10/9/17: Denali Video/Photo Trip Report

Below is a video slideshow we put together with all the pics from Denali. We spent 21 days in Alaska and had another incredible expedition. We would love to hear what you think! Email us at info.summit2ski@gmail.com

5/26/17 - Denali Return:

Ben and I are back home safe and sound after 3 weeks in Alaska. The shot above is from about 18,000 ft during our aborted summit attempt. We made it to 19,600 before deciding to turn around due to the coming darkness and cold. Several teams had come back with frostbite on fingers and toes, and black noses from spending too long in the -30 degree cold, and Ben and I didn't want to join their ranks. I think we were both strong enough to have made the summit successfully but cold, fatigue, and the thought of descending in the dark alone made our decision a relatively easy one.

We made our summit attempt on Day 11 and had to rush it due to incoming weather. While we didn't make the summit we got damn close and are both proud and happy with our effort. We made a lot of new friends, had 2 great days of skiing on another of the 7 Summits and got to spend two weeks in a very remote and hostile wilderness. 

Denali is a different animal. I'm still processing the trip and adjusting to the luxuries of life at home, showers, flush toilets, and clean water are seriously missed up there; but my biggest take aways right now are how big and vast that place is. Size and scale just don't make sense. The mountains are so big, the crevasses are scary deep, the scenery is unmatched, and it was so cold. We were blessed with relatively calm weather and it was still a serious effort to get up every morning and keep going. 

Thanks to Ben for guiding me through the scary parts, our families and friends for all the support, the Denali Park Service Rangers for maintaining a truly special place, and everyone for following along and supporting us. Special thanks to my brother Justin for updating the site with our short but sweet sat phone text updates. I'll get around to posting more pictures and more details of the trip soon but for now, thank you!!!!

5/18/17 On The Way Back Down

This afternoon we made it down to 14K camp.  We are resting here and then heading back out and back to Talkeetna soon.  Mission is rapping up and all fingers and toes are accounted for.

5/16/17 Summit Attempt

We took a small weather window Tuesday and made a summit attempt.  We had to turn back 600' short of the top.  We are back at 17K camp waiting out the weather.

5/13/17 14K Camp

We're both still healthy and feeling good and we are now camping at 14K feet.  Two days ago we carried and cached gear at our 14,000' then skied back down.  Yesterday we moved up to camp at 14K and took today as a rest day.  

The views are unreal and just keep getting better.  We're tired and it has been cold but we only have one more move to high camp to set ourselves up for a summit attempt.  

5/10/17 Skiing

We got hammered with 3' of snow yesterday at 11K.  Had blue skies today so we went skiing.  The plan right now is to try and cache gear around 14K tomorrow and possibly move to 14K tomorrow night.  

5/8/17 - Moved Up

The weather held enough for us to move up to 11,200 Ft.  Looks like more snow tomorrow so we'll probably use that as a rest day.

5/7/17 - At Camp 2

We made it through light snow and low visibility to Camp 2 at 9,700 ft.  The trail is well marked.  Our next move will be dictated by the weather which seems to be moving in for the next few days. 

5/6/17 - We made it to Alaska

Today we took the shuttle from Anchorage to Talkeetna.  We are planning to meet with the rangers today and hopefully take the flight to the glacier later this afternoon if the weather holds.

4/24/17 - Another Expedition Begins:

In 10 days Ben and I will head North to Alaska. Our goal is to summit and ski descend another of the 7 Summits. This time Denali, at 20,310ft. We have been skiing, skinning, working, and carrying heavy rocks up hills for the last 5 months in preparation as well as practicing with our ropes and anchor systems. It has been a very pretty and very dry spring here which has made the backcountry inviting. Our time spent outside this spring has renewed a sense of adventure and mission in me and seeing the Science March last weekend made me smile.

Our fund-raising efforts raised over $2,500 for Climate Ride and Protect Our Winters last year, and we are working on ways to support them again with these trips, stay tuned for more on that. Thank you to everyone who donated to support us and them. And, please continue to support them and other organizations fighting for our resources during this chaotic political climate. 

We will be in Alaska for 20 days and will be blogging and updating the site as often as possible. I'll post any new fund-raising info here as soon as we have it finalized. 

10/12/16 - A few quick highlights of our trips. 

8/31/16 - Funny hats, Heavy packs, and Broken Teeth Part 3: 

The fun part....

We had summited Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe. We'd done it in 4 days. We skied literally off the summit of the mountain. No down hiking at all. It was a pretty awesome accomplishment and we were blessed with sunny skies to guide us back down to Lenz Rocks. Now we had to make it safely off the mountain and back to Cheget. 

We went to bed after our summit day, tired, proud, and anxious to get off the mountain. As I wrote earlier there’s a certain amount of inherent suffering involved in these trips and once a shower and a home cooked meal are in sight it’s hard to focus on anything else. After enjoying a late afternoon storm and a clear moon rise, beautifully captured below by Sierra, we went to bed, woke up, packed up everything and once more climbed upward toward the South side of Elbrus.

This day’s climb saw it’s highs and lows. Completely clear skies and warm temps aided our tired legs and bodies up the same trek we’d made only 1 day before and provided us with the views of Elbrus and the Caucuses we’d missed yesterday during our ascent through the soupy clouds. As a team we had discussed an impromptu East summit attempt if we were feeling good, but those thoughts passed quickly as our heavy packs dug into our shoulders once again.  A bit of teammate tension arose as we crossed the crevasse zone the second time. While everyone’s nerves were a little less tense, our pacing was too fast for some (me), too slow for others (not me). Tension passing, we made it back to the saddle and got ready to enjoy another 5,000ft ski descent off one of the tallest mountains in the world.

This descent wasn’t exactly what I would call fun. Or pretty. Or easy. 5 straight days of climbing and another day with fully weighted packs made these turns the “hold on tight, bank like hell, and stop when you stop” variety. The snow was ugly and our legs were toast. After about 4 turns we’d all stop to catch our breath and let the legs recover. Eventually we made it to the gondola and happily rode our way back down to Cheget, where all the other successful summit teams were partying hard outside our hotel. After a shower and a meal we joined them for a few celebratory drinks (read… “more Vodka than my freshman year of college) before heading to bed around 6pm.

