PB+J successfully made it back to the land of the living!
They were beyond excited to get some showers and some real food.
So glad they are back, and cannot wait to see the photos and hear the stories!
Success!
Almost Picture Time!
PB+J have made it to Camp 1, yay!! They picked up their caches, their snowshoes, and their CMC’s. They were super happy to be in the positives for temperature!
Hopefully tomorrow they will make it down to Base Camp and catch a ride to Talkeetna! Once they are back into cell service, I am sure we will get to see some of the amazing photos they took. Great job PB+J, so proud of your adventure!
Headed Down
After the last few days of extreme cold coupled with the aborted summit attempt, Team PB+J has decided to return to the land of acceptable temperatures and flushing toilets! (can imagine trying to go to the bathroom in -20ºF?? Me neither…)
It will be a few days to get down, but coming down will be MUCH faster than going up. I hear there may already be plans for PB+J to do some kayaking upon their return during their last week in Alaska!
Good Job PB+J! You did something not many people do– followed an idea and a dream to the end!!!!!
Summit Day!!!! (maybe?)- Abort!
Its finally here– Summit Day! (maybe?)
Jay texted me this morning “Cold AF. Probably going for it”, and that was the last I heard. Hours and hours of wondering what was happening until finally another Garmin update!
4:30pm PST Update:
“Autobahn Top”
The autobahn is a long steep, section that leads up to Denali Pass at 18,300 feet. The summit is at 20,310 feet, and High Camp is at 17,200 feet.
This means they have gained about 1,000 feet of elevation and have about 2,000 feet to go. I will post updates as we get them, so stay tuned! We are not sure if they are just exploring or going for the summit.
7:00pm Update:
Temperatures were reaching extreme lows, so after reaching Denali Pass PB+J made the very smart decision to turn back to camp . Temps are dangerously low and it was decided risking frostbite was not worth a summit.
They are unsure if they will make another attempt for the summit or not. Conditions at 17,200 feet are harsh.
Rest Today, Summit Tomorrow!
Today PB+J will be taking a rest day to fully acclimatize to the elevation, and rest up for a Summit bid tomorrow! Jay has been enjoying M&M’s (I am pretty sure he had a few pounds of those, haha).
Tomorrow the weather looks good. Winds under 15mph, scattered snow showers, and temps around -25F. They are hoping to head up around 10am and be back at High Camp by 8pm.
They will then use the weekend to return to the glacier to catch a plane back to Talkeetna! Good luck PB+J!!
High Camp–OMG!
PB+J have made it to High Camp! Getting to high camp involves some technical steep climbing. They started at 14,200 feet and ended at 17,200 feet. That is 3,000 feet of gain in just a short span of time! The InReach notice stated it was COLD.
High camp is known for its extreme cold, harsh winds, and the difficulty performing tasks at high altitude. Here, PB+J will wait for a good day before making a summit bid. High camp often requires really well built walls around the tent, meaning exhausting, back breaking work. If weather is extra bad, some teams build double walls.
Summit day will be a looong day. Extreme cold and winds, difficult terrain, and 3,000+ feet of elevation gain over 2.5 miles. Many teams end up at high camp for multiple days waiting for a good weather forecast. As of right now, a light storm is moving in, with the best weather Thursday through Saturday. Currently there is no update from PB+J on when they hope to make a summit bid.
A Well Earned Rest Day
While it was a nice day today according to the internet, PB+J took a well earned rest day to acclimate, rest, and eat!
Breakfast consisted of pancakes, bacon, and maple syrup that Jay cooked for the group. Nom, nom, nom!
A storm front is moving in, but it is not expected to be severe. If it stays mellow, PB+J will head up to high camp at 17,200 feet tomorrow, with the hopes of a summit bid Wednesday or Thursday. Current route conditions are listed as “Stellar” by the NPS, and summit success rate is up to 22%.
Everyone keep your fingers crossed for good weather!!!!
Cache and Carry!
Lots of activity on the mountain as good weather is holding! It looks like they will have a storm front moving in, but significant storms are not expected. If the weather is good, and the team is feeling good, they will continue to push forward! **Late update on 5/27–Looks like they will take a rest day tomorrow* Continue reading “Cache and Carry!”
Camp 3! That Didn’t Take Long!
Wow. I take one day away from writing and a LOT happens! (sorry to all my fans, I am in Mendocino with very limited cell services!)
On the 24th, we did not hear from PB+J until late in the day…. And when we heard from them, it was from their new Gear Cache around 13,300 feet! So much for a rest day. Continue reading “Camp 3! That Didn’t Take Long!”
Cache Retrieved, Likely a Rest Day
Yesterday the team once again woke up to cold temps– this time 0°F. Brrrrr. They went back to their cache they had buried at 10,000 feet and hauled it back to Camp 2.
After getting the cache to camp, they fortified the walls around their tent. Whenever they set up camp, they have to build snow walls around the whole tent, as high as the tent, to protect it from the high mountain winds.
I got a message from Jay before bed saying it was dumping snow. The forecasts I saw said today was higher in snow and wind before the weather calms down for a few days, so it might be a rest day for them today. I have not gotten any messages yet, so we will have to wait and see!