tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62447993640421143372024-03-13T17:31:18.634-06:00Joel BettnerI love adventure and I thank the good Lord for giving me the opportunity to experience so much of it.Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-82388258324775883432015-06-19T16:46:00.000-06:002015-07-17T16:48:39.242-06:00Ski Season 2014-2015 - The Second HalfA lot has happened since my last skiing update. First and foremost, my second daughter - <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2015/05/marjorie-jeanne-bettner-month-with.html" target="_blank">Marjorie Jeanne Bettner - was born</a>.<br />
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Even with everything that's going on I've to snuck in a few adventures this season - time and conditions dependent. After a day skiing on Pikes with Josh, I think I can call the 2014-2015 ski season officially over. That doesn't mean I won't sneak a day or two in somewhere, but for all intents and purposes, it is the off-season. Below is are the highlights from the second half of the season (I highlighted my first half of the season in this post: <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2015/02/update-family-friends-work-fatherhood.html#more" target="_blank">here</a>). <br />
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I had some great February ski tours, skied the South and Middle Tetons with Nick, skied Radio Beacon Couloir in Colorado with Davis, had birthday powder skiing, mid-May powder skiing, and even snuck in a 14er.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A fun day with Tim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I quickly put this video together and entered this video into a little contest. It got second place...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A great way to turn another year older.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This line was steep and had tricky snow. Lots of fun with Davis. Eric and a friend came along but skied another route.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Got on top of a 14er with Ryan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">May was bonkers in Colorado. Best conditions all season at Abay. This old fella can still backflip!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Continuation of a tradition. (I finally got this video made so I figured I'd add it here.)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Eric took this pic from above of Davis and I in Radio Beacon. Steep!</span></td></tr>
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It was another great season sliding on snow. Bring on the next!!</div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-55102064795206369472015-04-29T22:00:00.000-06:002015-05-04T14:31:18.422-06:00Marjorie Jeanne Bettner - A Month with a Beautiful DaughterOn March 29th, at 12:09 am, Kelly and I welcomed Marjorie Jeanne Bettner into the world. Life has been especially busy since then. Having two daughters (one a newborn and the other 1.5 years old) is quite a handful. So, the ability to take and share pictures has not been as easy as with Marilyn, but we've done our best and captured some images that we'll cherish forever. <br />
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Happy one-month to my sweet little baby girl!<br />
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Marji was born very healthy and the delivery was much faster/easier than Marilyn's. Shortly after her birth, however, Kelly had some post-delivery issues that required surgery. It was scary, but it all went well. Mom and baby were happy, healthy and reunited within 2 hours.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This is the first picture ever taken of Marji.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tummy time on mom.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 lbs 2.3 ounces and 20.5" long at first weigh-in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Under the heat lamp waiting for mom to return.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First morning "wake-up".</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Passing her first exam (hearing test).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second weigh-in after less than 24 hours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Marji's first bath.</td></tr>
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Grandma Raffery was a huge help and watched Marilyn while we were in the hospital. When they came for their visit in the hospital we were all curious to see how Marilyn would react to her sister. It was quite heart warming.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn meeting Marji for the very first time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">A curious older sister.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister love.</td></tr>
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We had a few more visitors and special moments at the hospital before we packed up and went home. I again had the honor of being the first to dress my daughter and get her ready to travel.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Norm visit at the hospital.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">Family photo that the Warns took during their visit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First daddy daughter photoshoot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03085.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">A proud dad.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03088.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely mother daughter time at the hospital.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03096.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Ready to go home.</td></tr>
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When we got home there was a lot of adjusting for all of us, but perhaps most for Marilyn. She really loves Marji, but is still trying to figure out the whole idea of having baby sister. She has been a bit more emotional, and has slept less (sometimes Marji's crying will wake Marilyn).</div>
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While at home we've had help and visits from many people. Grandma and Granddad Raffety were here and were a huge help. When they left Grandma Bettner arrived and helped. We've also had visits from friends, neighbors and honorary aunts and uncles. Unfortunately not all of them are pictured because, as I mentioned before, things are a little more chaotic with two babies. For instance, when Laurelle, Tim, Laura and Norm visited they had a wonderful time (Marji slept in Laurelle's arms for almost 4 hours) but I wasn't able to sneak in any pictures. Please know that we appreciate your visits and love even if you didn't get pictured in this post.</div>
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During her first month we learned quite a bit about little Marji. First, I think she is the only person in the Bettner bloodline to not have blonde hair. Additionally, she grunts and squeaks a lot, toots up a storm, gets incredibly warm when she eats or sleeps (which is most of the time), often has a very serious face, the birthmark on her nose is not malignant in any way (thank God!), she has a loud voice when she's hungry, and she can sleep through a train wreck.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03099.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn is very curious about her baby sister.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03100.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She sleeps a lot...</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2147.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">A very warm eater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2152.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm, fed, and happy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03101.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our neighbor and friend to our girls, Gracie, holds Marji for the first time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03102.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Granddad and Marji.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03104.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">More cute sleeping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03106.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Marji.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2157.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">A rare wide awake photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03108.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More sleeping.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03119.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Marji's first church service.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2164.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More sleeping. She's very froggy legged.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2170.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Everyone on Grandma's lap.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03132.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister kisses.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03136.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn focusing on Marji's feet so she doesn't poke her eyes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03138.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grand kids with Grandma and Granddad.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03142.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Marji meet.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2175.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 day weigh-in. 10 ounces gained!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03147.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Daddy heaven.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03150.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marji and Gigi.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03151.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Marji and Uncle Jake.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/IMG_2180.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03161.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family portrait.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03167.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marji's first hike.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03170.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">She slept for most of the hike, so she must have loved it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03171.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting honorary Great Grandma Brown.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marjorie%20Jeanne%20Bettner/Birthday%20to%20One%20Month/DSC03176.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Mommy heaven.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One month old...and still sleeping.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1-month daddy daughter nap in the hammock.</td></tr>
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Here's to many more months and years of loving my Marjorie Jeanne Bettner!<br />
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<br />Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-63913676608803304702015-03-15T13:38:00.001-06:002015-05-04T14:07:43.900-06:00Top 10 Recommendations For Hopeful Ski Mountaineers<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">With prime ski mountaineering season right around the corner for the Rockies, I've been thinking a lot about my start in this incredible sport. Particularly, I've been reflecting on how much I've learned since I started, and what advice I'd give to an aspiring ski mountaineer. So, I decided to write a little article about it. Regardless of your interest/experience in ski mountaineering I hope you find it enjoyable. </span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A young man with a dreams.</span></td></tr>
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High peaks, dramatic sky, steep lines, remote wilderness, massive exposure, varying terrain, incredible views...it all adds to the allure of ski mountaineering. But, if it were an easy sport everyone would be doing it. Even in an age when social media displays ski mountaineering exploits to a huge audience, the difficulties of the sport have kept the number of participants relatively small.<br />
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<i>If it is so difficult, how does one even approach becoming a ski mountaineer?</i></div>
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I don't want to sound pompous, but feel like I'm fairly well qualified to give advice on this subject. Despite growing up in the rolling mountains of central Pennsylvania (a great place to grow up, but not exactly a hotbed of ski mountaineering) I have become fairly accomplished in the sport. The transition from a dreaming kid in Appalachia to a ski mountaineer with iconic descents under my belt didn't happen overnight. It was a long and tricky learning process.</div>
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I want to inspire others who, like me, dream of adventure in the mountains. I have learned a lot over the years (sometimes the hard way) in my pursuit of ski mountaineering, and I'd like to share some of that with you. So, without further adieu, here is my top 10 list of things aspiring ski mountaineers should do to make their learning process faster, smoother, safer and more enjoyable.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">1 - <u>Take Baby Steps</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All the small steps add up.</span></td></tr>
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There are lots of ways to get hurt or die while ski mountaineering. The risks are too numerous to list so I won't even try. Attempting too much too soon is a recipe for disaster. Approach the sport slowly and chip away towards your goals. Progressing at a slow, steady, humble pace will help you build your physical skill set and your understanding of the ski mountaineering environment.<br />
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On a given mountain the weather, social factors, snow pack, group ability level, terrain and much more can change. With each of these changes comes a change in the risks. The best way to truly understand the risks is with lots of experiences in lots of situations. Until you have a large amount of experience <b>YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW</b>. If you don't know that you are taking a particular risk then you are simply hoping to get lucky in order to avoid it. I've had my fair share of luck in the mountains (good and bad), and take my word for it; it is better to truly understand your situation than to rely on luck.<br />
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There is a classic saying that goes "There are old mountaineers and there are bold mountaineers...but there are no old, bold mountaineers." Put your ego aside, be humble, and take baby steps. It will pay off in the end.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">2 - <u>Learn From More Experienced Ski Mountaineers</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Watch and learn.</span></td></tr>
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This one seems rather obvious, but there are many who begin ski mountaineering alone or with other novices because it can be difficult to find more experienced partners. To this I say "be patient." Do your best to ski with those that have more experience than you. They can help you understand different situations and combat the "you don't know what you don't know" issue. Your journey from novice toward expert will be faster, smoother, and safer under the tutelage of an experienced ski mountaineer.<br />
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If it weren't for my ski mountaineering mentors I would either: (1) not have accomplished many of my goals, or (2) not be here today because of foolish decision making.<br />
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When an opportunity arises for you to learn from an experienced ski mountaineer make sure you are ready. That person is likely going out of his/her way to do you a favor, so make it as easy for him/her as possible. Study what you are attempting (see #4), make sure you've trained for what you attempting (see #5) and make sure you have all the necessary equipment for what you are attempting (see #7). The easier you make it for the people you want to learn from, the easier it will be to find people to learn from.<br />
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If you are reading this as an experienced ski mountaineer I'd like to suggest that it is your duty to give back to the sport by helping novices. Remember, you were once in their boots. Help them learn, help them be safe, and help them maintain a sense of humility and respect.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">3 - <u>Get Formal Training</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">University students learning about snow.</span></td></tr>
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Along with finding more experienced ski mountaineers to learn from, a great way to understand the risks of the ski mountaineering environment is through formal training. Take an <a href="http://avtraining.org/" target="_blank">avalanche class</a> (or two, or three), a mountaineering skills course, or attend a ski mountaineering camp. Companies like <a href="http://exumguides.com/" target="_blank">Exum Guides</a> offer <a href="http://exumguides.com/ublminxportfolios/live-to-ski-camp/" target="_blank">camps</a> that will train you for big and difficult objectives. <br />
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Along with my formal avalanche training through AIARE, I've taken part in guiding courses and mountaineering skill camps. Each one taught me something new and different, and they were enjoyable experiences in and of themselves.<br />
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Commit to some formal training. It will be worth it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">4 - <u>Be a Ski Mountaineering Student</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I did years of study before this descent.</span></td></tr>
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If you want to be a good ski mountaineer you've got to study ski mountaineering. Start by learning some of the history of the sport. Read about and appreciate the accomplishments of those <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvain_Saudan" target="_blank">who came before you</a>. Learn from <a href="http://skithe14ers.com/" target="_blank">their successes</a> and failures. Learn from their good ideas and mistakes. Read their <a href="http://www.tetonat.com/" target="_blank">trip reports</a> and expedition accounts. You'll be educated and inspired all at the same time.<br />
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Along with the history of ski mountaineering, study all the other aspects of the sport. Study and practice snow science. Study and practice rope work. Study survival skills. Study old and new <a href="https://www.wildsnow.com/" target="_blank">gear technology</a>. Study and keep up with current ski mountaineering feats.<br />
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If you are planning a ski mountaineering objective of your own, spend hours pouring over maps and pictures of the area. Search for trip reports from others who attempted the same or a similar objective.<br />
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A studious ski mountaineer is a better ski mountaineer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">5 - <u>Develop Physical & Mental Toughness</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Poise & confidence under stress.</span></td></tr>
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Climbing mountains is difficult. Skiing mountains is difficult. Climbing and skiing mountains as one activity is even more difficult. The physical demands of ski mountaineering are incredible. You need cardio fitness for long approaches, enormous climbs and equally enormous descents. You need strength fitness to haul weight, make technical climbing moves, and resist g-forces on a descent. You need a high pain tolerance as your lungs start to burn, your feet start to ache, your back gets sore and your legs get gassed. If you aren't physically tough your body simply won't allow you to be a ski mountaineer. <br />
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Physical toughness alone, however, isn't enough. Mental toughness is just as, if not more, important. There will be many times when it is easier to continue sleeping in your warm bed instead of waking up and braving the cold at 2:00 am. There will be many times when taking a long break on an approach will feel much better than continuing to make needed progress. There will be so many times when turning around in the middle of a climb because you're tired will be easier than continuing to the top. In order to be a good ski mountaineer you've got to be mentally tough and understand what your body is actually capable of. Chances are that it is more than you think.</div>
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Mental toughness doesn't relate just to pushing your body to it's limits, either. Mental toughness also has a lot to do with overcoming fear. Let's face it, there is a lot to be scared of or nervous about when one is climbing and skiing big, steep, exposed mountains. A total lack of fear is a sign of either naivety or lunacy. A mentally tough ski mountaineer recognizes this fear but does not let it affect his/her physical performance. You've got to be mentally tough to overcome your fear and continue to perform at a high skill level.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">6 - <u>Rock Climb & Ice Climb</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/25.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/25.jpeg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">More skills = more opportunities.</span></td></tr>
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You don't NEED to rock or ice climb to ski mountaineer. Likewise, you don't NEED to understand the stock market to invest in it. But, in both cases, you'll be a lot better off if you do.<br />
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Rock and ice climbing will help you learn general mountain and rope skills. These skills will open the door to many more ski mountaineering opportunities. It's pretty straight forward: the more skills you have the more opportunity you have.<br />
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Furthermore, rock and ice climbing can help you with your mental toughness. Even when you're roped in, being on a large rock or ice face with nothing but air underneath you can be intimidating. But, in order to continue climbing, one must perform at a high level in the face of fear. The mental toughness developed in climbing will translate to ski mountaineering.<br />
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I'm not saying you need to become an expert rock or ice climber. I am, however, saying that doing some rock and ice climbing will significantly help your ski mountaineering.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">7 - <u>Get the Right Gear, Over Time</u></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Steep Denali line...trusting my gear.</span></div>
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Don't blow your bank account, but don't be too stingy either. In order to ski mountaineer and have an enjoyable time doing it, you need the right gear. Over the years I've slowly accumulated the gear I need. Now, I've got the gear for nearly any expedition. If I tried some of the things I do today with the gear that I started the sport with I would be miserable (it was heavy and cumbersome!) and not as safe. As I've slowly accumulated the gear over time, I've had the opportunity to really get to know how to use it, and understand its pros and cons. You trust your life with your gear, so it is important to have the right gear for a given objective, and know how to use it.</div>
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Getting the right gear for a given ski mountaineering goal will make that goal more enjoyable and more attainable.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">8 - <u>Be Hopeful, not Expectant</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Not what we hoped, but what we expected.</span></td></tr>
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The possibilities for amazing ski mountaineering experiences are endless - steep lines, deep snow, amazing views...the list goes on and on. Do not, however, let possibilities become expectations. Doing so is a dangerous practice that leads to disappointment, injury and even death. </div>
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For starters, it is not uncommon for conditions and weather to be miserable, or to make many attempts at the same goal without achieving it. If you expect things to go your way all the time you'll be sorely disappointed. If you're regularly disappointed you likely won't stick with the sport very long. </div>
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More importantly, having high expectations can lead to poor decision making, which can lead to injury or death. The desire to achieve a goal because you're expectant can cloud your judgment. Clouded judgment leads to dangerous decisions that you wouldn't otherwise make. You'll end up trying to do what you <i>expected</i> to do rather that what you <i>should</i> do.</div>
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It isn't all doom and gloom, though. Sometimes things work out exactly as planned (or better than you could have imagined). So, instead of being expectant I suggest that you be HOPEFUL. Enter each scenario with a hope that it will be great, but understand that it may not. You'll be much happier and safer if you take this approach.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">9 - <u>Don't Compare to Others</u></span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Individually bettering ourselves together.</span></td></tr>
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You don't have anything to prove to anyone other than yourself. I'll say it again...you don't have anything to prove to anyone other than yourself. Challenging oneself is a good thing, and ski mountaineering is a great way to do so. But, in this era of internet videos, big egos and constant "one upping," it can be easy to fall into the trap of needing to be like, or "better" than others. That is not what this sport is about.</div>
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Even though the nature of ski mountaineering fosters deep friendships and social situations, it is still a personal sport. It gives you time for introspection. It helps you appreciate those things in life which are truly important. It helps you realize what you are capable of. It helps you put your ego in check. It can teach you a lot about yourself. It can teach you a lot about others. </div>
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Allow others to inspire and teach you, but don't try to be "better" than others. Simply try to better yourself. This will make you a wiser, safer and happier ski mountaineer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">10 - <u>Be Thankful</u></span></h2>
There is always more to experience, learn and do, but be thankful with what you've already been afforded the opportunity and ability to do. If you are fortunate enough to pursue ski mountaineering then your life is already truly blessed. The building of friendships, the use of your body, the experience of the natural world, the thrills and challenges...it's all icing on the cake.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/145.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A moment of extreme thankfulness atop Denali.</span></td></tr>
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Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-17602094931004668872015-02-25T11:24:00.002-07:002015-05-04T14:06:45.100-06:00Update: Family, Friends, Work, Fatherhood and Skiing<h2>
Family & Friends</h2>
It has been a while since I've checked in. I've been busy with many things since my last post, but here are some of the highlights.<br />
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I missed the big snowstorms in the western part of the country over Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I don't regret it at all. I was spending quality time with family and friends back east, and it was wonderful.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Classic Pennsylvania day, the day after Thanksgiving.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Marilyn doing her first sledding on Thanksgiving day in PA (top)<br />compared to her first Thanksgiving in Colorado (bottom).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Marilyn enjoying the colorful presents and Christmas lights.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">My dear friend Phil and I with the "Big Uglies." We enjoyed<br />the PSU bowl game at Yankee stadium.</span></td></tr>
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My friend Tom (aka <a href="http://therealhikingviking.com/" target="_blank">The Real Hiking Viking</a>) spent about a month at our house preparing for his upcoming distance hiking season. Tom is a childhood friend who, after returning from several tours of duty as a Marine, began distance hiking. He finished the Appalachian Trail in 2013 and the Continental Divide Trial in 2014. A few days ago he left to start ~500 miles on the Florida National Scenic Trail, which will be followed by hiking the entirety of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (800+ miles), which will be followed by the Pacific Crest Trail (~2600 miles). When he finishes the Pacific Crest Trail he will have completed the "Triple Crown" of North American distance hiking. I encourage you to follow along on his journey's through <a href="https://instagram.com/therealhikingviking/" target="_blank">his Instagram account</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tom being his typical goofy self while getting</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">some training done in Colorado.</span></td></tr>
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<h2>
Work</h2>
In mid-December I did a little <a href="http://www.mountain-solutions.net/" target="_blank">mountain access work</a> for the seismic industry in the Colorado desert. A unique place to be roaming around the wilderness. These jobs have me working with a diverse group of people (mountain guides, migrant workers, helicopter pilots, oil industry folks, etc.) and are rather interesting. It is especially interesting when you come across myriad ancient ruins during the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Typical scenes during a day of mountain access </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">work in the seismic field.</span></td></tr>
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<h2>
Fatherhood</h2>
Since returning from Christmas travels I've spent amazing time taking care of Marilyn during the week. I've got memories that I'll cherish for a lifetime from the last few months with her. She and I have a special bond that has grown deeper during this time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Marilyn and I enjoying some of the unusually warm <br />February weather (this day was in the 70's F).</span></td></tr>
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<h2>
Skiing</h2>
Oh, I almost forgot to mention...I've been doing some skiing. I've only been on a lift one day this season and that was to spend time with my friend Aaron Howell (a Marine veteran and sit-skier) in Aspen. Other than that, it has been all backcountry skiing and earning my turns...I love it! Lots of skiing in Colorado and some skiing Wyoming as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Finding the snow when it hasn't for a while.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Backcountry skiing in the full moon = beautiful.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Exploring.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Spring conditions came early.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mini couloirs.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Really got to get on some bigger lines during the draught.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">More night touring.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Lovin' some Wyoming.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Got to check this aesthetic line off my list.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Earning turns.</span></td></tr>
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I've made several short videos of my ski exploits this season to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I thank God for my many blessings every day.</span></td></tr>
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I'm incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing wife and daughter, <span style="font-size: large;">WITH ANOTHER DAUGHTER DUE TO ARRIVE IN A MONTH!</span> Add the many friends and other family members that I love and getting to experience some outdoor adventure at the same time...God has truly blessed me. I'm very thankful. <br />
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<br />Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-19978738940005529472014-11-16T13:43:00.000-07:002014-11-21T13:53:20.686-07:00First Day of the 2014/2015 Ski SeasonHad a good first day of the ski season with Norm and Eric. Really mellow terrain, but really soft snow. Looking forward to a season filled with fatherhood and freshies!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/111946517" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/111946517"></a> </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little snow in the face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norm enjoying a little soft snow.</td></tr>
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Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com1Arapaho National Forest, Butler Gulch Road, Colorado 80438, USA39.7698494 -105.851229839.672163399999995 -106.0125913 39.8675354 -105.6898683tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-69230370119866050222014-10-26T15:08:00.000-06:002014-11-21T13:47:32.517-07:00SKI DENALI - An Expedition to Climb Denali and Ski the Messner CouloirI decided to consolidate everything from the SKI DENALI expedition into one place to make it easier for people who want to use it as a resource. And, since I've been hobbled by an injury for the past week I decided to use some of my would-be exercise time I put together a new, short, highlight video. Here ya go.<br />
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/110081711" target="_blank">SKI DENALI - Highlights (Summit, Messner Couloir and More) </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Write-Ups</u>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/09/ski-denali-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1 (Getting to Kahiltna Base Camp)</a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/09/ski-denali-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2 (Ski Hill Camp to Motorcycle Hill Camp to Camp 14)</a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/10/ski-denali-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3 (Skiing Rescue Gully and West Rib/Orient Express)</a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/10/ski-denali-part-4.html" target="_blank">Part 4 (Summit Cimb and Skiing the Messner Couloir)</a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/10/ski-denali-part-5-departing-denali-and.html" target="_blank">Part 5 (Denali Departure and Getting Home)</a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Videos</u></span>:<br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/106871555" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Full Documentary</span></a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/106871555" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/106323107" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Part 1 (Getting to Kahiltna Base Camp)</span></a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/106323107" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/106329878" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Part 2 (Ski Hill Camp to Motorcycle Hill Camp to Camp 14)</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/106340228" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Part 3 (Skiing Rescue Gully and West Rib/Orient Express)</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/106346168" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Part 4 (Summit Cimb and Skiing the Messner Couloir)</span></a><br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/106354422" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Part 5 (Denali Departure and Going Home)</span></a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/106354422" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-57148838281756683432014-10-15T09:00:00.000-06:002014-10-16T21:54:08.931-06:00SKI DENALI - PART 5 (Departing Denali and Getting Home)<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>SKI DENALI - PART 5</u><br />DENALI DEPARTURE - GOING HOME</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"See 'em sit there, and as they always do for some reason after they touch the yellow gate the last time,</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">they just kind of, it's like you cut the strings on a - what is it that, a marionette? - they just pfft.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Someone will be there with a chair and they just sit there, and you can see this...</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">the extremes of joy that can come with sports, that you only get when failure was probable."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Gary "Laz" Cantrell (<a href="https://vimeo.com/97270099" target="_blank">race organizer for the Barkley 100</a>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Joyful in a harsh landscape.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 5</u>: Denali Departure</span></h3>
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We had done it. The years of planning, preparation, learning and training, the long days waiting in Denali's weather, the continual upward push with dehydrated bodies and tired legs had all paid off. North America's highest point had been reached and descended on skis via the Messner Couloir. The conditions were what dreams are made of. We were blessed and we knew it, feeling truly content in what we were fortunate enough to experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Packing up what had been our home </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">for 10 days at Camp 14.</span></td></tr>
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After a well deserved night of sleep we woke and began preparing for our departure. There was nothing but storms in the forecast and we had finished what we intended to do, so there was no use sticking around. The call of home, family and friends was strong. <br />
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By mid-afternoon we had broken down camp, packed all of our gear and were ready to start the 12-13 mile journey to Kahiltna Base Camp. We consolidated things onto one sled with the thought that it would be best for two people to try to manage one extra-heavy load on the way down rather than each of us having to individually manage our own heavy loads. Although this was a good plan (and I would do it the same way again) we didn't anticipate how difficult it would be. We knew it would be hard, but didn't expect it to be quite as hard as it was. For me, the trek from Camp 14 to Kahiltna Base Camp would prove to be the most physically difficult part of the trip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">We had melted the snow under our tent </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">right down to the glacial ice.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Farewell to Camp 14.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Solo power-wedging with an unruly load.</span></td></tr>
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Our top-heavy, unruly, beast of a sled had us moving at a snail's pace between Camp 14 and Motorcycle Hill Camp. Even though we were on skis we got passed by people who were walking...WALKING! Needless to say it ended up taking longer than anticipated. The side-hill descent, the new snow and the fact that we had summited the day before didn't make things any easier. Countless times our sled flipped over and countless times we propped it back upright. We tried various strategies: solo wrangling, dual wrangling, sled uphill, sled downhill, etc. Each strategy worked for a given type of terrain, and failed miserably in another.<br />
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By the time we made it to Motorcycle Hill Camp our bodies were beginning to feel the strain of the past 36 hours.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">An all too frequent sight.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">At least the views were still stunning.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh on a solo-sled-wrangling-slog.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Did I mention that the views were stunning?</span></td></tr>
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When we descended below Motorcycle Hill Camp we traded one difficulty for another. Here, the terrain was much easier for managing the sled ("Oh thank heavens!"), but we found ourselves in the dense fog of a relatively warm snowstorm. The visibility was terrible. Making sure we were on-route and not straying off into the numerous, crevasse-riddled sections of the Kahiltna glacier was slow going. Furthermore, the warm, wet, almost slushy snow created a lot of drag on the sled. There were sections where, even though we were on a slope, getting the sled to move required a good bit of physical exertion.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Somewhat easier terrain for sled wrangling near Kahiltna Pass.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Minimal visibility between Kahiltna Pass and Ski Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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When we hit Ski Hill Camp we were tired. Plain and simply pooped. To add insult to injury, things were just about to get even harder for our weary legs.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Slightly better visibility at Ski Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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Ski Hill Camp to the bottom of Heartbreak Hill is roughly 5 miles with a descent of roughly 1000'. There terrain varies between slight uphills to slight downhills, so we had lost the benefit of having a slope to help us with the weight of the sled. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Inching our way down the Kahiltna from Ski Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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Our visibility was in-and-out with the waxing-and-waning snowstorm. Even though it was the middle of the night, at this elevation the temperature was hovering just below freezing. Wet, dense, sticky snow was falling onto the already slushy surface. Even on the slight downhills the sled didn't want to move. <br />
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At the end of every step the heavy sled sunk several inches into the wet snow. With the start of every new step it had to be dislodged, only to sink into a new spot in the snow. It was exhausting work that we traded back and forth as we inched our way down the Kahiltna glacier.<br />
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Heartbreak Hill fully lived up to its name. In the previous 36 hours we had done a large summit climb and skied the Messner (on minimal water), packed up camp, and struggled with a cumbersome sled through difficult conditions for more than 12 miles. The last thing we wanted to do was a 500' climb to reach Kahiltna Base Camp, but we had no choice. What would normally seem like a small inconvenience now felt surprisingly exhausting and...heartbreaking. This is where all the physical and mental training that I had done to prepare for Denali really paid off. I was able to dig deep and find the reserves, both mentally and physically, to finish.<br />
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When we finally reached Kahiltna Base Camp in the wee hours of the morning we hastily set up our tent and crawled into our sleeping bags. I'm not even sure if my head hit the pillow before I fell asleep.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denali sending us out in style - an exhausted climb up Hearbreak Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kahiltna Base Camp barely visible through the storm.</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 5</u>: Going Home</span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">One last look at The High One from Kahiltna Base Camp.</span></td></tr>
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After a few hours of sleep we woke to the unwelcome sound of my alarm clock. It was important to wake up early in order to get on the list of parties to fly off the mountain. It is first come, first served, so the higher we were on the list the more likely we'd be able to fly out without having to spend another night (or possibly more depending on the weather) at Kahiltna Base Camp. Sleep, although it felt so good, jeopardized our chances of an early departure. Rise and shine!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Longships getting ready to leave their element.</span></td></tr>
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We were the first ones to get our party on the list that morning, but there were a large number ahead of us from the previous few days. The weather had been un-flyable for more than 24 hours and a small crowd of civilization-eager mountaineers had amassed at Kahiltna Base Camp. <br />
