Entries By sean collon

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry to High Camp

June 28, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

June 28, 2015 12:20 am PST Big day today... In spite of the forecast for 6-12" of new snow to fall today we awoke to partly cloudy skies, sun breaks, and only occasional flurries. Our long-shot plan to carry was a reality. We got rolling and packed up loads of supplies for High Camp and after a quick breakfast we made moves for the headwall and the fixed lines. After a few growing pains the team hit their stride and were able to put a cache in all the way up at high camp. The need for a back-carry could have hamstrung us on our move but since we cached at camp we are sitting pretty, waiting for our summit attempt weather window to open up. We're planning on a rest day tomorrow and then it's game on. We're a tired bunch but we know that today's hard work will pay off. All for now! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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beard looks good on you !

Posted by: MARK AND HELEN WALSH on 6/29/2015 at 6:14 am

Hard work paying off indeed team - rest and be ready!

Doug - “If the sky could dream, it would dream of dragons”
-Llona Andrews, Fate’s Edge

Stay safe on the dragon’s back. ~Belladonna

Posted by: Belladonna on 6/28/2015 at 11:28 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Take A Snow Day

June 26, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

Friday, June 26, 2015 - 2:47 pm PT It is a snowy day here at Camp 4...The gang is currently chilling in the tents and posh on our first scheduled rest day that just happened to coincide with a change in the weather. Spirits are high and we are keeping our fingers crossed for marginally better weather tomorrow and a hopeful carry up to high camp. Quotes of the day: "Don't tell me how to eat my Oreos!" - Sean "How are geriatrics and RMI guides alike? It depends..." - Art and Doug "The wise man chooses nachos." - Mike "I gotta save Canada from those gosh darn moose..." - Marc "I love pico de gallo!" - Billy RMI Guide Billy Nugent and Team

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I love Pico de Gallo! With fresh shredded cheese.

Posted by: Michael McDonald on 6/27/2015 at 6:14 pm

enjoy your rest day !

Posted by: MARK AND HELEN WALSH on 6/27/2015 at 4:42 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Retrieve Cache at Windy Corner

June 26, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

Thursday June 25th 10:16 pm PT Hola from a sunny day up here at 14k. We enjoyed a lazy morning with a good coffee session in the posh before getting down to the business of retrieving our cache down near Windy Corner. A couple of hours was all it took and we were back in camp up in the Genet Basin in time to greet Mike Haugen's crew on their descent from high camp after their successful summit bid yesterday. Tomorrow's plans call for our first complete rest day of the trip that will hopefully set us up for a strong performance as we venture onto the upper mountain in the coming days. The weather may get a bit funky but hopefully it'll be nothing that will slow us down. More on our story as it develops... RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Artie and Charlie,
Very exciting time! Have a Blast(not Artic)!
Thinking of you,
Love and kisses,
Ted and Debbie

Posted by: ted and debbie berghorst on 6/27/2015 at 5:21 am

Art, Charlie and team. Thinking of you and what a great adventure. Be safe.
Betty

Posted by: elizabeth williams on 6/26/2015 at 1:54 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 14K Camp

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 14,200'

Wulp, your intrepid team has made it smoothly and safely into Camp 4 at over 14K! Forecasts were calling for an end to our decent weather on Thursday or Friday so we decided to push up and forego a rest day at 11. The climbers have been motivated and moving strongly throughout the trip, which made the decision to move up a relatively easy one. We were greeted by RMI Guide Pepper Dee with a great looking posh and nice camp to move into. Pepper also had plenty of cold water for us which really hit the spot after our first really hot day on the move. Not much else to report other than pretty marginal weather forecasts and a happy team sitting pretty at 14. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Go for it Art and Charlie! Hope the weather holds.

Posted by: Bill Fruamann on 6/26/2015 at 7:40 am

Great to hear the weather has cooperated so far Marco! Hopefully it will stay like that. Sounds like the whole team is doing great. Bravo!

