Entries By jackson breen
May 31, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Monday, May 30, 2022 - 10:43 pm PT
Today we rested again at 14,000' Camp. The team has been soaking up the rest, eating lots of food and drinking plenty of fluids. Thanks for following along and we will keep you posted on what we end up doing tomorrow!
Thanks,
RMI Guides JT, Matias, Jackson and the RMI team.
May 29, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Sunday, May 29, 2022 - 6:20 pm PT
The team enjoyed a beautiful day at 14,000' Camp today, resting from the days prior and preparing for the days ahead! We are planning to rest again tomorrow, after the last ten days the team deserves it!
RMI Guides JT, Jackson, Matias and the RMI team
Looks as though you’ve all built quite a lovely camp there at 14K - hard to imagine a better view! (Are those skis near that snow wall? Ambitious!)
Enjoy the rest and thank you for all the updates - they really mean a lot.
Posted by: Nestor Davidson on 5/29/2022 at 11:01 pm
May 29, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Denali
Elevation: 14,200'
May 29 12:04am PT
This morning we woke up with the goal of caching gear and food as close to 17 camp as possible. As we passed each of the normal places people cache below 17 camp, such as the top of the fixed lines, below Washburns thumb etc., we just couldn’t find a reason to not keep going.
The weather was perfect, not a whisper of wind, and the views endless. The team was performing extremely well at such high altitude for the first time this trip, not to mention how they floated through the most technical terrain we’ve encountered thus far, so we went all the way to 17,000 ft camp. After digging ourselves a hole to cache in, we retraced our steps back down the west buttress and the fixed lines until we rolled into camp just as the shadow of the mountain engulfed the tent city.
All in all, a successful day completed by a strong team!
Strong team makes big progress at high altitudes. We love it!
Posted by: Amy Houston on 5/30/2022 at 4:59 am
Way to go guys! Thinking of you all and hoping for fair weather the next few days. Just back from a week of sailing in gale force winds on the west coast of Scotland so am very glad you don’t have that!! Love, Charles and Jennifer.
Posted by: Charles Platt on 5/29/2022 at 12:53 pm
May 28, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Denali
Elevation: 14,200'
Friday May 27, 2022 10:37pm PT
It was a beautiful day today at 14,000' camp. We slept in, ate breakfast burritos, then napped, read and ate some more.
After reviewing some more mountaineering skills, we ate more burritos for dinner. With the sunny skies, warm temperatures and the menu today, it almost felt like we were in Mexico.
Stay tuned for what we get up to tomorrow!
RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the Denali Team
Great progress so far! Hope you enjoy some well deserved R&R!
Posted by: Ramsay Bader on 5/29/2022 at 6:56 am
Go Team RMI - sending positive thoughts and wishes from Mount Washington NH!
Posted by: Jennifer Huntington on 5/29/2022 at 3:47 am
May 27, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Denali
Elevation: 14,200'
Thursday, May 26, 2022 10:14 pm PT
Our first full day at Camp was a beautiful one! We slept in and then did a back carry to get all of our gear up to our camp here at 14,200'. Then we enjoyed relaxing and enjoying the sun for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow is going to be a much deserved rest day!
Thanks for following.
RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the RMI Team
Love seeing this top of the world images and imagining all you strong climbers taking it in. Good luck and thanks for sending these back down to the rest of us cheering for you!
Posted by: Sarah Williams on 6/1/2022 at 6:50 am
Hi Ken! Really enjoying the updates and pictures of the magnificent scenery!
Hope you and your teammates are all doing well!
Diane & John
Posted by: Diane & John Bertosa on 5/28/2022 at 10:52 am
May 26, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
Thursday, May 26, 2022 - 1:09 am PT
Today started with a classic case of the Denali waiting game due to another snowy morning at 11,000' Camp. After breakfast we waited (mostly packed) in our tents to see what the weather was going to do.
As we waited in nervous anticipation, the only sounds you could hear was the flit, flit, flit of snow falling against the tent, the occasional clang of a pot from somewhere in camp, and the ziiiiiip of a tent opening just enough for a restless head to peek out and look up the mountain.
At around 930 the clouds broke enough for us to see that the winds were not blowing around the newly fallen snow, so in organized chaos we finished packing up and departed camp.
We then spent the day in and out of the clouds which saved us from the heat we have become quite accustomed to trying to avoid.