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As the ranger noted that the "Ski Denali" party was awaiting pickup from <a href="http://www.talkeetnaair.com/" target="_blank">Talkeetna Air Taxi</a>, my mouth began to water at the thought of restaurants and a variety of food in town. I was a bit nervous that we would be too low on the list to fly out that day. The morning was providing a flyable weather window for planes to make pickups. The problem was that nobody knew how long it would last. It could be one hour, it could be 12 hours. <br />
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With our names on the list we broke down camp, returned our sleds and unused fuel, dug up our base cache and waited for a spot on a plane. We were fortunate enough to make it out on the second to last plane of the day.<br />
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After another jaw-dropping flight we landed in Talkeetna, just before noon.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/205.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Returning Donny, who was completely out of his element.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/206.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our ride.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denali glacier flight - put it on your bucket list.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Wilderness.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/209.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The first sight of green vegetation in 3 weeks.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20TLK/207.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">So happy for non-human powered transportation.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Drying out in Talkeetna.</span></td></tr>
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Upon landing in civilization we called loved ones, ate, showered, ate, dried our gear, ate, repacked our gear, ate, checked in with the rangers at the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm" target="_blank">Denali National Park Office</a>, and ate. The shower that I took at the Talkeetna Roadhouse was perhaps the best of my life, but it was the food that I was most excited about. With the smell of fresh baked goods, vegetables and meats in the air I began "sport eating." A whole pizza...check. A bacon cheeseburger...check. A giant raspberry danish...check. Two local greens salads...check. The list goes on, but suffice it to say that I could have given any competitive eater a run for his money.<br />
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That evening Ian drove up from Anchorage to give us a ride back to the Treadwell's place. I really can't stress enough how their generosity was appreciated.<br />
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Thank you Ian and the Treadwells!<br />
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The next day I was on a plane headed to Denver. I told my wife that I was getting in a full 24 hours later than I really was in order to surprise her. It worked. When I felt her embrace and got to hold my little daughter I knew the expedition was officially over.<br />
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It was the adventure of a lifetime.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali</u>: Parting Thought</span></h3>
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An adventure that concludes in successfully realizing a large, improbable goal is a rather strange thing. All of the work, sacrifice, worry, struggle, preparation, anxiety, effort...it's all finally over. In their place are a deep sense of joy, accomplishment and gratitude. Joy, accomplishment and gratitude do not necessarily equate to full satisfaction, however. More often than not the end of a successful adventure also yields a "what now" feeling. I think this is because the <i>pursuit</i> of the goal almost becomes a part you. What do you do now that it is over? Who are you now that it is over? <br />
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One particular adventure may be over with its particular goal reached, but the greater adventure of life remains. Life is an adventure with no end. So, always be pursuing and make life an adventure worth living. I believe God designed us for that. It is a way for us to get to know our selves, each other, and Him.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Further up and further in.</span></div>
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Below are the raw journal entries from the above 3 days. I wrote these on my phone while I was on the expedition and have not edited them at all, save for some typos.</div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 22, 4:15 pm: Talkeetna Air Taxi Bunk House, 450'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yesterday's travel was brutal. We packed up at 14k Camp and left at 7:00 pm. We started out with many sled issues between 14k Camp and Squirrel Hill. Once we got those initial issues sorted out we were making decent time. However, once we got below Motorcycle Hill Camp (11,200') we were in a soupy, foggy white-out. Navigation was difficult so travel was slow and the sled full of gear was still a bit unruly. When we made it to the bottom of Ski Hill the snow got sticky, deep and almost slushy. The sled dug in and became an absolute bear to haul. When we finally reached the bottom of Heartbreak Hill (6,645') the terrain feature lived up to its name. Dragging the sled up that final 500' pitch to Kahiltna Base Camp as our last travel on the mountain was rough. We finally made it and started setting up camp at 3:00 am this morning. It was the most physically worked and tired I had been on the entire expedition.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We got a few hours of sleep, woke up at 8:00 am and immediately started breaking down camp. I took care of moving our stuff (a big load) to the landing area while Josh retrieved our cache. We were on a flight back to Talkeetna with Talkeetna Air Taxi right around 10:30 am. It felt great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We got into Talkeetna, called loved ones, showered and ate huge meals of pizza, burgers and baked goods. I feel a bit normal again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We just finished laying out all of our stuff to dry (it got soaked in last night's white-out). I'm amazed that we lugged that much stuff up the mountain and back down!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">It feels good to be done with an amazing expedition with one of the most incredible men I've ever met. I'm proud to call Josh my friend and my brother. I hope he feels the same.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Things won't be truly great until I'm in the embrace of my wife and daughter. Hopefully that is less than 48 hours away!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 23, 5:30 pm: Treadwell House, Anchorage, AK, 20'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I slept in a bed last night. Although it may have only been for a few hours it was incredible. I spent much of the day repackaging my gear for flying, rebooking a flight home and returning the satellite phone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I can't stress enough how thankful I am for the hospitality of the Treadwell's and their family friend, Ian. Without them I don't know what we would have done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I leave tonight/tomorrow at 1:00 am on a flight to Denver. I am so excited to see Kelly and Marilyn. I hope Marilyn remembers me! I told Kelly that I'm getting in 24 hours later than I really am so I can surprise her. I think she'll get a kick out of it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Looking forward to being reunited with my girls, but I'm going to enjoy one last Alaskan "sunset" before this amazing journey ends.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u>June 24, 10:45 am: Bettner House, Arvada, CO 5740</u>'</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">It was a long and uncomfortable flight from Anchorage last night. I got in over an hour late with an extremely sore neck, but I'm excited to be here! My friend Tim picked me up from the airport and I'm currently waiting on the back porch for Kelly and Marilyn to come home. They think I'm getting here tomorrow, so this will be a big surprise for them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The expedition is officially over. It was the adventure of a lifetime, but I'm very thankful to be home.</span>Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0Denali National Park, Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743, USA63.7365922 -148.8974710999999638.2145577 169.79393490000004 89.2586267 -107.58887709999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-25418321790798334872014-10-08T11:35:00.000-06:002014-10-08T14:43:51.129-06:00SKI DENALI - PART 4 (Summit Climb and Skiing the Messner Couloir)<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>SKI DENALI - PART 4</u><br />DENALI SUMMIT CLIMB - SKI DENALI VIA MESSNER COULOIR</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"Further up and further in.</i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Way up and gettin' into it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 4</u>: Denali Summit Climb</span></h3>
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This was it - summit day. We had been on the mountain for 18 days and most of those were spent waiting in storms. So far, all the clear weather windows had been short, and today's was no exception. After talking with Joel Gratz (meteorologist for <a href="http://opensnow.com/">OpenSnow.com</a>) the evening before, it looked like we had a weather window of roughly 18 hours before another series of storms was set to blast the mountain. It was now or never if we hoped to reach the summit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A cold start at the tail-end of a storm." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/118.jpg" height="180" title="A cold start at the tail-end of a storm." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A cold start at the tail-end of a storm.</span></td></tr>
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Most parties start their summit attempts from High Camp (17200') and take multiple days to do so. Since we hoped to ski the Messner Couloir we didn't have that luxury. The Messner starts above 19000' and ends at Camp 14 (14200'), entirely bypassing High Camp. In order to summit Denali (20320') and ski the Messner we had to start from Camp 14, ascend over 6000 vertical feet, and return back to Camp 14...all in one day. <br />
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14200' - 20320' - 14200'<br />
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For me, that was a tall order both literally and figuratively. I knew other ski-mountaineers had done this in the past. But, I also knew that many of those ski-mountaineers were faster and more fit than me. I expected a challenge, so I had dedicated months, perhaps even years, to physical and mental training specifically for this. <br />
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I was as ready as I'd ever be. The weather and conditions were still somewhat unknown, but we had to assess those when the time came.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A look at my improvised rigging for my crampons." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/119.jpg" height="180" title="A look at my improvised rigging for my crampons." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A look at my improvised rigging for my crampons.</span></td></tr>
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We prepared all of our gear the night before so we could make a seamless, early-morning departure. If weather would have allowed we would have started earlier, but Josh and I were out of camp at 5:30 am. We left at the tail-end of a storm, shortly ahead of our clear weather window, to increase the likelihood of summiting and descending in the clear weather.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The bottom of the fixed lines." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/120.jpg" height="180" title="The bottom of the fixed lines." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Transitioning to crampons at the bottom of the fixed lines.</span></td></tr>
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Since we had already spent time on this part of the West Buttress Route, the dense cloud that shrouded the Headwall did little to slow us down as we navigated through several crevassed sections. The crisp -20 F air felt refreshing as our our pulses and altitude elevated.<br />
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Before we knew it we were beyond the Headwall, beyond Washburn's Thumb and 3000 vertical feet above Camp 14. During our ascent the weather had been clearing, giving us periodic glimpses of our stunning surroundings. Clouds still clung to the higher elevations, but beautiful views of the mountains and glaciers below us hinted to the progress we had made.<br />
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At High Camp, we took a short break to refuel our bodies and assess our situation. Between gulps of water and mouthfuls of food we confirmed that: we both felt strong, the weather seemed to be improving, and we were optimistic about our chances of summiting and skiing the Messner.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Water break at the top of the fixed lines.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh nearing Washburn's Thumb as the weather starts to clear.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A look down to Camp 14 from Washburn's Thumb.</span></td></tr>
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From High Camp, the West Buttress Route reaches Denali Pass via a section called the Autobahn. Despite its rather unimpressive pitch and unassuming presence, the Autobahn is where the most fatalities happen on Denali. The long, climbing, side-hill traverse sits in the middle of a slope that is several thousand vertical feet tall and crossed by numerous crevasses. From what I understand, accidents on the Autobahn are usually due to one party trying to pass another party. In such cases one is more likely to fall and slide down the slope (and into a crevasse) because they are moving hastily to make a pass. Or, one is more likely to fall into someone else and cause that person to slide down the hill (and into a crevasse). </div>
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Whatever the case, the Autobahn is not to be approached with flippancy despite its benign appearance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Roping up at the Autobahn." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/124.jpg" height="240" title="Roping up at the Autobahn." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Roping up at the Autobahn.</span></td></tr>
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"ANCHOR."<br />
"CLEAR."<br />
"ANCHOR."<br />
"CLEAR."<br />
<br />
As we went from one picket-anchor to another on the Autobahn our lungs began to pump faster. We were slowly climbing above High Camp, and the air seemed to be thinning at an exponential rate. My body still felt strong, so it was a strange sensation to be breathing heavily even though I wasn't fatigued.<br />
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Halfway through our traverse on the Autobahn, we caught up to another party. We were certainly moving faster than this party but opted not to pass them. We had budgeted plenty of time to accommodate unforeseen issues like this. Making a pass and saving some time simply wasn't worth the risk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Roping up at the Autobahn." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/125.jpg" height="180" title="Roping up at the Autobahn." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Roping up at the Autobahn.</span></td></tr>
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As we slowly climbed across the remainder of the Autobahn, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. By the time we reached Denali Pass, a stiff wind was blowing into our faces. It was downright frigid. Huddling behind some rocks, we quickly finished off our water and ate some more food.<br />
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Denali Pass acts like a funnel for the wind, concentrating and accelerating air that is being pushed over the mountain. This was no place to set up our stove and attempt to make water. We opted to climb above Denali Pass, to a less windy location, before refilling our empty water bottles...or at least trying to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Looking like a walrus as the wind howls on Denali Pass." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/126.jpg" height="180" title="Looking like a walrus as the wind howls on Denali Pass." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Looking like a walrus as the wind howls on Denali Pass.</span></td></tr>
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At an elevation near 18550', roughly 350 vertical feet above Denali Pass, we came to a rock outcropping that was fairly well protected from the wind. It was still cold, even without the wind, due to the sparse cloud cover, but it was time to make water...or at least try. I took the stove out of my backpack to begin the snow melting process.<br />
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We were a little over halfway finished with our climb, and we had each consumed two liters of water. Our plan, which is the standard method, was to use our ISOBUTAL stove to melt snow for more water during our ascent. What sounded so simple in theory didn't quite work for us in practice.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Frustration face after spending nearly 1.5 hours in the cold trying to get the stove to stay lit." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/127.jpg" height="300" title="Frustration face after spending nearly 1.5 hours in the cold trying to get the stove to stay lit." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Frustration face after spending nearly 1.5 hours in the<br />cold trying to get the stove to stay lit.</span></td></tr>
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No matter what we tried, we could not get our stove to stay lit.<br />
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We shielded it from the wind.<br />
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We warmed the fuel canister.<br />
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We insulated the fuel canister from the cold snow surface. <br />
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None of it worked. Each time we would get the stove lit, it would go out after about 10 seconds. All of our toil yielded just under a measly half-liter of water. After an hour and a half we gave up. Our water making efforts had definitely put us behind our <i>anticipated</i> schedule. Thank goodness for budgeting plenty of extra time.<br />
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We made the decision to continue going up the mountain with the water we had left. If either of us started to feel like dehydration would pose a serious safety threat, we knew to be vocal about it. We've both pushed through long excursions in the mountains with little water and know when we are reaching our limits. We weren't at that point yet. </div>
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Even without water, we continued at a decent pace. A decent pace, that is, until we had to stop again. Just below Archdeacon's Towers, at an elevation of roughly 19300', we ran into two guided parties who had stopped. A member of one of the guided parties had had a heart attack, and the rescue effort was under way.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The clouds began to clear as we waited at 19300'." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/128.jpg" height="240" title="The clouds began to clear as we waited at 19300'." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The clouds began to clear as we waited at 19300'.</span></td></tr>
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A high altitude helicopter had been called in and was trying to find a reasonably safe spot to land. The gusty wind, mountainous topography and thin air made it an exceedingly difficult challenge. Any time the helicopter would get close to touching down, the wind would gust and he'd have to move to another location. This meant that the guides running the rescue were constantly moving back and forth across the West Buttress Route to get their patient in a better location for pick up.<br />
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We were not about to get in the way by trying to pass.<br />
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Having been a part of mountain rescues in the past, working professionally in that field, I know how challenging the task is. The guides on site and pilot did a tremendous job, but the helicopter simply could not land. Eventually, the helicopter pilot flew to a lower camp, hooked up a long-line, and returned to long line the patient back to Camp 14. After a heart attack at 19300', that must have been the experience of a lifetime for the patient - a solo long-line in a basket stretcher from 19300' down to 14200'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The clouds began to clear as we waited at 19300'." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/130.jpg" height="180" title="The clouds began to clear as we waited at 19300'." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Helicopter trying to evac a patient at 19300'.</span></td></tr>
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We heard later that the patient made it safely to a hospital and was recovering. I tip my hat to all the rescuers. <br />
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Once we got moving again we had been delayed another 1.5 hours. We were nearing the end of the "extra time" that we had budgeted but were still able to continue upward with reasonable safety. In fact, we ended up approaching the summit with the guided groups that had been delayed by the rescue, who are generally very conservative with their timing.<br />
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When we got to the Football Field we could see the remainder or our ascent - Pig Hill, the Summit Ridge and the Summit.<br />
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The roughly 400 vertical feet on Pig Hill was the last significant portion of climbing.</div>
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Step.</div>
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Breathe.</div>
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Step.</div>
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Breathe.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/131.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Football Field, Pig Hill, Summit Ridge and Summit.</span></td></tr>
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Pig Hill certainly felt like a pig. It had been a long day, and the combination of my tiring body, a lack of water and the thin air brought me to the brink of bonking. Midway up, I gobbled down as much food as I could stomach, giving me the energy to finish of the long day of climbing. All spring I had worked with <a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">The Feed</a> to figure out what kinds of foods work well for me and how many calories I'd need for climb like this. It really paid off here.<br />
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When we reached the Summit Ridge, almost all the clouds had cleared as far as the eye could see. Ironically, with all of the delays on our climb, the timing was working out perfectly. It was a sight to behold. Even though it felt like a long time, less than 15 minutes passed between our reaching the Summit Ridge and reaching the Summit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/132.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Archdeacon's Tower.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/133.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Summit Ridge with Hunter, Foraker, and even the<br />ocean in the background.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Summit Ridge with breaking clouds<br />to the West.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/135.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Summit Ridge.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/136.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh on the Summit Ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Reaching the summit of Denali." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/137.jpg" height="225" title="Reaching the summit of Denali." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Reaching the summit of Denali.</span></td></tr>
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It is a strange feeling to achieve a goal you have planned for, prepared for and dreamed about for so long - especially in ski mountaineering. The challenge of standing on a summit is a motivating force for ski mountaineers like myself. The challenge of the ski descent is the other motivating force. Although it was an emotional experience to finally be standing on the highest point in North America - a goal I had planned for, prepared for and dreamt about for years - there was not yet a full sense of accomplishment.<br />
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Reaching the summit is the halfway point. The goal would be fully accomplished when I got back down.<br />
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I spent some time on top, by myself, taking in the view and purposefully burning the scene into my memory. The color of the sky, the majesty of the range, the chill in the wind - it is a vivid memory I'll enjoy for the rest of my life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Denali Summit marker." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/138.jpg" height="225" title="Denali Summit marker." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denali summit marker.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh and I on top together." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/139.jpg" height="300" title="Josh and I on top together." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh and I on top together.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Obligatory goofy summit shot." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/140.jpg" height="320" title="Obligatory goofy summit shot." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Obligatory goofy summit shot.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A little relaxing at the summit." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/142.jpg" height="300" title="A little relaxing at the summit." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A little relaxing at the summit.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh making his official ski from the summit of Denali." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/143.jpg" height="300" title="Josh making his official ski from the summit of Denali." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh making his official ski from the summit of Denali.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="On top with skis on." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/144.jpg" height="300" title="On top with skis on." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">On top with skis on.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A few moments alone at the summit of Denali.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A few moments alone at the summit of Denali." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/145.jpg" title="A few moments alone at the summit of Denali." /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 4</u>: Skiing Denali Via Messner Couloir</span></h3>
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Departing from the summit of Denali was fairly casual. From the top we made our way down the same way we had come up - Summit Ridge to Pig Hill to Football Field - until we reached the entrance to the Messner Couloir. Here we diverged from our ascent route, and the casual nature of our descent quickly dissolved into a reserved excitement and intensity.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing from Denali's summit marker." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/147.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing from Denali's summit marker." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing from Denali's summit marker.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing the Summit Ridge." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/148.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing the Summit Ridge." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing the Summit Ridge.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing Pig Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/149.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing Pig Hill." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing Pig Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing the Football Field." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/150.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing the Football Field." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing the Football Field.</span></td></tr>
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One of the beautiful things about ski mountaineering is the amazing singularity, and thus clarity, it can bring to your existence, even if for just a brief period of time. The sorts of situations you can find yourself in may demand all of your attention. <br />
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At moments like these, it no longer matters what is happening elsewhere in your life. For a brief period of time your life is reduced to you, the mountain and your Maker.<br />
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Your mind must not wander. Your life depends on it. Even if you are relaxed, you're completely focused on the task at hand.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Standing at the entrance to the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/151.jpg" height="180" title="Standing at the entrance to the Messner." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Standing at the entrance to the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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An interesting side effect of these moments of singularity are the clarity that they give afterwards. It becomes easier to realize and prioritize what is truly important.<br />
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Skiing the Messner was one of these situations. It is a big line that demands all of your attention and focus.<br />
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Together and separately, Josh and I had put a lot of thought into a ski descent of the Messner. Long before ever standing at its entrance, we had: given ourselves go/no-go guidelines, contemplated what the hazards were and ways to navigate them, determined our acceptable level of risk, kept an eye on conditions, and more.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dropping in on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/152.jpg" height="180" title="Dropping in on the Messner." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dropping in on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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When we found ourselves finally standing atop the Messner, our preparation allowed us to make a decision rationally instead of emotionally.<br />
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It was a go, objectively.<br />
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Since I had the rope, Josh took the lead. By going first, he had the highest likelihood of falling into a crevasse, in which case I would use the rope to extricate him. At least that is the theory...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Navigating to our line." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/153.jpg" height="180" title="Navigating to our line." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Navigating to our line.</span></td></tr>
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Calling it the Messner "Couloir" is a bit of a misnomer. The line is more like a giant, steep funneled face with rocky walls than it is a thin little strip of snow. There were significantly different conditions on one side of the Messner than there were on the other. Since we had been keeping our eyes on it our entire time at Camp 14, we were aware of a wind loaded section on the skier's left side of the Messner that was not on the skier's right side. The entrance to the Messner is from the skier's left, so we had to traverse to the skier's right to avoid the wind load, before skiing directly down the fall line.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Atop our line, about to start 5000 vertical feet of fall line skiing." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/154.jpg" height="225" title="Atop our line, about to start 5000 vertical feet of fall line skiing." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Atop our line, about to start <br />5000 vertical feet of fall line skiing.</span></td></tr>
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The first few hundred vertical feet of skiing were variable. There was a layer of new, somewhat wind-affected, snow on top of ice. After we continued to cautiously work our way down, though, the snow became more consistent. <br />
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Soft.<br />
Stable.<br />
Steep.<br />
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It was the perfect trifecta for a ski mountaineer. If I hadn't been constantly gasping for air, I would have whooped and hollered the entire way down. We were incredibly fortunate to get such amazing conditions on such a big line, and we knew it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #1." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/155.jpg" height="225" title="Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #1." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #1</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #2." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/156.jpg" height="225" title="Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #2." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #2</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #3." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/158.jpg" height="225" title="Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #3." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Variable conditions at the top of the Messner #3</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="More consistent snow conditions and fast turns on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/159.jpg" height="225" title="More consistent snow conditions and fast turns on the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">More consistent snow conditions and fast turns on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Beautiful snow on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/160.jpg" height="225" title="Beautiful snow on the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Beautiful snow on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Face shot on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/161.jpg" height="225" title="Face shot on the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Face shot on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing fast, in soft snow, in the heart of the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/162.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing fast, in soft snow, in the heart of the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing fast, in soft snow in the heart of the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Steep and fast on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/165.jpg" height="225" title="Steep and fast on the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Steep and fast on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Beautiful light and beautiful snow on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/167.jpg" height="360" title="Beautiful light and beautiful snow on the Messner." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful light and beautiful snow on the Messner.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Catching my breath on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/168.jpg" height="225" title="Catching my breath on the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Catching my breath on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Letting my slough pass just above the choke of the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/169.jpg" height="225" title="Letting my slough pass just above the choke of the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Letting my slough pass just above the choke of the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Slightly variable snow on the choke of the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/170.jpg" height="180" title="Slightly variable snow on the choke of the Messner." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Slightly variable snow on the choke of the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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At the choke, things became variable again, and we had to carefully manage our slough. It wasn't as variable as the top, and we wanted to spend as little time as possible in the choke, so we still skied it with some speed. At the bottom of the choke, we were spit out onto the apron.<br />
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Once again we found ourselves on the deep, smooth and consistent snow.<br />
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Once again we ripped enormous turns as fast as our exhausted legs would allow. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The choke of the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/173.jpg" height="225" title="The choke of the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The choke of the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Coming out of the Messner's choke." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/172.jpg" height="225" title="Coming out of the Messner's choke." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Coming out of the Messner's choke.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow conditions improving and speed picking up on the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/174.jpg" height="225" title="Snow conditions improving and speed picking up on the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Snow conditions improving and speed picking up on the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #1." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/176.jpg" height="225" title="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #1." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #1.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #2." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/177.jpg" height="225" title="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #2." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #2.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #3." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/178.jpg" height="225" title="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #3." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #3.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #4." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/179.jpg" height="225" title="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #4." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #4.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #5." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/180.jpg" height="225" title="Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #5." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Fast and deep on the Messner's apron #5.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A quick look back up from the Messner's apron." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/181.jpg" height="225" title="A quick look back up from the Messner's apron." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A quick look back up from the Messner's Apron.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Navigating yet another crevasse field." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/182.jpg" height="225" title="Navigating yet another crevasse field." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Navigating yet another crevasse field.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Crossing cracks." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/183.jpg" height="225" title="Crossing cracks." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Crossing cracks.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Alaska skiing." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/184.jpg" height="225" title="Alaska skiing." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Alaska skiing.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Looking back towards the Messner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/185.jpg" height="225" title="Looking back towards the Messner." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Looking back towards the Messner.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Our tracks in the evening light." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/186.jpg" height="320" title="Our tracks in the evening light." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our tracks in the evening light.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/187.jpg" height="180" title=""Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Brother's don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!"</span></td></tr>
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We arrived back at Camp 14 parched, hungry, and ecstatic. We had accomplished our large, intimidating and difficult goal. All of our planning, preparation and hard work had paid off. Our dream had become a reality, and it had happened in style - with fantastic conditions.<br />
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I would try to describe the feeling more, but I'm afraid I can't truly articulate such an amazing experience. Those who have had an experience like it may understand. Those who haven't likely won't understand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Still giving high 5's before going to sleep." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Denali%20Summit%20-%20Messner%20Couloir/188.jpg" height="180" title="Still giving high 5's before going to sleep." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Still giving high 5's before going to sleep.</span></td></tr>
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I was high on endorphins and feeling good, so I collected snow and began making water. Josh, who had been steadily getting colder and colder, climbed into his sleeping bag to warm up. After we each consumed several liters of water and hot chocolate, we switched positions. Josh cooked a feast of fajita-steak quesadillas while I relaxed in my sleeping bag.</div>
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More than an hour after eating dinner, we were still giving high 5's and reflecting on the day, too excited to fall asleep even in our exhausted states. When sleep finally came, it was peaceful and satisfying.<br />
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We were truly blessed.<br />
