11
Mar
Clear Weather
Praise God! Woke up to a rare clear winter day, climbed a bit higher to some steeper slopes to practice advanced mountaineering skills required for Denali.
Praise God! Woke up to a rare clear winter day, climbed a bit higher to some steeper slopes to practice advanced mountaineering skills required for Denali.
Still & quiet now. Accustomed to the wailing wind & constant buffeting of the tent, couldn’t sleep. Outside now, can see Rainier towering above by starlight. Took a few photos.
It’s about 2AM here and I just heard an avalanche higher on the mountain. It was a drawn out powerful and deeply resonant rumbling. Sounded like a Hollywood freight train crash.
Stove line ruptured while cooking in tent vestibule causing a considerable flareup. We zipped the fly open and tossed the whole conflagration outside. It was all very exciting.
Late afternoon we headed out for some snow skills and sled practice, but the weather was brutal so we didn’t stay out long.
Thanks everyone for the messages of support.
We have had heavy snow since yesterday afternoon. The entire camp is buried this morning and we are still digging out.
I’m getting good at peeing in bottle while lying down.
LOTS of snow.
The weather up higher is insane with winds over 100 so we are staying put. Rather be moving, but I am getting the extreme cold weather I wanted.
The weather is much calmer now with less wind, but visibility is still low. Rain has been replaced with big fluffy snowflakes.
Spent 2 hours melting snow for drinking and cooking this morning. Relaxing in tents waiting for better weather.
The map shows low camp which is approx 1 mile up mountain at 7,200ft. It was raining when we started and I didn’t activate tracking map until we reached camp.
We were on deep snow from trailhead on. It was raining when we started and has not stopped yet. most of my gear is wet, snowing now
It is 4AM now and is still raining, wind is gusty, temp in low thirties but feeling toasty warm inside down bag.
Woke up hungry and Grabbed the Gold.
Load was easy, training heavy paid off.
Stopped at 6 to make camp. Had to dig out snow for tents. Cold temps, heavy rain and high winds made it an ordeal.
Cold & raining hard, won’t move far today. Leaving the trailhead in a few minutes.
My load weighed in at 112lbs w group gear.
Today we start up Rainier. I’m still feeling strong, but woke up with a cough this morning. This is going to make the going a little tougher, but id rather be sick here on Rainier than Denali.
Meeting the rest of the team and doing pre climb gear check right now. Here is a shot of my gear, which I have not weighed yet, but it’s definitely north of 100lbs.
Weather down in Seattle is cold and windy. I’m looking apprehensively forward to seeing what the mountain has for us.
Previous Post Formatting Fixed
The last posts email lost it’s formatting running the gauntlet of WordPress plugins. You can see the properly formatted version here:https://www.50by50goal.com/robert-danger-byrds-mt-rainier-expedition-begins
Hello Friends,
This is my first post using the new “Danger Network” blog broadcast system. (see the bottom if you are a geek for the technical explanation) I will be making periodic posts to my adventure blog during the Rainier expedition via satellite beacon and these short (160 character or less) updates will also be sent to your inbox.
Why Are You Getting This?
This is a photo I took while climbing Mt Baker. I used my Olympus Stylus TG-2 iHS Digital Camera
I took several shots like this, and was enjoying the novelty of it, but had to stop when my hand began to freeze.
I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera and it has been the best outdoor camera I have ever used, and I have gone through several of them. It also meets my USB chargeable requirement for gear so I can keep it topped off from my Goal Zero solar panel.
Here is my beautiful wife Susan and granddaughter Valentina modeling the Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero Parka
I’ll do a review of this jacket when I get back, but for now I can tell you it is well made, comfortable and has some well thought out technical features characteristic of Mountain Hardwear products.
I’ve been updating www.robertdangerbyrd.com have finished all of the technology integration pieces I set out to accomplish. For example; This post is being made via email, allowing me to post remotely. I carry DeLorme inReach Two-Way Satellite Communicator
I want to thank to good folks at Goal Zero for their support. They have a remarkable product line and I have used several of their products in some very challenging environments.
For mountaineering expeditions I use the Goal Zero 41022 Guide 10 Plus Solar Recharging Kit
I just had the honor of leading Cindy, a beautiful South African woman to Christ. This post may seem out of place but is considerably more important than climbing hills.
If you are looking for complimentary WiFi in Portsmouth Jamaica try a “Taste of Jamaica” The connection was fast and reliable. But stay away from the smoothies, they are awful.
Just learned an interesting tip while reading a medical book on feet.
If you have frostbite, don’t use fire to warm, use someone’s stomach. And don’t warm unless you can keep it warm. A second freeze can be devastating.
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