Mt. Denison - Camp 3 / 4 / 5

High Camp. After joining the Hallo Glacier and traveling for approximately a mile, we came across another flat area, well protected from immediate ice or rock fall, screaming to be made high camp. So we did. Camping in the snow, we took care to secure the tent with as many anchors as possible. However, in the heat, anything we buried was quickly melted out by the intensity of the sun. This was a lesson almost learned the hard way when we returned from the summit and found one of the tents ready to blow way, save one remaining anchor. (the tent had ALL our belongings, food, etc. The powerful wind turned the wide side-wall into a sail and wanted to 'sail it' all the way down the glacier...)

High camp with Mt. Stellar obscured in the background.

Taylor turning a pile of gear into a Lazy-boy. In the end, most of us morphed into painful red lobsters from similar activities.

Richard Soaper checking out the view.

(photo: Taylor Nissi melting snow for water)

The tents were AWESOME. Thanks Hilleberg.

Chris Dickey digging snow anchors for the tent. (the sun and wind would eventually succeed in pulling out all save one).

Mt. Denison - Day 3

Day 3. As we left our second camp atop our grassy knoll, the group was blessed by yet another day of beautiful, bluebird weather. This morning we traversed the remaining snowfields lining our valley and finally reached the upper portion of the Hallo Glacier where we rejoined the 1978 expedition route. Before leading out to the glacier, we took an hour and practiced crevasse rescue technique and building a z-pulley. The joining of the snowfields with the Hallo Glacier was definitely an anxiety as there was no way to plan a 100% smooth transition. Often glaciers carve huge u-shaped valleys—we had no idea if our glacier had sunk into such a valley and if so, what (if any) recourse we might have. Luckily, everything worked out.

Taylor Nissi posing on the Hallo Glacier. At this point forward, we traveled exclusively as a roped team. We approached another mile up the glacier to a level ice field we would make our high camp. The travel involved winding back and forth among crevasses, crossing snow bridges and jumping small openings. Mt. Denison is the peak in the far left of the image.

Taking a rest high on the Hallo Glacier.

Mt. Denison - Camp 2

(photo: Taylor Nissi, when-in-Rome)

Camp 2. We elected to cut day 2 short by a few hours due to the softening snow and warm weather. With every step, our knees would sink 2ft. deep in the snow, a problem exacerbated by 75lbs. packs. As luck had it, we found this oasis of grass and flat ground amid a huge snowfield. In 90 degree heat, it didn't take arm-twisting to yank out the ground pads and take a nap in the sun.

The feeling of pulling off your boots and socks after a long day trudging through snow, rivers and muck can not be described in words... Dick, would you agree?

Napping.

The red arrow indicates our progress since being dropped off a day ago.

Taylor and Dick elected to sleep outside under the stars... err, two hours of twilight.

Mt. Denison - Day 2

Day 2. We ascended out of the valley transitioned to snow travel. It was also the only day we saw any of the legendary Katmai bears. Leaving the river and heading for the snowfields, we noticed several large grizzlies enjoying vegetarian diets on the newly thawed slopes. Fortunately, the bears wanted as little to do with us as we wanted to do with them and universally walked the other direction when we saw each other.

Richard Soaper scrambling up some of the newly thawed undergrowth at the snow's edge.

The team gained elevation quickly. Only a couple hours earlier we were traveling down the river in the background.

Taking a break! Can't believe the weather!!!

It's either a Rodent of Unusual Size or a very recent grizzly track...

As we went on, the weather got warmer and the sun more direct. We would soon be forced to break camp early because the snow conditions were too difficult (soft) to travel efficiently.

One of the most satisfying moments of the trip was finally achieving the ridge line between Hallo Bay and our southern valley. The bay on the left side of the image is Hallo Bay. We also filmed the entire expedition, camera generously on loan from www.everestgear.com

Dick McClenahan trying to soak in the moment and forget how much his feet hurt.

On top of the ridge separating the Hallo Glacier from our valley. For the next day, we would stay south of the glacier and traverse west, toward the upper reaches of the ice fields. One of the most compelling reasons to do this is visible behind Chris and Dick: the heavily crevassed 1000ft. ice fall.

Mt. Denison - Camp 1

Camp 1. After just three hours of bushwacking, we found a perfect elevated sandbar next to the river to pitch tents and build our last fire for several days. This evening we each hid our food stores in bear-resistant bags built from bulletproof material outside out tents. Astonishingly, we saw no bears and our food was still intact in the morning.

Taylor attending to his feet in the voluminous vestibule of our tent.

Time to pack up and head up. Literally. Blue sky on the horizon, a good way to start Day 2.

Mt. Denison - Day 1

(photo from left to right: Taylor Nissi '08, Chris Dickey '03, Richard Soaper '78, Dick McClenahan '76)

And so it began. The team, dry and unknowing of what lies ahead grin for their last assisted photo op. No roads, no trails, no history of any human ever attempting this passage. Ahead of us awaited a 25ft. wall of impenetrable brush. With 75 lbs packs, we quickly learned the paths of least resistance were either following Grizzly trails or wading through glacial rapids.

Taylor Nissi looking happy in one of the easier bush-walking areas.

Stream crossing. A very common method of travel.

Mt. Denison - Bush Flight

Day 1: Bush Flight. After reaching Kodiak Island, our next step was to compile gear and make the final arrangements for our flight to Katmai National Park. Because we choose an inland lake to land (i.e. not the ocean), our schedule was not dictated by the tides. However, weather continued to be a huge factor. Upon leaving Kodiak, it was no warmer than 50 degrees and raining.

(photo left to right: Taylor Nissi '08, Richard Soaper '78, Dr. Emmett Buell Faculty)

A shot from the cramped conditions inside the belly of the plane. Emmett Buell, long-time Denison Political Science Professor, joined us for the ride. He would remain on Kodiak Island as a bastion of support, to relay weather reports, organize a swift rescue and write daily email updates to placate our friends and family.

Chris Dickey: Co-pilot. Leaving Kodiak Island on a very rainy, cold day.

Our pilot: Roland. Notice the GPS device in the corner... not exactly inspiring confidence.

Airborne whale-watching.

Flying into Hallo Bay. The 1977 & '78 teams approached through this terrible mess of ponds, swamp, debris and broken glacier. To avoid this, we took chances with a new approach to the south of the Bay.

Roland was kind enough to fly us over the Hallo Glacier so we could get an aerial perspective of our route.

Mt. Denison is the pointed peak to the far left. In this case, obscured by the closer peak, Mt. Stellar.

The heavily crevassed Hallo Glacier. Our team would enter the upper reaches of the glacier from the middle-left aspect of the photo (just below the last visible peak).

Mt. Denison looms in the background. We would traverse the south side of the minor peaks in the lower aspect of the photo to gain the Hallo Glacier.

As far as Roland takes us. We land on the lake below and launch into the bush just to the right of the river.