Also, each team member has provided Steve with a list of personal,
media and sponsor contacts who will be notified personally upon any news.
Click dates and descriptions below to view the dispatches:
May 31: Steve greets Henk, Frank and Paul in
Salt Lake City and they travel to Anchorage.
June 1: Keith and Kent arrive in Anchorage, and are
welcomed by Anchorage Police Officers.
June 2: Last minute preparations, and a storm threatens
delay.
June 3: The team travels to Talkeetna, and are flown
to Kahiltna Base Camp.
June 4: The team decides to take advantage of the
favorable weather, and proceeds to Camp I.
June 6: All is well at Kahiltna Pass, and plans are
to establish camp at 11,000ft ahead of schedule.
June 10: Storms and white out conditions,
but the team is well at Advance Base Camp (14,200ft).
June 11: The team visits "The Edge of the
World", and Kent reports some signs of AMS.
June 14: "All is well" after more snow and
a demanding climb up "The Headwall" to 16,200ft
June 15: Weather turns bad, and forecasts
call for worse. Keith & Kent wait, others may descend.
June 16: Keith & Kent prepare to
move to High Camp (17,200ft). Dutch climbers to descend.
June 18: Keith & Kent establish High
Camp, however severe weather forces descent tomorrow.
June 21: Keith & Kent recount
their descent. The team celebrates the Summer Solstice together.
The plane continues to follow the sun westward, while further lengthening their daylight hours from the gain in latitude, and is rewarded with clear weather and breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. However, the views of the Alaska Range and Mount McKinley to the northwest are obscured by clouds illuminated in the Alaskan midnight sunset.
Anchorage Police Officer Tony Henry and his wife Tara welcome Steve, Henk, Frank and Paul upon their arrival. The team collects their gear at the baggage claim and are taken to the home of Anchorage Police Officer John Daily and his wife Theresa.
For Henk, one concern disappears; all equipment arrives in Anchorage.
He recalls how his trip to Mount Rainier was thwarted last summer when
his climbing gear was lost by an airline in Europe. Steve calls Keith in
New Mexico to inform him the Dutch team has arrived in Alaska.
Tuesday, 1 June 1999
The team takes advantage of a late morning, and Theresa Daily graciously
prepares a large American breakfast for her grateful guests. John
Daily takes Steve, Henk, Frank and Paul into Anchorage to satisfy small
equipment needs and gather souvenirs. For Frank and Paul, this is their
first time in the United States. Among their stops are Alaska Mountaineering
and Hiking, REI, WalMart and a local mall where Henk happily finds an "Alaska"
ball cap he has been searching for. A few of the members pick up
children's stuffed animals, which becomes the subject of many jokes on
how these burly men will find comfort on the many cold nights during this
expedition.
For lunch the Dutch request a "big fat American burger", and Officer Daily obliges by taking them to the Arctic Roadrunner.
The team passes the afternoon with a tour of the Anchorage Police Department and a stops at the local "cop shop" called Great Guns where local police officers purchase their gear. The Dutch are fascinated by the weapons and equipment used by American Police Officers, and take several pictures of themselves with the equipment, weapons and vehicles. The owner gives the team Anchorage PD pins and patches as gifts. The Dutch officers have brought their own from the Netherlands, and distribute them where ever they go.
Sergeant Tony Henry and his wife Tara invite the team into their home for a dinner of elk burgers and moose hot dogs. Words cannot express the kindness and hospitality of Tony and Tara and John and Theresa.
Later, Keith and Kent arrive at the Anchorage airport. Their gear
also arrives, and the complete Cops on Top team is now in Alaska. They
spend the night in the home of John and Theresa.
Wednesday, 2 June 1999
The team rises early to begins sorting through the mountain of supplies
and equipment stacked in the Daily's living room. Again, the team is extremely
thankful to the Dailys and Henrys for their abundant help and kindness,
and for allowing us to invade their lives and homes. Talkeetna Air Taxi
reports that there have been no flights by any air service out of Talkeetna
for the last two days due to adverse weather conditions, and there will
unlikely be any today. They advise us to wait it out in Anchorage as the
small town of Talkeetna is now overrun by climbers waiting for transportation
to the mountain.