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Below are the raw journal entries from the above day and the day immediately following. I wrote these on my phone while I was on the expedition and I have not edited them at all, save for some typos.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 20, 11:20 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We summited Denali today and skied The Messner Couloir. Amazing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm exhausted. I'll write more about it later.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thank God!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 21, 1:00 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Wow...the past 36 hours have been everything I trained for, planned for and hoped for out of my Denali experience and more. When I got back to camp last night I was too tired to write about it, so I'm doing it now before I start to forget details.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yesterday we left camp at 5:30 am with the intent to summit and ski Denali. We have been eyeing The Messner Couloir all week and it was our primary objective for the trip to begin with. It is the most aesthetic and direct line that comes into 14k Camp and is considered the marquee ski descent on the mountain. It is huge and very committing and hasn't been skied in the past several year. When we looked at The Messner during our bone chilling departure from camp (-20 F) I had a sense of optimism.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Although we lost visibility and had to break trail we made good time up The Headwall. By the time we were on top of the fixed lines and making our way to Washburn's Thumb the clouds had cleared a little, giving us views of some other parties leaving 14k Camp. We had to take one extended break on the ridge leading to High Camp due to some bathroom issues, but all in all we were feeling healthy and made decent time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we got to High Camp (17,200') the clouds started to roll in again, the temperatures dropped and the winds picked up. We had a big food and water break because we didn't plan on stopping on The Autobahn, which connects High Camp and Denali Pass.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We roped up for the running belay on semi-fixed picket anchors and started our journey on The Autobahn. "ANCHOR." "CLEAR." "ANCHOR." "CLEAR." It really is amazing how much the altitude effects are increased once one gets over 17,000'. It seems exponential. Although we were huffing and puffing we still set a decent pace and caught up to a slower moving party, which we got stuck behind. The Autobahn is actually the sight of the most deaths on Denali, and I'm told it often happens because one group tries to pass another group and there is a slip or mistake. So, we were respectful and patiently moved along behind the slower party.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">At Denali Pass we really felt the brunt of the wind. It was chilling. I was fortunate enough to stay warm in my big down jacket but I know Josh was chilled and wanted to get out of there. We ate and drank as quickly as possible and then pushed forward.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We passed the group that had been ahead of us on our way to the Kahiltna Horn. At this point both Josh and I had consumed most of our 2 liters of water (each). So, I got out the ISOPRO stove and tried to melt some snow. No dice. I would continually get the stove lit, put the pot on it and within 10 seconds it would die. We tried everything. We blocked it from the wind. Josh warmed the fuel canister in his jacket. We insulated the fuel canister it from the snow surface. None of it worked. After a long time trying we had only melted about an additional 1/2 liter to be split between us for the rest of the day. That was very demoralizing and the process had set us behind pace again, but we continued on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we were just below Archdeacons Pillars (near the entrance to The Messner coincidentally) we ran into a large guided party that was stopped. Someone in one of the guided groups had had a heart attack and there was a helicopter rescue underway. The pilot was having difficulty trying to find a place to land and load the patient because of the gusting and swirling winds, so the crew on the ground was continually moving around with the patient to accommodate where the pilot might be able to land. We thought it best to be respectful of the rescue situation and not potentially get in the way by continuing upward in case that would be a place where the pilot could land. Eventually, the helicopter flew back to base camp and rigged a long line to hoist the patient down to a lower landing area with less wind before repackaging him inside the helicopter. Pretty crazy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">By this point we were far behind pace, but the weather was actually improving greatly. We continued on and made our way across The Football Field (now back on skins and skis). From here we could see the summit. The last big obstacle between us and the summit is the aptly named Pig Hill (followed by the benign Summit Ridge). After so much effort climbing from 14,200' to see this last significant climb makes you really think of it as a disgusting pig.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We did our best to hustle up Pig Hill, having to transition mid-way up from skinning to crampons (we also ditched some weight that we didn't need to carry to the summit, like the stove), but the effects of altitude and lack of water were really beating us down. At one point I had to stop so I could eat and catch my breath. It was the closest I have come to bonking in a long time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we topped out on Pig Hill we were back in a stiff wind on the Summit Ridge. It is amazing how much colder the wind made everything despite the clear skies and brilliant sun. We left the rope at the start of the ridge and climbed solo up to the summit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Standing on the summit of Denali was incredible. I got a bit emotional because it was a dream I've had since I was a little boy of 6 or 7 years old. Amazingly, the wind had died down and the views were tremendous in all directions. We spent some time taking pictures, praying and soaking in the moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Then it was time to do what we had worked so hard for - ski from the summit of Denali! I put my skis on and pushed off from the summit marker, making my way down the Summit Ridge and Pig Hill.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We packed our gear that we had ditched on Pig Hill and started to get a little concerned about the time. I honestly do not know what time we were on the summit because in all my excitement I failed to check. All I know is that we were behind schedule.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We pushed across the Football Field and to the entrance of The Messner Couloir. After some discussion about the risks and what we knew about the route from staring at it all we and skiing other lines, we made the decision to go for it. There was no time to get the still camera out and shoot any still pictures while in The Messner because we were in a hurry - trying to get back to camp and cross crevasses in good light (which we did). I was, however, able to capture some good helmet camera footage of the descent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">It was truly the ski of a lifetime. The conditions toward the top were variable with wind effected snow and ice, but once we got into the heart of The Messner it was good. Even with a very heavy backpack (filled with rope and countless pieces of gear) I was able to rip a bunch of fast, fun turns in one of the most exposed and remote environments I've ever been in.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh lead the descent because of his ample experience in glaciated terrain. He took things a little slower than I because he was unsure of what lay underneath the snow. Going second I had the advantage of knowing where there were firm/icy/funky patches and where there was good snow. This allowed me to really open it up when the conditions allowed and back off when they didn't (very important with a heavy pack). I'm incredibly thankful to have a ski partner like Josh. We work well as a team and our strengths compliment each other well. When one of us is struggling, the other is there to lift him up. This is true in terms of skiing/mountaineering and life in general. I love Josh like a brother.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thousands of vertical feet of fall line skiing were a dream come true, from the top through the choke and on the apron. We made our way down the choke of The Messner (fun snow), out the apron (more fun snow that I got to absolutely fly down) and through the maze of crevasses and broken glacier at the bottom. At this point we relaxed a bit, hooted and hollered, shortly talked about how amazing The Messner was, took a couple pictures and said a prayer of thanks. Then we skied into 14k Camp and directly to our tent at 10:30 pm.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We were elated but exhausted and very thirsty. I was warm and feeling good so I got to work making water while Josh (who had gotten quite chilled) warmed up in his sleeping bag. After I made many liters of water (and consumed a bunch) Josh had warmed up. We switched places - me in my bag and him in the kitchen - and he made some quesadillas.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We talked, prayed, and fantasized about what we most looked forward to about getting back home. Then we drifted off to sleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">What. A. Day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">It ranks in the top 5 of my life (behind the birth of my Marilyn and my wedding day, of course).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today we slept until 10:00 am and are getting things prepped to go down toward Kahiltna Base Camp tonight. Hopefully we fly out tomorrow!</span></div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-89897113012689224282014-10-01T10:34:00.000-06:002014-10-08T14:43:28.005-06:00SKI DENALI - PART 3 (Skiing Rescue Gully and West Rib/Orient Express)<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>SKI DENALI - PART 3</u><br />CAMP 14 - WEST RIB/ORIENT EXPRESS - RESCUE GULLY</span></h2>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"So...</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">you're off to Great Places!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Today is your day!</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Your mountain is waiting.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">So...get on your way!"</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Oh The Places You'll Go, Dr. Seuss</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">On my mountain.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="On my mountain." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/107.jpg" height="300" title="On my mountain." width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Ski Denali - Part 3</u>: Camp 14</span></h3>
Planning and patience - key elements for a successful ski-mountaineering expedition. Up to this point, our entire time climbing Denali had involved storms with short windows of clear weather. This pattern only continued upon our arrival at Camp 14. The storminess was a double edged sword. It simultaneously made the lines we wanted to ski both skiable and un-skiable. The lines needed snow to cover the glacial ice, but we could not ski the lines (or get to them) while it was snowing.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Retrieving our deeply buried cache at Windy Corner." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/81.jpg" height="240" title="Retrieving our deeply buried cache at Windy Corner." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Retrieving our deeply buried cache<br />at Windy Corner.</span></td></tr>
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After some discussion about logistics and timing, Josh and I planned to wait for weather windows and take advantage of them even if they were small. This required flexibility, preparedness to leave at a moment's notice and a willingness to turn around if conditions changed.<br />
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But, first things first. Before we could do any skiing missions on the upper mountain we needed the rest of our food from the cache near Windy Corner. On our second full day at Camp 14, cache retrieval was our primary objective.<br />
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Things went smoothly. Even at a leisurely pace and with an extra-deep burial (thanks to all the new snow) our cache retrieval took a mere hour and 30 minutes, round-trip. We returned to Camp 14 feeling strong and eager to make a plan for skiing missions. We were acclimatizing well and hopeful to get on Denali's higher reaches as soon as possible.<br />
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For the remainder of the day we spent a lot of time talking to others about conditions above 14000'. Josh knew many of the guides who were leading groups on the mountain, and he spoke with several of them. In particular, Tyler Jones was a huge help. He gave us advice for different descents, how to approach them and what to look out for. During our entire time at Camp 14 he was a great resource and friend to us. We owe him many thanks.<br />
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I was fortunate enough to meet <a href="http://www.kilianjornet.cat/en/blog/" target="_blank">Kilian Jornet</a> and his crew. It was a pleasure to shake hands with the man who had <a href="http://www.kilianjornet.cat/en/blog/record-in-the-mckinley/" target="_blank">set the new speed record</a> for ascent and descent of Denali a few days prior. He and his whole crew had been skiing the upper mountain for the past week and were a willing source of helpful information. A few hours before our meeting they had finished skiing part of the West Rib and Orient Express. They highly recommended it, reporting the snow to be soft and more than ample to cover the ice.<br />
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Reports of good snow conditions...now I was getting excited.<br />
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They had also skied Rescue Gully during Kilian's record setting ascent/descent and gave the impression that the snow was adequate, meaning sufficient enough to cover the glacier ice. Since then it had snowed quite a bit more, so Rescue Gully's snow was likely in good shape, too. <br />
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Potential for a second line with good snow...I could feel my heart race with enthusiasm.<br />
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After all this good news I was feeling optimistic when I asked them if they knew about conditions in the Messner Couloir. The Messner is a massive, steep, and consistent line that aesthetically plunges from above 19000' directly into Camp 14. It is the marquee ski descent on Denali, and it had been several years since anyone had reportedly skied it. When Kilian's crew told me they turned around at the Messner's entrance because of icy conditions my heart sank a little.<br />
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For years I had stared at pictures of the Messner Couloir, imagining what it would be like to ski its enormous, committing fall-line. I pictured myself arcing turns from its entrance to the choke, weaving my way through the choke and finishing my signature by racing down its apron towards Camp 14. Our expedition could be a success without skiing the Messner, but the Messner was truly the dream.<br />
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I was thankful that snow was filling in other ski routes, but I was literally praying for snow to fill the Messner.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Ski Denali - Part 3</u>: West Rib/Orient Express</span></h3>
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After 2 days of acclimatization and sitting in storms, we were ready to do some training on the upper mountain above Camp 14. We planned our first training day to be a climb up the lower part of the Orient Express towards the West Rib, climbing the West Rib until it reconnected with a higher part of the Orient Express, and descending from there. This would give us an opportunity to test our lungs, get a feel for timing, determine how much food we would need for a summit attempt, and get a quality ski descent.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="This heavy beast was my light pack." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/82.jpg" height="112" title="This heavy beast was my light pack." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This heavy best was my light back.</span></td></tr>
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We kept our eyes on the weather all morning, seeing clouds roll in and out with no significant storming. After lunch we felt confident enough in the weather and decided to head out. I got my "light pack" ready for our ski-mountaineering mission, and it made me chuckle. There seems to be no way around hauling a lot of weight when one is skiing Denali.<br />
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Once we got out of camp and on the Orient Express, we moved relatively swiftly to the West Rib despite having to navigate several tricky crevassed sections. Our swift pace was largely due to Josh. In the winter, Josh spends most of his ski days guiding on glaciers in Canada. Although I have plenty of experience on glaciers, I do not navigate them nearly as often as my good friend. Josh's experience, knowledge and ability to quickly "read the glacier" with tremendous accuracy was a huge boon for us.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="There are no shortage of crevasses on Denali." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/83.jpg" height="300" title="There are no shortage of crevasses on Denali." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">There are no shortage of crevasses on Denali.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Denali's West Buttress comes into view from the Orient Express." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/84.jpg" height="300" title="Denali's West Buttress comes into view from the Orient Express." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denali's West Buttress comes into view<br />from the Orient Express.</span></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="On the West Rib." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/85.jpg" height="180" title="On the West Rib." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">On the West Rib.</span></td></tr>
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When we reached the West Rib we went from climbing on a windless glacier to climbing in the wind on mixed snow and rock. The temperature swing was certainly noticeable but nothing that adding an extra layer didn't solve.<br />
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A windy ridge with a mix of rock and snow, the West Rib felt like climbing in the Colorado Rockies. Unfortunately, we also encountered the snowpack that one often find's in the Colorado Rockies. We were making great progress up the West Rib when we encountered questionable avalanche conditions near 17000'. The wind had created a significant and fairly tender slab. Attempts to find a suitable or worthwhile way around the hazard were fruitless.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Looking to the Southwest from the West Rib." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/86.jpg" height="180" title="Looking to the Southwest from the West Rib." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Looking to the southwest from the West Rib.</span></td></tr>
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To put it simply, the risk of continuing was simply not worth the reward. We both wanted to continue so we could get a larger, more glamorous descent, but our wealth of experience in the mountains has disciplined us to be self-critical and recognize our folly if we start thinking that way. It has taken Josh and I years of practice in the mountains to be able to make these sorts of objective decisions - and make them well. I am 100% confident that we made the wise decision when we turned around.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/87.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh climbing the West Rib." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/87.jpg" height="300" title="Josh climbing the West Rib." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh climbing the West Rib.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="West Rib snow pit at 17000' - confirming our decision to turn around." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/88.jpg" height="225" title="West Rib snow pit at 17000' - confirming our decision to turn around." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">West Rib snow pit at 17000' - confirming <br />our decision to turn around.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh on the West Rib." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/89.jpg" height="225" title="Josh on the West Rib." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh on the West Rib.</span></td></tr>
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After a short down climb we were skiing down the West Rib and into a soupy fog on the lower Orient Express. The snow was fantastic and the skiing was quite fun, but the low visibility meant slow going in the heavily crevassed terrain. Josh, again, did a wonderful job of leading the way and picking a safe route through the cracks.<br />
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We were 3-for-3 for skiing powder on Denali!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing on the West Rib." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/90.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing on the West Rib." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing on the West Rib.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Skiing the lower Orient Express in flat light." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/91.jpg" height="225" title="Skiing the lower Orient Express in flat light." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Skiing the lower Orient Express in flat light.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ripping turns below the crevasse hazard on the lower Orient Express." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/93.jpg" height="300" title="Ripping turns below the crevasse hazard on the lower Orient Express." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ripping turns below the crevasse hazard on the lower Orient Express.</span></td></tr>
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Josh and I both felt great, physically and mentally, as we skied into camp. This had been our first venture into the higher altitudes of the mountain, and our bodies handled it well. Furthermore, although we had to turn around a little early, morale was high because we had just finished our first training on the upper mountain and got to ski great snow. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/94.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="High five for a successful training day." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/94.jpg" height="225" title="High five for a successful training day." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">High 5 for a successful training day.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh Smith - gourmet mountain chef." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/95.jpg" height="225" title="Josh Smith - gourmet mountain chef." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh Smith - gourmet mountain chef.</span></td></tr>
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The next day, while sitting in a storm, we discussed at length how the rest of the expedition may unfold. This included how much more training we could do before making a summit attempt, what that training would be, and what kind of snow conditions we'd need in order to ski the Messner Couloir.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Ski Denali - Part 3</u>: Rescue Gully</span></h3>
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On our sixth day at Camp 14 we woke, as expected, to snow and wind. Thinking the snow would last the entire day, we spent a leisurely morning in the tent eating, reading, napping and playing cards. Although we were physically relaxed, there was certainly mental anxiety. It had been storming so often, with more storms in the forecast, that we were unsure if we would have the opportunity to even attempt summiting. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leaving Camp 14, heading towards The Headwall on the West Buttress Route" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/96.jpg" height="180" title="Leaving Camp 14, heading towards The Headwall on the West Buttress Route" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Leaving Camp 14, heading towards the <br />Headwall on the West Buttress Route.</span></td></tr>
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Shortly after eating lunch Josh got out of the tent to stretch his legs. What he saw surprised both of us; the weather had unexpectedly cleared.<br />
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We were eager to take advantage and use this window to do our final training day. We had already determined that we would attempt to ski Rescue Gully for our final training so we quickly arranged our gear and got on route. Rescue Gully is a steep, narrow and short couloir that opens onto a steep, glaciated face. The entrance to the couloir is just outside of High Camp (17,200') and the bottom of the line leads directly back to Camp 14. Because of its directness from High Camp to Camp 14 this route was once used to lower people on a sled, via an enormous cable, during rescues. Thus, it received the monicker Rescue Gully.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Transitioning from skins to crampons at the fixed lines. " border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/97.jpg" height="180" title="Transitioning from skins to crampons at the fixed lines. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Transitioning from skins to crampons at the fixed lines.</span></td></tr>
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The weather was warm and perfect for climbing. Before we knew it we were on top of the Headwall and its fixed lines, moving along the ridge towards Washburn's Thumb and High Camp. We were making good time until, near Washburn's Thumb, I was crippled with gastrointestinal distress. I'm not sure if it was a reaction to the altitude, something I ate, or something else, but with each step I felt like I was being kicked in the gut. It slowed our progress significantly. From where we were, the quickest way back to the tent was to finish the climb and ski Rescue Gully, so we continued forward.<br />
<br />
I would not let a little bit of discomfort ruin the otherwise incredible experience I was having in such an amazing place. I gritted my teeth, clenched my cheeks, and pushed forward with a smile on my face.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh at the top of the fixed lines." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/98.jpg" height="300" title="Josh at the top of the fixed lines." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh at the top of the fixed lines.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/99.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ridge walking above the fixed lines." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/99.jpg" height="320" title="Ridge walking above the fixed lines." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ridge walking above the fixed lines.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Foraker looking pretty above the clouds." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/100.jpg" height="240" title="Foraker looking pretty above the clouds." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Foraker looking pretty above the clouds.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Washburn's Thumb." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/101.jpg" height="225" title="Washburn's Thumb." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Washburn's Thumb.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="High Camp on the right, Denali Pass on the left, The Autobahn in between." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/102.jpg" height="225" title="High Camp on the right, Denali Pass on the left, The Autobahn in between." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">High Camp on the right, Denali Pass<br />on the left, The Autobahn in between.</span></td></tr>
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As we clicked into our skis and prepared to descend Rescue Gully I was excited and singularly focused. No longer did the pain in my abdomen bother me. I simply couldn't allow it. I had to focus on the task at hand...and it was an intense and enjoyable task.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Firm conditions at the entrance to Rescue Gully." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/104.jpg" height="225" title="Firm conditions at the entrance to Rescue Gully." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Firm conditions at the entrance to Rescue Gully.</span></td></tr>
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The first bit of Rescue Gully was firm and icy. We carefully scraped our way through a large runnel until we reached a point at which the runnel was smoothed out enough to make turns. Shortly after that, there was an abrupt change in conditions. We were in powder...again!<br />
<br />
These were the sorts of ski-mountaineering conditions that people dream about. Steep, stable and deep on a big remote line. We were so fortunate to be in the position that we were in, and we took advantage of it.<br />
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For much of the descent Josh and I made fast turns, leaving clouds of snow in our wake. Between deep gasps of air that fueled our oxygen-starved lungs, we let out little hoots and hollers. There were a couple spots where ice was a concern, but we were prepared for them and managed them well. After crossing our last major crevasse, we traversed back to the Headwall section of the West Buttress Route. We were all high 5's and smiles. We could hardly believe what we had just experienced.<br />
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We were now 4-for-4 for skiing powder on Denali.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Making turns at the abrupt conditions change." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/103.jpg" height="225" title="Making turns at the abrupt conditions change." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Making turns at the abrupt conditions change.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Steep and soft." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/105.jpg" height="225" title="Steep and soft." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Steep and soft.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soft and steep." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/106.jpg" height="225" title="Soft and steep." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Soft and steep.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Slashing a turn on Rescue Gully." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/107.jpg" height="300" title="Slashing a turn on Rescue Gully." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Slashing a turn on Rescue Gully.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="This is Alaska skiing." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/109.jpg" height="180" title="This is Alaska skiing." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This is Alaska skiing.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Crossing a crack." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/111.jpg" height="180" title="Crossing a crack." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Crossing a crack.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Traversing towards the West Buttress Route." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/112.jpg" height="180" title="Traversing towards the West Buttress Route." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Traversing towards the West Buttress Route.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Small people in a big place." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/113.jpg" height="240" title="Small people in a big place." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Small people in a big place.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="High 5!" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/114.jpg" height="180" title="High 5!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">High 5!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="High morale, high 5." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/115.jpg" height="180" title="High morale, high 5." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">High morale, high 5.</span></td></tr>
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Morale was high after an amazing Rescue Gully descent, but we still hoped to summit the mountain and descend via The Messner couloir. That was our primary objective. For the next two days we waited as more storms pounded the mountain. We used every small break in the weather to observe and examine The Messner. We took pictures and studied them; picking out areas of wind loading and areas of potential ice. We discussed strategies for avoiding the hazard and what conditions would need to be like for us to "make-the-call" to ski it. We were mentally preparing ourselves for what we hoped lay ahead.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A typical view of the weather forecast during our stay at Camp 14." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/116.jpg" height="240" title="A typical view of the weather forecast during our stay at Camp 14." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A typical view of the weather forecast <br />during our stay at Camp 14.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Visiting the Ranger's camp during a small break in weather." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Camp%2014%20-%20West%20Rib%20Orient%20Express%20-%20Rescue%20Gully/117.jpg" height="180" title="Visiting the Ranger's camp during a small break in weather." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Visiting the Ranger's camp during a<br /> small break in weather.</span></td></tr>
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Now all we needed was a weather window.<br />
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Below are the raw journal entries from the above seven days. I wrote these on my phone while I was on the expedition and I have not edited them at all, save for some typos.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 13, 8:50 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today was a great day of rest and acclimatization at 14k Camp. After writing last night I began to crash pretty hard. I was dehydrated, running low on food, and tired from the slog from Motorcycle Hill Camp. As soon as I started to go downhill it happened fast. I got a headache, nausea, and had trouble keeping my body temp up. After food, a bunch of water, warm clothing and some sleep I was feeling much better. I'm very thankful to Josh for his help.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today was spent hydrating and getting settled at 14k Camp. It was snowing lightly all day so views were limited but we did get some glimpses at the lower parts of the upper mountain. We're hopeful that the current snow will stick to the lower flanks of our desired ski lines. The more the better right now. We need the ice to be thoroughly covered if we are going to ski them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The forecast for the next few days is for storms, so we'll likely be sticking around camp for the most part. Hopefully it will help us get our red blood cell count up before we try for higher on the mountain. Tomorrow we plan on going to get our cache, which won't be too strenuous but should be some enjoyable light exercise. Plus, it will be nice to get the rest of our food, we're getting low.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm retiring a little early tonight in hopes to get my body back in tip-top shape.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 14, 8:15 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The weather today could not make up its mind. It never got sunny, but it bounced back and forth between snowing and not snowing, and hot and cold. Thankfully it wasn't windy (knock on wood!).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our big activity of the day was the retrieval of our cache by Windy Corner. Even though we were moving at a casual pace it only took us 1.5 hours, which I was pretty pleased with. It also felt really good to get out of the tent and get some exercise, albeit mild. I felt quite good and I think I'm acclimatizing well so far. Hopefully the weather breaks soon and we can start making trips to the upper part of the mountain.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Speaking of future weather, it looks like we are in another string of storm days. That's kind of good because hopefully it will put snow on our desired ski routes (covering the glacial ice). But, this snow may not be sticking to the ice, or it might not be snowing above us, in which case these weather days are eating into our schedule without a whole lot of benefit. Having all of our food with us now (because of retrieving the cache) will certainly give us an idea of how much time we have left to attempt summiting.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm praying for the wisdom to make wise decisions, given the conditions and other factors, that hopefully lead to our having a successful trip and returning home happy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 15, 11:00 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today was our first day being able to get out and do some training on the upper mountain. The forecast from the NPS given last night was for snow and clouds today, so we didn't wake up early. When we did wake, however, we saw blue skies above us and decided it was a good opportunity to take advantage of training on the upper mountain.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We leisurely got ready and were out of camp by 2:45 pm. Our plan was to climb the Orient Express to the West Rib and then descend where the two routes reconnect at around 17,000'. The issue we rand into upon leaving was that our visibility, which was clear 15 minutes before departure, was no socked in the clouds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Due to the low visibility we got off trail early, but made our way back on trail, basically where we started from, at roughly 3:30 pm. From there it was pretty smooth sailing. We climbed up the lower portions of the Orient Express with relative ease, crossing a few stomach curbing crevasses and made it to the West Rib at roughly 16,300'. The whole way to the West Rib was pretty cloudy with only short glimpses of the mountain and routes that were around us. When we reached the West Rib we got lucky for about 5 minutes. Many clouds parted and we were able to see back down to camp, the West Buttress, some of the upper sections of Denali and some burly peaks to our south...terribly beautiful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We enjoyed the views briefly before the clouds rolled back in and then got moving uphill again, scrambling over rock, snow and some ice on the West Rib. At this point we were in a stiff and cold wind climbing along a ridge. Just shy of 17,000', where the West Rib reconnects with the Orient Express, we encountered a very concerning wind slab. We dug in the snow for a while and talked about the likelihood of an avalanche and decided that it was not worth continuing. We couldn't really find a route up from where we were that wouldn't be effected if the slab avalanched.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">So, we down climbed the route we had come up and got to a place along the West Rib where we could get our skis on. When we pushed off for our ski descent it was 8:30 pm. We made our way from the West Rib to the lower flanks of the Orient Express in very low visibility. If visibility had been good this would have been rather casual. But, given the visibility we were constantly trying to make out where our next crevasse crossing would be. Fortunately, everything went without incident and we even got to enjoy some soft powder turns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we rolled back into camp at 9:15 pm we were thrilled with how the day went - we had a good training on the upper mountain making it almost to 17,000', via a somewhat difficult route, in 5 hours (with down climbing) and we bot felt healthy and energetic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We ate dinner upon our return and now I'm settling in for a much earned night of sleep.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 16, 7:45 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today was a weather and rest day. It has given us a lot of time to recover and reflect on how the trip has gone. It has also given us a lot of time to plan and think of the future of our expedition. We are 2/3 of the way through our planned amount of time on the mountain. The weather has been really variable with lots of storms and small weather windows for moving. From reports that we heard today it looks like the rest of the trip might be the same - more storms and short periods suitable for travel.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">With incoming storms and short weather windows we will not have the luxury of being able to do many more training trips or be able to check out the conditions of the lines we'd like to ski. Our biggest concern is thin layers of snow on top of glacial ice. The lines we'd like to ski are very much "within the box" if the snow conditions are right on them. Everything hinges on conditions. If the conditions are not proper then the lines become much more dangerous. One slip on glacial ice can mean a fall several thousand feet and landing at the bottom of a crevasse. Many of the lines around here only come into condition every once in a while, and it is hard to know exactly when they are in proper condition unless you are on them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We've spent a good portion of the day trying to decide how we will spend the next few days and how we will make go/no-go decisions on our desired lines when the time comes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm praying for wisdom and guidance to make wise decisions that will allow me to get home safely to my wife and daughter. I miss them greatly.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 17, 8:40 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today was what it's all about. The forecast for the day was for storms and wind. When I woke and got out of the tent at 9:00 am it was certainly snowing hard (6" had already fallen) and windy. We had a leisurely morning in the tent, ate breakfast and hung out a bit. Then, Josh got out to go to the bathroom and noticed that things had changed significantly. We had clear skies all above 14,000' and the wind was gentle. We decided to get our stuff together and make use of the weather while we had it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We left camp at 2:30 pm and made our way up the West Buttress route along with what seemed like the entire population of 14k Camp. Everyone was surprised at how different the weather was from the forecast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our plan was to head to High Camp at about 17,200' and ski a line called The Rescue Gully - a steep chute that opens onto a large, crevassed glacier and drains back to 14k Camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We made good time from camp up The Headwall to the bottom of the fixed lines. We took a few extended breaks because the weather was actually scorching hot during the periods of sunshine. At the fixed lines we transferred from skinning to booting. We would boot the rest of the way to High Camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Shortly after reaching the top of The Headwall and making our way along the ridge to Washburns Thumb I started having some gastro-intestinal distress. Usually I find this sort of thing amusing (mature, I know) but this was actually very painful. It slowed me down a lot even though I felt like I had plenty of strength in my legs and lungs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we reached High Camp and transitioned to our skis it was 7:30 pm. We had some food and water and by the time we dropped in it was 8:00 pm on the nose. As we got to the entrance of The Rescue Gully the clouds parted and we had beautiful light.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The entrance to The Rescue Gulley was firm, narrow and steep. But, once past the entrance we were able to rip powder turns down nearly the entire face. It was a legit line with good pitch and exposure. We were weary of glacial ice that might be buried just below the surface, but I only hit two very small patches that were of no consequence.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh, as usual, did a fantastic job of navigating the crevasses. I appreciate it a tremendous amount. Living in Colorado I simply don't have the opportunity to deal with crevasses/glaciers often and he does it on an almost daily basis living in British Columbia and working on Mount Rainier. I'm happy to defer to his judgement - there is no place for my ego up here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We skied back into camp elated. That is the type of skiing we came here for! I took care of my gastrointestinal issues while Josh looked for his ice axe that went missing somewhere on the lower part of The Headwall (he found it).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">What a day. I'll sleep well tonight.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 18, 8:00 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We are listening to the weather forecast that is broadcast by the NPS over the radio right now, but it feels like we're doing it in vain. Since we've arrived here the NPS broadcast forecast has been laughably bad. For instance, today was supposed to be snowing 6-12" with high winds, but it has been sunny and still. Today was a rest day for us because of yesterday's adventures, but it definitely could have been a summit day for us if we had planned differently. It is starting to frustrate us.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Right now we are planning to do our summit attempt on the 20th. As of now the forecast is calling for a chance of snow and minimal wind. Wind and visibility are going to be extremely important for us. We have our fingers crossed that it will work out on the 20th. It will likely be our only shot, but we might be able to do a second attempt if we don't make it on the 20th.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I still battled with a bit of gastro-intestinal problems today and I'm recovering well. It definitely dehydrated me and exhausted me a bit. Even small sickness in this environment is no joke. I'm optimistic that by the 20th I'll be in tip-top shape for a summit bid. Hydrating, eating well and sleeping well between now and then are going to be key for a successful summit day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">On that note, time for some food and water.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 19, 2:45 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We've decided that we will, in fact, attempt to summit Denali tomorrow. So, today has been spent and will continue to be spent doing 4 things; (1) resting, (2) stretching, (3) eating/drinking and (4) packing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I'm making plenty of water right now so we can hydrate well. We want to get everything ready for a fast and efficient departure in the early morning, too. I've planned out my food for tomorrow, packed most of my outerwear, packed a stove and will get everything else ready for tomorrow before going to sleep. We're planning on turning in shortly after 8:00 pm tonight.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I hope I can sleep, tomorrow's going to be a big day!</span></div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0Denali National Park, Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743, USA63.7365922 -148.8974710999999638.2145577 169.79393490000004 89.2586267 -107.58887709999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-6621210762882520232014-09-24T09:54:00.000-06:002014-10-08T14:41:16.414-06:00SKI DENALI - PART 2 (Ski Hill Camp to Motorcycle Hill Camp to Camp 14)<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 2</u></span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ski Hill Camp - Motorcycle Hill Camp - Camp 14</span></b></h2>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">but fools despise wisdom and instruction."</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">-Proverbs 1:7</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The imposing massif of Denali standing more than 12,000' above Ski Hill Camp.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The imposing massif of Denali standing more than 12,000' above Ski Hill Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/38.jpg" height="240" title="The imposing massif of Denali standing more than 12,000' above Ski Hill Camp." width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 2</u>: Ski Hill Camp</span></h3>
