- Wednesday, June 9th - The first advance team left Paradise parking lot at 10:00pm last night, to start their climb across the Nisqually Glacier and up to Camp Hazard. They returned to Paradise by about 1:30am due to fog and zero visibility. After grabbing some sleep they departed once again around 7:00am and have been climbing all day. We are awaiting a report from them as to how their climbing has been progressing. Our base camp staff took a trip over to the Jackson visitor center, and using a telescope set up on the observation deck, was able to see the entire route. There was beautiful weather on Wednesday with the sun out almost the entire day. This first team is going to scout the entire route and set up a camp with supplies at Hazard. Pete will start "cranking" tomorrow night from Paradise.
- Friday, June 11th - The second advance team, the start team, and Pete all started about 10:00pm last night. The second advance team has climbed ahead of Pete and cached gear at the 7400' level. They are continuing on to camp at Hazard. Pete made it across the Nisqually Glacier to the base of the ramp up to Turtle Ridge. At this point he met up with the 1st advance team which was returning. The 1st advance team had made it just short of Hazard on day 1 and then spent day 2 finishing their climb to Hazard and then constructing tent platforms and walls out of snow. When they met up with Pete and his start team, they then assisted Pete (helping with the safety ropes for belaying) up the ramp to Turtle Ridge. Pete then made his first camp at the 7400' level where the first gear cache had been left. It was a good day (morning actually) and Pete is right on schedule. The 1st advance team then returned to base camp.
- Saturday, June 12th - After another good day of climbing (cranking) Pete and the start team established their second camp at about 8900', just shy of his goal for the day. Pete still felt good and that he had put in a solid days work. Everything is still going well. The second advance team returned to base camp after caching all their supplies on the mountain.
- Sunday, June 13th - Another good strong day with beautiful weather. Pete ended today at 10,200' about half way up the Turtle snow field. He's a little behind where he had hoped to be by this point but everything is going very well and Pete is feeling strong. The start team, which accompanied Pete up to this point returned to Basecamp today after the Upper Mountain Team joined up with Pete.
- Monday, June 14th - Pete and the team put in a very strong day and made it to Camp Hazard at 11,600'. Next they need to descend a few hundred yards through the chute and then out onto the Kautz Glacier.
- Tuesday, June 15th - Pete set off down the chute and made it through with no problems. Once onto the Kautz the climb turned back up a fairly steep slope and here Pete got bogged down. The snow was very soft and he was having a hard time making any forward progress. It was decided that Pete would camp where he was and most of the climbing team would return to Hazard and hope for better snow tomorrow.
- Wednesday, June 16th - Well, unfortunately Pete and the team have turned around and are heading back down to Paradise. The snow conditions on the Kautz Glacier are very bad, most of the team was sinking waist deep in "sugar" snow. It was proving nearly impossible to make any forward progress and even colder temperatures would not help with these conditions. The recovery team came off the mountain and is now back at base camp. Pete and the remaining upper mountain team are camped at about 8200'. The Nisqually Glacier is starting to open up (crevasses are getting larger) but the recovery team wanded a route through the crevasse field and Pete should have no problem crossing. Everyone is expected to be off the mountain by Thursday afternoon.
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Some of the crew in front of Basecamp at Cougar Rock. |
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The crew enjoys (nearly) home cooked meals when they return to Basecamp. |