Entries By steve gately
May 16, 2019
Posted by: Steve Gately, Ben Ammon, James Bealer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,800'
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 11:00 PM PST
After a good night's rest the team had early start and a quick breakfast before meeting at K2 Aviation to finalize our departure. Weather was looking great and by 8AM we started loading up the planes. Before we knew it we were airborne and on our way. A couple hours spent reorganizing gear at KIA (Kahiltna International Airport) and we donned the weight of a 22 day trip and took off down the Southeast Fork.
It's such a pleasure to be able to travel through this stretch of terrain with good visibility and weather. The Alaskan giants of Hunter and Foraker are staring you down and making the turn North up the Kahiltna glacier
Denali slowly reveals itself.
The team did great handling the heavy weight and readjustment to life on the glacier. We are now camped at the base of a major feature known simply as "Ski Hill" at a popular interim camp at 7,800ft. Tomorrow we will bring a cache of gear to 9,600ft, bury it and return to 7,800ft. This will help get all of our food and equipment further up the hill without having to carry it all up at once. I didn't have to do much convincing! Thanks to everyone whose following along!
RMI Guide Steve Gately
On The Map
Good afternoon from Talkeetna everyone! The May 13
Denali Team is safely in Talkeetna and ready to get this grand adventure underway.
The team spent the morning exploring Talkeetna before sitting down for an orientation with NPS to discuss the many facets of life on Denali. After a brief but informative discussion we shifted over to an empty aircraft hangar provided by K2 Aviation to begin tearing apart our equipment and making sure we have the necessary items for safe travel and a long trip. By early afternoon the team had their duffel bags and backpacks packed and ready to be weighed and marked by K2.
During that time my two assistant guides were busy running through our 22 days of food and organizing the rest of our group gear for the trip. It's an overwhelming process at times and the shear amount of gear needed for a successful
Denali expedition slowly began to show itself.
It's a good feeling however to now say that everything is prepared and ready for our flight onto the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier.
We'll take the afternoon to relax, unwind and enjoy the amenities of town life before hopefully leaving it all behind tomorrow. We're all looking forward to a great meal tonight at Denali Brewing Company and a good night's sleep. Tomorrow we'll rise early and be ready for a potential flight in. In Alaska, flights in and out of the great range depend greatly on the weather. We'll cross our fingers for a decent window tomorrow to kick things off. Hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll be sending these dispatches from the Kahiltna Glacier!
The team is psyched, the guides are psyched and life is good! Thanks for following along and as always, stay tuned for more!
RMI Guide Steve Gately
September 30, 2018
Posted by: Adam Knoff, Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The
Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams reached the summit! They topped out at 8:38 am on a pleasant weather day. The teams are currently working their way back to Camp Muir and we look forward to congratulating them this afternoon at Rainier Basecamp.
September 22, 2018
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,080'
The
Mt. Rainier Summit Climb teams were unable to summit due to winds and a high level of precipitation. They will leave Camp Muir at 10:00 am and return to Rainier Basecamp early this afternoon.
September 9, 2018
Posted by: Steve Gately, Hannah Smith
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb September 6 - 9 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. RMI Guide Steve Gately and team were 100% to the summit. Steve reported clouds and winds to the top of Disappointment Cleaver with winds 10-20 mph. The climbers left the crater rim just before 8 AM en route to Camp Muir. Once back at camp they will repack and continue down to Paradise. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
August 29, 2018
Posted by: Steve Gately, Bryan Mazaika
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The
Four Day Summit Climb August 26 - 29 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier on a beautiful, clear day.
RMI Guides Steve Gately and Bryan Mazaika led their teams this morning, reaching the crater rim just before 7AM PT. The teams will enjoy the views from the crater before starting their descent. Once back at Camp Muir they will rest and repack and then continue down to Paradise. This afternoon their program will conclude with a ceremony at Rainier BaseCamp.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
August 22, 2018
Posted by: Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,127'
RMI Guide Steve Gately just called from the
Mt. Shuksan summit. The wildfire smoke is not too bad today, which is a nice shift. The team is happily snacking and will call us later from camp.
Congratulations to today's summit climb team!
August 17, 2018
Posted by: Steve Gately, Ben Liken
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Steve Gately and Ben Liken reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7 am today. Steve reported light winds, warm temperatures, and the smoke haze is starting to clear. The team spent about an hour on the summit enjoying the views before starting their descent.
Congratulations to today's team!
RMI Guide Steve Gately radioed in at 7:00 AM PT this morning to report a successful summit climb. The team was spending some time enjoying the crater and views of
Mt. Rainier before gearing up for their descent. Steve reported light winds and good conditions.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
August 4, 2018
Posted by: Eric Frank, Steve Gately
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The
Four Day Summit Climb Teams checked in at 7:40 AM as they were leaving the summit crater of Mt. Rainier. The group enjoyed blue skies and a really nice morning on the mountain.
Once they return to Camp Muir they will repack and continue their descent to Paradise. They will end their program with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's Summit Climb teams!
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Looks like you are all making great moves and listening to the mountain. Keep it up. Routing for you!
Posted by: Darren Beck on 5/22/2019 at 9:22 am
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