Paradoxically, in order to climb the peak with the largest vertical rise in the world (from base to summit that is entirely above sea level) we had to start by going down. The brisk descent of Heartbreak Hill, roughly 500 vertical feet that separates the main Kahiltna Glacier from Kahiltna Base Camp, was a pleasant way to begin the day. Finishing the short descent put us at the lowest point of our climb, roughly 6650'. As we turned north and began skinning up the Kahiltna Glacier we were on the expedition's opening battle against gravity.<br />
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This was our first opportunity to test our set-ups and truly feel the weight of all our gear. Fortunately, from the bottom of Heartbreak Hill to Ski Hill Camp the terrain climbs for ~5 miles at a very mellow and consistent angle. The heavy loads, although significant, were not a torturous burden. We made great time as we skinned past those walking in guided groups. Hooray for skis!<br />
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The scale and grandeur of the mountains really set in as we moved up the Kahiltna. We were surrounded on all sides by enormous crevasses, seracs, cornices, cliff bands and ice-falls. God's fingerprint is uniquely stamped on this dramatic, severe, no-nonsense landscape. Listening to what it is telling you, learning from it and acting accordingly is of the utmost importance.<br />
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This place will humble you...if you're arrogant you are dead.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="All set up at Ski Hill Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/37.jpg" height="240" title="All set up at Ski Hill Camp." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All set up at Ski Hill Camp</span></td></tr>
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Although we were in relative safety on the middle of the Kahiltna Glacier, we knew that as we moved up the mountain we would be exposed to more and more of Denali's fangs. Taking this all in, digesting it early, and allowing ourselves to be humbled helped us make wise decisions later in the expedition.<br />
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Upon our arrival at Ski Hill Camp we moved from shadows into sunlight. I distinctly remember the immediate change. Things warm quickly in a world of white as sunlight re-radiates from every direction. Likewise, temperatures plummet extremely quickly when there is no direct sunlight. As Josh so accurately put it, "This place is like the moon."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Running to the bathroom while waiting out a storm shenanigans." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/39.jpg" height="240" title="Running to the bathroom while waiting out a storm shenanigans." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Running to the bathroom while waiting out a storm<br />shenanigans.</span></td></tr>
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We spent the next couple nights at Ski Hill Camp waiting out snow and rain storms. We were anxious to move up the mountain, but it didn't make any sense to do so soaking wet. Instead we stayed in our nylon cocoon listening to the roar of various avalanches and serac falls as we played cards, ate, read books and talked about life. It was time well spent, undistracted by the tedium of the outside world, bonding with one of my closest friends in the middle of a vast wilderness. I will always remember these few days with a fondness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ski Hill Camp tent time." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/41.jpg" height="225" title="Ski Hill Camp tent time." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ski Hill tent time.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clearing in the storm #1." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/42.jpg" height="300" title="A clearing in the storm #1." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A clearing in the storm #1.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clearing in the storm #2." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/44.jpg" height="300" title="A clearing in the storm #2." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A clearing in the storm #2.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clearing in the storm #3." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/46.jpg" height="300" title="A clearing in the storm #3." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A clearing in the storm #3.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clearing in the storm #4." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/38.jpg" height="300" title="A clearing in the storm #4." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A clearing in the storm #4.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A party descending Ski Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/43.jpg" height="300" title="A party descending Ski Hill." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A party descending Ski Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Longships eagerly awaiting some action." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/45.jpg" height="320" title="The Longships eagerly awaiting some action." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Longships eagerly awaiting some action.</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 2</u>: Motorcycle Hill Camp</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leaving Ski Hill Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/48.jpg" height="180" title="Leaving Ski Hill Camp." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Leaving Ski Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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When the weather finally provided an adequate window for travel, Josh and I took advantage. Since the Alaska range never gets darker than "dusk," we began our trip to Motorcycle Hill Camp in the wee hours of the morning. Our willingness to travel so early yielded stunning views as the sun's rays passed around Denali and illuminated the peaks on the lower Kahiltna. Those who have spent time in the mountains know how these special moments can forever be burned into one's memory.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The sun lighting up the horizon as we pull out of Ski Hill Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/49.jpg" height="300" title="The sun lighting up the horizon as we pull out of Ski Hill Camp." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The sun lighting up the horizon as we pull out of<br />Ski Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mountaintops illuminating as they pass out of Denali's shadow." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/50.jpg" height="300" title="Mountaintops illuminating as they pass out of Denali's shadow." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Mountaintops illuminating as they pass out of<br />Denali's shadow.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Flippin' the poo bird." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/51.jpg" height="300" title="Flippin' the poo bird." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Flippin' the poo bird.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Peaks on the lower Kahiltna illuminate as we climb toward Kahiltna Pass." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/52.jpg" height="300" title="Peaks on the lower Kahiltna illuminate as we climb toward Kahiltna Pass." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Peaks on the lower Kahiltna illuminate as we climb toward<br />Kahiltna Pass.</span></td></tr>
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Things were clear, crisp and cold as we approached Kahiltna Pass. Within minutes, though, clouds began forming all around us, and we found ourselves near the top of a storm. Wanting to avoid setting up our camp while it was snowing, we made haste from Kahiltna Pass to Motorcycle Hill Camp, hoping to get there before the storm got too strong. To our pleasant surprise, as we got within a few hundred vertical feet of Motorcycle Hill Camp, we found ourselves climbing above the clouds.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A few minutes of crisp, clear sky before clouds roll in on Kahiltna Pass." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/53.jpg" height="225" title="A few minutes of crisp, clear sky before clouds roll in on Kahiltna Pass." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A few minutes of crisp, clear sky before clouds roll<br />in on Kahiltna Pass.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Storm rolling in on Kahiltna Pass." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/54.jpg" height="225" title="Storm rolling in on Kahiltna Pass." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Storm rolling in on Kahiltna Pass.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The once clear valley quickly engulfed in clouds." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/55.jpg" height="225" title="The once clear valley quickly engulfed in clouds." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The once clear valley quickly engulfed in clouds.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Above the weather at Motorcycle Hill Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/56.jpg" height="180" title="Above the weather at Motorcycle Hill Camp." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Above the weather at Motorcycle Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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We were relieved to be above the storm, but the trek from Ski Hill Camp to Motorcycle Hill Camp had been taxing. We hauled our gargantuan loads up more than 3000 vertical feet and 4 miles with nothing more than 2 breaks of less than 10 minutes. Before we began making camp, we ate a much needed meal and surveyed our surroundings. <br />
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The scenery was spectacular, and it was obvious that this environment was significantly different from Ski Hill Camp. For starters, even in direct sunlight things were noticeably colder. Furthermore, the crevasses, steep slopes and other hazards that were long distances off at Ski Hill Camp were much closer here. It would be like this for the remainder of our time on Denali.</div>
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As if the mountain were trying to get our attention and demonstrate its power, a group of truck-sized boulders loosed from the slope north of camp while we were setting up our tent. In what seemed like slow motion they careened towards a cluster of rogue tents just west of where most others had set up. I watched for a few seconds in helpless anxiety before all the rocks disappeared into the gaping mouth of a bergschrund. Everyone was safe, but I'm sure those in the rogue cluster of tents were a little rattled. The next day their tents were gone, likely moved to the core of Motorcycle Hill Camp where there were no threats from overhead hazard.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Moving through "tiger country" on our cache run." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/57.jpg" height="180" title="Moving through "tiger country" on our cache run." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Moving through "tiger country" on our cache run.</span></td></tr>
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We weren't in Kansas anymore, Todo.<br />
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We were clearly coming face-to-face with more of Denali's perils. Humility and wise decision making were keys to staying safe.<br />
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Josh used a great term to describe this sort of terrain - "tiger country." It works on two levels. First, a Siberian Tiger is white and black striped, resembling the dark stripes of crevasses on a white glacier. Second, the image of traveling into tiger country alludes to the dangers of traveling in terrain that belongs to someone/something else of great power.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pre-rigging for crevasse rescue." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/58.jpg" height="180" title="Pre-rigging for crevasse rescue." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pre-rigging for crevasse rescue.</span></td></tr>
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After a refreshing night of sleep, we woke up in a storm and spent much of the day preparing for a cache run. Caching a significant amount of food and gear in a snow pit near Windy Corner would save us a lot of weight when we moved up to Camp 14. The next day, with on-and-off snow storms, we made our cache run. With continued storms in the forecast, doing our cache early, while the storms weren't too bad, would likely allow us to move to Camp 14 earlier.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snowing on Squirrel Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/59.jpg" height="240" title="Snowing on Squirrel Hill." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Snowing on Squirrel Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rounding Windy Corner on the cache run with the upper mountain starting to show." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/60.jpg" height="200" title="Rounding Windy Corner on the cache run with the upper mountain starting to show." width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rounding Windy Corner on the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">cache run with the upper</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">mountain </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">starting to show.</span></td></tr>
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Getting to the Windy Corner cache required just under 3000 vertical feet of climbing, putting us at roughly 14,000'. It snowed for our entire ascent until we reached Windy Corner. At that point we got our first glimpses of the upper mountain through a veil of clouds. I had stared at this terrain in pictures countless times. When I finally saw it with my own eyes I was inspired. I was so blessed to be where I was, doing what I was doing with one of my best friends. <br />
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Despite the beauty, we could not enjoy the view for long. When considering oxygen density, since Denali is closer to the poles, 14,000' is roughly equivalent to 16,000' at Colorado's latitude. It wasn't the elevation that had us hustling to get back to camp, however. The temperature was plummeting, and we wanted to get back to our tent before things got extremely cold. There was no doubting that the climate at these higher elevations was more exposed and significantly colder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Denali's upper mountain and The Messner Couloir on display from our cache." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/61.jpg" height="300" title="Denali's upper mountain and The Messner Couloir on display from our cache." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denali's upper mountain and the Messner Couloir on display<br />from our cache.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Enjoying views of Denali's upper mountain as the temperature plummets." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/62.jpg" height="300" title="Enjoying views of Denali's upper mountain as the temperature plummets." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Enjoying views of Denali's upper mountain as the<br />temperature plummets.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deep, low-visibility turns back to Motorcycle Hill Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/63.jpg" height="225" title="Deep, low-visibility turns back to Motorcycle Hill Camp." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deep, low-visibility turns back to<br />Motorcycle Hill Camp.</span></td></tr>
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Click. Snap.<br />
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Click. Snap.<br />
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We stepped into our bindings and prepared for our first downhill turns on Denali. We were extremely fortunate to find legitimate, cold powder turns. All the snow that had accumulated over the past several days went from being a burden on our ascent to a reward on our descent. Visibility was low, but we enjoyed linking turns all the way back to our tent at Motorcycle Hill Camp. Our mountaineering trip could now officially be called a ski trip.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Close quarters." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/64.jpg" height="240" title="Close quarters." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Close quarters.</span></td></tr>
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The next three days were spent waiting on weather at Motorcycle Hill Camp. A series of storms were upon us, and they pummeled the mountain with snow. On one hand this was good news. It meant that our intended ski routes on the upper mountain, which were reportedly ice climbs at the time, were likely getting snow. On the other hand, the close quarters, multiple rounds of gin rummy, digging out the tent, reading books, digging out the tent, making meals and digging out the tent really made us want to get moving. <br />
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During one round of snowfall, we got more than 30" overnight. The next morning there were storms above and below us but clear skies on Motorcycle Hill. Since the storms and deep snow nixed any plans of moving to Camp 14, we decided to ski on Motorcycle Hill. It wasn't big or challenging skiing, but it was fantastic to get moving and make some beautifully deep powder turns just above camp.<br />
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We were two-for-two for powder skiing on Denali! Spirits were high that evening as we dozed off, hoping to be able to move to Camp 14 the next day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""GIN BABY!"" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/65.jpg" height="225" title=""GIN BABY!"" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"GIN BABY!"</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Digging out the tent...again." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/66.jpg" height="225" title="Digging out the tent...again." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Digging out the tent...again.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/67.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="1.5 hours after digging out the tent the snow is climbing up again." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/67.jpg" height="225" title="1.5 hours after digging out the tent the snow is climbing up again." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1.5 hours after digging out the tent the snow<br />is climbing up again.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Josh enjoys the bluebird on top of Motorcycle Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/68.jpg" height="300" title="Josh enjoys the bluebird on top of Motorcycle Hill." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh enjoys the bluebird on top of Motorcycle Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Storms below us, storms above us, bluebird on Motorcycle Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/69.jpg" height="225" title="Storms below us, storms above us, bluebird on Motorcycle Hill." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Storms below us, storms above us, bluebird on Motorcycle Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Deep turns on Motorcycle Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/70.jpg" height="225" title="Deep turns on Motorcycle Hill." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deep turns on Motorcycle Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The first of many high 5's." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/71.jpg" height="225" title="The first of many high 5's." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The first of many high 5's.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Looking back." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/72.jpg" height="200" title="Looking back." width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Looking back.</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ski Denali - Part 2</u>: Camp 14</span></h3>
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As the weather cleared the next morning our satellite phone buzzed with text messages. One of the messages was from my friend Joel Gratz - a meteorologist on <a href="http://opensnow.com/">OpenSnow.com</a>. He said it looked like we had a short but doable weather window to make it to Camp 14. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Motorcycle Hill below, hauling gear towards Squirrel Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/73.jpg" height="240" title="Motorcycle Hill below, hauling gear towards Squirrel Hill." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Motorcycle Hill below, hauling gear towards Squirrel Hill.</span></td></tr>
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Josh and I were both on the same page. Although the window was short and the new snow had not yet consolidated, this looked like our best opportunity to move to Camp 14. The forecast called for more storms, and if we didn't move now, it might be a week until another decent window opened.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hauling gear on Squirrel Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/74.jpg" height="240" title="Hauling gear on Squirrel Hill." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hauling gear on Squirrel Hill.</span></td></tr>
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We ate a meal, broke down camp and got moving...kind of. It was rough going. The route climbs 3000 vertical feet in 2.6 miles while passing crevasse fields, avalanche paths and various other objective hazards. Hauling our heavy sleds and backpacks up this route through the fresh snow was a formidable task. Our difficulty was compounded when we were greeted by a howling, in-the-face wind at the Polo Fields. Each step felt like five as we marched, heads down, into the gale. Stopping to rest or taking our time wasn't in the cards. In a single lethargic "sprint" we made it beyond Windy Corner and out of the wind. <br />
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I was whipped. My stomach growled and my hips burned. Even after a food and water break near our cache, I struggled with the remaining, mellow climb to Camp 14.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Water stop on Squirrel Hill." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/76.jpg" height="180" title="Water stop on Squirrel Hill." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Water stop on Squirrel Hill.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/78.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hauling gear across The Polo Fields." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/78.jpg" height="225" title="Hauling gear across The Polo Fields." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hauling gear across the Polo Fields.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Continually crossing cracks." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/79.jpg" height="225" title="Continually crossing cracks." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Continually crossing cracks.</span></td></tr>
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We slogged into Camp 14 haggard, exhausted, hungry and...happy. This was the place from which our greatest adventures on the mountain would be staged, and we knew it. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Home sweet snow-walls-and-tent at Camp 14." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/Ski%20Hill%20-%20Motorcycle%20Hill%20-%20Camp%2014/80.jpg" height="240" title="Home sweet snow-walls-and-tent at Camp 14." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Home sweet snow-walls-and-tent at Camp 14.</span></td></tr>
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Below are the raw journal entries from the above nine days. I wrote these on my phone while I was on the expedition and I have not edited them at all, save for some typos.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 4, 9:30 pm: Ski Hill Camp, 7,820'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We woke at 2 am this morning and it was amazingly cold. I was very surprised how different the temperature was when compared to the relative warmth that I fell asleep in a few hours before.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">It took us until 4:30 am to get our camp broken down, get our sleds rigged and our base camp cache buried before we got moving. It was quite cold but once we got started things went rather smoothly, especially considering that we were getting used to our sleds (I named mine Donny) and heavy loads. After skiing from Kahiltna Base Camp down Heartbreak Hill, Josh took the lead on our rope-party of two. We made good time and passed several groups of guided clients as we skinned the 5 miles to Ski Hill Camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">At Ski Hill Camp we passed from the shade into sunlight and the temperature began to rise quickly. We set up our camp and made breakfast as other crews started leaving Ski Hill Camp for their ascents.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The view of Denali from Ski Hill Camp is spectacular. Truly a beautiful setting. As the sun continued to bake the glacier, however, we largely retreated into the tent to avoid the heat and sunburn despite the views. The heat of the day was tremendous, with my watch (that I wasn't wearing) reading in the 80's. I spent much of the day in just my underwear in the tent trying to keep cool and avoid sunburn. Even now, at 9:45 pm, it is still quite warm as we prepare to sleep. But, we anticipate it getting very cold again as it did last night.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our plan is to wake again at 2:00 am, eat a somewhat substantial breakfast and start our ascent to Motorcycle Hill Camp at 3:30 am to avoid traveling during the heat of the day. It is really convenient to not have to worry about light at any point of the day for safety, but it does make sleeping difficult.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Speaking of sleep, I better try to get some.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 5, 11:30 pm: Ski Hill Camp, 7,820'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we woke up this morning at 2:00 am and then again at 4:00 am we were surprised to see that it was snowing. The forecast had originally called for a clear morning with the possibility of precipitation in the evening. At 10:00 am it was still snowing (periodically turning to rain as it got warmer) so we made a big breakfast and decided to wait the storm out. Traveling in the snow/rain would have been miserable and we would have been soaked to the bone by the time we reached Motorcycle Hill Camp. Staying dry is quite important. Not only would it be immediately uncomfortable if we got wet, it would be very hard to dry out and significantly reduce our chances of summiting (because of illness). Additionally, travel in the low visibility isn't ideal when on a glacier. I think our decisions to stay put during this precipitation is well justified.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The heat of the day turned the snow into a steady rain and Josh and I enjoyed our first down day in the tent. We played cards, had hot drinks, ate a large dinner, read books and even watched a movie before sleeping. It was rather enjoyable. Over the course of the day we got at least 8" of new snow, much of which consolidated during the periods of rain. We stayed warm and dry in the tent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We listened to the weather forecast that the NPS broadcasts over the radio at 8:00 pm. They said that the storm will likely continue overnight (now snow again) and clear in the evening tomorrow. 6" or more of snow is likely above 14,000'. We made a game plan to sleep in tomorrow, spend the day in the tent and depart and depart for Motorcycle Hill Camp some time after dinner when the weather should be clearing and the temperatures cooler.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We are hopeful that this storm is depositing a significant amount of snow on our desired ski lines on the upper mountain. Here's to hoping for dry weather tomorrow night so we can begin our ascent to Motorcycle Hill Camp, remain dry and be one step closer to our goal of skiing Denali!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>June 6, 12:45 pm: Ski Hill Camp, 7,820'</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trying to sleep last night was quite difficult because I got extremely warm. I woke multiple times to shed layers or further open my sleeping bag. Although I started my sleep cold, things changed quickly. Josh said it well when he said this place is like the Moon with its huge and rapid temperature swings.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">When we woke this morning things were clearing and now the sky is 50% clouds and 50% sun. Although yesterday's storm has passed and the visibility is good we are waiting for tonight when the temperatures are cool again before leaving for Motorcycle Hill Camp. That will keep us safer in the crevassed terrain and more comfortable as we lug our heavy loads up the 3,400' vertical.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Going to the bathroom (pooping) has become a big anxiety for me. We opted to save weight by not bringing our "Clean Mountain Can" and just using the provided biodegradable bags instead. The problem for me has been that I can't use just the bag without risking peeing all over myself or alternatively getting poop on myself - real health hazards as well as being gross. Today I resorted to digging out a snow toilet to put the bag in, which works well and kept me and the snow clean. This technique might not be cool with everyone when we get to a more crowded camp, so it remains a source of anxiety for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">One thing that is a huge comfort (and I hate discussing this in the same post as discussing my bathroom issues) has been talking to Kelly and receiving text messages from her on a daily basis. Hearing her voice and the voice of Marilyn in the background while talking on the satellite phone gives my heart a lift. It also makes me long to be in their presence. Things would be much more emotionally difficult if I couldn't communicate with them though.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We're planning on eating dinner and then leaving Ski Hill Camp some time in the early morning hours. Hopefully we get to Motorcycle Hill Camp tomorrow just as it starts to get warm.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Now it is time to start packing and organizing our gear for an efficient departure.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 7, 4:15 pm: Motorcycle Hill Camp, 11,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><u><br /></u></b>We woke up at 2:45 am this morning to cold temps and clear skies, made a nice breakfast, packed up all of our camp and finally made our way out of Ski Hill Camp at 4:40 am. I had slept poorly but my excitement to be moving up the mountain overcame my grogginess and we made good time to Motorcycle Hill Camp given our heavy loads.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The route between Ski Hill and Motorcycle Hill is about 4 miles and 3,400' of elevation gain. It would be rather pleasant without our huge and heavy loads. However, the nearly hundred pound sled (AKA Donny) and 35 pound pack made it an arduous task. The cold temps had also frozen much of my water. When I did stop to get a drink the water chilled me to the bone and it took quite a bit of time to get warm again. Consequently, I didn't drink very much during our travel. For the last 1.5 miles my hips, which do much of the work of dragging Donny, began to fatigue.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We passed the Kahiltna Pass Camp and made it into Motorcycle Hill Camp at 9:00 am. As soon as we arrived the sun came out and warmed things up significantly, but it was obvious that things will be colder from now on than they were at Ski Hill Camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh, who didn't eat during our travel, started to feel really beaten down, as did I from my dehydration. While setting up the tent we had to take a break for an early lunch otherwise we were both going to bonk. After some food and getting the tent up we both got some much needed rest and protection from the sun.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Right now we have our campsite set up, snow walls built, gear organized and are sitting in a snow storm. It sounds like the next couple days will be stormy, which will likely push back our arrival at 14k Camp. In the mean time I'm going to use this opportunity to eat, drink and get some rest. According to the National Parks Service, 11,000' at our latitude is more like 13,000' at Colorado's latitude. So begins my regiment of Diamox every 12 hours until we return to lower altitude.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 8, 2:30 pm: Motorcycle Hill Camp, 11,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last night was the first night that I slept really well. Josh and I went to sleep listening to an audiobook (Lord of the Flies). I will have to rewind a lot of it because I completely passed out and woke up to it playing a few hours later. Completely worth it for the restful sleep I got.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The temperature didn't get too cold last night and there was very little wind, which I'm thankful for. I'm also very thankful that we woke to roughly 5" of new snow at 8:00 am. Hopefully this snow is falling and sticking at the higher elevations, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Although there hasn't been a ton of sunlight today, and it has been snowing on and off, the temperature has been very comfortable. I've spent the entire day in my base layer shirt. I can't stress enough how bonkers I find the weather to be here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Most of today has been spent preparing a cache that we're going to take beyond Windy Corner tonight, roughly 2,400' vertical above us. I don't look forward to it. The pack I'm taking is very heavy. We're not using the sleds because we want to ski back down without being inhibited by them. Did I mention that my pack is very heavy? We are keeping a week's worth of food with us at Motorcycle Hill Camp in case we get stuck in the impending storm. The rest of the food is going in the cache.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hopefully we are able to get up to 14k Camp without having to wait a week in a storm. Even if we sat in a storm for a week at 14k Camp at least we would be getting better acclimatization while we wait. I can't complain too much though. We must take the opportunities we have and not try to force opportunities that don't present themselves.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Now I need to stretch my back a bit before I abuse it on this cache run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 9, 12:20 pm: Motorcycle Hill Camp, 11,200'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Last night's cache run beyond Windy Corner (13,600') went better than I had anticipated. We left camp at 6:45 pm and arrived at our cache location at 9:00 pm. It felt great to get the very heavy packs off our shoulders when we got there.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">On the way up Motorcycle Hill to Squirrel Hill and all the way to Windy Corner it was snowing pretty hard and visibility was limited. We could hear avalanches and ice-falls coming down parts of the mountain like a dragon roaring from the darkness. It was certainly intimidating but nothing came even close to the route.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">As soon as we got to Windy Corner the clouds started to clear, giving us spectacular views of the upper mountain. With the clearing clouds came a significant drop in temperature, however. Josh's feet got extremely cold as we were burying the cache so we tried to move as quickly as possible. My fingers got cold immediately when I took them out of my gloves to re-rig my pack. It was good to realize the seriousness of the brutal high altitude temps early so we can prepare for it later.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The descent back to Motorcycle Hill Camp was fantastic. The deep, 1'+ of snow that that we struggled through on the way up was a big reward on the way down. Our first skiing on Denali was legitimate, face-shot, powder skiing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">In total the trip only took 4.25 hours, but upon our arrival at camp everything looked different under a new blanket of snow...and it was quite cold (it was almost hot when we left). We got our campsite buttoned up, crawled into our sleeping bags and passed out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today we are taking a rest day because the forecast for the impending storm has it diminishing and our backs could use a rest after the cache run. We are planning on moving to 14k Camp tomorrow so this day of recovery will be great. Hopefully tomorrow's storm won't be too brutal and we can make it to 14k Camp without incident.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I better get some food in me and use this recovery day for all it's worth!</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 10, 11:30 am: Motorcycle Hill Camp, 11,200'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yesterday's rest was pleasant but we've been getting a lot of snow (about 3' up against the tent when we woke) and a fair bit of wind all night and morning. We have dug the tent out multiple times this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I talked to Kelly on the satellite phone twice yesterday. I had to call a second time because I'm really missing her. My longing to be with my Kelly and my Marilyn has been, hands down, the most challenging part of the trip. I try not to talk to Josh too much about it because, as a single guy, I'm not sure he'd understand or maybe even resent it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We are cooking a meal right now and then are going to stick around here for another day. The new snow would be hell to break trail through and the winds are pretty high. Plus, since it is already late in the day and tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and less windy, we've decided that it would be a better day for travel to 14k Camp. Since the forecast for the rest of the week is stormy we won't miss out on too much acclimatization because we won't be able to do too many training missions above 14k Camp for several days anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Here's to staying dry, warm and hopefully making it to 14k Camp soon...one step closer to the summit and one step closer to being with my family again.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 11, 10:00 pm: Motorcycle Hill Camp, 11,200'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We woke up at 8:00 am today to check the weather and were surprised and excited to see some blue skies. After getting pummeled by more than 30" of snow yesterday we were hopeful to get on our way up to 14k Camp. We ate breakfast and packed everything but the tent. As we were packing we kept our eyes on the peaks above us and notice that there was a strong wind that we were well protected from at Motorcycle Hill Camp. After a discussion with one of the NPS Climbing Rangers (Tucker) we learned that there were 40+ mph winds at Windy Corner and 14k Camp. Tucker is also trying to make his way to 14k Camp but opted to spend another day at Motorcycle Hill Camp.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Josh and I deliberated and decided to stay put. Push up to 14k Camp today will gain us very little in terms of acclimatization or training on the upper mountain because there is another storm forecast to roll in on Friday. Added to the pain and aggravation of struggling up to 14k Camp in low temps and high winds and then having to set up camp in even lower temps and higher winds (14k Camp had an ambient high today of 0 degrees) it simply wasn't worth it. So, we stuck around Motorcycle Hill Camp for another day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The sun was out and in this little area we were well protected from the wind so Josh and I decided to get some exercise and ski the beautiful blanket of new snow that had fallen on Motorcycle Hill.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Before I continue to tell you about our day's skiing, I must interject with some discussion about Josh. I'm incredibly blessed to be doing this trip with a partner like him. He and I understand each other well, communicate well, tolerate each other and work well as a team. Beyond that, we help each other grow as individuals and friends. He is incredibly knowledgable in the mountains and there is nobody else I'd rather spend several smelly, frigid weeks with on a glacier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Back to the skiing...Josh put in an approach to our ski line that I ended up being quite uncomfortable with. Unfortunately, by the time I knew I was uncomfortable with it, bailing would have placed Josh in a precarious position. After the ski descent (which I'll get to in a bit) we discussed the situation in a civil and objective manner. Being able to do that with somebody is rare and is yet another reason why I am very blessed to have Josh as a partner for this trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The ski descent was fairly short but incredibly enjoyable. The scenery is awe inspiring and the multiple feet of cold snow provided amazing turns all the way back to camp. I hope the video turned out well, but I fear that no pictures or video can do this place justice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The forecast for tomorrow may allow us to finally reach 14k Camp in a manner that won't jeopardize our health or our success higher on the mountain...fingers crossed. I better get some sleep.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 12, 11:30 pm: 14k Camp, 14,200'</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">That was a punishing day. We woke this morning to clear skies and lighter winds than yesterday with a forecast for an incoming storm tomorrow. After a little deliberation we decided that today would be the day to move up from Motorcycle Hill Camp to 14k Camp. I think it was the right decision, but it was punishing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">As usual, we have our large loads - backpack full of gear and sleds full of food and gear. On this journey, unlike our cache, the new snow and higher winds made trail breaking and pulling sleds significantly more difficult. Part way up Motorcycle Hill the skinning became impossible and we transferred to boot packing. We boot packed from there to the top of Squirrel Hill. On the Polo Fields we were back to skinning with mixed use of ski crampons.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The wind was very strong and in our faces from the Polo Fields through Windy Corner. We did our best to muscle through it and not take any breaks to prevent the wind from making us too cold. On the upper side of Windy Corner we were out of the wind and took a much needed rest break right by our cache. I was pretty bushed. Hauling the sled and pack the remaining distance to 14k Camp felt difficult even though it isn't. We were extremely grateful that even though the wind was howling down lower it was calm (but cold) at 14k Camp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We arrived at 14k Camp at 7:30 pm, 5.75 hours after leaving Motorcycle Hill Camp. Josh scouted out a good camp site and we got everything set up. We are both exhausted, hungry and thirsty but happy to be at 14k Camp. Hopefully that was our last "heavy load" day because at the moment we don't plan on camping anywhere higher on the mountain...hopefully.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dinner is being made right now and we're warming up. Time to get some sustenance and sleep as the impending storm rolls into camp.</span></div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0Denali National Park, Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743, USA63.7365922 -148.8974710999999638.2145577 169.79393490000004 89.2586267 -107.58887709999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-16994085380937155062014-09-17T15:25:00.002-06:002014-10-08T14:40:04.383-06:00SKI DENALI - PART 1 (Getting to Kahiltna Base Camp)<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>SKI DENALI - PART 1</u></span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">DIA - ANC - TLK - Kahiltna Base Camp</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"May the road rise up to meet you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>May the wind be always at your back.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>May the sun shine warm upon your face;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>may God hold you in the palm of His hand."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>-Traditional Gaelic Prayer</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Alaska Range rising up to meet us.</span><br />
