Entries By megan budge

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Carry to 17K Camp

June 10, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

June 10, 2017 7:46 pm PST Today we may very well have nailed it. Waking early for an extended weather viewing to establish any discernible trend, we left camp with reasonable visibility. The team did great as we broke trail up to the base of the fixed lines. We rested at the base of the lines as the weather slowly deteriorated and our friends from RMI 4 joined us in solidarity on a fitness walk. Once we were a big party and the cache was established, we descended back to 14 Camp for some rest before dinner. The winds and snow picked up nearly as soon as we got home and we are now poised to go to 17K once the weather allows. It has been pretty squirrelly in the weather department lately, but the team is hanging tough, waiting for our time to shine. RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Hope the weather cooperates for the safe completion of your climb. for poet William Blake"Great things are done when men (/women) and mountains meet.” Continued safety for the Team! from Darren D

Posted by: Darren D on 6/12/2017 at 1:27 pm

keep up the great work, kenny. i have faith that your team will make it. we are all rooting for you back at home. love, anne

Posted by: anne lawler on 6/11/2017 at 5:48 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Train at 14,000’ Camp

June 9, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,000'

June 9, 2017 Today we enjoyed a little bit of sleeping in before a solid brunch. The weather has been persnickety of late, but our team is handling the storm well, fortifying camp at 14,000' and swapping stories in our cook tent. Naps are a big part of the downtime as we wait for a chance to move higher. Yesterday we went for a training mission to hone our skills for the fixed lines and everyone did a great job, passing their rope skills test with flying colors. Cross your fingers for some good weather for us! RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Lindsay - hope you are having the time of your life! It seems like weather is not cooperating but I am sure it will turn around. Hang in there!

Posted by: Manish on 6/10/2017 at 4:08 pm

Steve, We are in awe watching you and your team embrace this journey.You are all truly amazing!! Hang in there man…you are living the dream…We love you and can’t wait to see, hug , and have a very expensive bottle of wine and dinner with you!! Stay safe all. Ruth and Mike

Posted by: Mike and Ruth on 6/10/2017 at 2:51 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Take Rest Day At 14,000’ Camp

June 8, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

June 7, 2017 We are writing from our newly built snow fortress at 14,000'. After a leisurely wake up time and a hearty brunch of bagels and smoked salmon (with capers!), we set our sights on fortifying our camp with some snow walls. The team worked seamlessly to make a solid camp that can withstand wind and blowing snow. With our work for the day out of the way, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our cozy tents. Our bellies are filled with a delicious dinner of chicken quesadillas, and we are looking forward to some more technical training tomorrow. Good night from 14,200 feet on Denali! RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Cheryl, I’m almost unbearably proud to call a woman like you one of my dearest.
Cheerleading so ridiculously hard with my five star dance moves for you ! (I’d like to think in a way that would make you turn bright red and step slightly to the side - the psych is that real)
Mind
Over
Matter
Keep crushing! You’ve already reached the summit of my heart .
Hugs ❤️
Sarah

Posted by: Sarah on 6/9/2017 at 12:17 pm

Jake Jirsa - We’re watching you! Keep it up man. You’re only a few inches from the top on the map!

Posted by: Jim and Kerynn on 6/9/2017 at 11:42 am

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp

June 7, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

Jake Beren & Team checking in. We moved to 14.000' Camp on Denali yesterday. Today we are busy building walls and fortifying our camp and getting settled in. We will spend tomorrow training and are enjoying the thinner air. All is well!

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

14000 - awesome! Stay Strong everyone!
Go Steve!

Mike and Pat

Posted by: Mike and Pat Lurakis on 6/8/2017 at 8:18 am

happy birthday to ken at 14000! love from your wife and family.

Posted by: anne lawler on 6/7/2017 at 9:27 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Take a Rest Day at 11,000’ Camp

June 6, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,000'

June 5, 2017 Today the team woke to find a fresh coat of feather light snow over camp, with more coming down. We were content to snuggle back into our sleeping bags for a few more hours before the sun finally appeared. After a satisfying breakfast of granola with fresh blueberries, we spent the morning practicing ascending fixed lines in preparation for when we move from 14,000' Camp to 17,000'. We followed up our training with a delicious potluck lunch. Now we are getting ready for bed with full bellies and well rested legs. If weather allows, we will try move up to 14,000' Camp tomorrow. Good night from 11,000'! RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Patients, patients, patients- would have thought you would have had plenty of them over the years Steve - oh sorry wrong kind - well praying for patience for all! Hang in there and enjoy every moment of this epic adventure! Pat :)

Posted by: Mike and Pat Lurakis on 6/7/2017 at 3:26 pm

Happy birthday to Ken Lawler! Hopefully you guys are up at 14 camp at this point and ready to take on the buttress. Good luck, sending good SoCal weather your way.

Posted by: Brad Lawler on 6/7/2017 at 12:52 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Carry to 14,000’

June 4, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,200'

June 4, 2017 Anticipating a long hard day we woke the team and fired stoves at 5AM. After a hearty breakfast of toasted bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon and capers the team quickly assembled for the climb. Skies were clear when we left camp and the temps quite cool, great for climbing! The plan for the day was to carry a cache of gear to 14k Camp to both lessen the burden of weight when we eventually move and to acclimate to a new altitude. We climb through several iconic features on the way including Motorcycle Hill, Squirrel Hill, The Polo Fields and finally Windy Corner. The team did great and were psyched to leave the sleds and snowshoes behind for crampons and an ice axe! Clouds started billowing in just as we reached 14k camp so we dug our cache spent a few moments to refuel, re-hydrate and breathe the new air at 14,000'. The team is all now back at camp and doing great. Tomorrows agenda is unknown, a lot depends on the weather forecast. We may take a rest day or we may move camp up to 14k. You'll just have to tune in tomorrow to find out! Thanks for following along everybody. RMI Guide Steve Gately & Team

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Excellent progress Lindsay! Rooting for you. Go, go, go!!!