The next day Ben and I woke around 5am and took a stroll around Cheget, checking out the local rivers, donkeys, and gorgeous peaks surrounding town. We spent the day relaxing around Cheget and Terksol, trying on funny hats, haggling with the local saleswomen, eating ice cream (highly recommended), and trying to find souvenirs for our friends and family. Not ready to leave yet, we planned to stay one more day, and possibly take a shot at the East summit the next morning. We figured with a day of rest, a gondola ride up, and light packs we could make the summit by mid-afternoon and ski a few thousand feet back to town.

We woke up and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, waiting for the lifts to open before heading to the mountain. Mark and Sierra decided to spend the day running, (weirdos) while Ben and I headed off to Elbrus once more. I’ll let the video below describe what took place on the mountain that day, but basically our stomach’s didn’t let us make the East summit.

After our aborted summit and ski day we packed up everything once again and took off for Moscow. Mark and Sierra stayed in the capital city while Ben and I, logistics experts that we are, headed to St. Petersburg. This is where it got interesting.

Mark and Sierra had booked a hotel and flights and all the stuff adults usually take care of beforehand, while Ben and I had been skiing. We landed in Moscow with a vague plan of getting on a train to St Petersburg. At 1pm that day we checked train tickets and saw various options for trains going to St Pete every few hours. When we landed in Moscow all the tickets were gone and we had to beg the nice ladies at the airport to get us on a train at 4am the next morning. Little did we know our train would be a 3rd class sleeping car on a 10 hour travel through the far North West of Mother Russia. Even though we were not housed with goats and chickens as we feared, the trip was slightly less comfortable than the train travel I’ve experienced in the US and Western Europe. Even still it was an experience to remember. 60 or so passengers crammed into one car with bunks doubling as seats were separated by mere inches, and it was hot. Our train car companions were typically amiable and friendly and made sure we knew where we were going and how to get there and treated us like long lost friends during another wonderful day in Russia.

Ben and I arrived in St Petersburg around 2pm and headed down the Nevsky Prospekt toward our hostel. We stopped for a quick lunch at a Shwarma stand and devoured our first real meal in about 15 hours. Barely into his second bite of a delicious Panini Ben stopped chewing and made a face I’ve never seen him make. As I continued to eat, Ben slowly pulled a large piece of tooth out of his mouth. Apparently he has a few crowns and one of them chose that moment to break loose and fall into his food. Unsure of Russia’s dental policy and the availability of a dentist able to perform an emergency crowning Ben ate on and figured he’d deal with that problem when we got home. Broken teeth are just a part of the summit2ski lifestyle.

We spent 2 days in St Petersburg enjoying the incredible architecture, history, street markets, pay toilets, friendly people, as we wandered the streets til the early morning. I’ll note quickly here that Ben had failed to pack any clean underwear for our time not on the mountain. Dirty underoos are something you grow accustomed to on the mountain, but can become a bother while walking around a new city meeting new people. But, trooper that he is he didn’t complain.

On our second day in St Petersberg we met a lovely couple from San Diego who joined us on our wanders. It was nice to speak English with someone other than Ben. The four of us visited the Cathedral on the Spilled Blood, (site of Czar Alexander II’s assassination), the Summer Garden’s, and a few other churches and castles along the way. We agreed to meet again as Ben and I left St Petersburg for Moscow.

So, there’s a bit more of logistic planning that most people do when traveling in foreign countries that Ben and I figured out on the fly during our last few days in Russia. With all the gear we brought for our summit and ski we were left with only a few needed items of clothing to make it through St Pete and Moscow. But where to put our extra stuff was a bit of a problem. Before our night train to St Petersburg we needed to find a locker where we could safely leave our skis, tents, backpacks, stoves, boots, etc. That part of our adventure involved carrying everything on our backs through the Moscow underground to our train station until we met a nice young man who would lock up our gear for 3 days in the train station while we relaxed in St Pete. Through google translate and some serious hand gestures we agreed he would keep our gear for a reasonable fee. He also asked if we had any US money we would trade for his collection. He was a collector of foreign currency and wanted any small bills or coins we could offer. We felt a slight sense of appreciation for this guy as Ben and I had recently spent an entire day wandering around Mendoza Argentina asking for any monedas pesos (Argentine coins) that Ben could add to his coin collection. We passed over a few 1's and some quarters as we left our gear in a train station locker and headed off to St Pete.

On our return to Moscow we were now faced with the problem of getting back to our gear and then getting that gear into a hotel and from there to the airport. While our trip to St Petersberg took 10 hours, our return to Moscow was on one of their shiny new high speed trains that made the same trip in only 3 hours. Whipping South toward Moscow at 100 mph on a train was a cool way to see Russia. While it lacked the cramped quarters and putrid stench of 60 other nearby passengers the fast train was a slightly more enjoyable travel experience.

Once back in Moscow we metro’d our way back to the train station where we’d left our gear, again with the poor logistics – the train we took back to Moscow did not arrive at the station from which we had departed, and headed up to the street to catch an Uber to our hotel. Or so we thought. We’d arrived in Moscow around 5pm, peak traffic hours. While our Uber moved from an estimated 15 minutes away, to 45 minutes away, to 15 minutes, back to 45, we decided to brave the metro once more with 75 pounds of camping stuff strapped to each of our backs. We headed back into the old WWII bomb shelters that were converted into beautifully decorated underground stations. After using the phone to google translate the metro map we made it to a stop close to our hotel. I again broke out the Uber app and called for a ride. We were only a few miles from our hotel but carrying that gear through the metro once had nearly killed me. I wasn’t excited about walking to our hotel. But, with traffic still a nightmare that’s what we ended up doing. PS It’s hot in Moscow in July. While we had endured a rapid trek up Elbrus this fully loaded carry and move to our hotel was the other lowest point of our trip. Shoulder straps burning holes in my back and Ben dragging a ski box with one of two wheels working made for a horribly painful walk of about 3 miles. Finally we found our hotel and showered and headed into downtown Moscow for dinner.

