Entries By brent okita
May 20, 2012
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Despite stormy conditions, a small
summit climb team reached the summit today led by
Brent Okita. The team did not linger on the summit before beginning their descent at 8:00 a.m. The climbs are back to Paradise and are currently on their way to Rainier Basecamp in Ashford.
Congratulations!
May 16, 2012
Posted by: Brent Okita, Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
SUMMIT!
Our first Five Day Summit Climb of the 2012 Season reached the top of Mt. Rainier this morning. RMI Guides Brent Okita and Casey Grom and their teams reported clear skies and moderate winds. They began their descent at 7:30 a.m. and are en route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team.
April 10, 2012
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,060'
We had some high winds during the night. At dawn the winds deteriorated and we barely had any wind today. Great morning of
training with self- and team- ice axe arrest and cramponing. With our crampons on, we roped up and went to the nearby glacier to train. Our tentative plan is to do crevasse rescue training tomorrow. The forecast is for more high winds coming in tomorrow. The winds are supposed to decrease tomorrow night, which looks like the best summit bid window. We’ll have an exploratory team go up later today or tomorrow to check out route conditions.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
April 9, 2012
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,060'
The Expedition Skills Seminar - Winter reached Camp Muir this afternoon. They started from Paradise at 9:45 this morning and pulled into Camp Muir at 4:45. The weather was fantastic! It was like a summer day for much of the hike. The snowfield was in great shape. As they gained some elevation, some high clouds came in and they entered into a cloud cap. Presently it is fairly nice and a little windy but they are enjoying Camp Muir at just over 10,000'. The team looks forward to doing a bunch of training tomorrow.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
June 5, 2011
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 350'
Clouds everywhere was the order of the day. We had basically cast any hope for flying out today right out the door. The forecast was bad. Through a sat phone call to Joe Horiskey, our boss at the office, I learned that the Talkeetna web cam showed nothing but dark masses of rain clouds backed up to the mountains. And, it was crappy up on the airstrip.
Come about noon I did notice the sun barely visible above the dense clouds, and wagered we would be flying out that day. But it was a wager to boost flagging spirits as much as anything. We all took to some serious tent time to talk, read, listen or play cards.
Then...the familiar drone of a plane comes into earshot. Maile looks at me but we figure it's just a tourist overflight high above us. We look out the window and can't believe it's coming in! No warning from Lisa the Basecamp manager or anything this time.
And then...all hell breaks loose as everyone scrambles to get tents down and gear packed.
By the time K2 gets in we're ready. Flying out, the brief weather window closes and I'm afraid we'll be turning back. Maile's knuckles are turning white with the trepidation we all feel as the visibility drops. It's snowing again. We fly out the long way out to avoid the more direct, but higher passes. But Chuck, our pilot, apparently had no desire to spend the night on the glacier, and we all make it out. Just in time. No other flights get back in that day!
I'm finishing this final dispatch the next morning after devouring a huge steak dinner and drinking way too much of anything but water at the local watering hole, the Fairview Inn.
We're on our way to Anchorage now where the team will part ways to reunite with loved ones. Leon, Maile and I have other plans. We're going fishing!
See ya next year,
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Maile
June 4, 2011
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,800'
The first plane got out over an hour ago with Leon, Clay, Steve, Hao and Sergey. Two other planes came in to take two other groups out then returned minutes later, unable to safely get out because of clouds that came in to obscure visibility out of the mountains. As I began this we were still hopeful that planes would fly, but since then we have put up tents as it has now started to snow. Could this be the front forecasted to come in?
In many ways this has been the most difficult part of the trip for some. The dashed hopes, uncertainty, and expectanct waiting. People may get angry with pilots' decisions, or even guide services' decisions on what flight company to do business. But all that seems so trite and inconsequential when the realities of the situation are understood. These pilots work under such pressures to get people in and out under sometimes very adverse conditions, and i'd rather they be just a little conservative with my life, as well as those of my clients. Hearing stories of 'other' pilots ducking into and out of holes does not inspire me to any great degree.