Theresa and John again prepare a hardy breakfast of pancakes, sausage, fruit, and eggs. When asked how the Dutch are taking to the American food, Henk responds that "it is a bit heavy."
Slowly, the packs are arranged and the duffle bags, which will be loaded on the sleds, are filled and labeled. The backpacks contain personal equipment and some group gear distributed among the team, while the duffles are full of food, group gear, climbing equipment. The backpacks weigh in from 50 to 75 pounds each. The Dutch have kept to their promise of having light packs, while Keith holds true to his usual form with the heaviest. Those with heavier packs will most likely determine what is truly necessary and leave the surplus with the emergency caches, and/or the team will more evenly distribute the group gear.
John and Tony offer the team the use of some of their personal equipment. Between them, they have have three summit attempts of Denali. Tony was even featured in a local documentary during his successful trip a few years ago. The team welcomed their firsthand personal advice and suggestions.
Meanwhile, Keith shops for the perishable items on the team's menu. Late in the afternoon, everything is ready but the weather. The waiting begins, and eyes are frequently scanning the skies. It is now raining in Anchorage as well.
To pass the time, Steve and Kent take a brief hike in the mountains behind the Daily's home. Their house is near the border of park land. As they exit the house, Theresa loans them rain gear and inquires if they would like to borrow a gun. Kent and Steve laugh until they realize she is serious. Black and brown bears are frequently seen in and around their property, and these animals are now aggressively emerging from hibernation.
The team is astounded by the wildness of Alaska. Even Keith and Steve, who are avid outdoorsmen, pay a healthy respect to the true wilderness and backcountry which Alaska contains. The Daily and Henry homes are full of trophy bear, moose, caribou, sheep and mountain goat. Their diet regularly includes wild game and fish. John shows the team amazing videos of wildlife during trips and hunts. The Dailys and Henrys share many enjoyable stories about their experiences in Alaska.
John and Theresa prepare a wonderful dinner of fresh halibut and salmon.
Tony and Tara join us for dinner as well. The team retires to bed with
hopes of clearing weather.
Thursday, 3 June 1999
The team cannot wait for the agreed upon 5:30am revelry, and anxiously
stirs toward their equipment at 4:30am. Talkeetna Air Taxi reports
the weather is clear with a stable immediate forecast. They are beginning
to ferry climbers to the glacier. The team's spirits are visibly heightened,
especially McPheeters'.
John and Theresa drive the team and their equipment to Talkeetna, stopping first at McDonald's for a quick breakfast. We register the team at the new Talkeetna Ranger Station, attend the mountaineering orientation presentation, and check in with Talkeetna Air Taxi. Our equipment is weighed and labeled for transport. The airstrip is alive with activity since the planes of all air services have been grounded for nearly three days. Not only haven't climbers been able to fly, but sightseeing flights have also been grounded by the weather. Many foreign languages are spoken among the mix of returning and departing climbers, and the Dutch find fellow climbers from the Netherlands who told of the harsh weather conditions which prevented them from achieving the summit. Most climbers returning from the mountain have a similar story to tell.
The rangers at the Talkeetna Ranger Station report that there are approximately 1,200 climbers registered to climb Denali. As of today, there are 511 climbers currently on the mountain in over 140 separate groups. It is definitely the high traffic period on the mountain at this time. To date in 1999, there have been 231 climbers attempt the summit and only 47 have achieved it. That is a remarkably low 20% success rate, which the mountaineering rangers attribute to the poor weather conditions this year.
We wait, and we wait some more for our turn to depart.
The team is pleasantly greeted and offered a friendly "good luck" by fellow climbers who recognize the Cops on Top Expedition from the web site. They remark how prepared and organized we appear.
The first of out team to be flown to Kahiltna Base Camp were Keith, Frank and Paul. Several hours later, Henk and Kent fly to Base Camp. Steve arranges to also be flown to Base Camp with them. The flight is breathtaking, further increasing the appreciation of just how wild Alaska is.
