Mountain Trip guide Joe Butler called in what will be the last update from the glacier for the June 5 West Buttress team. They descended throughout the night to reach Base Camp on the glacier at 7,200′, after a whirlwind few days up above 17,000′, including a few moments at 20,310′, the summit of Denali.

Since the weather is clear and sunny, the team will soon catch a Talkeetna Air Taxi ski plane back to summertime, civilization and cell service. From there they can call friends and family, take long hot showers and order off of a menu for the first time in three weeks, among other luxuries that they may have not even realized they missed.

We will post a final dispatch from the team with a recap of the expedition and hopefully some photos, once the team has some time to reflect on the experience and enjoy the summer sunshine. From Talkeetna, the team will go their separate ways either to continue exploring the great state of Alaska, or fly back home.

Here’s Joe!