping for dinner to walk by. This was a first for me, and we were all quite excited about it.
Then, it was a long 1 1/2 hr drive to our lodge in the park. When we finally got there, we were amazed at just how incredible this place was. Not only super posh, but as we sipped on drinks on the patio listening to the manager explain about life at his safari lodge in the park, we had elephants. Impala and several other species of game walking past the lodge in plain sight. Then, in our ''rooms' we found 5-star accommodations waiting for us. I think we're all in awe!
Now, later, I'll just say that dinner was perfect, and I didn't get jumped by a lion on the way back to my quarters
All for now,
RMI Guide Brent Okita & Team
Oh my goodness, it all sounds amazing!!!
Posted by: Andrea Murphy on 7/28/2022 at 1:26 pm
I'm continually amazed with the Ngorongoro Crater each time I visit. The variety and sheer number of animals we see blows my mind. Today might have surpassed what I've seen in prior trips.
It started with a bang as one of the first critters we encountered was a hyena feeding on a carcass with a jackal and vulture looking on. A Nat Geo moment if there ever was. It got better from there on. The animal we all wanted to really see, simba, popped into view not terribly long after the hyena. A big male showed itself for us looking as regal and mighty as only a big cat can look. Later, we got closer looks at a pride of four or five lions, including a young male, resting by a river, content to relax before they go hunting again. Perhaps the coolest thing was just being in the middle of hundreds, if not thousands, of animals like wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, warthog, Cape Buffalo, and more. All just milling around, some just inches from the vehicle and more as far as the eye could see. Things were so active we were delayed in reaching the designated picnic area for lunch because we had to stop and gawk so much.
Finally, we made it to our lunch site and were treated to a great meal centered around chicken shishkabobs. On our way out we stopped by a Masai bomba, or village, where we were invited to learn about their culture and how they live. Sure, we pay for the privilege, but I think it money well spent as it helps support these people who are caught between keeping to their traditional ways while existing in a world so unlike theirs.
The day ended with another gourmet dinner, the likes of which none of us commonly partake. A nice South African Cabernet seemed an appropriate pairing to the wonderful meal. The great company only made the evening perfect.
Tomorrow: Tarangire National Park!
Cheers,
RMI Guide Brent Okita & Team
With sadness we bid adieu to six of our teammates from the climb as they embarked on their short day safari before flying off tonight. But with much excitement we started our own four day safari with some new folks. The Cognetto's added a couple of family members (wife/mom, son/bro), plus Nick's girlfriend. But first we had to celebrate another birthday, George's, at breakfast. In typical Tanzanian fashion the staff came out to sing the national feel good song Jambo Bwana, plus Happy Birthday. Of course, candles and cake were on hand too.
Our visit to Lake Manyara didn't disappoint as we got into elephants and baboons within five minutes of entering the gates of this cool national park. But, quite frankly, the giraffes, hippo, Buffalo, eagles and other animals, while great, were somewhat eclipsed by the actions of a couple of our team. A marriage proposal was made, knee bent and ring offered, in the middle of this amazing part of Africa, and was accepted! This, to the enthusiastic approval of dozens of on lookers at our lunch spot. Yeah, I must admit to becoming an emotional marshmallow seeing this proposal unfold as I joined in the clapping of support for these two wonderful people. And again, that incredible Tanzanian spirit of celebration and happiness came out as the group of safari guides that happened to be at the lunch site with their clients, broke into the Mambo Bwana song to recognize this special occasion.
Congratulations Jess and Nick! Cheers to a long and happy life together!
RMI Guide Brent Okita and Team
From the Plantation Lodge near the Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania
The excitement continues. Congratulations Jess and Nick!
All of this the happy reward celebration of a climb accomplished.
Can’t wait to hear all about it all Glen and Thomas.
XOXO Mom/ aka Moma
Posted by: Ginee Philippy on 7/27/2022 at 9:03 am
Great job everyone! Sorry I couldn’t climb with you.
Posted by: David Jesmer on 6/25/2023 at 9:01 pm
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