Denali Climb Pictures Getting Home

I am sure there was more to say about yesterday but I was pretty wiped out. Now at 10:49 p.m. the day after I am getting back to normal. We awoke today around 9 or 10. I was up earlier because of a darn headache. It went away with 2 aspirin and some forced down water and food. None of us ate much on summit day. Phil Ershler came over and asked if we needed any fuel or food. Nope. Phil and Georges groups headed down. We decided to get out of there because the weather was crapy but no wind. We did not want to stay another night up there. You can not sleep well and it is cold. We left around noonish. I went first to get down to dig up the cash at 14,200. Cortland was roped to Bruce because Cortland was not feeling well. Real bad cough, he even thought it might be pneumonia. My pack was so heavy that it was tough on the ridge. I almost sprained my ankle 2 or 3 times. It would be very bad at that spot. I was also very tired because of lack of water and food, plus being exhausted. Coming down the fixed lines was not too bad although with a heavy pack really killed. There was a lot of snow on the fixed lines compared to the ice my other times. I was very frustrated near the bottom because 2 people were taking forever to drop below the burgshrund. Below the lines was so tough. My pack being so heavy and the deep snow so unpredictable that at certain times you would step wrong and wham, you are on your butt. Then you do not want to get up, just sit there forever. It took me a long time to get down to 14,200. I was just too tired. Once down to the bottom I strolled into camp at our cache. There in our camp was another RMI group. They were traversing to Wonder Lake. I dug halfway down to the cache when River showed up. He left the other guys at the top of the fixed lines. We saw how long it was going to take them to get down. We also knew how tired we were from our packs that we decided to set up a camp. I started the stove at our cache and began re-hydrating with my stash of hot cocoa. There was so much air at 14,200. I never thought I would say it but it was easy to breath. It took almost 2 hours for Bruce and Cortland to get to our new camp. I spent my time drinking hot chocolate, then getting camp setup. River with all the extra food, cooked another good meal with other peoples food. After dinner, I filled up a sled with gas and food and went all over camp trying to get rid of it. I got rid of a lot. We still have a lot more to pawn off. I kept drinking and now I feel great. When Cortland got down he was still coughing up crap. He went down to the medical tent and they told him he had Bronchitis. Solution, rest but get lower and out of here. They were surprised he summited yesterday. The next 2 days is to be bad weather but were gonna go. We will not get to base tomorrow because Cortland and Bruce are very slow, but we hope to get to 7,900.

Well now, I am back to 100 percent but not all are. River and I feel great. Cortland and Bruce are dead. We got up around 9 or 10. The stupid thing is that we did not leave until 3:30 or so. We decided to do 2 rope teams because we knew the other 2 would be slow. River and I headed down from 14,200 with another guy (Max, a Russian who lives in Boston) who did not want to go down un-roped. We did ok. The trail was well worn in the snow, even though we were in a white out at times. Windy Corners crevasses were not too bad but on the bottom side of the corner we hit a bunch of people coming up. The trail through the power was not wide enough for 2. I was dying pulling that sled that did not stay up. It was a major pain to say it nicely. There was a lot of snow in areas we only remember as ice, even blue ice. Even coming down Motorcycle Hill was a pain in the rear. Finally, we got to the 11,000 camp. Now the air was thick. I could run uphill with out too much problem. It took a while to find our cache. Our camp was not being used, nor had anyone been in our snow cave in a while. We dug up the cache and it had what we wanted, our snowshoes! Our crampons balled up all the way down Motorcycle Hill. We started a stove and ate dinner. We got all our stuff ready and as much of the other guys as possible. About 1:45 minutes later they finally got to the 11,000 area. We had hot water for their dinner ready. We finished all packing and then River and I were ready to go again to set a camp up at 9,600. The Russian Max also went with us. It was much nicer traveling on less steep terrain. We got down to 9,500 in about an hour. It was so beautiful leading down. I just stared down the Kahiltna Glacier for miles. All the mountains had an evening glow to them. River and I just wanted to go down the whole way. Unfortunately the other 2 are slow as slugs. At 9,500, we found all the sights full so we just flattened 2 areas and put up the tents. I even dug a crap place before they arrived over 1 hour later. We also said good-by to Max who only travels unroped at night when snowbridges are hard. When Cortland and Bruce showed up, they looked dead. Both River and I are a bit inpatient with this slow trot out but I can hide it. River on the other hand lost it because I heard him tonight telling Cortland to F- off. My headphones were on but Cortland was only asking a question. Cortland was complaining since he got in. River said nothing until one commit like�I guess it isn't worth talking to you tonight. Cortland said something like, probably true. I didn't hear them speak for about 20 minutes when I heard River telling him off. I looked at Bruce and said, I guess we will have separate ropes tomorrow. We do not have a choice. They are just too slow. If it was up to them we would take 2 or more days to leave. River wants out of here as bad as I, its just stupid how slow we have to go. So I know he is planning on leaving early with me. Were going to go and hopefully catch a flight to Talkeetna. These guys probably will not get in till late and have to sleep at Base while River and I are eating at a nice restaurant. I am not sure but something is wrong with these 2. Cortland may be a bit sick but even Bruce looks like hell in the tent here. He has not drunk enough or something. He zonked out after only a few minutes. Cortland is snoring hard next door. Tomorrow is the Day. Saturday - the day we get out, weather permitting. So weird, it is 1:08 a.m. and people are passing buy our tent up the mountain. We passed so many people, talking and we tell them of our summit, and we get congratulated. It is so nice to know we climbed it. I am not tired so I keep writing. Well I may not be home this Sunday like I hoped but at least I can call tomorrow and let my family know I made it and am safe. Then anyone that asks can know.