Our hotel was not far from Red Square so we ventured that way toward the Kremlin and all that is intimidating about Russia to a couple simple ski bums from the US. Red Square is beautiful. The Kremlin is huge. As a kid who grew up near DC I spent a lot of time wandering around our Capital Mall and all our monuments. The Red Square is Russia’s version of our capital city and it has an equally awe inspiring effect. The cobbles around the square are uneven and evoke an ageless feeling. My mental image kept reflecting to pictures of troops and missiles paraded through the square all dressed in communist brown and red. I was standing in the middle of one of the most influential historic places in the world watching the sunset with one of my good friends. It was kinda surreal. It was really cool.

We spent the night wandering and looking around eating ice cream and hot dogs while we enjoyed our last few nights in Russia. The next day we met the couple from San Diego and ate lunch in a park before heading off to the airport and back home.

Russia is an amazing country. It is so big. It was so green while we were there. The people were so nice to us. It has equal parts medieval poverty and modern affluence and we were lucky enough to see both. Flying above the country from Min Vody to Moscow showed miles of green farmland broken only by small communal farm towns and dirt roads. Travelling by train to St Petersberg gave a closer look at those farm towns with dirt roads and horse drawn carts, barns full of hay, and train stations with high speed trains that move 100mph. Our trip was a quick expedition up the tallest mountain in Europe and through some of the oldest cities in the world. We met many incredibly nice people who helped us succeed on our effort to summit and ski another of the 7 summits. Those people and our time in Russia will not soon be forgotten and I hope to go back someday.

Thank you to everyone who supported us on this trip and helped make it a great success. Summit2ski has raised over $2,000 to support and fund Protect Our Winters, and Climate Ride. Without the efforts of organizations like these and people like you we may soon lose our opportunity to enjoy the wild places of the world through skiing. I hope that doesn’t happen. I hope future generations are able to experience the world in a similar way and the ski bums of tomorrow are as lucky as we have been. Thanks again to Mark, Sierra, and Ben, and their families and mine for providing us the opportunity to share experiences like this. Thanks to all of you for reading this and please get in touch if you have questions about our mission or our trips!!!!

7/23/16 - Heavy Packs, Funny Hats, and Broken Teeth Part 2:

This is a longer post. We have a lot to cover...

That first night at the Aerodrome was a serious wake up call for me. After our mountain pizza dinner I hit the tent and passed out hard, trying to catch up on sleep lost on the flights to Russia. I was nervous. My pack was heavy. Really fing heavy. And I didn't want to hold the team back but I also didn't want to push myself so hard that I got hurt or got so weak I'd get sick. We'd been down the sick route in Argentina and it's not a pretty road. There is a certain amount of inherent suffering involved in trips like this. You can't shower. You're cold most of the time. You have to poo in the nastiest of nasty toilet facilities, or worse bag up your own poo and pack it off the mountain. When you're moving the goal is to keep a pace that you can manage for a really long time without bonking or overheating. You just have to grin and bear it until those moments of accomplishment and joy come along and make it all worth it. 

We woke up early with the sun, around 4am every day.  The skies were clear and we broke camp and moved up the trail after a little coffee and oatmeal. My pack was still very heavy, and hiking with skis and boots sticking out of your pack like wings is not fun. After a few hours we hit the snow and put on our boots and skins which was a welcome relief to everyone. We continued skinning up for a couple more hours through the funky snow, wet slushy messy stuff from all the rain and snow they'd been getting and made it into Camp 1 around 12,000ft. Camp 1 was a fairly grim site full of really friendly Russian climbers and the dirtiest toilet I've been lucky enough to use. A storm was rolling in as we made it to camp so we set up in a well protected tent site and hung out in Mark and Sierra's Mighty-Mid while the storm passed. Camp 1 on the north side of Elbrus is a jagged, rocky plateau that runs along a big ridge near the bottom of Elbrus. As the clouds broke we got our first good look at the summit.

The move to camp 1 had been steep and we were still carrying full loads of food and fuel. I was tired but felt better about getting used to the weight of my pack and keeping a steady pace that wasn't desperately slow. 

From camp 1 we could also see our next goal, Lenz's Rocks at about 15,000ft. Lenz is a large rock band that provides enough shelter for a campsite and nice launching point for a summit attempt. Most people move from Camp 1 up to the summit and back again, a 6,000ft day x2 with the descent. We wanted to move to Lenz to give ourselves a higher camp and a shorter summit day. It looks close in the picture above, but it was not. 

We woke early again and started moving to Lenz. A clear cold morning with an absolutely gorgeous sunrise greeted us and put us all in a good mood for our long day ahead. The move to Lenz was steep. Really steep. And the route was direct, not a lot of traversing or switchbacks to ease the incline. The snow was solid and the weather was cooperating and we made the move in about 6 hours. 

Ben was the first one into Lenz and started shelving out a tent site for us and then we started digging out a spot for the Mighty-Mid. A light storm had moved in during our last push to the rocks and I was whipped and excited about rolling into our tent to warm up and rest. Mark and Sierra cooked our dinner that night, chili. It was quite tasty but had the common unfortunate after effects which were made worse by being trapped in a tent. We had decided to get up early and make our summit push the next morning, but would return to Lenz so we'd get to ski terrain we'd already seen rather then heading off the South side into the unknown. 

We went to bed that night after making water for the next day's effort. I was still nervous. My anxiety was no longer about the weight of our packs but now focused on the glacier above. We had practiced with ropes and were all pretty comfortable working together but it's still an intimidating task to move across a crevasse. The conditions for moving through the compression zone were pretty good all things considered. The snow had filled in all the cracks and the cold had kept everything pretty solid. But, walking across a crevasse is scary no matter what the snow feels like. I had been thinking about this in the back of my mind for a while and now that it was actually happening those fears had set up shop right in the forefront of my thoughts. 

I describe it as being gripped. That little bit of anxiety that causes your whole body to be tense just to the point of sapping your strength and energy. Like when you're almost in a car accident and it takes 5 minutes before you stop strangling the steering wheel even though nothing actually happened. 

Leaving most of our gear at Lenz allowed us to move with comparatively light packs which was a welcome change for all of us. We rose with the sun again, harnessed up and headed off to the summit. The weather was clear and we were all moving well under the lighter weight of our packs even though the route was steep. 

