13
Jun
inReach message from Robert Danger Byrd
This is the hill that destroyed me last year and got me voted off the island. Not this time! We reached the cache point & decided to go all the way to Camp 2
This is the hill that destroyed me last year and got me voted off the island. Not this time! We reached the cache point & decided to go all the way to Camp 2
Today we haul half our loads up Ski Hill, dig a cache and drop back down to 7800′ Camp for the night. Tomorrow we haul the rest of our gear up to 11200′ Camp.
Today was a heavy day, but no significant elevation gain. My load felt light, I felt strong and despite the sun, I was comfortable.
We are done moving for the day & have a couple of hours work digging out tent sites & building ice walls. I’ll blog more about today after the work is done.
We are about to move. My final load is 120lbs almost 60 less than last year. It’s a beautiful day and the scenery is dramatic.
Correction for that last message. We leave base camp for camp one tomorrow.
Today we leave Base Camp and single carry, meaning we haul everything in one trip. We will descend Heartbreak Hill then begin climbing to 7800′ Camp.
Hallelujah! We lost 4 precious weather days but this update comes to you directly from the Kahiltna Glacier. Sleeping at base camp & will move out in the AM
This is a test of the Danger Network satellite uplink system. Had it been a real message, it would have been exciting.
What a day! Night descent was harrowing. Headlamp was failing, thought I might have to shelter in place & wait for daylight, but made the cache w spare light
I’m checking in, everything is okay. I was worried for a while, but have made it down off the upper mountain safely and am currently at the cache.
Just smoked a cigar while watching one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen, thank you God.
I’m descending now and it is completely dark.
Hallelujah! I stand on a serene 13k ft mountain at sunset. Not looking forward to the down climb in the dark, but the Sunset just might be worth dying for.
Not far to go now, but the mountain is not making it easy. Just fought my way up a steep snow covered slope post holing every other step. Will try & avoid the snow. Big temp drop.
Only 1800′ to go but it’s rocky & brutally steep here w loose talus covering the slope. Also getting very cold and windy. Last break before the 13k summit.
Trail covered in thick carpet of slushy snow here. Picking my way up adjacent rocky slope. Hearing minor avalanches as the sun warms the slopes. Windy now
Break time. Good view of summit, steep scree w snow from summit to valley. Looks icy from here & does not look like enough snow to slide dwn, so no shortcuts
Good news is I’m
moving out, will be down climbing in dark as sunset is at 7:30. Bad news is rental car needs paint job from trip in. Tracking started now.
After 6 hrs sleep, woke In a sparse brown valley, bubbling stream nearby. Snow in first visible pass. Perfect day, 50 degrees & clear
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