Posted by: Mti & Dodi on 6/26/2015 at 12:34 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Cache Gear Higher on the Mountain

June 23, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,200'

Tuesday June 23rd 6:48 pm PT Greetings from another partly cloudy day here on Denali. Great weather and calm winds enabled us to push a cache up the mountain today around Windy Corner just shy of Camp 4. We were afforded glimpses of blue skies and the upper mountain through the clouds while we were preparing and covering up our supplies. We actually stumbled upon a perfectly sized cache hole abandoned by another party so little digging was necessary. Between that and the weather we've been making out pretty easy thus far. No matter, our team is gelling well and ready for the challenges that lie ahead. Sitting pretty back at 11... RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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I am glad to hear that about a father and son team climbing together. As we climb mountains we get stronger physically, but as we face mountains in our faith we must climb over them and as we do we get stronger in our faith. Remember that God is with you on every step and that He will never leave you so all of us are always with our Heavenly Father as we climb

Posted by: Kevin Stone on 6/25/2015 at 8:12 am

Doug, been thinking about your trek back to Denali often, and wish you good weather and good companionship as you reach this next goal. Best of luck and stay safe!

Posted by: William on 6/24/2015 at 8:31 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Resting at 11,200’ Camp

June 22, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,200'

June 22, 2015 - 6:34 pm PT Greetings from day two up here at 11 Camp where our team is resting after a pretty mellow back-carry down to 9,600'. We retrieved the cache of food and fuel we left behind yesterday on our move up and have been enjoying partly cloudy skies and pretty civilized temperatures thus far. The team has been taking advantage of the good weather by staying on the move. Tomorrow we're hoping to put a cache in up around Windy Corner at around 13,900' that will hopefully set us up well for a move up to Camp 4 at just over 14,000' in the next few days. Everyone is moving well and excited to keep on pushing up the mountain bit by bit. Not much else to report other than that the mountain feels quite empty. Not that we're lonely or anything, just enjoying some relatively uncommon solitude up here. All's well thus far! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Hey Doug, You’re in new territory. Keep it going.
Jean & Richard

Posted by: Jean Krohn on 6/23/2015 at 6:30 pm

You are almost there! Miss you lots Charlie!

Posted by: Katelynn on 6/23/2015 at 4:02 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Celebrate Father’s Day at 11,200’

June 22, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 11,200'

June 21, 2015 10:40pm PST Greetings on this fine Father's Day from Camp 3 at just over 11k'! Our team enjoyed a leisurely morning and a relatively quick and painless move up today with light loads and nice temps. After building camp we took advantage of the free afternoon to lounge around, snack, nap, play scrabble, dig a hole to bury a box, reposition some door knobs, moisten our fence wood, and general beveraging. Our gang is in great spirits and enjoyed our first evening hangout in the posh (cook tent) of the trip. Hoping for a continuation of the decent weather for tomorrow's back-carry down to 9,600' where we left our cache of supplies. We're also hoping that all of our fathers had a great Father's Day. Know that we're thinking about you up here! Wulp, that's all for now. RMI Guide Billy Nugent & Team

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Hi Art, was reading your diary from your 1991 climb. Hope you won’t encounter the weather and frostbite like that trip. My best to Charlie and the team.
Betty

Posted by: elizabeth williams on 6/23/2015 at 5:25 am

Moving strong team! Great job - hope all the Dad’s on the team enjoyed Father’s Day on Denali!

