Check-in/OK message from Go Spot Go SPOT Personal Tracker

Go Spot Go
Latitude:62.32088
Longitude:-150.09744
GPS location Date/Time:05/19/2011 01:41:00 NPT

Message:Denali Eh OK.

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May 18

Today we have an appointment with the rangers at their station at 0830 in the morning. We need to arrive 30 minutes early to pay the remainder of our climbing fee - $200 per person. The rangers meet with all teams prior to the climb. They will go over the map, show us the route, point out any objective dangers such as cravasses and possible avalanche spots. They will also point out the usual location of the camps. This is a very busy mountain with many mountaineers on it all at the same time so as a result the rangers implement rules to keep people safe and the mountain clean.

After after our meeting we will stop off for breakfast at the café on our way back to TAT. Once we have organize our gear if the weather permits we will fly onto base camp - approx. 40 minute flight. Base camp is set at 2200m (7,200ft) on the Southeast fork of the Kalhitna Glacier. Here we will stash 3 days worth of food in case our flight out is delayed after the expedition.

We will

Depending on how we feel and what time we arrive at base camp we can either stay and make camp here or we can head up to camp 1. Base camp – 7200’ (2190m)
Camp 1 – 7900’ (2400m). Distance 5.5 miles – 8.8 km. Descend 690’ (210m) then up to camp one 1400’. Camp 1 is located at the bottom of ski hill.

May 17

We leave Edmonton at 0640h, arriving in Anchorage at 1130. Arrangements have been made, and we will be picked up at the airport by Tim. The plan is to go to the grocery store, for the last minute shopping for some fresh food and whatever we can’t bring into the country. We will probably also stop at the local climbing shop to look around and pick up whatever we may have forgotten.

The drive to Talkeetna is about 2 hour and we should arrive in the late afternoon. We will be dropped off at Talkeetna Air Taxi which is the company that will fly us to basecamp tomorrow. We will spend a few hours organizing our gear and getting ready for tomorrow. We will head into town for the last fresh food that we will see in a while. The night will be spent in the bunkhouse at TAT.

Added by Ted: Lucille texted that the flight to Anchorage was delayed by three hours, but other than that, everything went as planned. ALL of their luggage actually arrived, so they have all of their expedition gear and food.

Denali prep

Today we are spending the day packing up the food and looking over the gear that we will need for the next 4 weeks. It's not easy packing food that we will need. Estimating how hungry we're going to be, how much we will actually eat while providing enough variety so that we don't get bored. As for the gear we want to bring enough that we don't get into trouble, but again not so much that we get weighed down and move too slowly. It's a fine line, but with both Domhnall and Mike's expertise they will guide me in what we are going to bring.

Expedition members

We are a three member team and our name is Denali Eh!
Here is a brief introdution to the team members.
Domhnall

The youngest team member, but the one with the most experience. He enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities including ice carving and making snow angels. Most days he can be found nursing all over the country including Yukon, BC, Alberta and most recently in Manitoba. On his rare day off he can be found renovating his home and relaxing with his cats.



Mike
He was recently featured in GQ magazine with the above picture. Mike has many interests including riding on his segway and practicing Yoga poses. He can be found most days riding his lawn mower for hours, round and round rain or shine....in the hopes of getting out of doing any real work. He is also very experienced in the back country, and his greatest skill is making everyone around him laugh. Should be a fun trip.


Lucille
Despite appearances Lucille really doesn't like to drink....much. She has many talents, once of which is the ability to find crevasses.....unfortunately she finds them after she has already fallen in, but she is taking one for the team. When she wants to meditate she heads to a hot and stuffy stairwell where it is really easy to zone out. She relaxes by tending her flower garden.....anyone free to water the plants while she's gone? Her goal for this expedition is to learn how to refold a map.

What's next?

It's hard to believe that it has only been a year since my summit of Everest. In so many ways it seems like a life time ago because I have been so busy. I have visited many schools, talked to several thousand children as well as presented to hundreds of adults in the hopes of inspiring others to follow in my foot steps - achieving their own dreams.

My last presentations were just a few days ago to the nurses at the RAH to kick off Nurses' week. These two sessions were emotional for me as they were on the same day as my summit last year, and in the audience were many of my friends that I have worked with over the years, sharing the fun times and difficult times of nursing.

My Everest summit has changed me in so many ways that I could not have anticipated, and for that I am so happy that I took the challenge. Achieving a goal that for many years I kept secret for fear that if I spoke it aloud it would disappear. A goal that I thought about almost every day for 35 years. A goal that even today brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. The goal that has changed the direction of my life.

Many people have asked "What can possibly top Everest?" while others ask "What's next?"
Well in a few days we leave to climb Denali in Alaska. This time we are a team of three and I will try to take on more of a leadership role, while having the backup of two strong and capable teammates. Follow along as we attempt to climb the tallest peak in North America, situated in Alaska.

Thank You

Just over a year ago I was standing on the top of Everest, looking down in awe at the entire world below and thinking to myself not only that I was very lucky and blessed to be there, but also admiring our beautiful world. I have to thank my family and all my friends who have supported me in my endeavour to reach my dream. I still have friends who come up to me telling me that they followed my blog while I was climbing or tell me the story of where they were when my SPOT stopped working at the most crucial time on summit day or give me a hug with a congratulations. This is not a goal that any of my friends and family members have, but they all recognize and celebrate the achievement of a dream, and that is the most important thing of all.