We roped up and moved into the glacier zone after a few hours of ski crampon hiking. Ben lead the way as we figured he was the most expendable. I think we were all quietly praying for safe route finding as Ben made his way across. At this point we were moving behind the East summit and were well shielded from the wind. With a powerful sun above the temps started rising and added to the tension just enough to make things a little more uncomfortable. I'd say my grip level was a 6 out of 10 at this point. We made it out of the compression zone and back onto stable terrain without any incidents. 

We unroped and headed up above the saddle between the summits. The slope up from the saddle was steep and icy. My fatty Rossi skis were starting to be a poor decision. The pitch was too steep and icy to straight climb even with the crampons and skins so we traversed over toward the fixed ropes that run up from the saddle. This is when things started to go bad for me. 

I was having serious trouble getting any valuable bite out of my crampons and every slip or loss of traction had me picturing an icy 500' slide down to the saddle. My legs were tired and my right ankle was screaming from the constant side hilling. Oh yea, and clouds had moved in to turn our beautiful day into a soupy mess with 10 feet of visibility. My grip level was at a 12 out of 10 at this point. I think I left my fingerprints on my ski poles. I made it over to the ropes where Ben and Sierra were waiting for me. Sierra grabbed my harness and quickly prussic'd me into the ropes while I stopped to breathe and change into my boot crampons. 

On Aconcagua we had some really trying moments but I never thought about turning around. I thought we might not make our agreed upon time cut-off, but I never thought about quitting and giving up. Right here, just a few hundred feet from the summit I was ready to call it. I calmed down and moved up to the top of the ropes where Ben was waiting. I almost broke down and confessed my fear and told him I was out. Lowest moment of the trip right there at 18,000 feet. We slowly started moving onto the gentler slopes of the summit and kept going. I'm glad I didn't quit. I'm glad I kept moving. I'm glad Sierra and Mark and Ben were there to help me. Thanks guys. 

With the trying moments behind us it was time for the fun part. The clouds had moved out and left us with clear skies to ski down 3,500ft back to Lenz. On the way up we'd spotted a ridge with some wind protection and just enough wind deposited snow to make it something like real skiing. After cruising down around the glacier zone at a speed Ben calls "mach-chicken" we made our way back to camp in style. 

We carved our way back down to Lenz and sat our tired butts on the most comfortable rocks we could find to relax and reflect. As we rested one of the most awesome thunderclouds came rolling up the mountain and we had a front seat to watch the weather change below us. Volcanoes are known to make their own weather and we had been pretty lucky with calm clear mornings which would make way for all hell breaking loose around noon each day, just as we were ready to crawl into our campsites. This one was fun to watch. 

That night we made water and enjoyed a late dinner of buttered bagels under the stars. We had decided to move up and over the next day, with an option for a try at the East summit. We crawled into bed and I know I was proud of another successful summit and ski descent of one of the tallest mountains in the world. 

More to come about our last days on Elbrus and the adventures of two idiots abroad in the next post....

7/21/16 - Heavy packs, funny hats, broken teeth, and another Summit2Ski success!!!

Chapter 1:

Again I'm about a month behind in updates for the site and I know you've all been waiting patiently for pictures and stories from our trip so here it is. We left for Russia back on June 15 and arrived back in the states on July 1. In total we spent 2 weeks in Russia eating lots of lamb kebabs and soup that occasionally required a knife. We met incredible people and were treated with great hospitality all over the country. And, we summited and skied the tallest mountain in Europe, Mt Elbrus which stands at a cool 18,510ft in the Caucuses. This June in Russia was one of the wettest and stormiest on record which made for pretty great skiing conditions and a lot of early mornings in order to make it to our next camp before the storms rolled through. Our team of Mark, Sierra, Ben and Me, spent 5 days on Elbrus, traversing from the North side up and over the top and finally down the South route. We then had to part ways as Ben and I trained around beautiful and historic Russia and Mark and Sierra headed off to Switzerland. More on those tourista adventures in our next post. But first the trip to Russia and the first few days.

On our way down to DIA Sierra was checking in for our flight and calmly said to Mark and I, "hmmm, our flight is cancelled." Que??? Not a good start. We ended up changing flights and made it into Moscow about 6 hours after our flight South left for Mineralyne Vody. We spent a night in a hotel near the airport and jumped on a flight the next afternoon only losing one day to travel mishaps. Oh well. And, the hotel had a killer breakfast buffet which featured such Russian delicacies as neck, orange creams, and little doughnut type things filled with fruit. Seriously I don't know what it was but the label said "Neck", and it tasted like weird ham. The first of many interesting dining experiences in Russia. 

Moving through Russian airport security is a little different than here in the US. Their version of TSA is not quite as intimidating and basically you keep moving until someone stops you. With all our gear we were expecting frequent questions and checks of our bags. Neither of these happened until I was frisked by a friendly guy at our final checkpoint. No harm no foul I guess. A day late we made it to Min Vody ready to set out towards Cheget, a small rural village at the foot of Elbrus. After a 4 hour shuttle ride to Cheget we checked in with Pilgrim Tours and spent some time wandering through town. Cheget is a very small town. We sat down at a nearby hotel/cafe for dinner only to learn that the owner was the same guy who drove us to town. His wife ran the restaurant, their daughter was our server. Ben gave everyone a good laugh when he ordered his chicken kebab by making a clucking noise and flapping his arms like wings. After dinner we chatted with some other climbers before settling in for a night of packing and re-packing our gear.  

Gear packed. Un-needed stuff left behind. We set out for the North side about 10am the next morning. To get to the Northern route we hired a guide from Pilgirm to drive us over in a badass Toyota Hillux. The drive took about 5 hours and was definitely one of the more sporty drives I've been on. As mentioned above this June was a wet one in Southern Russia. We left Cheget in sunshine and arrived in basecamp after avoiding rockfalls, driving through pouring rain, and up through clouds that offered a total visibility of about 3 feet, onto a dirt access road about as wide as a bike path with potholes the size of a mini-cooper. Oh yea, and a 1000ft drop off the side. Exciting stuff.