Upon arriving on the Kahiltna Glacier, the first group had already established camp, began sorting the duffles for the first carry to Camp I, and is preparing the emergency cache to be left at Base Camp. It is a mostly clear day, with some high clouds, but the summit of Denali is completely enshrouded. With the sun out, one immediately feels the intense solar radiation reflected off of the glacier and surrounding cliffs. Steve is given the option by Talkeetna Air to stay at Base Camp for several hours, but elects to return after only a brief tour and visit with the team. He just doesn't feel like he belongs there now that the team is assembled and ready to begin the climb. A small pain of regret emerges from not being able to continue with them. Steve and Keith shake hands and wish each other well. Keith looks particularly happy, and expresses that he believes it will be a rather straight-forward trek until they reach 14,200ft. "There," says Keith, "the real climbing begins. We'll really need to sharpen our focus and move with purpose." Kent expresses he is intent on the team following their plan.
The team originally planned one day at the Kahiltna Base Camp to practice glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques, but they had the opportunity to discuss it together in Anchorage and decided they are confident in each other and their abilities. Also, given the recent bad weather and low success rate, the team will probably opt to take advantage of the current good weather and begin climbing immediately.
Steve flies back to Talkeetna, and is driven back to Anchorage by John and Theresa. He treats them, Tony and Tara to dinner. The five of them speak often of the team now on the mountain which dominates the horizon northeast from Anchorage. The weather appears calm and the mountain is clearly visible at sunset.
The team is on schedule according to their itinerary, and plans to begin
their first carry to Camp I in the middle of the night.
Friday, 4 June 1999
Clear weather in Anchorage. Denali is clearly visible, but late in
the day there appears to be snow drifting off of the summit by high winds.
Although there is no direct contact from the team, Steve guesses that they
completed their first carry and rested before moving completely from Base
Camp to Camp I at approximately 8,000 feet.
Steve returns to Salt Lake City.
Sunday, 6 June 1999
Keith establishes contact via cellular phone from Kahiltna Pass.
He reports that the team is experiencing great climbing and wonderful weather.
The forecast seems to hold favorable weather in the foreseeable future.
So far, the team is doing well overall and no one shows any signs of being bothered by the exertion, altitude or conditions. Although they are progressing quickly, they are watching each other closely and remain cautious about advancing too rapidly. The team plans to establish camp at 11,000 feet this evening and rest all day tomorrow.
Keith states that news and congratulations has spread along the West Buttress Route to Ed Hommer, a climber with two prosthetic legs who successfully summited on June 3rd.
The team is a full two days ahead of their schedule, according to their
planned itinerary.
Thursday, 10
June 1999
The team establishes Advance Base Camp (14,200ft) at about 7:00pm (Alaska
Time). They are able to contact family and a few friends directly with
their cellular phone, although the connection is sometimes very clear and
yet at other times is not good. They invited their family to call
them back during a specific two hour block on Friday morning, June 11th,
when they will leave their phone on to receive the personal calls.
Keith McPheeters, the Expedition Team Leader, reports "everyone is doing well, and everyone is still excited."
Henk Bezema, the Lead Climber, echoes Keith's sentiments upon reaching Advance Base Camp by saying that "everything is fine, everyone is in good health. The sun is shining today. Snow storm yesterday but today is superb!"
After resting last Monday, the team carried supplies up the steep "Motorcycle Hill" on June 8th above their 11,000ft camp and cached them at "Squirrel Point" before retreating back. Snow storms and white-out conditions prevented them from moving on Wednesday, June 9th. With the weather improving again today, they proceeded beyond "the Windy Corner" at 13,500ft to Advance Base Camp at 14,200ft. Tomorrow, they plan to either rest or retrieve their cache at "Squirrel Point" and return to Advance Base Camp.
The move from 11,000ft to 14,200ft is usually one of the most demanding
of the trip because of the elevation gain of over 3,000ft, the difficulties
presented by "Motorcycle Hill", and the often hazardous conditions at "The
Windy Corner". Also, it is usually the jump from 11,000ft to 14,000ft
where the cold and altitude begin to take effect.
Kent O'Donnell, the team's Medical Technician, mentioned that the weather
has been unseasonably warm during the day, but cold at night and all climbers
are suffering from "a little frostbite".
The weather forecast calls for high pressure and fair weather until
Sunday morning, June 13th. Our team is now half way to the summit,
and still one day ahead of their planned itinerary.
Friday, 11 June 1999
Kent, in a brief phone conversation this evening with his father, reports
that the team visited "The Edge of the World" today. This is a spectacular
overlook about a quarter of a mile south of Advance Base Camp at 14,200ft.