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Ski Denali - Part 1</u>: DIA</span></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Saying goodbye at DIA.</span></td></tr>
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I was ready to go. This was the moment I had long been anticipating. I had prepared for years, sorting out the details of what it took and what I needed to climb and ski from North America's highest point. </div>
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It was something that my grandfather had told me about as a youngster. </div>
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It was a life goal I had written down as a Cub Scout. </div>
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I had stared at pictures, read stories and dreamt about it since my childhood.</div>
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I had long prepared physically and mentally for the challenges of such an expedition.</div>
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I wanted to do it to continue a family legacy and do something that my children can be proud of.</div>
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I had an inexplicable feeling that it was something I <i>needed</i> to do.</div>
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So why wasn't I thrilled to get started? The departure is usually when my heart starts to race and I imagine the fantastic adventure that lies ahead. But, I didn't have that usual feeling of exhilaration as I stepped out of the car at DIA's massive circus-tentesque terminal.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Waiting for the flight...thinking." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/6.jpg" height="148" title="Waiting for the flight...thinking." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Waiting for the flight...thinking.</span></td></tr>
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Perhaps my lack of excitement upon departure was because this trip was different from the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of other mountain adventures I've been on. For starters, I was now a father and I was about to leave my wife and nearly 9-month old daughter for an unknown amount of time. Would I be gone a couple weeks? A month? Longer...? I already missed them as the security guard ushered them towards the terminal exit. Not knowing when I would see them again seemed to amplify that feeling. Additionally, I had invested so much into planning and preparing for this trip that starting it made me nervous. What if things didn't go well? Would I feel like I had wasted all that effort? Would I feel like a failure? Would I ever get to attempt this lifelong dream again? Would my family be disappointed if I wasn't successful? Would my family be proud of me even if I was successful?<br />
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I had never struggled with questions like this on past mountain adventures. It was the questions, not the bags, that felt heavy as I wrangled my gear through the airport.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Ski Denali - Part 1</u>: ANC</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="One of many gear explosions in the Treadwell garage."><img alt="One of many gear explosions in the Treadwell garage." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/9.jpg" height="147" title="One of many gear explosions in the Treadwell garage." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Another gear explosion.</span></td></tr>
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It wasn't until I landed in Anchorage, and saw the familiar face of Josh Smith - one of my closest friends and partner for the expedition - that the anxiety started to fade. I began to feel my usual optimism and excitement for what lay ahead. Simply knowing that, regardless of outsiders' views, the expedition would be a success due to strengthened bonds of friendship, I was able to let go of my anxiety. Although I still greatly missed my wife and daughter, my rejuvenated excitement allowed me to view skiing Denali as something I was trying to do <i>for</i> them - so they could be proud of me - instead of simply something that took me away from them.</div>
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Game on.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Sunset" over the Cook Inlet </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">from the Treadwell's home.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Standing at the ocean and seeing "The High One" is a sight to behold." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/10.jpg" height="150" title="Standing at the ocean and seeing "The High One" is a sight to behold." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Standing at the ocean and seeing </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">"The High One" is a sight to behold.</span></td></tr>
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We spent the following two nights at my friend Tim Treadwell's beautiful home on the Cook Inlet in Anchorage. The Treadwell's generosity was humbling. We exploded our gear, shopped for our food, organized and re-organized for more than 24 hours in their garage. We eventually packed everything up, and Tim and Ian drove us to Talkeetna.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>
Ski Denali - Part 1</u>: TLK</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="All checked in at the National Park Service office in Talkeetna." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/11.jpg" height="240" title="All checked in at the National Park Service office in Talkeetna." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All checked in at the NPS office.</span></td></tr>
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In Talkeetna we met with the National Park Service, scheduled our glacier flight with Talkeetna Air Taxi, ate lunch with Tim and Ian, and thanked them for all their help. Once they were on their way back to Anchorage we unpacked all of our gear...again...to weigh and prep it for the glacier plane. <br />
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Oh my goodness.<br />
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We were heavy and it was mostly food. Josh and I had opted to forgo dehydrated food entirely. We wanted to eat well, but we certainly paid for it in weight. We tried to ditch some of our gear in Talkeetna but my packs still weighed in at ~140 lbs (not counting my skis, boots, poles and fuel that we would pick up at base camp). There was no use complaining about it, so I quickly came to terms with the idea of hauling a heavy load up a mountain. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-34mqHbE1IeM/U_jlPW5hQeI/AAAAAAAAAbg/y0rxmgj2IDM/s1600/DSC00013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="My bag (aka "Bertha") getting weighed in." border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-34mqHbE1IeM/U_jlPW5hQeI/AAAAAAAAAbg/y0rxmgj2IDM/s1600/DSC00013.JPG" height="300" title="My bag (aka "Bertha") getting weighed in." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">My bag (aka "Bertha") getting weighed in.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Boarding." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/12.jpg" height="300" title="Boarding." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Ski Denali - Part 1</u>: Kahiltna Base Camp</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The "Big 3" from the air: Foraker, Hunter and Denali. The river below is only a few hundred feet above sea level. Denali stands at over 20,000'." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/14.jpg" height="240" title="The "Big 3" from the air: Foraker, Hunter and Denali. The river below is only a few hundred feet above sea level. Denali stands at over 20,000'." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The "Big 3" from the air: Foraker, Hunter and Denali.<br />The river below is only a few hundred feet above sea level.<br />Denali stands at over 20,000'.</span></td></tr>
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As the plane lifted into the sky our jaws dropped. Josh and I have both spent ample time flying around in the mountains for work and we both agree - this is the most stunning flight we've ever been on. The Alaska Range is a sight to behold and flying amongst it should be on everyone's bucket list. Pictures cannot do it justice and I'm afraid my words will fall short as well. As the plane buzzed over knife-edge ridges and the massive vertical relief of the range, things only got more impressive. Mountains beyond mountains reach their gnarled flanks of rock and ice into the sky while Denali - The High One - stands as watchful sentinel over them all. That environment is truly awesome, in the literal sense of the word. I felt incredibly blessed to be in such an amazing place.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Our Shadow." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/16.jpg" height="180" title="Our Shadow." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our shadow.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The High One comes into view over a ridge." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/17.jpg" height="300" title="The High One comes into view over a ridge." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The High One comes into view over a ridge.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="One of the countless gnarly ridges." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/15.jpg" height="225" title="One of the countless gnarly ridges." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">One of the countless gnarly ridges.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Enormous glaciers." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/23.jpg" height="225" title="Enormous glaciers." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Enormous glaciers.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kahiltna Base Camp arrival." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/27.jpg" height="240" title="Kahiltna Base Camp arrival." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kahiltna Base Camp arrival.</span></td></tr>
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With a loud buzz the plane gently lifted off the glacier, leaving Josh and I at Kahiltna Base Camp. From this point forward, until our return to Kahiltna Base Camp, all transportation was human powered. We were in the heart of a vast, wild and beautiful place.<br />
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We picked up our fuel and selected our sleds, which are nothing more than children's toy sleds and began the work of setting up our first camp. While setting up camp we both came up with names for our sleds. Having heard horror stories from others we knew that these plastic toys had the potential to be very frustrating and unruly. So, we named them as such.<br />
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Josh named his sled Putin because he anticipated it "dictating" a lot of his movement and going places it wasn't supposed to go.<br />
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I named my sled Donny because I anticipated the plastic toy to be entirely "out of its element" and me yelling at it a lot. Kudos to those who understand the reference.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Our 1-night home at Kahiltna Base Camp." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/28.jpg" height="240" title="Our 1-night home at Kahiltna Base Camp." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Our 1-night home at Kahiltna Base Camp.</span></td></tr>
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Once camp was set-up we ate dinner and tried to sleep. Our plan was to set out for Ski Hill Camp in a few hours when the sun was at its lowest and temperatures were at their coldest. The colder temperatures meant stronger bridges over the crevasses for the 5.3 mile trek up the Kahiltna Glacier.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dinner and a view." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/29.jpg" height="150" title="Dinner and a view." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dinner and a view.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Donny was loaded up and ready for the 2 am departure." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/31.jpg" height="300" title="Donny was loaded up and ready for the 2 am departure." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Donny was loaded up and ready for the 2 am departure.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Starting the trek up to Ski Hill Camp with Denali in the background." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/34.jpg" height="225" title="Starting the trek up to Ski Hill Camp with Denali in the background." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Starting the trek up to Skill Hill Camp with </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Denali in the background.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Moving up the Kahiltna Glacier as the sun illuminates Foraker." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Expedition/DEN%20-%20ANC%20-%20TLK%20-%20Kahiltna%20Base%20-%20Ski%20Hill/36.jpg" height="225" title="Moving up the Kahiltna Glacier as the sun illuminates Foraker." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Moving up the Kahiltna Glacier as the sun illuminates Foraker.</span></div>
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We were, finally, officially climbing Denali. Spirits were high.</div>
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Below are the raw journal entries from the above 3 days. I wrote these on my phone while I was on the expedition and I have not edited them at all, save for some typos.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 1, 4:30 pm: DIA (Frontier Flight 889), 5000'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Flying from Denver to Anchorage may be the most difficult part of the trip. It is ripping my heart out to leave my wife and daughter for what may be several weeks, or even forever. Although it's emotionally difficult to leave, I genuinely feel like this trip is something I need to do - something I am meant to do. If we are successful I will be able to continue and pass on a legacy that I am proud of and that my children can be proud of.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 2, 11:30 pm: Treadwell's House, Anchorage, AK, 20'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Today was a tiresome and tedious day of getting things sorted, organized and marathon shopping for food and miscellaneous gear around town. I'm so glad it's over and I get to enjoy the "sunset" that never sets over the ocean from the Treadwell's back room.</span><br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="font-size: xx-small;">June 3, 7:45 pm: Kahiltna Base Camp, 7,190'</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Another long day of travel and packing. The Treadwells treated us to an amazing breakfast of sourdough waffles and fruit smoothies while we discussed Mead's ideas about energy policy in the ocean. We packed up the vehicle and Tim started driving us to Talkeetna at 9:00 am.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">We made it to Talkeetna at 11:30 am and checked in with Talkeetna Air Taxi who slotted us for a 5:00 pm flight. After checking in with TAT we went to our orientation with the National Park Service at noon. The orientation took about an hour but went smoothly. We heard further reports that the upper mountain was not looking in good ski shape but that perhaps the recent storms had changed that.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">After orientation we ate lunch with Tim and Ian at the Talkeetna Brew Pub and ordered a pizza from Mountain High Pizza Pie for our dinner tonight.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">After bidding farewell to Tim and Ian, and giving them many thanks, we set to work yet again unpacking and repackaging our gear to make it appropriate for the glacier flight. We also had to weight our gear, which was very disheartening - I was super heavy. At least most of the weight comes from food so it will get lighter as the trip goes on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">At a little after 5:00 pm we loaded our plane for the flight to Kahiltna Base Camp. There was another group on our ship getting dropped off at a lower glacier before we got dropped off. The flight was absolutely stunning although a little bumpy at the beginning. I was blown away at the scale of the mountains in this range. They are by far the gnarliest and most stunning range I've ever seen. God's fingerprint is uniquely stamped on this area.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Upon arrival at Kahiltna Base Camp we got some things set up (including a start on the sleds) and set up the tent as minimally as possible. I ate dinner and wrote this. Now I'm planning on getting a few hours of sleep before leaving in the early morning hours to start our ascent to Ski Hill Camp, 5.3 miles up the glacier. There are 24 hours of daylight, which is still messing with my head, but by traveling at night we reduce the risk of bridge collapse (it is colder although light) and travel in temperatures well suited for hard physical labor.</span>Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0Denali National Park, Denali National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99743, USA63.7365922 -148.8974710999999638.2145577 169.79393490000004 89.2586267 -107.58887709999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-81685336119011384092014-06-03T02:51:00.001-06:002014-09-18T01:02:28.921-06:00Skiing Denali - Gear and PackingThe time is upon me. I get on Denali in less than 24 hours and I have a mountain of gear packed up and ready to go. It was not an easy process accumulating all the necessary gear, nor was it easy to get it all packed. Here's what we've go going up the mountain with us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I hope you enjoy my "MTV Cribs" version of showing you some gear.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/97145441" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/97145441">Denali Gear Packing</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Round #1 pre-packing in Colorado.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1255.jpg"><img alt="Round #1 pre-packing in Colorado." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1255.jpg" height="400" title="Round #1 pre-packing in Colorado." width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Round #1 post-packing</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1256.jpg"><img alt="Round #1 post-packing" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1256.jpg" height="400" title="Round #1 post-packing" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Round #2 pre-packing in Colorado.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1261.jpg"><img alt="Round #2 pre-packing in Colorado." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1261.jpg" height="400" title="Round #2 pre-packing in Colorado." width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Round #2 post-packing</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1264.jpg"><img alt="Round #2 post-packing" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1264.jpg" height="400" title="Round #2 post-packing" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Re-exploding gear in Anchorage.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1279.jpg"><img alt="Re-exploding gear in Anchorage." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1279.jpg" height="298" title="Re-exploding gear in Anchorage." width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">After a marathon grocery shopping trek, slowly re-packing and organizing the gear.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1280.jpg"><img alt="After a marathon grocery shopping trek, slowly re-packing and organizing the gear." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1280.jpg" height="298" title="After a marathon grocery shopping trek, slowly re-packing and organizing the gear." width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our midnight view in Anchorage as we got things re-packed and organized.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1281.jpg"><img alt="Our midnight view in Anchorage as we got things re-packed and organized." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Gear/IMG_1281.jpg" height="298" title="Our midnight view in Anchorage as we got things re-packed and organized." width="400" /></a><br />
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Tomorrow it is off to Talkeetna and out of communication for a while. <br />
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<div>
<b><u>Clothing</u></b>:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Hardshell Jacket (<a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/odin-guiding-light-jacket-66557/?t_type=src&COLOR=519%20COBALT%20BLUE&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Odin Guiding Light</a>)</li>
<li>Softshell Jacket (<a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/odin-rapide-jacket-62029" target="_blank">HH Odin Rapide Softshell</a>)</li>
<li>Microdown Jacket (<a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/verglas-hooded-down-insulator-62231/?t_type=src&COLOR=304%20BRIGHT%20YELLOW&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Verglas Hooded Down Insulator</a>)</li>
<li>Down Jacket (<a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/verglas-expedition-down-parka-66548/?t_type=src&COLOR=204%20CLEMENTINE&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Verglas Expedition Down Parka</a>)</li>
<li>Softshell Pants (<a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/odin-guide-pant-66572/?t_type=src&COLOR=980%20EBONY&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Odin Guide Pant</a>)</li>
<li>Hardshell Pants (<a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/search/?f_default=odin+mountain+pant" target="_blank">HH Odin Mountain Pant</a>)</li>
<li>Down Pants</li>
<li>Underwear (x3 - <a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/hhwarm-boxer-windblock-48431/?t_type=src&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Warm Boxer Windblock</a>)</li>
<li>Long Underwear (x2 - <a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/hhwarm-pant-48962/?t_type=src&COLOR=689%20EVENING%20BLUE&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Warm Pant</a>)</li>
<li>Socks (x3)</li>
<li>Long sleeve base layer shirts (x3 - <a href="http://shop.hellyhansen.com/us/item/hhwarm-ice-crew-48877/?t_type=src&COLOR=689%20EVENING%20BLUE&t_type=cat" target="_blank">HH Warm Ice Crew</a>)</li>
<li>Short sleeve t's (x2)</li>
<li>Beanies (x3)</li>
<li>Sun Hat</li>
<li>Buffs (x3)</li>
<li>Balaclava</li>
<li>Sunglasses (x2) (<a href="http://www.julbousa.com/mountain/bivouak/" target="_blank">Julbo Bivouac</a> & <a href="http://www.julbousa.com/mountain/trek/" target="_blank">Trek</a>)</li>
<li>Thin gloves (<a href="https://hestragloves.com/en-us/gloves/alpine-pro/spring-ergo-grip-five-finger/" target="_blank">Hestra Spring Ergo Grip</a>)</li>
<li>Medium gloves (<a href="https://hestragloves.com/en-us/gloves/alpine-pro/seth-morrison-pro/" target="_blank">Hestra Seth Morrison Pro</a>)</li>
<li>Big mittens (<a href="https://hestragloves.com/en-us/gloves/alpine-pro/army-leather-extreme-mitt/" target="_blank">Hestra Army Leather Extreme</a>)</li>
<li>Overboots (<a href="http://www.40below.com/products_detail.php?ProductID=12" target="_blank">40 Below Fresh Tracks</a>)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<u><b>Ski Gear:</b></u><br />
<ul>
<li>Skis (<a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom Custom Skis</a>)</li>
<li>Bindings (<a href="http://www.dynafit.com/product/bindings/tlt-radical-ft-110mm-z12" target="_blank">Dynafit Radical FT</a>)</li>
<li>Ski Boots (<a href="http://www.scarpa.com/maestrale-rs" target="_blank">Scarpa Maestrale RS</a>)</li>
<li>Poles</li>
<li>Beacon (<a href="http://www.ortovox.com/3665--all_avalanche_transceivers.html" target="_blank">Ortovox 3+</a>)</li>
<li>Shovel</li>
<li>Probe</li>
<li>Skins</li>
<li>Skin Wax</li>
<li>First Aid Kit</li>
<li>Ski Crampons</li>
<li>Crampons (<a href="http://www.camp-usa.com/products/crampons/xlc-nanotech-180001.asp" target="_blank">CAMP XLC Nanotech</a>)</li>
<li>Ice Axe (<a href="http://www.camp-usa.com/products/ice-axes/corsa-nanotech.asp" target="_blank">CAMP Corsa Nanotech</a>)</li>
<li>Helmet (<a href="http://www.camp-usa.com/products/helmets/speed-green-239.asp" target="_blank">CAMP Speed</a>)</li>
<li>Belay Device</li>
<li>Picket</li>
<li>Harness (<a href="http://www.camp-usa.com/products/harnesses/blitz-104.asp" target="_blank">CAMP Blitz</a>)</li>
<li>Ice Screws</li>
<li>Carabiners (x8 - <a href="http://www.camp-usa.com/products/carabiners/photon-screw-192003.asp" target="_blank">CAMP Photon Lock</a>)</li>
<li>Pulleys (x2)</li>
<li>Slings (x3)</li>
<li>Webbing</li>
<li>Cordelette</li>
<li>Prussiks (x2)</li>
<li>Leatherman</li>
<li>Duct Tape</li>
<li>Goggles (<a href="http://www.julbousa.com/goggles/meteor/" target="_blank">Julbo Meteor</a>)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Cooking</u></b>:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>White gas stove (x2)</li>
<li>Propane stove</li>
<li>Fuel Bottles (x2.5)</li>
<li>Fuel & canisters</li>
<li>Stove hanging kit</li>
<li>Pot</li>
<li>Nalgene and metal water bottles</li>
<li>Water bottle insulators</li>
<li>Bowl</li>
<li>Spatula</li>
<li>Cutlery</li>
<li>Dipper cup</li>
<li>Mug</li>
<li>Lighters</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Camp</u></b>:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Tent (<a href="http://www.mountainhardwear.com/trango-3-OU9656.html?colorID=842" target="_blank">Mountain Hardware Trango 3</a>)</li>
<li>Sleeping bag (<a href="http://marmot.com/products/details/cwm-membrain" target="_blank">Marmot CWN MemBrain</a>)</li>
<li>Closed cell foam pad</li>
<li>Inflatable pad (<a href="http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/fast-and-light/neoair-xtherm/product" target="_blank">ThermaRest NeoAir XTherm</a>)</li>
<li>Snow saw</li>
<li>Paracord</li>
<li>Stakes</li>
<li>Insulated booties (<a href="http://www.40below.com/products_detail.php?ProductID=7" target="_blank">40 Below Camp Booties</a>)</li>
<li>Toothbrush & toothpaste</li>
<li>Baby wipes</li>
<li>Sunscreen</li>
<li>Chapstick</li>
<li>Diamox</li>
<li>Vitamins</li>
<li>Ibuprophen</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Electronics & Entertainment</u></b>:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Solar charging kits and cords (x2 <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/" target="_blank">Goal Zero</a>)</li>
<li>Watch</li>
<li>GoPro cameras w/ extra batteries and memory cards (x3)</li>
<li>Photo camera</li>
<li>iPhone with books and games</li>
<li>Satellite phone</li>
<li>Cards</li>
<li>Binoculars</li>
<li>Radio</li>
<li>Headphones</li>
<li>NiMH Batteries</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Food</u></b>:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Enough food for 3 weeks</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">Energy bars/gels and electrolyte packets from The Feed</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-67542056719671290912014-05-26T10:55:00.001-06:002014-09-24T13:45:52.647-06:00Skiing North Maroon Peak - Perseverance Pays Off on the North Face<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/96448224" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/96448224">North Maroon Peak - North Face Ski Descent</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
I've been trying to ski the North Face of North Maroon Peak for several years now. North Maroon Peak, which is one of the "Maroon Bells," is without a doubt the most iconic peak in Colorado. It shows up everywhere. It seemed to taunt me every time I saw it in an ad campaign, movie, website or even on my grocery store card. Previously, each time I've tried to ski it there have either been issues with my ski partners or I've been turned around by conditions (<a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2013/05/quieting-my-ego-on-north-maroon-peak.html" target="_blank">like in this trip report from last year</a>). This year things were different.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><u>5/23/14</u></b>: Getting to Aspen</h3>
I picked up Nick Braun from his home in Edwards, CO at around 5:30 pm on Friday evening and we made our way to Aspen and the Maroon Lake TH. On our drive we encountered a large, relatively <br />
<a name='more'></a>warm thunderstorm. When we got to the parking lot it was quite warm. Things weren't looking great and we were both pessimistic about our chances of skiing from the summit. After prepping our gear and setting our alarm clocks we tried to get a few hours of sleep in the car before our 2 am departure.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><u>5/24/14</u></b>: Skiing North Maroon Peak</h3>
We woke up in the wee hours of the morning to find that the air temperature at Maroon Lake was hovering right around 40 F. We were hoping it was going to be colder in order for the snow surface to freeze (thus making the climbing safer). We were still pessimistic but we decided to make an attempt at the mountain and turn around if we ever encountered snow that was suspect.<br />
<br />
We hiked in our shoes, with our skis and boots on our backs, up to Crater Lake. At first there was no snow on the trail but things soon became covered with snow mid-way between the two lakes. The snow that covered the trail, to our surprise, was frozen fairly well despite the warm ambient temperatures. When we reached Crater Lake we stashed our shoes, put on our boots, and began skinning.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Watching the moon rise before the sunrise.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Watching the moon rise before the sunrise." border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
A short way up the trail to Buckskin Pass we encountered avy debris that covered a large portion of the trail. During the winter a large avalanche tore through the forrest leaving a mess of snapped, broken and carried trees in its wake. In fact, a bunch of the vegetation and debris that was carried down the hill still remained on an island of ice in the middle of Crater Lake. Climbing over, under, through and around this debris in the dark set us back a bit. When we finally re-found the trail we did our best to hustle and make up for the lost time.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick's camera got this sweet shot of hiking in the dark. Gotta love the "alpine starts."</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/4.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/4.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A glimpse of our objective in the moonlight.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
We reached the base of the North Face right around dawn. The snow we had encountered the entire way up seemed to become more and more frozen as we got higher and higher in elevation. Our pessimism about being able to ski from the summit was waning, but we continued to openly communicate about turning around if we encountered unsafe snow conditions. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Doing my best to scout the face in the pre-dawn light.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/5.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/5.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting to the base of North Maroon's North Face right at dawn.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/8.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A glorious dawn.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/6.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shameless alpine dawn selfie.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/7.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/7.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />
At the base of the North Face we transitioned from our skins to our crampons and began boot-packing up the maze of cliffs. We were pleasantly surprised that the snow remained firm and icy for the entire ascent despite the rising sun, the rising ambient temperature, and the lack of wind to insulate the surface.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick had a bunch of really great technical gear, including an awesome super-light shell jacket, ice axe, helmet and crampons. What he forgot at home, however, were any sort of ski pants. This may be the most gnarly thing anyone has ever skied in Carrhart's (i.e. jeans).</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/9.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/9.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We took turns setting the boot pack up the North Face.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 12.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/12.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Because there are so many cliff bands the ascent requires a lot of traversing...ugh.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/13.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 13.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/13.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kick. Step. Kick. Step.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/17.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 17.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/17.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Deciding how to negotiate the crux.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/18.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 18.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/18.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Awesome shot of Nick just before he climbed the crux. I think this gives some good perspective to the exposure on the face.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/20.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 20.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/20.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Shortly after passing the crux Nick took the lead the rest of the climb. On the upper part of the face we got ourselves into a little mis-adventure trying to explore what we thought would be an alternate route to the summit (tacking on ~45 minutes to our ascent time), but decided against it. When we reached the top of North Maroon Peak it was just after 9:15 am. Even though we knew the snow was still very firm/icy at the higher elevations of the North Face, we began our descent shortly after summiting because we were worried that things might be heating up quickly on the lower elevations.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The views on the upper part of the North Face were not too shabby.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/24.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 24.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/24.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking down our ascent route from the upper part of the North Face.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/25.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 25.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/25.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick putting in the boot pack like a champ! You can see where we had our mis-adventure at the top, near-middle of this picture. It looked like we might be able to climb that little patch of snow through the rocks. No dice. We ended up down climbing back to our traverse track and continuing to traverse up the standard route (around the Punk Rock Band).</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/22.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 22.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/22.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Traversing to the edge of the Punk Rock Band.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/27.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 27.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/27.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Coming around the edge of the Punk Rock Band with lots of exposure to climbers left.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/28.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 28.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/28.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Last few steps to the summit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/29.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 29.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/29.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick, stoked to be on top. 14,014'.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/30.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 30.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/30.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking west from the summit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/31.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 31.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/31.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />
As we knew it would be, the snow was still very firm at the higher elevations. But, to our surprise, it didn't soften up until we were nearly off the North Face. It would have been great to ski the entire face on corn-snow, but that opportunity did not present itself. We were just thankful that we got to ski the face in safe conditions even if they weren't ideal.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick negotiating the descent around the Punk Rock Band.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/32.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 32.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/32.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dropping in on the upper section of the North Face.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/33.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 33.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/33.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick making turns on the upper section.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/35.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 35.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/35.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking down on a section of very firm snow just before descending it.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/37.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 37.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/37.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Making my way down.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/36.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 36.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/36.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Catching my breath.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/38.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 38.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/38.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick finding his way down.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/40.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 40.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/40.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Frozen runnels.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/41.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 41.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/41.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Skiing out of the crux.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/43.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 43.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/43.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Coming in hot!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/46.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 46.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/46.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting down to some better snow!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/47.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 47.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/47.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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We were thrilled after our wonderful ski descent when we reached the bottom of the North Face. From there we decided to shed some layers before continuing down to the trees for lunch, and eventually back to the parking lot.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Happy but warm. Taking off layers at the bottom of the North Face of North Maroon Peak.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/48.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 48.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/48.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick was stoked to have skied from the summit, even though he did it in his Carhartts.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/49.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 49.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/49.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Claiming it!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/50.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 50.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/50.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Claiming it!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/51.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 51.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/51.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">There is a reason this is such an iconic Colorado mountain.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/52.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 52.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/52.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Back at Maroon Lake with weather starting to roll in.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/53.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 53.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/53.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">The Feed</a> it took to fuel me up and down North Maroon Peak.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/55.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 55.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/55.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<b><u>Denali Relevance</u></b>:<br />
Climbing and skiing the North Face of North Maroon Peak was another great bit of training for Denali. The mountain is one of Colorado's 14ers, so I had to work hard at high altitude and climb a significant amount of vertical all in one day. Even though it didn't require the use of any rope, it was a fairly technical descent and allowed me to practice my route finding and hazard evaluation.<br />
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<b><u>Beta</u></b>:<br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/56.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 56.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/56.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/57.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 57.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/57.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/58.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 58.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/58.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/59.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 59.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/North%20Maroon/59.jpg" /></a>Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-38280271593685458712014-05-21T11:28:00.001-06:002014-09-18T01:24:02.560-06:00Denali Training: General Weekly RoutineGetting in good physical shape for ski mountaineering is much different than getting in good physical shape for skiing. I've gotten quite a few questions about what I'm doing to train for Denali (aside from skiing other peaks), so I figured it would be a good idea to do a little write-up about my general weekly training routine.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hopefully this video gives you an idea of what the training has been like.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/95887333" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/95887333">Denali Training Weekly Routine</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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For starters, my training schedule usually looks something like this:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Sunday - Family Day and Rest</li>
<li>Monday - Gym Day<a name='more'></a></li>
<li>Tuesday - Ski Day</li>
<li>Wednesday - Gym Day</li>
<li>Thursday - Gym Day</li>
<li>Friday - Ski Day</li>
<li>Saturday - Ski Day</li>
</ul>
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Since January my gym workouts have changed significantly compared to my autumn gym workouts. Likewise, for about the past month my ski days have focused more on big peaks, cardio and technical skills than they did in January, February and March.</div>
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<u><b>Gym Workouts</b></u>:</div>