I will mention it here, not to embarrass but out of respect. Sierra can sleep like no one I know. I have trouble sleeping in cars and on planes, Sierra does not. The girl can be in the heat of a discussion or conversation and as soon as there's a pause, she's out like a light. Jealous. Below is a short video of the access road. 

Our driver Andriy took us all the way in to basecamp and dropped us off. While he helped us unload our gear he asked how long we planned to be on the mountain. 8 Days was our scheduled trip but with weather and aclimation who knows how long you'll be up there. Upon lifting our packs he said, "This is for 2 weeks!!!" surprised by the weight we planned to take up the hill. This would be a common theme. As we set off, Andriy snapped a quick photo and we headed up the trail. 

After a short but scary stream crossing on a bridge that was most definitely not built by the Army Corps of Engineers we hiked out of Basecamp up toward the Aerodrome. Basecamp on the North Route is about 9,000ft, so being from Breck, we wanted to get up a little higher and get back to our natural altitude. As we set out through the wildflowers we quickly stripped down to our shorts and began the trek up! We made it to the Aerodrome after about 2 hours and decided to set up camp as it was getting late and the heavy packs were taking some getting used to. 

We set up camp and started cooking our first meal of the trip. Ben's speciality, Mountain Pizza, soaked in butter. A welcome caloric boost that also tastes like heaven. The aerodrome was used by the Nazi's during WWII as a landing strip for long range bombers, and it's a pretty cool site to camp and enjoy the views. An unnaturally flat meadow surrounded by rugged 15,000ft peaks. I for one was glad we stopped to enjoy the scenery on our first night of what was undoubtedly going to be a grueling expedition. More to come soon...

6/9/16 - MT ELBRUS!!!!!

So, we are off again, this time to Russia! Ben, David, Mark, and Sierra are headed to the Caucus mountains in Southeastern Russia to summit and ski Mt Elbrus, a 18,510 ft dormant volcano. We just recently got approval of our travel plans with the Russian Embassy and are headed out next week! This two week trip will take us through Moscow down to the border with Georgia and hopefully to the top of the tallest peak in Europe. Our planned route is a North to South traverse of both peaks, hopefully with some stellar spring snow skining and skiing along the way.  (I do love alliteration). We are again raising funds to support Climate Ride and Protect our Winters, so please contribute to help these amazing organizations. 

In preparation for this expedition we've been climbing and skiing a few 14ers nearby and working together on our belay and rope team technique. Mark and Sierra are currently climbing on Rainer and road tripping through the Pacific Northwest, skiing and speed flying whenever they can. Hopefully Mark brings his kite so we can watch him fly off the tallest mountain in Europe.

Ben has also been studying Russian and will be our team translator for this trip as David's spanish language skills totally failed the team in Argentina and led to David and Ben riding a scooter together. Not a pretty site. 

We launch on June 10, and return stateside on July 1. All well wishes and support are greatly appreciated as well as any donations for this second leg of our trip! Thanks to everyone for the help along the way! 

3/28/16 - Slideshow:

It's been quite a while since this site has been updated and for that I apologize. Below you will find a slideshow that Ben and I finally put together with pictures and few videos from our trip. Give it a look and let me know what you think. Warning this video contains brief male nudity, also known as Ben's doctor visit. Thanks again for all the support!

1/5/16 - The Return:

Ben and I have been back in Breck for a few weeks now and are re-adjusting to the routine of much missed family, friends, work, and a few much missed luxuries like flush toilets and showering everyday. Seriously showers are amazing. Many people have asked for a post recapping the trip, and of course photos. We are working on it. I promise we are. This will be a quick recap of a few highlights/lowlights and a brief overview of the trip. 

First I'd like to say that this trip was a massive success! We both battled many setbacks and moments when we thought that might not be the case, and we made a successful summit on Dec. 10th!! and had a safe ski descent from Camp 1 at 16,500ft. We've also raised over $2,000 to support Protect Our Winters and Climate Ride! All of which we are very proud of. We definitely could not have made this trip such a success without all the support, prayers, and well wishes from all of you! Thank you so much!

All in all we were in South America for 24 days. On the mountain for 15 days. And made our final summit push from base camp to the top in only 4 days. Not exactly what we had in mind but we did it. Unfortunately our ski descent from camp 1 was all the skiing the park service would allow us before they confiscated our skis and cited us for not having the correct permits. (More about that in the official trip report). We suffered through sickness, storms, sadness, and a few other snags and still made the summit with smiles. (Alliteration is great). I can easily say this was the most difficult, rewarding, and fulfilling experience of my life so far. Ben and I are closer now than I'd like to admit, but after emptying another man's pee bottle and watching him take a shot of pregnizone in the ass what can you do? (Don't worry there's video of Ben's doctor visit that will definitely be shared). We made many new friends and got to visit with old friends, and family, and were treated to unbelievable hospitality and encouragement throughout our time in Argentina, Chile, Miami, and LA. While the transition back to work and cars, and computers, phones, showers, etc has been interesting it has not dulled the effect of this trip. Thanks to all who have supported the cause and supported us along the way! 

Big thanks to Kelly Kraft for updating the site during the trip and helping with my horrible spanish language skills! And good luck to her in Montana! Va Hacienda Kelly! 

More photos and stories coming soon, but here are a few of the good ones:

Once again thanks to all who have helped along the way, and we are still accepting donations through our DONATE page, and at climate ride.org  Please help support Protect our Winters, and Climate Ride if you haven't yet.

Thanks and more to come soon!

12/14/15 - El Cumbre

Got a text from David today that he and Ben are safely back in Mendoza eating ice cream, which I sorta feel jealous about. He asked me to post this photo from the summit. 

12/10/15 - THEY DID IT!!

Message came in from the satellite phone at 9:16PM (Argentina time): Made it to the summit and back safely! Long day, more details later. 

Felicitaciones muchachos!!! Lo están haciendo!

12/10/15

It is going to happen David and Ben have checked in at high camp with a goal to summit in the morning. Conditions are looking as positive as possible over the next several days. Sending prayers to the peaks of South America. 

12/07/2015

‘…Thursday is it’, the most recent text reads. A push to 22,841 feet is underway. David and Ben have been put to the test: permit issues, ranger issues, missing their skis for a few days, crummy weather and illness. Lets be thankful they are keeping in communication and send a little hope their way for a safe and successful final push.