It is a popular side excursion for climbers with a magnificent view down
a 4,700ft cliff to the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier.
Kent also states that the team is experiencing some symptoms of AMS, Acute Mountain Sickness, which is common within the first 24 hours of reaching Advance Base Camp. About 30% of all climbers on Denali suffer symptoms of AMS when they attain this altitude within the first week, and it usually begins to decrease in severity in about the three days. The primary cause is believed to be the direct effect on the brain of low oxygen levels and changes in blood circulation at high altitude. Common symptoms include a headache, dizziness, fatigue, dry cough, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, fluid retention, and nausea. AMS can be an early warning sign of more serious altitude illnesses, so it is watched carefully.
Temporary relief can sometimes be achieved through simple breathing exercises, and there are medications which can reduce the severity of the illness and even assist in acclimatization. In some cases, however, the only alternative is to descend to a lower altitude. The team prepared for this eventuality by acquiring the recommended prescriptions and Kent has had training specifically in the treatment of high altitude illnesses.
Kent stated that their expedition supplies are holding up as planned. The team intends to stay one more day at Advance Base Camp before beginning to move to High Camp at 17,200ft. The next stage is where the real climbing begins.
(AMS information source: Medicine for Mountaineering
& Other Wilderness Activities, The Mountaineers)
Monday, 14 June 1999
Henk Bezema, our Lead Climber, reports to his wife in a very brief
phone call that "all is well." They are using the phone very
sparingly to conserve batteries. The team had a very demanding day yesterday
as they advanced up the "Headwall" from 14,200ft to the ridgeline of the
West Buttress at 16,200ft. This portion is the steepest of the entire
climb. From Advance Base Camp, the route follows a moderate incline
up to about 15,400ft. From this point, there is a steep 800f t, 55-degree
snow and ice face where fixed lines are placed on the route. These
ropes are anchored to the mountain, and climbers attach themselves to these
lines using sliding knots (prussiks) or mechanical ascenders. So,
the climbers are no longer roped to each other when they travel, but are
instead attached to these fixed ropes for safety.
Typically, expedition teams carry a portion of their equipment up the Headwall to the ridgeline and retreat back to Advance Base Camp for rest. Then, they move all of their equipment to High Camp at 17,200ft to prepare for their assault on the summit. Weather, acclimatization to the altitude, and health become the primary factors in deciding when to attempt to get to the top. It wasn't clear where the team is currently.
Henk also told his wife that there has been as much as a foot of snow recently, but they are hoping for a period of high pressure so the weather will remain clear and allow them to "go for it." Cops on Top had targeted Sunday, 20 June 1999 (Father's Day) as their Summit Day, but they are progressing ahead schedule against their conservative itinerary.
Finally, Henk mentions the team is no longer plagued by the AMS (Acute
Mountain Sickness) that they were experiencing three days ago. He
himself wasn't suffering much from it, but states that everyone is feeling
much better now.
Tuesday, 15 June
1999
Late yesterday evening, Keith reported that the team is back in Advance
Base Camp at 14,200ft after caching supplies on the West Buttress ridgeline
at 16,200ft. The team is concerned about the weather, since forecasts
call for storms and increasing winds in the next few days. They hope
to beat the storms and climb to High Camp at 17,200ft by Wednesday, and
possibly wait for a window of better weather to attempt the summit. If
the weather cooperates, they may be able to try as early as Friday,
June 18th. Keith also confirms the team has acclimated well to the
altitude, and temperatures regularly fall to 5 degrees below zero each
evening.
Keith McPheeters and Kent have met a climbing team from Denver, Colorado
which coincidentally includes a friend of Kent's sister. Our expedition
team will join this group and together they will attempt to reach the summit
of Mount McKinley. They plan to move to High Camp (17,200ft) on Thursday,
June 17th, and make preparations to summit on Friday or Saturday.
Friday, 18 June 1999
"Hi, Steve. This is Keith...calling...from High Camp. We're going
to have to turn around. Kent is sick. Storm coming in...projected 50 mile
per hour winds...(static)...(transmission fails)" is all
that was heard in a brief and garbled transmission from Keith McPheeters
to Steve Evans at 9:30pm Alaska Time.