Besides, getting 'stuck' here on the Kahiltna Glacier, one of the most beautiful places in the world, with Mt Hunter towering over us just 10 minutes away, and Foraker just across the way, 10,000' above us, seems to me OK.
Since composing the above we've spent a restful day in the tent. Some 'quality tent time.' A thing we've not had in abundance on this trip. And tonight we've joined with the half of Tyler Jones' group that got flown in for a fun and entertaining dinner in the Posh tent. Would I rather be in Talkeetna right now? Perhaps. But times like this evening remind why I love my job. Getting to know new folks, laughing at ourselves, and sharing with others.
I guess I'm OK with being 'stuck on the mountain.'
RMI Guides Brent and Maile
June 2, 2011
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,000'
A plastic jar of moonshine was brought out to the cheers of the 60-70 climbers lounging about, usually draped across some part of their gear. It was drained quickly.
Earlier in the morning the skies looked dismal for planes to fly in, but as the morning progressed the weather outlook followed suit. And sure enough, another flight service got in using their ILF equipment to be able to take off and land in the fog of Talkeetna, something no other Denali plane has. So we watch expectantly for K2, our flight service to get into action soon. After a number of flights by TAT and another service we heard that K2 had turned back, not willing to risk flying into the clouds around the glacier near the airstrip. Our faith that our ride home is coming fades and frustration mounts while watching TAT customers get flown out for well over an hour. And now, a thick ground fog has enveloped the airstrip here on the SE fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. It's 4:30 and my generally optimistic outlook is certainly not what is was a few hours earlier.
But I've seen this story develop in the past. Many times I've been on the winning side of the situation, looking at climbers awaiting rides while I was on my way to a hot shower and cold beer. But today that is not the case. And it's not the fault of the pilot who turned back either. He simply refused to take the chance the other pilots did - the chance of crashing the plane with me and my group on board. So, we wait...
A couple of climbers entertain us with some blues ukulele and harmonica. Ipods are out, as are books that have yet to be finished, as we all try to relax and will the fog away. Thoughts of dinner in Talkeetna are being replaced with thoughts of putting tents back up. But, we still have plenty of time. So we wait, as do you, for our return home.
In the meantime, the flavor of moonshine lingers softly on my palate, leaving me wanting...something more.
RMI Guide Brent Okita
June 1, 2011
Posted by: Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,000'
It's been a long day that started in the wee hours of the morning. The alarm sounded about 2 hours after I sent our last dispatch. 2:00 am was a harsh hour of the day to begin our final walk out the Kahiltna Glacier, but essential to safely navigate and cross the crevasses on our way to the airstrip.
At that time the day is about as dark as it gets, which is to say it's about as dark as 1/2 hour after dusk, perhaps. Combined with cloudy, overcast weather, I wasn't entirely psyched for the walk out. But, as the morning developed things began looking brighter. We finally started off at 4:20 am and initially encountered great walking conditions. Unfortunately, as we lost elevation the snow became softer and softer, having not frozen hard overnight because of the cloud cover holding the earth's heat in. This resulted in a few minor crevasse 'falls' where some individuals broke through crevasse bridges up to their waste at most. Of course, by the time you hear their stories, these crevasse falls will have taken on epic proportions. (A night at the bar can have the same effect)
Well, we finally arrived at Base Camp with our weather outlook improving and hopes to be flown off in short order high in everyone's mind. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had something else in store for us, as it's now evening and raining out. Although comfy and snug in our tents, and happy we're not enduring a big storm up high, we of course would rather be back in Talkeetna, and a little closer to you.
Hope to see you soon!
RMI Guides Brent, Leon and Maile
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Gary, We are so excited for you! Ian and I love you very much! Ang
Posted by: Angela Rennie on 5/24/2012 at 12:01 pm
Congratulations Brad and Dave! We can’t wait to hear the story….
Love,
Rachel
Posted by: Rachel on 5/20/2012 at 9:08 pm
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