Denali Base Camp Pictures

We are the 8th party in line to fly out as soon as the weather clears. We checked in with the ranger, and then we went to lunch at the Roadhouse. I called home just before to let them know I was safe. While at lunch we got a call from our air service saying our plane was waiting. We canceled our order for lunch and minutes later were loading the plane. I was jammed into the back seat so tight it was hard to believe I paid $250 dollars for it. We took off and flew toward the Alaska Range. The closer we got to the mountains the better the weather got. The mountains were amazing. We landed on the Kahiltna Glacier at Base camp. It was the most beautiful spot I had ever seen on earth. We set up camp under sunny, warm, blue sky. While setting up, a thundering avalanche (as big as any I have ever imagined) came down Mt. Hunter. After a nice spaghetti dinner by River, we started packing for a haul up to the next camp. A guide wanted to jump on our rope to go to the next camp, so we let him on. We left at 10 p.m. and got to camp one at 1 a.m. When we stopped it was very cold so we tried to keep moving. Being Alaska it did not get dark but was more like dusk.

The Kahiltna Glacier is huge, going forever below base. Everything is so far away, places look close but with people there you see just how far away it is. As we traveled we had to avoid crevasses going in all directions. We stashed our stuff as a cache and headed back with our sleds tied to our backs. It was the longest 5 miles back because we were all sleepy from our lack of sleep. Coming back up Heartbreak Hill was slow. Back at base camp, the sun was about to rise. We had hiked through the night.