May 1, 2012
George just called in from Alaska, where the team has arrived safely back to Chitina and getting on the van to head back to Anchorage. They’ll make a stop for showers and a hot meal along the way.
Everyone is doing well, family and friends can expect a call from them as soon as cell phones are charged & in range.
Becky Kjorvestad
April 30, 2012
Tent time is a popular pastime in Alaska.
George called in from Bona Base Camp where the team is patiently waiting for a weather window big enough for bush pilot, Paul Klaus, to fly in and scoop them off the glacier.
The current weather is pretty good, but they’re in and out of the clouds preventing good enough visibility for Paul to land.
Everybody is doing great and the team has plenty of food and supplies.
Tye Chapman
April 28, 2012
George just checked in via sat phone… the team is now back at camp after a successful day on the upper mountain of Mt. Bona. They didn’t quite tag the top, but all members of the team had a great day climbing on the 16,421ft. extinct/dormant shield volcano in Wrangell/St. Elias National Park.
They turned a few hundred feet shy of the summit, and to quote George: “It was the right decision at the right time. We’re all back at camp now, tired and 100% happy with our decision. We’ll head back down to the ‘landing strip’ [read flat glacier] tomorrow and if all goes as planned we’ll fly off shortly thereafter.”
Tye Chapman
April 27, 2012
Quick call from George Dunn this evening reporting that the team was socked in again today. They’ve got one more contingency day before they surrender to the power of Mt. Bona. No worries – they’re having a blast and have enjoyed every minute of the climb thus far.
More tomorrow…
Tye Chapman
April 26, 2012
The upper mountain on Mt. Bona
Just off the phone from George who reports that today was their first truly warm and sunny day. They used it wisely, exploring the upper mountain looking for a solid route up high. They were successful in finding a route up to 14K (they’re at 12K now).
They’re running short on days so as weather permits they’ll head for the top. They’re a strong team so this is perfectly within their capabilities.
Go get it guys!
Tye Chapman
April 25, 2012
IMG Camp On Bona (Photo by Mark Allen)
George called in once more from Base Camp on Mt. Bona yesterday afternoon reporting that though they had found a great route up to Camp 2 and had carried a week’s supply of food up to camp, the weather in the Wrangells had turned slightly for the worse. The team awoke to white out conditions with light snowfall. The mountain had determined that it was a good rest day for the team, so they’ll take it.
George mentioned that he may not check in every day, so if you don’t see a post tomorrow, don’t worry all is well. Just remember: “No news is good news.”
We’ll keep you updated when we hear from the team next!
Clarissa Morford
April 23, 2012
Mt. Bona (photo: Mark Allen)
George called this morning from Base Camp on Mt. Bona where the team is preparing to head out in an attempt to find a route up to Camp 2 today. Yesterday their efforts to carry to Camp 2 were frustrated as they couldn’t find a viable route up the glacier.
If all goes well today they’ll make the carry to Camp 2 today and move up to their camp tomorrow.
George said that the weather was good; a little colder than normal with a few light snow showers in between the sunshine.
We’ll wish the team the best on successful navigation and hope the weather keeps holding!
Clarissa Morford
April 20, 2012
Alaska!
After eaking out a day of cragging, on rock just dry enough, I turned my attention to packing for IMG’s expedition to Mt. Bona. The weather in the Cascades has been shifty this week, lamb-like then lion, reminding me to prepare for a wide span of conditions in the larger mountain range of the Wrangell-St. Elias. From the pile of gear on the basement floor, I sifted out puffy jackets, overboots, high calorie toe warming snacks and, then, sunscreen, a zinc stick and the most paper-thin UV resisting shell I could find. As I wrangled my -20 degree F sleeping bag into a tight compression sack, the rising cry of a fire truck siren met my ear from a distant arterial street. I wondered what the emergency could be- something serious or just a minor accident? I worried about whether the traffic was bad on the interstate, I needed to do some errands. My phone buzzed on the counter with an incoming text, I should look at it, the phone won’t stop buzzing until I do. The irritating, “beep, beep, beep” of a service truck in reverse banged at my head. I checked the text and noticed another new email, something else demanding my time and attention, and there were so many other emails I needed to attend to… And then, I thought, “I cannot wait to get to the mountain.”
Our lives are easily overrun by the machinations of modern society, leaving us harried and distracted. I have found that I easily “brown out” when too many devices and demands simultaneously require attention, when the flow of life paces at 80 miles an hour on the interstate, when the cacophony of the urban matrix reaches its crescendo. Wild places offer us solace in large part because they allow us to slow down and attend to a distilled set of basic needs. And, Alaska, with its abundant wildness, offers ample opportunity for such reprieve. For this reason, my mind settles peacefully at the thought of Mt. Bona. It’s just going to be us, our packs and sleds, and the embrace of enormous mountains. We’ll spend our time marveling at the beauty, exercising our bodies, establishing camps, moving up the glacier, feeding ourselves, sleeping plenty and enjoying the camaraderie of the only seven people around.
Erica Engle
May 31, 2011
Mt. Bona, Alaska
Guide Sheldon Kerr called at 12:30pm AKDT in transit to Anchorage. The entire team is off the mountain safely and on their way back home.
Bush pilot Paul Claus flew into the landing site on the Klutlan Glacier and picked the team up at 8am this morning. They were transported to the state air strip at Chitina and then after sorting gear started the 4½ hour drive back to Anchorage. First stop on the way was the shower facility at Kenny Lake and then on to Glennallen for some Thai food. Arrangements for each of the team members are being made currently for lodging in Anchorage tonight or immediate flights back home this evening as flights are available. If you have not yet heard from your family/loved one you can expect a call from them shortly.
My congratulations to the entire team for one of the most efficient ascents of Mt. Bona in some time. Well done!
George Dunn
May 29, 2011
Pretty nice views. (Photo by Jim Matera)
Sheldon called in at 3pm AKDT. The whole team is now back safely at base camp.
They made an attempt on Mt. Churchill from high camp this morning but the weather was not good. Instead they descended all the way back down to base. They will call the bush pilot at 7am to give him a weather report for the landing site, and they may be flown out as early as tomorrow. Of course, it all depends on the weather.
George Dunn