Steve in the Wasatch Mountains (Utah)
November 1998

Steve has been involved for over a year in planning and organizing the expedition. "Keith (McPheeters) first approached me with the idea of a Denali expedition in 1994," Steve says, "but, I really had absolutely no interest. I never had a burning desire to stand on summits."  It wasn't until the summer of 1997, while backpacking and climbing glaciers in the Wind River Mountains that Keith McPheeters sparked his interest.  "A few months later," Evans states, " I committed myself, bought an ice axe and told him 'I'm in'".

Steve dedicated himself to researching, planning, and acquiring the necessary equipment and technical skills. In the process, he noticed a growing sense of accomplishment in reaching summits. He reflects, "I started conditioning climbs in all sorts of weather to prepare for Mount Hood and Mount Rainier, and of course for Denali.  I started to feel great anticipation to reach the top. I even found myself shouting out loud from the sense of accomplishment, particularly when solo."

In July 1998, he sustained a climbing injury one month prior to a planned trip to Mount Rainier.  "I wasn't able to rehab my knee fast enough, and the physical therapists told me my chances were nil of achieving the summit."  Steve went anyway since it was a scheduled training climb with McPheeters and eventual team member Henk Bezema.  "I wanted to meet my future team members, since teamwork and compatibility are so critical for success."

Evans would not accept the limitations of his injury, but eventually had to concede to the reality and turned back in pain.  "I was grief stricken," he remembers. "That was unusual because a mountain never meant that much to me. I felt a great loss from missing the personal accomplishment and the obligation to my team."  However, the team went on and was successful.

But, this disappointment would not be the last. Steve recently had to resign as a climbing member due to other personal obligations.  "An expedition such as this is an enormous personal commitment. I knew that going into it, and my family had accepted the dangers because they saw our meticulous preparations. But unexpected circumstances prevented me from seeing it through.  The feeling I had was very similar to what I experienced at Rainier."

Steve has remained involved with the team's preparations, maintains the expedition's webpage, and will travel with the team as far as Base Camp on the Kahiltna Glacier. He has found enjoyment in applying his strong planning and organizational skills to something other than his full-time employment.  "The personal reward is tremendous. I'm glad I can still be involved in some way."