Doug - Continue to Dance on the Dragon’s Back…
“Not all men were meant to dance with dragons”
George R.R. Martin

~Belladonna

Posted by: Belladonna on 6/22/2015 at 10:55 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 9,600’

June 21, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 9,600'

June 20, 2015 9:26 pm PT Woke up this morning... RMI GuideJake Beren was crouched in my vestibule! He happened to stop by our camp super early on his way to the airstrip to hand off some highly coveted coffee for our climbers. Thanks Jake! Soon thereafter we got up and fired the stoves ourselves. After breaking camp, the weather gods obliged us with comfortable walking temps and some cloud cover that gave us respite from the sun. Our team made short work of our move to Camp 2 at 9,600 feet, dispatching it in 3.5 stretches of walking. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the sun, keeping cool with sleeping bags draped over top of the tents, rehydrating and snacking until dinner. We are excited to leave the massive loads behind in a cache here which we will hopefully back-carry up to 11,000' in a couple days. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Kevin,
All your friends are here at the family BBQ, wish you were here buddy. WArren here, bet you wish you had Joe’s heated jacket right about now. I’m really sorry that you’re not drinking th beautiful Portugese red wine. And by the way, it’s not me… it’s Cole!HI Kevin, it’s Joe hahahahaha, not sure what to make of this but I saw Stacey and all yur staff at the pub today at lunch:) very nice I thought. Thanks for the round lol. Hi Kevin it’s Belinda Have to say that we are enjoying the warm gathering here…thinking of you in your subartic zone. We did drink one on your behalf though. Slainte mhath from the visiting teuchters! hi :) hope u enjoy the trip…albert and Duncan. All the best from the Flemings…we’re diving into Uncle Vals’ and the Pear Bottle!! Sven

Posted by: Fox Brae BBQ Gang on 6/22/2015 at 5:36 pm

Hope you had a great Father’s Day, Art. Love being able to follow your adventure. Say hi to Charlie for me.

Posted by: Bonnie Bair on 6/22/2015 at 8:08 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry Heavy Loads in Good Stride

June 20, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 9,600'

Saturday June 20th 8:45 a.m. PT First day moving on Mount McKinley was a tremendous success. As a guide, I was impressed with our crew's ability to move smoothly and efficiently despite the very heavy loads and the cumbersome nature of the sled rigging and climbing rope. Usually it's a couple of days before a team will hit its stride like we did today. We enjoyed clear skies and perfect temperatures. For a moment we had considered moving onto the night schedule but a cool down glacier breeze and excellent snow coverage made for safe and comfortable travel during the day. We are all in great spirits, bonding as a team and enjoying our relatively new environs. More from our expedition as it develops. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Bonne Chance Marc et bonne aventure! On espère que ton voyage se passera bien et on attend ton retour sain et sauf.

Posted by: Yvan Champagne on 6/23/2015 at 1:26 pm

specktacularview of the mountain !

Posted by: mark and helen on 6/21/2015 at 4:56 am

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Begin Their Mountain Days

June 18, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali

Elevation: 7,300'

Thursday June 18th 9:30 pm PT Hi everybody! Billy here checking in from Kahiltna Basecamp on a gloriously sunny day. We enjoyed a big breakfast this morning in Talkeetna's Roadhouse and scooted over to the airport to confirm the fact that we'd indeed be flying first thing. A flurry of packing and final weigh-ins preceded the loading of the planes, a group photo, and a smooth departure. The great folks at K2 were really helpful and quickly delivered our team to Basecamp in two simultaneous otter flights. Next thing we knew we were on the ice and having come from summer it felt a bit abrupt but the sun was strong and kept us warm as we got accustomed to our new surroundings. We spent much of the day building our camp, organizing gear and supplies, and rigging sleds for tomorrow's departure up the hill. The team is psyched for a big adventure and ready to work hard. All for now! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Art, let me know if you want me to post any favorite passages from Ulysses for your amusement on your climb.

Posted by: Bob Ryan on 6/19/2015 at 11:29 am

Hey Kevin! How how is the food situation going? We hope you haven’t had to dump any of it yet haha!

Posted by: Angela and Carmen on 6/19/2015 at 11:09 am

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Entries By sean collon

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry to High Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Take A Snow Day

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Retrieve Cache at Windy Corner

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 14K Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Cache Gear Higher on the Mountain

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Resting at 11,200’ Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Celebrate Father’s Day at 11,200’

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 9,600’

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Carry Heavy Loads in Good Stride

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Begin Their Mountain Days

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