12/6/2015 Updates from Argentina

Satellite phone updates from last week:

Monday 11/30/15 at 9:27pm (Argentina time) - "Hello from base camp! 14k ft. All is good. Met a local guide who skis here. More tomorrow"

Wednesday 12/2/15 at 4:02pm (Argentina time) - "Hello from Camp Canada 16k ft. Sleeping down at base camp again. Wind and snow coming tonight. So far, so good. 

Updates via text from David over the last few days:

Thursday 12/3/15 at 5:14pm (Argentina time) - "Just got service at base camp and am trying to send you a photo of skiing. Got to ski on Monday after skinning up from base camp and had some great turns coming down. Since then things have taken a turn. The park service decided we have to pay a $30k deposit to ski in the park and we're trying to get that sorted out. Ben is also battling a cold and the weather is not great. So we're stuck at base camp right now hoping things turn back around." 

Saturday 12/5/15 at 7:11pm (Argentina time) - From what I can put together via text messages, Ben had been fighting a cold the last few days, which has now passed to David. They've been at base camp trying to get better and get their skis back (from the park service I assume). Given the minor setbacks, David said they're still having an awesome time. 

Sunday 12/6/15 at 6:37pm (Argentina time) - "We're not getting our skis back until we leave, but we're going to find something to ski on the way out. I'll try and send a pic of the sick bed you can post as well."

The cell service doesn't seem magical or strong enough for the photos to come through, so you'll have to use your imagination of the two of them up there coughing on each other and David and his Spanish trying to get their skis back. I'll post another update as they come in. 

11/29/2015 We're Doing It! (Post From David This Morning)

So yesterday. The first day in Argentina was a long one. We landed at 10am after 24 hours in airports and crammed into plane seats. Ben was lucky enough to be given a middle seat on each of our 3 flights down here and thoroughly enjoyed being squished between me and our new best friend. We tried to sleep, but that was difficult. Excitement and discomfort kept us awake for most of the trip.

On arrival we were met by Carlos from Grajales Guides who had our names written on a whiteboard. That felt cool. He took us to our hotel where we dropped gear and then headed out to get our permits from the park office. This became quite exciting as it was Ben's first time experiencing Argentina. Street dogs, graffiti, traffic, beautiful wide tree covered streets, whole families on scooters flying by. It was great.

We got to the park office (slightly more casual feel than govt offices in the US) and began filling out our paperwork when a woman told us we would not be allowed to ascend without a guide. This was news to us. The govt lady told us to call a guide service. Ben doesn't cuss too often, but I've heard it a few times. The look on his face at this moment had f-bombs and worse written all over it. After getting all the way to Mendoza we were now thrown a big curveball. We sat down and called Carlos. Through my pidgin Spanish we worked it out. We weren't required to have guides all the way, just permission to use the camps already established on the hill. This we had already worked out with Grajales so we were good. Crises averted. We relaxed, got our permits and headed out into the streets. Relieved. We then headed to the grocery to finish buying our food. That was an odyssey level struggle. However this is a story for another time.

We ate steak at a nice place near Plaza Independencia and then went to the heladaría. We returned to the hotel for one last gear check and packing session then I fell asleep at midnight. Long day.
We're up and at 'em this Domingo morning and heading to the trail in an hour. We should be at confluencia tonight and base camp tomorrow night. We're doing it.

11/29/2015

Early this morning David checked in. He and Ben are on the way out of Mendoza; which is at about 2,000+ ft elevation, in high 60's Fahrenheit with a slightly cloudy sky. This afternoon they are headed to Penitentes, a ski area on the way to the trail. Followed by the long awaited time that they will hit the trail. They are expecting to camp at Confluences tonight, a camp full of day hikers, hikers who hope to summit, excitement and beauty at about 10,800+ ft.

11/27/2015

David and Ben made it to Denver International Airport this morning and are off!

Sadly, the chance of them have access to write their own posts is very slim; please, pardon my sorry excuse for writing skills as I update everyone on their behalf.

With a few stops, plane changes and bus they are heading to Mendoza, the capital of Argentina and only 70 miles from Aconcagua!

11/7/15: Lite Reading:

This is not a typical training post. This will touch on deeper matters. This post gets at the heart of what Ben and I are attempting to raise money for and why it's important to us. But first I want to say Happy Birthday to my friend Pat Barton, my father Doug Morris, and my Aunt Catherine, all strong positive influences in my life and people who have supported us through this endeavor. Love you all!

I was reading through the latest issue of 32 Degrees, the monthly PSIA/AASI publication sent to all members, when I came across an article about Climate Change. The article is titled Is Your Way of Life On Snow In Peril and the article brings up climate change in terms we can all understand, and offers suggestions about how to broach the subject with ski industry guests and participants. I've also been re-reading a book gifted to me by my good friend Kelly Kraft that approaches climate change with narrative and affective prose. That book is Deep: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow, written by Porter Fox of Powder Magazine. Both texts provide data about our current crises and the effects we have already seen. I recommend this book to anyone concerned about climate change and as a great story. Check them out if you can. 

If current predictions hold we will see a decrease in consistent snow patterns that provide us with our careers and ways of life. If the skiing tourism industry is hit with consistently lower snow levels as it seems will happen then countless towns across the world who depend on that industry will be forced to adapt or see their livelihood disappear much like the auto industry focused towns in Michigan and Ohio. This threat is real. We as a community are in danger. The time to act is now. Large ski tourism companies like my employer Vail Resorts, and Aspen Ski Company are working hard to promote action within the snowsports community to help fight climate change. Organizations like Climate Ride, and Protect Our Winters are fighting for positive legislation in Washington that will limit carbon emissions and slow the greenhouse effect that is warming our planet. This is not a fun topic. This is not a problem with easy solutions. This challenge is great, and worldwide. The inconvenient truth is that things have to change. We have to change. As Americans we have sacrificed our way of life for a joint cause several times, rationing and limiting usage during World War II helped us build a military force capable of stopping the Axis threat. Our parents and grandparents took that challenge in stride and pitched in wherever possible. Without a worldwide effort to limit the effects of climate change we as a planet will face changes greater than we have known. This trip has become an effort to raise awareness and money to support that fight. Please visit our donation page here and support our efforts! Thank you all so much for the support. 20 days and counting!