Posted by: Patty on 6/5/2017 at 10:49 pm

Che-che! Have the best time, everything will be waiting for you when you get back. Only better. :)

Posted by: e on 6/5/2017 at 12:46 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Retrieve Gear and Return to 11,000’ Camp

June 3, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,000'

June 3, 2017 Waking early yet again, our team of intrepid mountaineers had a quick breakfast and fired downhill to our cache at 10,000 ft. Once packs and sleds were sufficiently filled we returned back to camp as the rest of the 11,000' Camp inhabitants were poking their heads out of tents. After a big lunch of rosti and stories, the team reviewed some climbing techniques and packed up for our next carry towards 14,000' Camp. If the weather cooperates we will bump supplies uphill tomorrow to set ourselves up to move locations. We have heard that 14,200 feet above the sea is a nice neighborhood and we aim to get in while prices are still reasonable. Location, location, location as they say. The team is still doing great and we are ready for the next step. RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Got your satellite text. Glad to hear you are doing well. Thinking of you and your team a lot. Good luck.

Posted by: Jo on 6/6/2017 at 8:57 am

Burt’s Bees beard looking good Big Stephen! Good luck- hope they have some juicy chicken to keep your energy up.

Posted by: Jake on 6/5/2017 at 1:55 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Move to 11,000’ Camp

June 3, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,000'

June 2, 2017 Our team sends their greetings from 11 Camp! Everyone did quite well on the move here and we enjoyed another perfect weather day on our way up. We left early to beat the heat and it paid off. Once at camp we enjoyed some mellow camp construction and rest whilst our comrades made their way down from 17 Camp. It was great to see some triumphant souls and friendly (if scraggly) faces. Tomorrow we hope to back carry and claim our checked baggage and spend the rest of the day training and resting before working our way any higher. All subject to our beloved Mom Nature of course. RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Good luck to the team. Hoping for the magic 50th for one of your team. Cheering you on.

Posted by: Salomeja on 6/5/2017 at 1:57 pm

Adam glad Mother Nature has been kind to you and your team. Wishing you well ❤️

Posted by: Dacia on 6/3/2017 at 10:13 pm

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Denali Expediton: Beren & Team Make Carry to 10,000’

June 2, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 7,800'

June 1, 2017 Greetings from our second night at the base of Ski Hill/Camp 1! Today we set off early and enjoyed perfect walking temps as we carried our checked baggage to 10,000 feet and cached a sizable load to make tomorrow's move more civilized. If the forecast verifies, we will try to move uphill in the early morning and make our way to 11 Camp. The team is doing great and perfect weather has welcomed us into the Alaska Range. Big Ups to the first two RMI teams as they get rewarded for their patience and perseverance- Bravo! We hope to check in from 11,200 feet above the sea tomorrow night! RMI Guide Jake Beren

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Your text just make our day
Stay safe and warm if possible
Prayers to all the team

Posted by: Mom and Dad Zabinski on 6/3/2017 at 6:21 pm

GOD SPEED !

Posted by: Jerome on 6/3/2017 at 6:06 pm

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Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Fly to the Kahiltna Glacier

June 1, 2017

Posted by: Jake Beren, Steve Gately, Megan Budge

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 7,800'

May 31, 2017 The team woke up this morning, ate one last home cooked breakfast and gathered at the hanger where our gear was waiting at K2 Aviation. The bad weather of the last few days cleared up over night and we anticipated being able to fly into the range early this morning. We all spent a few moments finalizing our backpacks and duffels when K2 gave us the thumbs up. We quickly loaded up two aircraft with everything we'll need for the next three weeks and before we knew it we were in world of flowing ice, snow and rock. A 45 minute plane ride takes you from the comforts of town and puts you rather abruptly in a harsh environment and every year I'm always amazed at how I never quite get used to how quickly life changes in Talkeetna. For many decades starting in the early 1900's expeditions would start there journey with a week or more of toiling through the Alaskan bush just to reach where we have flown in under an hour. I'll take the plane please! An hour spent repacking and gearing up had us walking down the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier by noon. The skies were blue, the temps pleasant and the views massive. Only once in the last 4 years have I had the pleasure of walking up the Kahiltna Glacier with a view and the team did great readjusting to life in the range. Five hours of hard work brought us to our first camp at the base of Ski Hill at 7,800ft. We spent the afternoon setting up our camp. The team is now tucked in for the night getting some well earned rest. Tomorrow we will cache some gear at 10,000ft then return back to 7,800 to sleep. Forecast is calling for more good weather tomorrow and the team is excited to explore new terrain! Thanks for following along everyone. RMI Guide Steve Gately

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Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Hi!!! Thinking about you tons! Hope u r enjoying every minute! Can’t wait to hear all about it in person! Love Us

Posted by: Cosco Clan on 6/2/2017 at 2:51 pm

Good morning to all
Wish I could make you all my famous meatballs and homemade pasta
Be safe
You have hundreds of people sending you all good wishes and prayers
Love you Stephen
mom/dad - aka Tina and John

Posted by: Tina Zabinski on 6/2/2017 at 6:11 am

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Entries By megan budge

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Carry to 17K Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Train at 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Take Rest Day At 14,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Move to 14,000’ Camp

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Take a Rest Day at 11,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Carry to 14,000’

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Retrieve Gear and Return to 11,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Move to 11,000’ Camp

On The Map

Denali Expediton: Beren & Team Make Carry to 10,000’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Beren & Team Fly to the Kahiltna Glacier

On The Map

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