Entries By dominic cifelli
Thursday, June 6, 2019 - 5:04 PM PT
There was a light breeze that rattled the tents last night. The first few nights away from a comfortable bed can be an adjustment. The Team woke to a cold and mostly clear morning. We pumped the brakes a bit to let the air warm up and see what the clouds were doing North of us in the interior. After breakfast the clouds lifted and we launched to take advantage of the clear skies before forecasted thunderstorms and snow arrived. Our route to the cache at 9,300’ takes us up Ski Hill (it’s got the grade of a ski hill) and along the flanks of
Kahiltna Dome. The pack loads are heavy but the Team handled it with mostly smiles while taking the time to enjoy the scenic down glacier vistas. We have to cache our food and fuel in the snow so ravens do not dig it up, this typically requires a 1 meter deep hole. We are back in a white out at 7800’ Camp hanging in tents enjoying the solar and having some lunch. Tomorrow we hope to get clear skies and a cold/early start to beat the weather into 11,200’ Camp. Thanks for following along. Everyone is healthy and happy.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Wednesday, June 5, 2019 - 10:39 PM PT
Wow! We got a little bit of every weather pattern today on our move to
Camp 1 located at 7,800’. It was overcast, hot, cold, windy, calm, thunder and we got two different rounds of snow. Back to the beginning of the day, our flight into the Alaska Range was spectacular. After a quick breakfast, K2 Aviation told us to suit up and put boots on, we were going flying. The Team did well with the heavy packs and sleds. We got into camp after seven hours and while the tents are bombproof, the rest is like that pig who made his house out of straw. Tomorrow we hope to carry half our camp up to 10,000’ but we might get weathered in. Regardless we’ll check in and look forward to another day on Denali.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 6:41 PM PT
The Team arrived in Anchorage yesterday and we had a nice drive to the little hamlet of Talkeetna. Today we woke up and got a good breakfast on board before diving into an extensive gear check and packing session. The Team members got to know one another as they sifted through Oreos, nuts, candy and all sorts of other gear we will need to climb this mountain over the next three weeks. Once we were packed and weighed in for our flight there was some down time before dinner. Getting out of Talkeetna is always a bit of a scramble but the process of packing for a big expedition is essential to being organized and prepared for the weather and terrain that lie ahead. Everyone is excited and a little nervous to get started and rightfully so, this really is an experience of a lifetime! 3 weeks in the Alaska Range, traveling among giants to attempt the 20,320’ summit of Denali.
We will be checking in daily, thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
RMI Guide Walter Hailes checked in this morning from Camp Muir. The
Muir Seminar team is back from their summit bid. Due to unstable snow conditions, the teams turned after Ingraham Flats. The team had a mix of weather during their week-long seminar- some spectacular views and also some stormy weather of high winds and blowing snow. They learned a lot of mountaineering skills to take home with them after a week on Mount Rainier.
The
Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons July 7 - 12 led by
RMI Guide Jordan Cargill reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning via the Emmons Glacier route. The weather is beautiful with clear skies and calm winds. The team was able to enjoy some time on the summit before beginning their descent. Jordan and team will return to Camp Schurman for their final night on the mountain. Tomorrow they will continue their descent to the trail head and then return to Rainier BaseCamp.
Congratulations to today's Emmons Seminar team!
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Following the blog. Have an amazing time and stay safe, enjoy the adventure
Love marie
Posted by: Marie Pope on 6/7/2019 at 1:55 pm
We’re following you and your team. What an amazing adventure! The photos are gorgeous. Stay safe and have a fantastic time!
Posted by: Stephanie Smith on 6/7/2019 at 4:38 am
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