10/21: Testing the Gear:

My face was cold. Really cold. Booger freezing cold as my friend Dave Oliver likes to call it. That kind of cold that burns your throat as you inhale. So cold that your eyelashes freeze together and sting a little when you try to open them. I kept feeling drops of frost hit my cheeks and instantly freeze to my pillow as they bounced off my face. Ben was snoring like a grizzly bear on the other side of the tent and obviously was not as bothered by the cold as I was. That made me jealous. Ben and I had just climbed into our tent after hiking to the top of Mt. Sherman on the first real cold night of the year in an effort to test out some of the gear before we head to Argentina. It was a gorgeous clear night in the Rockies and we were the only people in sight. With a mostly full moon we took our time climbing to the summit and slowly returned to our campsite in the abandoned mining camp at the saddle about 12,000 ft above sea level. Ben climbed in and was asleep within minutes while I fought to grab sleep from the frost drips and the snoring grizzly nearby.

After a while I dozed off and was only awoken when my alarm sounded, jostling Ben and I to life in the early morning. We quickly dismantled our tent, packed our gear and headed off the mountain. The sun rose slowly as we descended through the darkness back towards the car. 

All in all it was a quick confidence building trip up another 14er with some more stunning scenery, this time at night and daybreak. We're getting more comfortable with our gear and our pacing, and spending as much time as we can at elevation. Our trip is fast approaching and we are both confident in ourselves and our preparations, and hoping for all the luck we can get with weather and acclimatization. A few more dry runs and we're in for the real deal Nov. 28. 

9/19: The Ten Mile Traverse

To continue our training Ben and I decided to tackle one of the most iconic local hikes available, the Ten Mile Traverse. Having lived in Breck for a combined 20 years it's surprising that neither of us had yet attempted this daunting trek from Frisco to Breckenridge, but with the fall coming quick and our opportunities for long days with relatively calm weather getting shorter, we figured we'd give her a go. 

To shorten our morning shuttle we decided to drive two vehicles up to peak 10 and camp Friday night near the finish of the hike, then wake up early and drive to Frisco. Ben was first to arrive at our meeting point and guided me up the maze of summer roads and 4 wheel drive trails that crisscross Breck Ski Resort in the summer. After a few missed turns in the dark, and a few stalls on some rockier than expected trails I joined him at the saddle. Ben was planning on sleeping in his car and was well on his way to bed when I arrived. I of course had failed to clean my car out after work and had no room to sleep in the car. Being lazy and forgetful, I failed to bring a tent. Not wanting to cuddle up with Ben just yet, I threw my sleeping pad and bag out on the ground and prepped for a night in the wind. When I occasionally rolled onto my back and peered out of my mummy sack I was awed by a clear sky and some breathtaking stars. As I drifted off to sleep I was weary of the long day ahead. 

We woke early to another beautiful sunrise and some of the lingering stars from the night before. We drove to Frisco and took off up the trail. The trek up to Mt Royal is a steep one. And from there it keeps going up to Peak 1. After 3 hours we finally summited our first peak of the day, and continued on to take down the 9 more in front of us. 

As hikes go this one does not disappoint. Classified as a level 3 scramble with some legit exposure this trek offers some challenging route finding and a little butt tensing rock hopping around 13,000 ft. We picked an incredible day to try this one. With the aspens in full turn and the skies clear and crisp we continued across peak 2, 3 and 4. This section was the crux of the hike with the most difficult terrain and some of the most incredible scenery available. With unobstructed views of Lake Dillon, Frisco, the Ten Mile Canyon, Breckenridge, Grays and Torreys peaks, Mt Elbert and the Maroon Bells to the south, this was a 360 degree highlight reel of Colorado. 

This hike takes most people 10 hours, but has been run by some freaks in under 4. We were hoping to clock in under 10 hours, and even jogged a stretch across peak 6 to stretch our legs. The funny thing about this hike is how easy it is to lose track of where you are on the range. Peak 6 looks a lot like Peak 8, and after scrambling across the aptly named Dragon Ridge on Peak 4 the terrain flattens out and becomes a slog across the rounder and more manageable tops of 6,7,8, and 9. With a few snack breaks and a rest/blister patrol stop in a shelter on Peak 8 that nearly turned into a nap break we were feeling strong heading into the final stretch. 

We'd had the trail to ourselves pretty much all day and had been chasing a group of hikers who were about 2 peaks ahead of us. We'd see their sillouhettes as the summited each peak in front of us and we'd try and keep pace. As we descended off Peak 9 into the saddle where we'd camped the night before we were foot sore and weary. Ben lead the trek up to the fire road and toward our final ascent of the day. We stopped for one last break and to empty the rocks out of our shoes as the group we'd been following came down the road. Let me rephrase, they came running down the trail. These must have been some of the freaks we'd heard about who run the whole freaking way. Weirdos. Disheartened by seeing these super humans we stopped and discussed how late it was, and how Ben had a wife and 1 year old baby girl to get home to, and how bad my feet hurt. Nonetheless we pressed on up to the top of peak 10 and then headed back to the car. Or, we bailed like the sissys we are and hung our heads as we went back to the car falling 3/4s of a peak short. I'll let you decide. 

9/7: Labor Day Labor: 4-14ers before noon:

This morning Ben and I continued our training efforts by setting out at 530am to hike a 14er, or so I thought. We hatched this plan last night via text when Ben sent me a message asking if I could hike in the morning, and that there were 4 fairly easy hikes nearby his new place. I was half asleep after 2 days of a Summit Stix lacrosse tournament, and biking/partying with my buddy Gabe who was up from Denver. So in my less than alert state I figured why not, a 14er would be a nice end to the holiday weekend. Little did I know Ben had a slightly more challenging day planned than I was prepared for. So he texted me the crossroads of the trailhead and I went to sleep and set my alarm for much earlier than anyone should be doing on a holiday Monday. 

