Continued from Part 1

After our rest day at the 11,000 foot camp, it’s time once again to make a move. Today for the first time the skis will ride on our sleds and crampons on our feet as we make our way up Motorcycle hill, around Squirrel Point, across a long flat section, and up and around Windy Corner. Just a few tenths of a mile past Windy Corner, we find a spot for our cache and get to digging, and burying gear for a pick up within a couple of days. I think that this will be one of the hardest days of the whole trip. Walking up motorcycle hill is like having someone pull your pants down with every step, only you realize that it is your sled instead.

A welcome relief comes when we get to trade our crampons for our skis on the way down. Skiing downhill with an empty sled is pure hilarity as it tends to spend as much time in the air as on the snow.

The next day we pack up camp and move all the way to our 14,200 camp, our home for the next week or so. After some searching through the current storm we find our home. Tyler, Colby, and Joe have very little modification for their huge tunnel tents space. Caleb and I, as well as Lou and Louie share a walled in fortress that requires only a bit of leveling to get things nice and comfy. We set up our massive cook tent over a pre-dug hole, realizing that we will eventually remodel, the space will work for tonight.

We spend most of the following day hanging around and resting at camp with a couple laps on the ski hill above camp, and eventually we get up the motivation to go pick up the last of what is left in the cache down at 13,400.

Next day comes and we decide it’s a good day to climb on up to 16,200 for a bit of acclimatization. The climb goes well save for the insane number of people in front of us on the fixed lines. In fact, one couple, moving at a seemingly zombie like pace, simply refuses to let others pass. It takes us longer to climb the 600 feet of fixed lines than it did to skin the 1,400 feet to the base of them.

Finally, we reach the top of the lines where people are stashing caches left and right, in preparation for their move up to the camp at 17,200. I’m secretly, or maybe not so secretly, glad that we have no plans to sleep at 17,200. The conditions there are windy and cold, and sleeping does not come easy there. On the other hand our group feels right at home sleeping at 14,200 camp. We eat, drink, and rest for a bit and enjoy the beautiful sun on the surrounding peaks of the Alaska Range.

After a bit we decide it is time to head on down for the day. While most people tie back into the rope and crampon their way to the bottom, we brought skis for a reason. Though we will take it carefully as there is blue ice about a foot deep under powder.

Back at camp, a nap seems to be in order as well as some sunbathing on a gorgeous day. That night was gorgeous. I was happy to be up at 1 AM.

The real morning comes and the weather looks unsettled, which is fine as we would like to have a rest day anyway. A bit of skiing and some games get us by and ready for our first day up to 17,200.
Back up the fixed lines, past Washburn’s thumb and on to 17,200 feet we find ourselves. It is June 8, 2010. Our 9th day on the glacier.

We all opt to leave our skis at the base of the fixed lines today. Everyone but Cap’n Joe that is.

At this point I’m thinking that Joe might be the smartest of our group.

Back at camp, we eat, and rehydrate to get ready for any possibility of a summit push in the next few days. The following day has some pretty unsettled weather that amounts to little more than some night time skiing and a pretty insane snow total over night.

We wake in the morning to find that the cook tent poles have collapsed and torn a hole in the fabric. It was pretty obvious we weren’t going anywhere today. We find ourselves repairing equipment and carboloading for the next day that we hope may be a summit possibility. But of course, we have to get some skiing in with these kind of snow totals.

We wake up the following morning and notice wind up high, but decide we will head up the mountain with a goal of at least achieving 17,200 camp. It becomes increasingly evident the higher we go that today is not our summit day, but that the increased acclimatization is a good thing. And; really, who hates skiing powder at 17k?

We find ourselves in bed early tonight after that day. Our buddy Joel Gratz from Colorado Powder Forecast gives us the beta via satelite phone that Sunday June 13th will be our day if we are going to make it. He gives us an approximate window from 4 am to 4 pm to get her done so to speak. We rest hard for one more day before what should be our big push.

Part 3–Summit Day!

Thanks for reading
JW