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My gym routine for Denali focuses a lot more on cardio fitness and endurance than it does on power and explosiveness. When I train in the autumn I prepare my body for jumping off of cliffs, skiing hard and fast in short bursts, and large impacts. Climbing Denali will be different. For Denali I have been training for prolonged exertion with large amounts of weight and little oxygen. Thus, I have been focusing a great deal on cardio fitness and developing lean "wiry" muscles instead of "bulky" explosive muscles. The strength training has transitioned from a high-weight-lower-reps routine to low-weight-higher-reps routine. Below is a general idea of what I've been doing each day in the gym.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Monday - Bike Warm-up (5 miles), Upper-Back, Shoulders, Cleans, Jump Rope, Tire, Sledge Hammer, Stair Climber (1500' vertical in ~20 minutes), Stretch</li>
<li>Wednesday - Bike Warm-up (5 miles), Lower-Back, Squats, Abs, Shoulders, Stair Climber (1500' vert in ~20 minutes), Stretch</li>
<li>Thursday - Bike Warm-up (10 miles), Medicine Ball Drills, Stair Climber (2000' vert in ~28 minutes), Stretch</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Starting off the workout with 5-10 miles on the bike.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/8.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 8.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/8.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Workouts end with 1500'-2000' vertical on the stair climber.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/17.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 17.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/17.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Doing 4 sets of cleans (10 reps), jump ropes (50 reps), tire toss (10 reps) and sledge hammers (10 reps) as fast as possible with no break has been a staple of my weekly routine. The cleans work my back, shoulders, hips and legs.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/1.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 1.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/1.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The sledge hammers keep my heart rate elevated in between cleans and jump rope and also help me work on balance.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/4.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 4.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/4.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Doing a set of jump rope in the middle of this cycle really works the lungs.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/3.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 3.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/3.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">While doing the tire toss I do my best to focus on having a flat back and snapping my hips through.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/2.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/2.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I am not doing nearly as much weight with my squats as I did this autumn, but I do far more reps.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/11.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 11.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/11.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Doing medicine ball drills adds variety to the routine while working on balance and strength.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/15.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 15.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/15.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I'll be hauling a lot of weight on Denali, so I've put a lot of time into strengthening my back.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/5.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 5.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/5.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Not only will my back feel a lot of the weight that I'm carrying, my shoulders will, too.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/6.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 6.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/6.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dynamically working on ab strength.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/10.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 10.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/10.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mixing in a variety of exercises, like the rope (which works my shoulders and lower back) help prevent the workouts from getting stale.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/9.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 9.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/9.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stretching after every workout has helped me stay loose and ward off injury.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/7.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 7.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/7.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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As a result of this type of training I have lost about 35 pounds since January. Much of that weight isn't from body fat, but instead because of the different type of muscle I've developed. Additionally, my cardio and endurance fitness is better than it has ever been in my life. I really hope that I'm able to reap the benefits of this when on Denali.</div>
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<b><u>Ski Training</u></b>:</div>
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Aside from the occasional powder day (big late season storms!) my ski training for the past month has been focused on skiing high peaks, working on technical skills, and/or getting cardio workouts at altitude. I've had big days on mountains like <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/05/skiing-grand-teton-longtime-desire.html" target="_blank">The Grand Teton</a>, <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/04/longs-peak-big-day-of-ski-mountaineering.html" target="_blank">Long's Peak</a> and Pikes Peak (with more to come, hopefully), and I've had days of hauling lots of weight at altitude (like a hut trip with my family).</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ski-mountaineering on <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/05/skiing-grand-teton-longtime-desire.html" target="_blank">The Grand Teton</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/48.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 48.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/48.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ski-mountaineering on <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/04/longs-peak-big-day-of-ski-mountaineering.html" target="_blank">Long's Peak</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/51.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 51.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/51.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Diet</u></b>:</div>
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I have always eaten like a horse. Even when I was a little kid I ate more food than most adults. During my Denali training it has been important that I fuel my body properly. This means eating well before, during and after workouts. I have recently signed-up a company called <a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">The Feed</a> who tailors different types of workout fuel for given athletic goals. I've been using products that they send me that are specifically for pre-, during-, and post-workouts and I can honestly say that I notice the difference. Combined with eating a healthy regular diet (at least most of the time) I have certainly seen the way my eating habits have benefitted my performance.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A typical dinner at the Bettner house - lean protein, veggies and starch and water.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/12.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 12.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Weekly%20Routine/12.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn was interested in my box from <a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">The Feed</a> with food specifically for my ski-mountaineering training.</span></div>
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<a href="http://photos-a.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-ash/918177_711243112261456_530019716_n.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://photos-a.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-ash/918177_711243112261456_530019716_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The way I fueled myself for <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2014/05/skiing-grand-teton-longtime-desire.html" target="_blank">The Grand Teton</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="http://scontent-b.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-frc/t51.2885-15/917561_143042615864666_1496365144_n.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://scontent-b.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-frc/t51.2885-15/917561_143042615864666_1496365144_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Conclusion</u></b>:</div>
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Even with all the training and preparation for Denali, there is still a chance that we will not be able to do everything hope to do. There are some things that are simply out of our control (weather, avalanche conditions, etc.) and even fit people can have adverse reactions to altitude. But, the training and preparation drastically increases our chances of success on Denali, so it is certainly worth doing.</div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-71282719113580128962014-05-07T10:39:00.002-06:002014-09-24T13:49:20.788-06:00Skiing The Grand Teton - A Longtime Desire Realized<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/94217751" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/94217751">Grand Teton Ski Mountaineering</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<h2>
<u><b>Backstory</b></u></h2>
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When I had just finished high school my dad and I went on a large road trip that included backpacking in Yellowstone and adventuring in Grand<br />
<a name='more'></a>Teton National Park. It was one of the best bonding experiences I've ever had with my dad. It was also the first time either of us saw the grandeur of the Tetons in person. Their presence has loomed large in my mind ever since.<br />
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The picture below is from that trip. From the moment I laid eyes on Mount Moran and The Grand Teton I knew I wanted, some day, to ski them. Shortly after this picture was taken I told my dad that I wanted to ski these two incredible peaks. He was a bit bewildered by my desire and we moved on to other topics of conversation.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A high school Joel dreaming about some day skiing the two large mountains on the left and right in this picture.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/1.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
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Last year I skied <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2013/05/mount-moran-skillet-goal-realized.html" target="_blank">Mount Moran</a> (<a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2013/05/mount-moran-skillet-goal-realized.html" target="_blank">see the report here</a>) and was going to ski The Grand Teton shortly afterwards with my friend Josh. However, Josh suffered a bad injury at the end of the year and was not able to ski. This year things worked out for both of us. I can now say that I've climbed and skied Mount Moran and The Grand Teton. It has taken me a while to get the timing, logistics and skill sets necessary, but I'm thrilled to be able to check this life goal off my list. To say that The Grand Teton is a mountain that has meaning for me would be an understatement.<br />
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<h2>
<b><u>Climbing and Skiing The Grand Teton</u></b></h2>
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<u>May 1</u>:<br />
Josh was visiting in Colorado from his home in Revelstoke, BC. We had been keeping our eyes on the weather, and the forecast was continually improving for the Tetons. We decided to pull the trigger and make the drive to Jackson so we could attempt a ski descent of The Grand Teton. The morning of May 1st I dropped my daughter off at a generous friend's house and we began our journey north.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn playing with her friends while daddy drives to Jackson.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/0.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 0.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/0.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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When Josh and I arrived in Jackson we went to the grocery store and then immediately to the Taggert Lake TH in Grand Teton National Park. We organized our gear, ate some food, and looked at our objective before trying to sleep in the bed of my truck. I slept for at most 2 hours, while Josh unfortunately didn't get any sleep at all.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scouting the objective just before trying to sleep.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/1-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 1-1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/1-1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />
<u>May 2</u>:<br />
Our summit bid started at an ungodly dark hour, but we made quick and steady progress. Near the top of Garnet Canyon we ran into a party of 4 leaving their camp. They were also on their way up The Grand. They had fresher legs than Josh and I (and more sleep) and they ended up a little bit ahead of us on the way out of Garnet Canyon and up the Teepee glacier. We had the benefit of being able to use their boot pack, so we were not too far behind them by the time we reached Teepee Col at sunrise.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh enjoying another "alpine start" to the day.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/2.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Catching up to the other party just below Teepee Col as the sun rose. We were thankful for their boot pack.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/6.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/6.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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At Teepee Col Josh and I were able to get our first look at the line we were hopeful to ski - The Otter Body. Unfortunately, it looked to be in very poor condition. The "tail" of the Otter Body - where one traverses and skis down to anchors for a series of rappels - was ice and rock with scattered snow. It would have been quite difficult and dangerous. We had also heard reports that the East Face (which we couldn't see from our vantage) above the Otter Body was covered with avy debris and runnels. From the evidence we saw on the Teepee glacier of avalanches from above we were pretty sure that the East Face would be in poor shape to ski. Josh and I decided that we were likely going to ski our ascent route - the Ford-Stettner - instead of the Otter Body. The Ford-Stettner route is hardly a "consolation prize" though. It is a steep route with a healthy dose of ski-mountaineering.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A look at the exit of The Otter Body. It is hard to tell in this picture, but much of what looks like snow was actually ice mixed in the rock.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/7.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 7.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/7.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">It was a beautiful morning to watch the sun crest the horizon from Teepee Col.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/8.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 8.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/8.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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From Teepee Col we made our way to Glencoe Col and the start of more difficult climbing up the Stettner Couloir. At the bottom of the Stettner Couloir we had already climbed ~6,000' vert and only had ~1,500' vert to go. This was encouraging. But, because we ran into conditions that weren't as benign as they sometimes are, our pace slowed significantly. Josh took the lead, climbing and setting up protection in front of the party of 4 that we were with.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Booting from Teepee Col to Glencoe Col.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/11.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 11.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/11.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Grand casts a large shadow over Idaho.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 12.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/12.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The start of the Stettner Couloir.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/13.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 13.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/13.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh leading up the Stettner Couloir.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/14.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 14.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/14.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The first stretch of ice climbing- lots more to come.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/17.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 17.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/17.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">There were multiple ice bulges in the Stettner. Where there was snow it was usually just a thin covering over water-ice, or rock.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/22.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 22.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/22.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">At the intersection of the Stettner and the Chevy I was getting the rope stacked and figured I'd shoot this quick selfie with the party of 4 just below.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/20.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 20.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/20.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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At the intersection of the Stettner and Chevy couloirs the party of 4 turned around. I think this was because; (1) they were worried that their slower pace would not allow them to reach the summit at a reasonable time and (2) some members of their party were uncomfortable with the difficulty of the ice climbing in the Chevy Couloir. They were a younger group from Utah, but I think this decision shows that they were wise beyond their years. From here on it was just Josh and me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh leading up the Chevy Couloir.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/23.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 23.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/23.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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There was clearly not enough snow to ski either the Stettner or Chevy couloirs and their ice bulges looked quite a bit more significant than I had seen in many other trip reports. I was glad to have two legitimate ice-tools. It made a huge difference for climbing the constant ice all the way up the Chevy Couloir.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Starting up the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/24.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 24.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/24.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Having 3 ice screws was clutch for protecting the climb well on this occasion. I know from other friends that have climbed the route that if conditions are right it is a pretty reasonable solo climb. Not this day. I'm glad we broke out the rope and protected it with the conditions we had.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/25.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 25.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/25.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lots of ice, not much snow in the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/26.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 26.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/26.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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After we topped-out on the Chevy Couloir it was time to climb the Ford Couloir. Josh, who had not slept and had just lead the Stettner and Chevy couloirs, asked if I could lead. I happily obliged.<br />
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Breaking trail up the Ford was BRUTAL. The surface of the snow was still crusty, and riddled with debris and rollerballs from the previous days' warming. Beneath this crust was softer snow. With every step I sunk in to my mid-thigh. It was absolutely exhausting.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh coming up the boot pack on the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/28.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 28.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/28.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting close to the Summit Ridge on the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/29.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 29.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/29.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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At the top of the Ford Couloir we reached the summit ridge. The snow was not any better, but at least it wasn't as steep. From here we got a good look at the East Face, too. In good conditions it looks like it would be a thrilling ski. However, what we saw confirmed our decision not to ski the Otter Body route that day. It was covered in slide debris and funky, punchy, heavy snow. That face is NOT the sort of place where you want to be worried about keeping your balance in difficult snow or having wet sloughs push you. The snow in the Ford Couloir, although still nasty, has a different solar aspect and was much less dangerous than the snow on the East Face.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Finally making the summit ridge, and out of the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/30.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 30.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/30.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh coming out of the Ford. To the left beyond the edge of this picture is the East Face that was covered in debris and sketchy snow.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/31.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 31.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/31.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nearing the end of the summit ridge with the summit in sight.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/33.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 33.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/33.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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We slogged through the difficult snow on the summit ridge and finally summited The Grand Teton. It was a dream come true to be standing on top of this peak that had loomed in my mind for so long, but I knew we were only halfway through the day. We took a few quick pictures and transitioned from climbing to skiing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Finally on the summit!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/36.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 36.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/36.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh making the summit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/40.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 40.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/40.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Excited to put The Longships on for the descent.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/42.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 42.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/42.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Summit marker.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/43.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 43.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/43.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As true as a summit ski descent can be.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/44.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 44.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/44.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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The snow on the summit ridge and Ford Couloir was really difficult to ski. Chunky. Mashed. Potatoes. My legs were pretty tired from the climb but I was able to dig deep and link some turns together. It was pretty exciting to finally be skiing The Grand Teton. This is considered by many to be THE ski-mountaineering test piece of the lower 48. It was also great to have a pair of skis that didn't fold under the pressure of my weight and the difficult snow. Big thanks to <a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom Custom Skis </a>for their work. I'm loving these skis!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting started.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/46.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 46.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/46.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Skiing down the upper summit ridge.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/49.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 49.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/49.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh skiing where the summit ridge starts to connect with the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/50.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 50.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/50.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dropping in on the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/52.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 52.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/52.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Skiing the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/55.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 55.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/55.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I felt pretty small skiing in such a big place.</span><br />
<a href="http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/452e18c6d3d611e384e40002c954fed2_8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 52.jpeg" border="0" src="http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/452e18c6d3d611e384e40002c954fed2_8.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We fought the snow down the entire length of the Ford.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/58.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 58.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/58.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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The bottom of the Ford Couloir ends in a massive cliff and requires a left turn to get into the Chevy Couloir. It can be intimidating to be above this exposure, so keeping your wits about you is important. We got to the bottom of the Ford Couloir without incident and transitioned to rappelling down the Chevy and Stettner Couloirs as swiftly as we could. We knew that things above us were starting to warm quickly and we saw evidence of that. So, we made our way down as efficiently as possible.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh rappelling into the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/62.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 62.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/62.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rapping along the edge of the cliff at the Ford's end to get to the top of the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/64.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 64.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/64.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh rappelling into the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/66.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 66.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/66.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Between ice and rock on the upper Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/67.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 67.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/67.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mid-way down the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/68.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 68.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/68.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In hind sight I would have put my crampons on sooner to rappel down the Chevy. The ice was pretty slick with just my ski boots on.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/71.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 71.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/71.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nearing the Stettner towards the bottom of the Chevy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/70.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 70.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/70.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rappelling down the Stettner.</span><br />
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When we reached Teepee Col things had warmed significantly. The snow was manky and variable. However, as we continued down towards Garnet Canyon the consistency of the snow actually improved and we had our best turns of the day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Skiing down from Teepee Col.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/73.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 73.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/73.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hop turns to get out of the mank.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/74.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 74.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/74.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Josh on a perch at the bottom of the Teepee Glacier.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/75.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 75.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/75.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The best turns of the day were between Teepee Glacier and Garnet Canyon.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/77.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 77.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/77.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Crossing old skin and ski tracks as we ski out of Garnet Canyon.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/78.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 78.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/78.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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The slog out from Bradley Lake was long and my legs were cooked. When I got back to my truck I drank a bunch of fluids and instantly started to feel better. We celebrated our ski descent of The Grand Teton with a trip to <a href="http://www.gunbarrel.com/" target="_blank">The Gunbarrel</a> restaurant in Jackson. It was a well earned meal after a big day of ski mountaineering.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Back at the trailhead safe and sound. Stoked but hungry.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/81.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 81.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/81.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A well earned meal.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/83.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 83.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/83.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<u><b>Denali Relevance</b></u>:<br />
Climbing and skiing The Grand Teton was clearly great training for Denali. It required climbing a large amount of vertical and descending it in the same day. It required the use of technical climbing and rope skills. It required working as a team with the person that I will be climbing Denali with. I don't really know if there is a better way to spend a day training than by doing what we did.<br />
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Aside from fitness training, the day gave me a chance to test some layering. The temperatures bounced from warm to cold depending on location and time of day. I wore my <a href="http://www.hellyhansen.com/" target="_blank">Mission Shell</a> the whole day and layered with my <a href="http://www.hellyhansen.com/" target="_blank">Verglas Down Insulator</a> (both from <a href="http://www.hellyhansen.com/" target="_blank">Helly Hansen</a>). The insulator provided significant warmth and packed away really small. Packing small is important when your pack is filled to the brim with rope, food and other gear. I'll definitely be using this strategy on Denali.<br />
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This experience also gave me the opportunity to test out some of the training and performance nutrition that I've been doing with a company called <a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">The Feed</a>. They tailoring a diet of training and performance foods for me to use while I ski mountaineering. I consumed a lot of calories while climbing The Grand Teton, and I think I've got some good feedback on what worked well and what wasn't ideal. Proper fueling for training and big days is something I've neglected in the past. I think getting on a good program with <a href="http://www.thefeed.com/" target="_blank">The Feed</a> is really going to help.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">After cleaning out my jacket I got a good visual of all the food I consumed on the way up and down The Grand Teton.</span><br />
<a href="http://scontent-b.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-frc/t51.2885-15/917561_143042615864666_1496365144_n.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://scontent-b.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-frc/t51.2885-15/917561_143042615864666_1496365144_n.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
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<u><b>The Beta</b></u>:<br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/Map7.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Map7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/The%20Grand%20Teton/Map7.jpg" gt="" height="394" p="" width="640" /></a><br />
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<br />Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-22140023159515581622014-04-21T21:57:00.001-06:002014-09-24T13:48:58.196-06:00Long's Peak - A Big Day of Ski MountaineeringFor my birthday this year I planned a ski day with several of the kids that I coach on the ski team. The plan was to climb and ski a true Colorado icon - Long's Peak. Long's Peak is visible from just about anywhere in the Denver area, famous for its Diamond Face, pictured in thousands of tourism brochures and even featured on the back of the CO quarter. It is the only 14er north of Interstate 70 in Colorado and the only 14er in Rocky Mountain National Park.<br />
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We drove up to Rocky Mountain National <br />
<a name='more'></a>Park the night before and parked at the East Long's Peak Trail Head. After getting everything organized I slept for about 2.5 hours in my truck before waking up to hit the trail with Noah, Cole, Cam and Kevin. It always adds to the spirit of adventure when you start well before sunrise.<br />
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After some bushwhacking up the creek bed we made it to the established trail and worked our way up to treeline in the dark.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hope you enjoy the video. It gives a good sense of what the day was like.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/92559369" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/92559369">Long's Peak Ski Mountaineering</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Entering the alpine tundra.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The cities on the eastern plane glow in the darkness.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/2.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The first glimpses of dawn.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/3.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kevin showing off his beautiful mustache as the sun crests the hills.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/4.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/4.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Me, Cam and Noah stopping for a quick water break at sunrise.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/5.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/5.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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The wind in the alpine was absolutely brutal, and it would be brutal the entire day. Sustained winds of ~30 mph with gusts that were easily 70 mph or greater were a mental hurdle to overcome, that is for sure. Often they would even knock me off balance, which was cumbersome and at times nerve rattling.<br />
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The lack of snow meant we couldn't do much skinning and had to boot pack our way up most of the mountain. When we reached the Boulder Field we got our first look at our intended climb and ski route - The North Face. Unfortunately, there was so little snow on The North Face that it was not worth climbing or skiing. We changed our plan and opted to climb the Key Hole route and try our luck on the south side of the mountain before rapping around to The Loft and skiing to the Chasm Lake Trail. I had been told that snow had filled the southern aspects due to the wind from the previous week, so we were optimistic that it would be better than The North Face (we would be disappointed with the amount of snow on the southern aspect when we got there). <br />
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Our new plan was to summit via the Key Hole Route then descend via The Home Stretch to Keplingers Couloir, mid-way through Keplinger's Couloir traverse to The Loft via Clark's Arrow, and ski down either The Lamb's Slide or The Loft Couloir.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A look at the North Face of Long's, just to the looker's right of the massive Diamond Face. As you can see, there was very little snow to be had for skiing or climbing.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/57.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 57.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/57.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ascending to the start of the Key Hole Route.</span><br />
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At the Boulder Field we lost 3 members of our crew - Cole, Cam and Kevin. The altitude and size of the journey got the best of them and they decided it would be best to turn back. Noah and I both felt good and decided to continue. By happenstance we met a solo climber at the start of the Keyhole - Andy - and ascended to the summit with him.<br />
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The Keyhole Route is split into very distinct sections; The Ledges, The Trough, The Narrows and The Homestretch. This is the standard climbing route in the summer, but with variable snow, rock and ice on it, and with ski boots and skis, it presented its fair share of challenge and exposure.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cam experiencing the hurricane force gusts at the Key Hole just before he decided to descend.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/7.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/7.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah and me just about to start The Ledges.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/8.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah and Andy making their way across The Ledges.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/9.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/9.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stopping for a quick break at the end of The Ledges to get some food before starting up The Trough.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/10.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 10.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/10.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah and Andy making their way up The Trough.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/11.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 11.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/11.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nearing the top of The Trough.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/12.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 12.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/12.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Although we had crossed over some exposure on The Ledges, the final move at the top of The Trough was really our first piece of mildly technical climbing for the day.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/13.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 13.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/13.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was glad I had my Scarpa Maestrale RS boots. Having hard plastic soles on terrain like this would have been miserable.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/16.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 16.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/16.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah topping out on The Trough. He looks a bit like the Lone Ranger with the nose flap on his glasses.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/19.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 19.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/19.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The top of The Trough is when the views really started to get good.</span><br />