Keith McPheeters and Kent O'Donnell provided more complete information to family members in calls made from the mountain this evening. McPheeters and O'Donnell established High Camp on Thursday, June 17th. Keith states it is "the most god forsaken camp I've ever been to" due to the rigors of climbing "The Headwall" from 14,200ft to 16,200ft, and then negotiating the precarious ridgeline of the West Buttress to 17,200ft.
The two of them rested today to gather strength for a summit bid tomorrow. They were hopeful as they watched a few climbers return to High Camp after successfully reaching the summit, including one soloist who made the ascent from another route.
However, weather forecasts indicate a storm system from the Gulf of Alaska will bring snow to Denali late on Saturday. Temperatures above 17,000ft are anticipated to fall to at least 10 degrees below zero with winds increasing to 50 mph. The combination of these factors will produce wind chill temperatures of approximately -70 degrees. The storm could last as long as five days. Further, Kent is suffering from severe headaches and nausea, both symptoms of altitude sickness.
Keith and Kent have decided to descend tomorrow morning, since their window of opportunity for the summit has now closed primarily as a consequence of the weather, the altitude, and the team splitting up.
Meanwhile, Dutch climbers Henk Bezema, Frank Stevelmans and Paul Kern
arrived safely at Base Camp today and were flown to Talkeetna. Theresa
Daily, wife of Anchorage Police Officer John Daily, has left Anchorage
to meet them there.
Monday, 21 June 1999
Keith McPheeters and Kent O'Donnell safely arrived in Talkeetna and
returned to Anchorage this afternoon to rejoin the Dutch team members Henk
Bezema, Frank Stevelmans, and Paul Kern. The team split up nearly
five days ago at 14,200ft due to the threat of approaching storms.
The Dutch group returned to Base Camp while Keith and Kent advanced to
17,200ft to attempt the reach the 20,320ft summit. The five are now
together again in Anchorage celebrating a Summer Solstice barbecue with
the Daily family.
In a telephone conversation at 7:00pm Alaska time, Keith provided the final expedition update and briefly recounted their descent from High Camp to Base Camp. Of High Camp at 17,200ft, he stated one "might as well be on the moon" because of the environmental changes one experiences. He was poised with great anticipation to make his summit bid, having his summit pack and climbing gear ready at a moment's notice. However, the immediate threat of severe storms and Kent's altitude sickness necessitated turning around.
"It was the right thing to do," Keith says.
Last Friday, June 18th, he reached the expedition's highest altitude at 17,389ft. There, at the top of the steep couloir known as "Rescue Gully", he built a rock cairn upon which he placed the memorial plaque for Officer Dale Claxton to whom this climb was dedicated. In lieu of reaching the summit, Keith felt this was "the most poetic thing" he could do.
He says, " I think that it is only fitting that a police officer watch over the Rescue Gully," which is a route often used for quick descents and evacuations from High Camp. Also, he carried back a deep black rock taken from a prominent formation close to the plaque, and intends to give it to Officer Claxton's family.
Keith and Kent began their descent on Saturday morning, June 19th, ahead of the storms approaching from the west. An ominous lenticular-shaped cloud crowned the summit of Denali, the obvious sign of dangerous weather above. It took about two days to reach Base Camp, retrieving their emergency supply caches along the way. The day they had targeted for their summit attempt, Father's Day on Sunday June 19th, the storm overtook them and caused white-out conditions. They pressed on.
Also, the warmer weather over the 16 days since their ascent had dramatically
changed the characteristics of the Kahiltna Glacier, exposing massive crevasses.
"We must have punched through a hundred times each, and sometimes fell
in up to our waists," Keith says of the fragile bridges of snow that sometimes
conceal the fissures in the ice.
The expedition team met many new faces on Denali, and commented on
the camaraderie between climbers on the mountain. Our team even gave
our surplus supplies to a few stalwart teams who wished to stay but whose
own rations were insufficient to wait out the current storms. Also,
Keith was amazed at how many people approached him and recognized the Cops
on Top team, in name, through their web site. Many even used it as
a planning resource or provided it to their own friends and family as reference
for what they might experience.
Overall, the team seemed exhilarated by their experiences, and Keith vows to return. "I learned a lot. I now have a better understanding of what to take and where to camp along the route."
Over the next few weeks, it is planned that photographs and climber's journals will be available on the web page.