17,000 Camp
Today was a long seven hour hike from 14,200 to the 17,000 camp. I’ve been chronicling this team’s climbs now for two years and I have rarely heard such gushing (as much as is possible at 17,000 ft) about the amazing views. Dazzling 1,000 ft drops and the Alaksa sun make for some gorgeous vistas. I am looking forward to seeing pictures.
The team sounded strong, healthy and enthusiastic. Joel Gratz, the team meterologist, has been on standby providing accurate forecasting about every twelve hours. This time his news was great. If the weather holds and the team is feeling strong, there will be a summit attempt made tomorrow (Weds) between about 830 and 1130 Alaska time. And if the team would like to rest up a bit and acclimate after today’s long hike, the good news is that the weather window should last until Thursday. So…buckle up everyone! It looks like summit will either be tomorrow or Thursday. Stay tuned!
Check out today’s three SPOT updates- 1, 2 and 3. Download the Google Earth plug-in (the “Earth” option in the left corner of the map) for some insanely cool views. It is the best way to track their progress. (Clicking on “Terrain” after you download the plug-in will help orient you to the location of the summit of McKinley.)