The June 22nd team back-carried from below Camp 2 today, bringing the rest of their supplies up the route and consolidating their gear at camp. With everything now in one place, the team is set up well to focus on the next phase of their Denali ski expedition.

Back-carrying is a steady part of the expedition rhythm on Denali. The team heads down to where the cache was buried, digs out the supplies, repacks everything into sleds and packs, and hauls it all back up to camp. The loads are heavy on the return leg, but the route is familiar ground at this point, which makes the day feel more manageable than a brand-new push higher.

This cache-and-back-carry pattern is the foundation of how teams safely and successfully move a mountain’s worth of gear up Denali. For a ski team, every one of these days carries the added weight of skis and ski-specific equipment, making the steady, methodical work that much more involved. It can feel repetitive at times, but each trip strengthens the team’s familiarity with the route, supports steady acclimatization, and advances their supplies toward the upper mountain.

For now, the June 22nd team is settled in at Camp 2 with another solid day behind them. With their gear consolidated and the team finding their rhythm on the route, the ski expedition is rolling right along.

Back carry day!

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