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The next section of the climb was The Narrows. I can imagine that this isn't much to be concerned with in the summer when there is no snow or ice, you are wearing boots/shoes, and you don't have a backpack with skis sticking up. However, in our circumstances we had to be pretty careful. The wind was howling, we had ski boots on, there was snow and ice, and our skis constantly clanged off the overhanging rock above us. We made it through with no issues, but we certainly had to keep our wits about us. We considered taking the rope out, but there was really no good way to protect a fall without trad gear. Instead we methodically tested all of our footing and were careful with each step we took. It wasn't difficult climbing, but if you are the type of person who lets their nerves get the best of them in exposure it would have been rough. Fortunately both Noah and I are not like that.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The first move on The Narrows. Most would duck under the overhang, but since we had skis on we had to go around outside it.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/22.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 22.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/22.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Creeping along the edge, big exposure to my right.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/23.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 23.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/23.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah making his way through the first move on The Narrows.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/26.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 26.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/26.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The mixed footing forced us to take our time and really know we were not going to slip.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/27.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 27.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/27.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some more good exposure on The Narrows.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/24.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 24.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/24.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Slow and steady.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/25.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 25.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/25.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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After we finished navigating The Narrows we were at The Homestretch - the final few hundred vertical feet to the summit. Where there was snow it was thin and it was often on top of slick rock without ice. So, it did not make sense to use crampons because they would just be clanging and slipping on the rock. Again, we had to make sure our footing was good with each step and we methodically made our way to the summit.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking down The Homestretch.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/60.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 60.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/60.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking up The Homestretch.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/61.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 61.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/61.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah reaching the summit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/28.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 28.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/28.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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The views from the summit were gorgeous. Since our plan had changed and we were a little behind schedule I pulled out my phone. Sure enough, I had cell phone service and I was able to contact my wife and ski partners who descended earlier. I told them not to contact S&R because we were likely going to be longer than anticipated. If I had not been able to do this, our plans for descent would have been much different.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Obligatory summit pics:</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/29.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 29.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/29.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Long's Peak - 14,259'</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/30.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 30.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/30.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/31.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 31.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/31.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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Now it was time to ski down...or something like that. To make it, technically, a ski descent from the summit we put on our skis and made our way from near the summit block to the start of The Homestretch. Shortly after we had to break out the rope and start rappelling down towards our intended line - Keplinger's Couloir.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Skiing from the summit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/36.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 36.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/36.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/37.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 37.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/37.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Down climbing to one of the places we used for a rappel station.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/59.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 59.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/59.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah starting the first of many rappels for the day.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/38.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 38.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/38.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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After a long descent that involved a lot of down climbing and rappelling we made it to the traverse towards Keplinger's Couloir. We were excited to see that there was snow and to finally start skiing... or so we thought. After a very short ski descent, Keplinger's Couloir quickly ran out of snow. You cannot get a good look at the couloir until you are in it. There was not nearly enough snow in it to ski, just patches here and there. So, we had to down climb even more to get to the start of the Clark's Arrow traverse which leads to The Loft.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Spirits were high when this picture was taken because we thought we were going to get to do some significant skiing.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/39.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 39.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/39.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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There were not a lot of pictures taken on the Clark's Arrow traverse because it was fairly exposed and we wanted to move quickly. There were several sections where we were doing legitimate low-grade class 5 climbing. We took our backpacks off and shuttled them up to one another so we could do stemming type climbing moves (think climbing a chimney). A fall during one of these moves could have been very bad, so we spotted each other as best as we could. The beginning of the traverse had a significant amount of elevation loss (yet again, more down climbing). The end of the traverse had a significant amount of elevation gain to reach The Loft.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting onto the Clark's Arrow traverse required a little exposed scrambling/climbing out of Keplinger's Couloir.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/62.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 62.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/62.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah finishing off a little stemming move during one of the climbs. The picture does not do this justice and you can't see the exposure that is behind the camera.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/40.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 40.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/40.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Climbing on the Clark's Arrow traverse.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/58.jpeg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 58.jpeg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/58.jpeg" height="225" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nearing the end of the Clark's Arrow traverse.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/41.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 41.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/41.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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When we finally made it to The Loft it was starting to get late. The huge amounts of technical down climbing and rappelling had taken more time than we thought they would. If the route had had more snow, it would have been skiable and hours shorter. <br />
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At this juncture, we looked at Lamb's Slide as a route to ski down. Unfortunately, it required a rappel or another technical down climb to get into it. We knew this would take a significant amount of time to do. The top of The Loft Couloir, however, did not require a rappel and, from our vantage point, looked like it might be skiable all the way down. We decided to give it a try in order to possibly save time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah reaching The Loft.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/42.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 42.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/42.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah descending into The Loft Couloir.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/43.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 43.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/43.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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Unfortunately for us, what we were hopeful would be skiable was another rappel over an ice fall and cliff. We had to get the rope out and build another anchor for our last rappel of the day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My last rappel of the day in The Loft Couloir.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/45.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 45.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/45.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah making his way down at the bottom of the last rappel of the day.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/46.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 46.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/46.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><br />
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Below the last rappel the slope was quite steep. I took my phone out to measure it. It was 52 degrees. That pitch was sustained until a narrow choke, after which it flattened out significantly. The snow on the entire route was brutal, firm, and ridged from the wind scouring it. But, it was way way way better than down climbing so Noah and I were happy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Me skiing below the choke.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/47.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 47.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/47.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah about to negotiate the choke below the last rappel.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/48.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 48.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/48.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah skiing like a champ.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/49.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 49.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/49.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Even after the long day, Noah "The Muscle Hamster" McCorkel still had the legs to handle the hard snow.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/50.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 50.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/50.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We had about 2,000' vert of skiing in The Loft Couloir and I was thrilled at this point to be done with down climbing.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/51.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 51.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/51.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yay skiing!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/52.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 52.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/52.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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When we got below Chasm Lake we put our skins on and hustled back up the ridge and then down the trail, to the woods and to the trailhead.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A final look back at the gnarly terrain we had come through in the waning daylight.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/56.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 56.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/56.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<b><u>Denali Relevance</u></b>:<br />
It was a big day in the mountains. I wish there had been more skiing, which would have cut many hours off our total trip time, but I can't really complain because it was excellent training for Denali.<br />
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Long's provided a great opportunity to practice mountaineering skills for Denali. Although we didn't have any glacier travel we were constantly using our technical skills. We had to keep our wits about us and make good decisions in places with high consequence, and we had to put our technical skills to work making anchors, setting up rappels, and climbing 5th class rock (very low grade) with ski boots and ski packs.<br />
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We travelled a long way and worked hard at altitude all day, too. The bulk of the time and hard work of the day was above 13,000'. The elevation coupled with our heavy packs certainly gave our hearts and lungs a workout. I felt surprisingly good afterwards. I think all the time I've been putting in at the gym is paying off. <br />
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When I got to my truck I was, however, famished. Upon arriving home I wolfed down the birthday pizza and brownies that my wife had gotten for me and went to bed satisfied.<br />
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<b><u>The Beta</u></b>:<br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs1.jpg" height="470" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs2.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs2.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs3.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs4.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs4.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs5.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs5.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs6.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs6.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs6.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs7.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs7.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs8.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs9.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Longs9.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Longs%20Peak/Longs9.jpg" height="471" width="640" /></a>Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-33292691427903791902014-04-17T20:48:00.000-06:002014-09-18T01:25:52.073-06:00Ski Build and Teton TestingFor a skier I'm a pretty big guy and I ski pretty hard. That makes finding skis, especially ski-mountaineering skis, rather difficult. I prefer a ski that is light, but because of my size I need some stiffness, which usually adds weight. That just won't do for Denali. I will need a ski that is both light enough to not be a hazard and stiff enough for me to ski something serious.<br />
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For several months I worked with <a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom Custom Skis</a> (Mike and Ryan are genuinely awesome guys!) to design a ski for my Denali trip. I rode several pairs of their demo skis, told them what I liked, what I would change, and how I'd like a pair of ski-mountaineering skis to behave on various types of snow. Below are a bunch of pictures from the building of my <a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom Custom Skis</a>. I've named them - they're The Longships (built to be fast and pillage).<br />
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After getting The Longships built I had to give them an initial test. What better place to give a pair of skis some testing than in the Tetons? Jake, Norm and I loaded up in Jake's Suburban and headed north to Jackson for a few days. We did some really great skiing/ski mountaineering, and saw some friends while we were there. The story of that trip is told right after the ski building pics.<br />
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If you are in the market for a pair of skis I highly recommend checking out <a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom</a>. Mike and Ryan put a ton of care and effort into their craft, and it shows in the skis they produce. They take care of their customers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A short video of the action.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/92479432" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/92479432">Ski Build and Test</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<b><u>The Ski Build</u></b>:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">After cutting out the bases with the lathe, Mike hand forms the edges to the bases.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 1.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Half of a ski base has been edged and the adhesive is curing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">These are my cores (top of one, bottom of the other. They are made out of lighter woods - bamboo and poplar - to significantly reduce weight. They are about 1mm thicker than a standard core to give them more rigidity and reduce the need for more fiberglass (which is heavy). They are also significantly reinforced with carbon fiber to add to their rigidity.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/3.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 3.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/3.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike and Ryan hand select all the wood that goes into their cores for proper grain pattern and structure. This provides a significant amount of consistency between skis, additional strength, and a build quality that just can't be matched by mass produced skis.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/4.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/4.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike is trimming and cutting the edges by hand in this picture so they fully wrap the ski. It takes extra time, effort and expense to do this, but is seriously adds to the toughness of the ski and helps prevent delamination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Quality craftsmanship.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/20.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 20.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/20.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fully edged bases.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/7.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 7.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/7.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The die-cut logos inserted into the bases.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/8.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Applying the adhesives to the fiberglass, carbon fiber and core. Much less fiberglass was needed because of the additional thickness of the core and the carbon fiber, making the ski much lighter. You can see that additional fiberglass was put in the center where bindings are mounted to add strength to that highly stressed part of the ski.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/10.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 10.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/10.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Putting the bases into the press cassette and getting them prepped before adding the core.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Additional rubberized strips are added around the edges and tip/tail. This helps prevent delimitation and adds strength to those parts of the ski.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mike adding the carbon fiber to the cassette.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The core added to the cassette.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/21.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 21.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/21.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adding the custom graphic.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/17.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 17.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/17.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Prepping the ski for the press.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/18.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 18.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/18.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">After its time in the press, the ski comes out.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/19.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 19.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Ski%20Build/19.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Both skis finished pressing, but needing to be cut out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The finished product. Beautiful.</span><br />
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<b><u>The Teton Testing Trip</u></b>:<br />
Jake, Norm and I headed up to Jackson during their spring break. I used the opportunity to give my skis their initial test. It was great to break away with two friends and spend some time in the mountains together on a road trip.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Road trippin'.</span><br />
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When we arrived we ate with and stayed with my good friend Julie. It is always good to catch up with old friends while on a ski trip. The next morning our ski party was up before dawn to get some laps on Teton Pass.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Norm and Jake making their way up the boot pack at dawn's first light.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Almost atop Glory as the sun rises.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The sun crests the Gros Ventre range as The Longships get their first turns ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Heading back up for another lap.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/8.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 8.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/8.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Loving being able to rip skins without taking the skis off.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/10.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 10.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/10.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake getting some beautiful early-morning turns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting some pow in the face.</span><br />
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After some laps on Teton Pass we went to the resort and got a bunch of laps in and out of the ropes. A HUGE thanks is owed to my friend Patrick (of <a href="http://www.earlyups.com/" target="_blank">EarlyUps</a>) for helping us out with some tickets. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The big red fun box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">There was plenty of snow to be had just beyond the ropes.</span><br />
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My new skis performed beautifully on their first day. I skied everything from pow to hardback and they handled it all quite nicely. It was especially great to have their light weight on the short laps on Teton Pass.<br />
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That night we met up with my friend Aaron to play some pool and make plans to ski in Grand Teton National Park the next day. Jake, Norm and I then drove to the trail head, got our equipment prepped and slept in the Suburban. The next morning we met up with Aaron and his crew and started our day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hotel GMC.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/17.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 17.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/17.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Norm making his way up Shadow Mountain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake making his way up Shadow Mountain.</span><br />
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Once we all topped out on Shadow we split up. Norm was not feeling well and he decided to head down with Aaron and his party. Jake and I continued on to ski the Sliver on Nez Perce. This required a 400-500' ski descent into the valley before beginning our ascent of the couloir. The snow conditions turned out to be ideal, with quite a bit of stability and a fair amount of new snow. We constantly assessed the stability during our approach and each time we were greeted with new snow bonding well to an old freeze layer. The freeze layer supported us really well for the climb and the new snow skied very well on the descent.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Starting the ascent of The Sliver.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/26.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 26.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/26.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake making his way up through the storm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake took a turn breaking trail and snapped this picture of me coming up to him. It was right around here that I measured the slope angle with my phone. It was 48 degrees. There were certainly sections that were steeper and sections that were not as steep.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/31.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 31.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/31.jpg" height="400" width="299" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Me after topping out on The Sliver.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/38.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 38.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Ski%20Season%202013-2014/38.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake making his way up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jake topping out on The Sliver.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As you can see, the snow comes up pretty high on Jake. We had quite a bit of new snow to play with, and manage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Obligatory summit shot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Longships are excited to get some action.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some steep pow in the face.</span><br />
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The Longships preformed beautifully in the deep snow at the top and the icy snow down lower. It was a joy to have their light weight on the skin track and boot pack, too. I'm incredibly excited to do more ski-mountaineering with these skis that were built to my specs and desires. Thanks <a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom</a>!<br />
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After skiing The Sliver and getting to the trail head we packed up the 'Burb and (much to my chagrin) drove back to Colorado. Good times with great people.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The guys in front of Hotel GMC.</span><br />
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<br />Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-32795004794727401072014-04-06T09:51:00.001-06:002014-09-18T01:26:12.900-06:00Marilyn is Half a Year OldFatherhood is amazing. It feels so natural and I love it so much that it is really hard to believe that I ever wasn't a father. I was made for this.<br />
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It has been the privilege of my wife and I to watch and help Marilyn grow. Kelly is an incredible mother. In March Marilyn turned 6 months old. It has taken me a while to put this post together with the wealth of picture and video. I'm sorry it is late, but I hope you enjoy it.<br />
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Trying to explain via words what the past several months of fatherhood have been like would not do it justice. Pictures and video can't do it justice either, but perhaps they can help. Enjoy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A video full of adorableness.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/91128598" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/91128598">Marilyn Leah Bettner Months 1-6</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A Daddy's dream come true.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn did lots of hiking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Up high in the mountains.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Going on her first hut trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Snowing on the way to the hut with Mom and Dad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We made it! Time to get inside and warm up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn loved watching the snow fall outside as we all cuddled by the window.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our home for the night, all to ourselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just the family playing together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn is a superb Yahtzee player and destroyed us on her first game ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn slept in Daddy's jacket for the night and stayed very warm and cozy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first snowman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sleeping in Josh's arms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn loves her Great Auntie Lynn, but was a little hangry at the taking of this picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Haloween = Marilyn-o-lantern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A lovely evening hike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Being 2 months old is exhausting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cody teaching Marilyn a bit about Jui Jitsu while watching a Monday Night Football Packer game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Relaxed in Susan's arms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Visiting with Katie and Jennifer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Uncle Weston came to visit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The best.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jack Kurth came to visit Marilyn. She, understandably, wasn't too pleased about sharing her play area with a boy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/23.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 23.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/23.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">But Jack and Marilyn got along well for the most part. Dad made sure that, especially when napping, there was plenty of space between them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn is ready for some mountaineering!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/25.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 25.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/25.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn about to have her first skiing experience!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">WEEE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">SO MUCH FUN!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Grandma and Grandad Raffety visit during Thanksgiving!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thanksgiving Day photo with Mom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thanksgiving Day photo with Dad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Three months and happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">After shoveling off the driveway and sidewalk it was time for a snowy walk with Dad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Walks in the snow are so relaxing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Squeek!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our Christmas Card Picture!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/39.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 39.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/39.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn was pretty happy during the whole photo taking process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We had so many adorable Christmas outfits for Marilyn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dad cut down Marilyn's first Christmas tree while out skiing. She loved looking at the lights and presents underneath the tree.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"I wonder what Santa brought me?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Christmas decor on the house. Marilyn directed how Mom and Dad should hang the lights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bath time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first time being held by Grandpa Bettner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first time being held by Great Grandma and Grandpa.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/48.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 48.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/48.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Meeting Great Uncle Larry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The sunset Marilyn enjoyed on Christmas eve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn and Mommy on Christmas morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Great Grandpa says "Hello" on Christmas morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's favorite present...the wrapping paper of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Four generations of family.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/57.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 57.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/57.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Family portrait.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/58.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 58.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/58.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With Uncle Brice, Uncle Weston and Aunt Leah.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/59.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 59.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/59.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">She's had enough of being photogenic.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/56.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 56.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/56.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">She loved the dogs and the dogs loved and watched over her.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/60.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 60.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/60.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn taking nap time on the same blanket that her Dad used as a little baby.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/61.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 61.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/61.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first basketball game and it is her beloved Bucknell Bison!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/62.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 62.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/62.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn and Mommy where she got engaged to Daddy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/63.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 63.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/63.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn and Daddy in the exact spot where he asked Mommy to marry him.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/64.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 64.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/64.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn enjoyed this beautiful sunset from the engagement spot.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/65.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 65.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/65.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Grandma, I'm ready to go shovel the driveway!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/66.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 66.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/66.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A walk through Great Grandparent's woods in the snow.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/67.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 67.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/67.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Which lead to Marilyn seeing another beautiful sunset.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/68.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 68.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/68.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">More Bucknell Basketball!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/69.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 69.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/69.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn playing with her good friends, the Warns sisters!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/74.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 74.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/74.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In NJ for Auntie Erin and Uncle Evan's baby shower.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/71.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 71.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/71.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Playtime with Grandma Raffety.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/72.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 72.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/72.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Excited!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/73.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 73.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/73.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn came with Daddy to the Ski Industry Association tradeshow to help close some deals.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/76.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 76.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/76.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Look how high I can hold my head!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/77.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 77.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/77.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn is often a delight when you walk in to get her from her crib in the morning.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/78.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 78.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/78.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"I can stand like a big girl!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/75.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 75.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/75.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"I'm making something for you Daddy! It will be in my diaper in about 2 minutes."</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/81.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 81.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/81.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn had an adorable Valentine's Day outfit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/82.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 82.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/82.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Will you be my Valentine?"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/83.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 83.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/83.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Meeting Doug.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/88.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 88.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/88.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Play time with Dad.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/79.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 79.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/79.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"How many fingers can I fit in my mouth?"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/89.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 89.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/89.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn likes playing with her toys on Mom and Dad's bed.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/80.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 80.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/80.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Family slumber party.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/84.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 84.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/84.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shower time.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/90.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 90.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/90.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"I sit like a big girl now."</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/92.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 92.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/92.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the many walking adventures with Dad.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/85.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 85.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/85.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting ready for her first solid food.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/94.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 94.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/94.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Careful or Dad might eat it before you.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/95.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 95.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/95.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Learning to read...it might take a while.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/87.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 87.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/87.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Starting to enjoy her solid foods.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/96.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 96.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/96.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Even branching out to several different kinds of solid foods.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/100.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 100.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/100.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's not quite ready to start using the spoon herself.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/103.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 103.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/103.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">And sometimes she would just prefer to have milk instead.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/114.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 114.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/114.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Aunt Leah comes for a visit and Marilyn gets to try some chicken wing sauce.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/93.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 93.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/93.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shoulder rides on Dad. Somehow he always seems to be more bald afterwards.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/99.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 99.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/99.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sleeping in the swing is the best when you're a baby and are feeling sick.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/101.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 101.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/101.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">So darn cute.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/102.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 102.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/102.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first outdoor, solid food, dinner.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/104.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 104.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/104.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Testing out Daddy's skis.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/105.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 105.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/105.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Brunch outside with Mommy in her pajamas.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/106.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 106.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/106.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn likes to relax in the hammock.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/107.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 107.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/107.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In NJ again with Auntie Julie.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/108.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 108.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/108.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Being held by Fitz.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/109.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 109.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/109.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With friends and family getting ready to celebrate her cousin Lucia's baptism.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/110.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 110.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/110.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"In the name of the Father..."</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/111.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 111.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/111.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">So serious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn spent plenty of time with Tom and his beard, so his shenanigans don't even phase her anymore.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/113.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 113.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/113.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn stopped by Mommy's class room to help teach the high schoolers some math.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/115.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 115.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/2-7%20Months/115.jpg" /></a>Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-58243404540795931072014-03-14T15:08:00.000-06:002014-09-18T01:26:33.470-06:00Denali Plan Overview<b>General Plan:</b><br />