And now we are all set up at 14,000' Camp and looking forward to some rest after a hard week!
RMI Guides JT, Matias, Jackson and the rest of the RMI team.
Enjoy your R&R at 14, and good luck when it’s time to move higher! Great following your excellent progress upwards!
Posted by: Henry & Kathy Huntington on 5/26/2022 at 9:11 am
AMAZING! Keep the post coming. They are a highlight of our day. :)
Posted by: Pat & Amy Breen on 5/26/2022 at 8:08 am
May 25, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 - 7:42 pm PT
What a day it was today! We were able to cache at 13,500 ft. The winds were calm all day, and the clouds were only below us, which created a sense of floating through the sky as we carried out gear up the mountain.
Now we are back at 11,000' Camp, all safe and sound!!
RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the RMI team
Great to hear!! Sam you’re crushing it!!
Posted by: Ramsay Bader on 5/25/2022 at 8:30 pm
Great job everybody! Thinking of you every day and hoping you’re having a great climb. Love you Clare and Sam!
Posted by: Kathy Huntington on 5/25/2022 at 3:08 pm
May 24, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Monday, May 23, 2022 - 6:10 pm PT
Today we awoke to a world of synchronized visual perception, everything was the same milky white, the sky, the ground and the thin cover of frost draped over all the man made intrusions on this arctic alpine environment. Quite a stark contrast from the last few days of around the clock blue skies.
Despite the lack of visibility we still prepared to carry our gear as if the weather wasn’t part of the equation, hoping the eternal Alaskan summer sun would penetrate the trillions of suspended water molecules, and provide us with the conditions so desired to continue the task of climbing this mountain.
Unfortunately that didn’t happen soon enough, so we decided to use our time in the next most productive way, resting. The team enjoyed letting our bodies recuperate and help red blood cell counts climb after four days of work.
Tomorrow we will see what the mountain sends our way and keep you all posted!
RMI Guides JT, Matias, Jackson and the RMI team
Enjoy the rest little gomie :) Back to work tomorrow!
Posted by: Pat Breen on 5/24/2022 at 2:38 pm
Enjoy the rest day!!
Posted by: Nestor Davidson on 5/24/2022 at 9:15 am
May 23, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Sunday, May 22, 2022 - 10:15 pm PT
Back carry day.
Today was a little more relaxed than the last few, although we still got up early to beat the heat. We walked downhill to retrieve our gear from our cache, with commanding views of Foraker and Crosson. We were back at 11,000ft Camp by 11 in the morning and spent the rest of the day eating pancakes and reviewing mountaineering skills.
Weather permitting we hope to cache as close to 14,000' camp as we can tomorrow!
Thanks for following along.
RMI Guides JT, Jackson, Matias and the RMI team
Woop woop! Awesome work everyone and lots of love to Sam and Clare!
Posted by: Caleb Huntington on 5/23/2022 at 1:39 pm
Amazing photos. And glad for the sunshine and great progress. Houstons are glued to the blog!
Posted by: AMY HOUSTON on 5/23/2022 at 9:38 am
May 22, 2022
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
Saturday, May 21, 2022 - 9:49 pm PT
Today we poked our heads out of our bags just as the sun was doing the same above the eastern horizon. Believe it or not it can be incredibly hot on Denali, and today was one of those days.
We got out and up to 11,000' Camp in great form, just as the inferno hit. We set up camp while the glaciers around us reflected the long wave radiation, making it feel as if we were in a microwave. But regardless we got camp set up and got some time to relax.
It’s been a grueling few days and now we get to enjoy the relative comfort of 11,000' Camp.
That’s all for now.
RMI Guide JT Schmitt and the RMI team
Hi JT Schmitt I am your Great Aunt who lives on a farm by Cresco Iowa. Your Granddad Joe is my brother. I am so happy to beable to keep in touch with you way up in the air. I will stay where it is nice and warm. The farming is going good for the farmers around here. Crops all in and growing. I hope to see you in august this year. Hope is works out. Just want to say Hello from Iowa. auntie Joyce PS Be safe you and the rest of the climbers
Posted by: joyce mrachek on 5/31/2022 at 5:28 pm
Rest well. Exciting days ahead!
Posted by: Amy Houston on 5/31/2022 at 8:08 am
View All Comments