Headed for Talkeetna!

The majority of our original climbing team arrived in Anchorage without incident and all met for a team meeting and equipment check. Two of our members' travel plans were thwarted by the Icelandic volcano and it's efficiency of shutting down all air travel from Europe. Fortunately, we have, with some much appreciated assistance from the National Park Service, been able to make other arrangements and get them on an upcoming expedition.

The remaining six climbers and the four guides all met at the legendary Earth Bed and Breakfast in Anchorage, sorted their kit and ran around to pick up last minute items. I had the pleasure of joining them for lunch at one of my favorite Anchorage restaurants, the Bear Tooth, and was very impressed with how the team has already "gelled," to borrow a term from Eugene.

We're all about to jump in our van for the two hour drive north to Talkeetna, a small little town to the southeast of Denali. The crew will check in with the National Park Service and then hopefully load up some ski planes and fly out to Base Camp.

Base Camp is a relative term, because at this time, there is no infrastructure on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna, whereas in two weeks, it will be teeming with NPS personnel, climbers and will become the bustling Kahiltna International Airport of lore.

I'll try to get some photos posted of the team and of their antics in Talkeetna.