I’m planning on arriving in Anchorage on June 1st, where I’ll rendezvous with my ski partner Josh. For the next 2 days we will purchase most of our food for the expedition, consolidate all of our gear and get everything as neatly packed as possible. The expedition truly begins on June 3rd as we board a glacier plane in Talkeetna (weather permitting) to get dropped off on the Kahiltna glacier on Denali’s lower flanks. <br />
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Although June summer time for most North Americans, for Denali climbers/skiers it is prime time for winter activities. In the middle of the winter, it is dark for most (if not all) of the day. In June there is nearly 24 hours of sunlight to enjoy the mountain with. Earlier than June the temperatures are consistently significantly colder. In June it can still get very cold and snow a lot, but there are breaks from the cold with warmer and sunnier days. June is also ideal because many of the crevasses on the mountain are still well bridged, while later in the summer the bridges collapse making navigation more difficult.<br />
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We plan on climbing the West Buttress route to ascend Denali. This is the standard route for climbing the mountain that most people use to get to the summit. For me, personally, the route of descent is much more important that the route of ascent so I am completely fine climbing this “standard” route. However, even though the West Buttress route is the standard route it should not be underestimated. It still presents a significant amount of hazard and careful planning and wise decision-making are paramount to a safe and successful climb.<br />
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If weather is not an issue, our first 4 days on the mountain will be spent hauling all of our gear from the lower Kahiltna glacier to Advanced Base Camp at 14,000’ (commonly referred to as “Camp 14”). Once at Camp 14 we plan to spend several days, possibly more than a week, acclimatizing with smaller day tours to nearby ski descents. This will give our bodies the opportunity to adjust to the altitude and crazy weather of the mountain. Additionally it will give us the opportunity to assess the snow conditions for a descent of the Messner couloir.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The lower part of the West Buttress Route (red line) with the approximate locations of Ski Hill (green circle), Camp 11 (yellow circle) and Camp 14 (purple circle).</span><br />
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Pic4.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Pic4.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Pic4.jpg" /></a></div>
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When we feel that our bodies have acclimatized and that the weather is permitting we will make a push from Camp 14 to the summit of Denali at 20,320’. We plan to do this all in one day and return back to Camp 14 via a ski descent of the Messner couloir.<br />
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<b>Why I need to train harder than usual:</b></div>
Living and working at fairly high altitudes in Colorado is a great benefit for my Denali fitness. I have done my best to increase my altitude fitness higher than ever before in preparation for Denali. Our Denali plans are much different than the “standard” climbing plan. After leaving Camp 14 most people set up another camp at roughly 17,000’ (AKA Camp 17 or High Camp). From there they will often take another day to acclimatize before making a push to the summit. When they return to Camp 17 from the summit they often spend another night before finally returning to Camp 14. This means a trip from Camp 14 to the summit and back often takes 3-4 days.<br />
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We plan on doing it in one day.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />The upper part of the West Buttress Route (red line) with the Messner coulir (green line) and the approximate location of Camp 14 (purple circle).</span>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Pic5.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Pic5.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Denali/2014%20Pre-Denali/Pic5.jpg" /></a></div>
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Our intended descent route down the Messner couloir (shown in green on the map) would not allow us to return to Camp 17, and we do not want to ski such a committing descent with the weight of a tent and camp gear in our packs. The top of the Messner couloir starts fairly close to the summit and ends almost right at Camp 14. It is in our best interest to summit Denali and ski back to Camp 14 all in one day. <br />
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I know plenty of people have summitted from Camp 14 and skied down in one day. I also know the altitude and physical demands of the mountain have surprised even great climbers and ski mountaineers who failed to summit. I would prefer to be in the former group. To increase the likelihood of success I am training as hard as possible to prepare my mind and body for the rigors of such a day. I know that despite all of my training there is still a chance that the mountain will get the best of me, but training hard gives me the best chance of being successful.<br />
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Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-80396518225224561762014-02-14T14:51:00.000-07:002014-09-18T01:26:52.095-06:00Denali Motivation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Being in the mountains and wild places is in my blood. For generations my family has been living, adventuring and loving the natural splendors of our world. That love was largely passed down to me by my grandfather, Francis. My grandfather grew up in the Alps before and during WWII. He found freedom, peace, safety (literally) and mental clarity amongst the range’s high peaks and deep valleys. While climbing in the Dolomites, in the newly liberated Italy, he met my grandmother - both of them war refugees from their home countries. Later, while standing on the summit of Mont Blanc my <br />
<a name='more'></a>grandfather decided to marry my grandmother (and picked edelweiss for her on the way down). They have travelled and climbed through many of the great mountain ranges of the world, sometimes together, sometime separately but always with a love for the mountains and one another in their hearts.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos of my grandfather atop Mont Blanc (where he decided to propose to my grandmother) and some of the gear that he used.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My great grandparents in a snowcave while on an overnight skiing expedition in Austria.</span><br />
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While growing up my grandfather would tell me all kinds stories of adventures and being in the mountains. He would show me pictures from his times in Tibet, Africa, the Alps, the Altai, the Canadian Rockies, Mongolia and innumerable other places. His stories instilled a sense of awe and wonder in me as a very young child. One thing that particularly struck a chord with me was when he’d talk about the <i>Seven Summits</i>. The idea of the tallest peak on each of the seven continents immediately grabbed my imagination and sense of wonder. When writing my first “Life Goals” list as a 7 year old at a Cub Scout meeting I wrote, “Climb one of the seven summits.”<br />
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Fast-forward more than 20 years and I am now a husband and father. I have not yet climbed one of the seven summits but I spend a great deal of time living, working and adventuring in the mountains. Skiing has become, by far, my preferred method of travel. I am doing my best to pass on the love of being in the mountains and wild places that my grandfather passed on to me and I especially want to pass it on to my 5-month-old daughter. I hope for her to have a sense of appreciation for her heritage and I want to pass on a legacy that she can be proud of, much like my grandfather did for me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My daughter and I getting an early start to her mountain adventures.</span><br />
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Last year the opportunity to climb and ski Denali arose when a close friend and mountain guide, Josh Smith called me about our plan to ski the Grand Teton. He had just been injured and had to cancel on our plans. Instead of re-scheduling a time to ski the Grand Teton we decided that it was now-or-never to plan a trip to ski Denali together. Since then the planning and training has started.<br />
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Climbing and skiing Denali would be a perfect way to carry on my family tradition and pass down a legacy that my daughter and entire family can be proud of.<br />
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Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-32588740282632032452014-02-12T11:24:00.001-07:002014-05-28T14:11:23.567-06:00Mid Ski Season UpdateIt has been a while since I've posted. Things have been really busy lately, but I thought I would post a quick update. Life as a father is absolutely incredible. Kelly and I are well and we love our little girl. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Next month my precious Marilyn turns 6 months old and you better believe I'll be posting tons of pictures on here!</b></span> In the mean time, a little skiing update will have to do.<br />
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We're having a good ski season in Colorado so far. I've been doing a lot of work and coaching with a great group of kids on the <a href="http://www.cufst.com/" target="_blank">Unviersity of Colorado Freestyle Ski Team</a>. Despite complications with the team (that's a story for another time) all the kids seem to really be enjoying their experience and learning a lot. I truly love sharing something I'm passionate about with these kids and I've developed some relationships with them that allow me to be a positive influence (I hope!) in their lives through more than just skiing. That's the real goal, skiing is just the vehicle to get there.<br />
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Along with coaching, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/skidenali" target="_blank">I'm planning a trip to climb and ski Denali in June</a>. Getting up in elevation around here and exercising has been a great way to start getting my lungs in shape. I'm feeling significantly stronger at altitude. Later I'll be doing a whole series of posts on my Denali plans and preparation. This January, while on a several-week stint in Parachute, CO doing seismic mountain access with <a href="http://www.mountain-solutions.net/" target="_blank">GMS</a> (a job I had to take due to the aforementioned ski team complications) I met some really great mountain guides. Many of them guide on Denali in the summers. They gave me great advice and helped me understand what it will take to make the expedition successful. It's pretty exciting and will be the realization of a life-long goal if it works out. (A HUGE thanks to my sponsors <a href="http://www.hellyhansen.com/" target="_blank">Helly Hansen</a>, <a href="http://www.folsomskis.com/" target="_blank">Folsom Skis</a> and <a href="http://www.scarpa.com/" target="_blank">Scarpa</a> for helping with the trip.)<br />
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For now, I hope you enjoy these few short videos from the last few weeks.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/86485242" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/86485242"></a><br />
Fat to Flat 2/11/14<br />
from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/86169581" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/86169581"></a><br />
One Run 2/7/14<br />
from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/85624416" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/85624416"></a><br />
Two Mornings (1/31/14 & 2/1/14)<br />
from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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I figured I'd throw in a little speed flying video from January here, too. Why not?<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/84829419" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/84829419"></a><br />
Wonderland Flight - Unedited - Jan 22, 2014<br />
from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-57209957464326598312013-10-15T10:30:00.000-06:002014-09-02T13:02:08.277-06:00Daddy & Daughter Adventure Time - Wilderness Walk<br />
Kelly and I took Marilyn for her first camping/hut trip last week. During the trip Marilyn and I broke away for a little "Daddy & Daughter Adventure Time" in the wilderness. The video from the entire camping trip will be up soon. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/76923498" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/76923498">Marilyn's First Wilderness Adventure</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's first snowman!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Marilyn%20Fall%202013/DSC01111.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC01111.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Marilyn%20Fall%202013/DSC01111.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Marilyn%20Fall%202013/DSC01111.jpg" target="_blank">http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Marilyn%20Fall%202013/DSC01111.jpg</a></div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-17435115096606095042013-10-05T08:47:00.000-06:002014-09-23T20:46:49.543-06:00One Month of Marilyn!The past month with my wonderful little daughter has been the most amazing blessing I could imagine. I love being her dad.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn's First Month Video:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/76199996" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/76199996">One Month of Marilyn Leah Bettner</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/joelbettner">Joel Bettner</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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The following pictures are from the end of Marilyn's first week to the end of her first month.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Marilyn with Special Guests:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Time with Granddad Raffety</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00591.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00591.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00591.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Being soothed by Grandma Raffety.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00601.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00601.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00601.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Hi Grandma Bettner!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00709.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00709.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00709.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Being burped by Uncle Jake.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00754.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00754.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00754.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Hey Renick!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00569.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00569.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00569.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With Auntie Julie in the blanket that Auntie Julie knitted.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00822.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00822.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00822.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Auntie Julie and Auntie Erin visit.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00837.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00837.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00837.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Marilyn's Special Events:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Being dedicated at church.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00670.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00670.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00670.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">First hike - going to the top of North Table Mountain.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00717.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00717.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00717.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">2-week weigh-in. "I gained a pound? You've gotta be kiddin' me!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00722.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00722.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00722.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">First time being fed by dad.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00804.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00804.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00804.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">First time atop an alpine peak with mommy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00856.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00856.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00856.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">First time atop an alpine peak with daddy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00858.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00858.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00858.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Time at Berthoud Pass.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00876.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00876.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00876.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Reading about nature with dad.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00878.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00878.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00878.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">First time on snow!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00882.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00882.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00882.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"OOOHHH, SNOW!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00885.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00885.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00885.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sticking her tongue out in the mountains with mommy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00896.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00896.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00896.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 month old.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00931.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00931.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00931.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">General Cuteness:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sweet dreams on her sheepskin.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00610.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00610.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00610.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hangin' with mom.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00629.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00629.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00629.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn Leah Bettner with her MLB ball. "Thanks Renick!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00636.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00636.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00636.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"What was that?!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00640.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00640.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00640.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rockin' the sideways cap.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00653.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00653.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00653.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dad enjoying his favorite time of the day.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00657.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00657.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00657.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Whadda ya think you're doin' over there?"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00661.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00661.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00661.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">About to fall into a milk-drunk induced slumber.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00665.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00665.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00665.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Look how long I am!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00687.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00687.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00687.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just before her balloon bit the dust.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00728.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00728.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00728.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fed and happy.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00730.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00730.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00730.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Full-on milk-drunk...</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00739.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00739.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00739.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">...and a very happy milk-drunk at that.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00741.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00741.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00741.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wearing the same outfit that her dad wore as a newborn.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00756.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00756.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00756.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"I like my animal sheets!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00764.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00764.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00764.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tongue out.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00774.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00774.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00774.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"FEED ME!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00785.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00785.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00785.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Well hello there.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00791.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00791.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00791.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yet another milk-drunk slumber...</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00828.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00828.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00828.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">...and she's dreaming sweetly.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00830.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00830.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00830.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Beautiful time in the fall foliage.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00909.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00909.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00909.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">She usually sleeps like this, spread out, like her dad does.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00918.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00918.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00918.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Dad, that's not where that goes!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00936.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00936.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Month%201/DSC00936.jpg" /></a><br />
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I really love my family and I couldn't be any happier about being a dad. There are going to be plenty more updates in the future.<br />
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<br />Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-78196462882345831222013-09-08T19:21:00.000-06:002014-09-23T20:47:23.496-06:00Marilyn's First WeekWow...has it already been a week? It has been the best experience imaginable for our little family.<br />
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As you know, Marilyn had a rough start (see more about that <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2013/09/marilyns-first-day-photos.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-gift-from-god.html" target="_blank">here</a>) but has quickly mended and is thriving. She's putting on quite a bit of weight and cute baby fat (especially in the face!). She's met so many people and been showered in love constantly.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I took quite a bit of video this week. The video below is probably what I enjoyed making the most, though. It was Marilyn's first adventure with daddy.</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/74035483" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="800"></iframe><br />
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As promised, here are a <b>LOT</b> of pictures.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This was taken shortly after Marilyn's eye swelling began to decrease. It was amazing to see her beautiful little peepers. I think it is my favorite picture ever.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00282.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00282.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00282.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Grandma and Granddad Raffey enjoying some Marilyn time.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00261.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00261.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00261.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So happy to see the eyes!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00277.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00277.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00277.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Getting ready to document her first year!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00287.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00287.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00287.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Daddy got her dressed in her very first outfit. Thanks Auntie Erin!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00293.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00293.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00293.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Finally relaxed in the car seat.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00300.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00300.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00300.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ready for her first car ride. Going home from the hospital!</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00304.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00304.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00304.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On her first night home Marilyn had a bunch of people over for a party.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00315.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00315.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00315.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Julie P gets to hold Marilyn for the first time.</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00318.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00318.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00318.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Put the boob RIGHT HERE, mom!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00322.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00322.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00322.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Courtney getting to hold Marilyn for the first time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00323.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00323.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00323.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Weighing in at our 2-day, home visit. Already over her birth weight!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00326.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00326.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00326.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"What's up?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00334.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00334.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00334.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Nanny nanny boo boo!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00352.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00352.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00352.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Big, beautiful eyes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00361.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00361.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00361.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"What's that over there?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00367.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00367.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00367.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Taking a nice nap in her rocker.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00382.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00382.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00382.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Our neighbor, Gracie, getting to hold Marilyn for the first time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00385.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00385.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00385.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Taking a nap on Daddy's chest. This is a regular occurrence now, and I absolutely LOVE it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00398.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00398.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00398.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Dad, you're being a dork!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00402.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00402.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00402.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Swaddled and sleeping.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00406.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00406.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00406.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Out for our first walk and adventure.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00415.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00415.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00415.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">At the lake.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00414.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00414.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00414.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Meeting some girls at the park.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00417.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00417.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00417.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">WEST SIDE!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00419.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00419.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00419.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Daddy, look how long I am!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00421.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00421.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00421.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Gramma" Brown getting to hold Marilyn for the first time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00428.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00428.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00428.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">More sleep on Daddy's chest.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00437.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00437.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00437.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Uncle" Jake holding Marilyn for the first time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00441.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00441.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00441.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">She's got Daddy's feet.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00444.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00444.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00444.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">First Penn State game.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00445.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00445.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00445.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mommy and Marilyn celebrate a PSU touchdown!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00451.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00451.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00451.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Grandma Bettner holding Marilyn.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00455.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00455.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00455.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wake-up time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00461.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00461.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00461.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Big smiles at Mommy!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00464.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00464.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00464.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Milk drunk.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00472.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00472.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00472.jpg" /></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Mommy I'm so hungry!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00474.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00474.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00474.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Burp time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00480.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00480.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00480.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn in her Sunday best for her first church service.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00493.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00493.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00493.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Stacee holding Marilyn for the first time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00495.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00495.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00495.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The family heading back home.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00498.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00498.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00498.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"Look how much I'm growing!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00507.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00507.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00507.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"What's going on over there?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00509.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00509.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00509.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Taking a nap to prep for her first Green Bay game.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00527.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00527.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00527.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"It's been a good week. Time for a nap with Mom."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00534.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00534.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00534.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"My first bath."</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00547.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00547.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00547.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"I'm drying off and warming up. I'll see you all again soon!"</span><br />
<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00563.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00563.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00563.jpg" /></a><br />
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<br />Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6244799364042114337.post-23461671124005450032013-09-03T15:43:00.000-06:002014-09-02T13:33:04.798-06:00Marilyn's first day photosI've been asked by countless people to post more pictures. Here you go.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I<a href="http://joelbettner.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-gift-from-god.html" target="_blank"> told you HERE that the delivery was pretty traumatic</a>. This is a picture about 10 minutes after Marilyn started breathing. You can see that she is awfully swollen and starting to get color to her little body. Poor little thing! I still think she's beautiful, but you can see why I was so worried (when it was worse and she wasn't breathing!).</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00146.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00146.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00146.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">First time being held by Mommy.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00149.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00149.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00149.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00150.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00150.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00150.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/DSC00173.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00173.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/DSC00173.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Our first Daddy & Daughter time. MANY more to come.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/DSC00176.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00176.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/DSC00176.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">About 1.5 hrs after delivery both Kelly and Marilyn are exhausted.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00151.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00151.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00151.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Getting weighed in. Still swollen, but at least now she can open her eyes a bit. Look at her feet...I think she takes after her dad!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00155.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00155.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00155.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'd be cranky too if I just went through that!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00159.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00159.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00159.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn just ate and is exhausted.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00163.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00163.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00163.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">First time being held by Grandma Raffety.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00179.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00179.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00179.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'm the proudest papa you ever did see!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00183.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00183.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00183.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Kell</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">y wakes from a nap to see Marilyn still sleeping.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00184.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00184.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00184.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A little bit of heaven.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00186.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00186.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00186.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The MLB rookie card...get it?!?!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00222.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00222.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00222.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Addison and Marilyn meeting each other for the fist time.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00229.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00229.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00229.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"My eye swelling isn't gone, but at least I can open my eyes more easily now!"</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00232.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00232.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00232.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Big yawn before her first night with Mom and Dad.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00242.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00242.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00242.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Rockin' out with headphones during her hearing test. She aced it, of course!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00253.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00253.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00253.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Deep slumber after a massive feast. She eats like a Bettner!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00259.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC00259.jpg" border="0" src="http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/joelbettner/Marilyn%20Leah%20Bettner/Week%201/DSC00259.jpg" /></a></div>
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That's all for now. I'm going to try to do a "1 Week In Review" post next week for all those that are interested.</div>
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Thanks again for all of the love, prayers and support. It truly means a lot to Kelly and I during this amazing time in our lives.</div>
Joel Bettnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08280283183107038094noreply@blogger.com0