Well this really sucks! We made it to Base camp but have been stuck here the rest of the day because Talkeetna weather is bad. The weather has been nice here most of the day. Strange its ok here but bad there. Then around 6 it became a white out here. It is almost 9 p.m., and planes stop at 10 p.m. so it does not look good. Our tent is up and I am in my bag. What is really lame is my radio could go out at any time. I also tried to call collect from the rangers phone but nobody was home. The worst part of this mess is they are predicting not so good weather the next 3 days. I will go crazy here for 3 days. Anyway, about the hike here. Last night, River was fed up with Cortland and he even stayed outside for 3 or more hours. I awoke a bit before 8 when River said he was going to get up. He got up with all intentions of going on without Cortland. He would have gone alone if I stayed. The stupid thing was we got ready at top speeds. Then at the same time Cortland got up at the same speed. I thought he was sick? He always had not felt well until then, now he is top speed, seemed perfect. All 4 of us were ready to go about the same time but 2 rope teams. River did not talk to Cortland all morning. We took off first and made good time going down Ski Hill. Our sleds were rigged well but it was tough for me on some flat spots (pulling 2). Down on the lower Kalhitna some of the crevasses had really opened up. The crevasses are so big but the bridges were big also. It was very warm on the glacier. I ended up with my cotton T-shirt on. It felt good. Going up Heartbreak Hill took a lot and I could have done it faster but even River was asking to take it slow up. I was not breathing hard at all because of all the air here. Once we got to the airstrip we dropped our stuff and got our place in line. No planes were flying because of bad Talkeetna weather. We were number 8 and number 9. Our Russian friend was number 7 so River, Max and I will be on the 3rd Doug Geeting flight out of here. The 4th plane flight will be Bruce and Cortland numbers 10 & 11. They were only around 45 minutes to 1 hour behind us. We were quite surprised to see them so soon. When we got our place in line we were in the rangers hut. That is where the weather is broadcast. The ranger gave us some water. We chatted awhile. Finally we found a sight and started cooking some of the canned food we had in the cache. When the others arrived, I melted snow for all our bottles. River was sun tanning until the clouds came up the valley, then we were in a white out. It did not improve and here I am. Finally I set the tent up because it was starting to rain. RAIN! What is that! I hope so much we can get out of here tomorrow. PLEASE!!!!!!

It is almost 1 p.m. Awoke 2 hours ago and it is still foggy out. This really sucks. There is so much I want to do at home. I am stuck here and it is driving me crazy. Help me, please, somebody, is that a plane I hear? No, it is my imagination. Now it is 11:16 at night. It has not got better at all. This is so crazy. I hate it here. I had some relief the past 2 hours reading an Outside Magazine I got from the ranger hut, Annie's Hut. She is in Talkeetna, she can not fly in for same reason we can not fly out. The real annoying thing today is that Talkeetna is now clear and can fly but here on the glacier is bad. Yesterday was the opposite. Reminder for future climbers, leave lots of good food at base before leaving, even books and batteries. My batteries are almost dead. They only work in Bruces radio, that is how dead. Another hint, Rivers extra film was brittle on the summit and broke when he tried to put new roles in so go to the summit with a fresh role. Now we hear avalanches because it is snowing a lot. Bruce has been playing cards with some ladies that are here in base camp at the rangers area. When I was there I met the girl who is the youngest to climb the mountain about 2 or so years ago when she was only 12 years old. She seems real sharp and an energetic type of girl. I see why she made it. Oh, we heard someone else died today on the North Buttress, although I am not sure where it is. Pray for good weather!

Well, crap weather again. It is noon, maybe it will improve tonight.
It did, I now write from inside my tent only it is June 10th at 10:30 at night. A military helicopter is landing on my right, a road with cars is in front of me and railroad tracks are at my back. I am in Talkeetna camping across from Doug Geeting Aviation. We are waiting for tomorrow to get River out of jail but that is a future story. Let me finish this adventure. The evening of the 9th the weather cleared and the planes started coming in. We were almost out when one of Geetings planes had a dead battery. Nooo, the weather was starting to worsen. Finally another plane showed up and we went to it. Then the pilot says 3 people, no gear. What! Leave our gear! We had to leave it in a pile on the airfield. We took off and had an uneventful flight home to Talkeetna. There in a few minutes was Bruce and Cortland who were told to fly back with K2. We arranged our airline flights home for the next days night and went for Pizza. It was so good. We had a good time there, and then I went back to the hanger to sleep while the other three went to drink at the Fairview Bar. Back at the hanger I could not sleep because I had gotten so much, so I just read a book called the Seven Summits. Around 3:30 a.m. my team came back and that is when it all began. I do not have the paper and I am really tired to tell it but if you are lucky I will remember if you ask me sometime.

Denali Climb - Getting Home