I woke up early, made coffee, and hit the road. We've been hiking a fair bit in prep for our trip, and have basically loaded our packs with as much stuff as we can grab and the occasional 20lb dumb bell. I was pretty sore from a weekend of lacrosse and little sleep and figured I wouldn't need extra weight for this hike to thoroughly kick my butt, so I threw my extra layers, an extra water bottle, and a few other things that were lying on the floor into my pack. I had no idea what was about to ensue. 

I met Ben at the trailhead under a peaceful sunrise with some nice red clouds floating through the southern peaks of the Gore Range. Ben promptly started grabbing rocks from the side of the parking lot to load up his pack. This usually draws understandably strange looks from anyone else nearby, and not wanting to get 1 upped I regretfully followed his lead and dropped two 10ish pound hunks of granite into the bottom of my bag. As we set off I asked which of the 4 nearby peaks we would be climbing and Ben replied "All of them." This was news to me and I immediately considered dropping those stupid rocks and going back to the car, but thinking there was no way he was serious we started up the trail. 

About 20 minutes into the hike we had already gained close to 1000 ft of vert and I was starting to wake up and loosen up my sore and tired legs. Thats when things got fun. The peaceful clouds had turned into gray misty wisps of rain and the odd snowflake which were beginning to sting as they hit our faces guided by 40mph wind gusts. Living in the mountains gets you used to rapid weather changes and I hoped this would all quickly pass and that nice sunshine would soon reappear. My hopes were misguided today. As we made it to the high saddle that bridges the trail connecting Mt. Democrat and Mt. Cameron the wind was pushing 60 and the mist had become a steady snowfall which was accumulating quickly making the trail a slippery and treacherous garden of sharp scree. I was more than thankful I had grabbed my gloves and an extra layer before leaving the car. As the trail disappeared under the snow, we continued. 

Ben generally leads because he sets a nice steady pace which is easy to follow. I usually hang in the back and wait til Ben tires or his pace starts to get jumpy. This morning I was yo-yoing off the back and I struggled to keep moving uphill into the wind. Ben graciously stopped several times to let me catch up and catch my breath. I still thought Mt. Democrat would be our singular summit for the day and I'd be back in my apartment with coffee and a book before 10am. With thoughts of nearby warmth we pressed on up the hill. 

At the summit of Mt. Democrat after checking out the beautiful vista of 20 yard visibility and clouds ripping by below us, I quickly pulled those damn rocks out and emptied my pack. Ben did the same at which point I realized he had stuffed 5 granite slabs into his pack, and still kicked my ass up the hill. Feeling foolish and weak, I decided there was no way I was bailing before him. If he was crazy enough to hike the other 3 nearby 14ers then I damn sure wasn't going to let him embarrass me again. We started the descent back to the saddle and my competitive side took over. Feeling lighter and faster we slipped and slid our way down and over towards the next peak, Mt. Cameron. As we crossed the saddle it stopped snowing and the wind gods decided to add one more ingredient to this early morning trek, pouring 80-100mph gusts across the peaks that literally forced us to lean into the wind and left you stumbling forward and nearly off the trail when the wind broke. 

We cruised over Cameron and onto Mt Lincoln where we met young Charlie, who was up from Golden and on his first 14er trek. He joined us as we leaned our way up Lincoln and then rode the tailwind over to Mt. Bross. On Bross, Ben pulled out his pulse/ox monitor and we checked to see who was breathing heavier. Ben was. I was feeling better and finally awake. As the winds continued we shouted at each other and snapped a few photos of Charlie before quickly ducking off the ridge and heading down to the car. As we got back to the parking lot having climbed 4 separate 14ers in under 5 hours, the sun was shining and the wind had dropped. A few people were heading up in t-shirts and shorts for a nice calm day in the sun. Lucky bastards. 

8/29: River of No Return:

I spent the last 2 weeks hiking around the Tetons in Wyoming and then joined my family to raft down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. Buried deep in the River of No Return Wilderness Area, the middle fork is a remote section of river with outstanding trout fishing, challenging class III+ whitewater, and some truly beautiful scenery.

Our trip started with Adventure Sun Valley guides, and a butt puckering 4 seat cessna ride through the canyons to the put in where we met our guides for the week and the rest of our 16 person river party. A mixed group of experienced fishermen and women from nearby Montana and not so nearby Hawaii, some ranchers from southern Idaho, a few seasoned rafters and a stand up paddle boarder (Emily), and a bunch of city-slickers from Baltimore and Virginia, (my family). We set off for 5 nights of off-the-grid outdoor relaxation. 

As a veteran of overnight rafting trips, I had some foreknowledge of the most crucial piece to a successful week on the river, the groover (aka- the toilet). Needless to say standing in line for a groover at 7am with a bunch of people you just met is slightly uncomfortable. There is nothing like a clean groove sesh with an incredible view to set the tone for the day. Getting to the groover first before the rest of the party was my primary goal each morning and was only unattained once due to a late night of acoustic guitar tunes and too many river-ritas mixed by the guides who like their drinks strong to the point of being able to breathe flames if consumed too near the fire. 

Groover tales aside, the trip began most mornings with some coffee and enough bacon to feed the 10th mountain division, served everyday by our lovely guide staff. We then set out for a day of fishin', duckie flippin', and day hikin' through the canyon. 200 year old pictographs and remains of mining settlements are everywhere in the middle fork canyon, telling the tale of how the wilderness was used first by the Shoshone Natives and later the white men and women who literally scratched their living out of the dirt. 

All in all the trip was a welcome respite from the world of work, with great fishing guidance from Andrew, James, and John, duckie guidance from Eli, Matthew, and Justin, and beautiful camps set up by George and Luke each night. I'm sure I'm not the only one who gladly stuffed my face each night with meals fit for the Windsor family. 

Thanks to Adventure Sun Valley for an incredible experience that will not be forgotten. 

Highlights:

Mom and Dad jumping off a 45' bridge into freezing cold water.

Setting a new course record on the day 4 hike to the summit of Camel Back overlook. 19:55.99. Boom

SUPing class 3 rapids mostly successfully.

Sleeping by the river under the stars.

The gilligan's island remix performed by Uncle Rick on the last night.

BaconBaconBaconBaconBaconBaconBaconBaconBacon