Matt Bohne called in from the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier to report that the team was unable to move today, due to very, very poor visibility. They received some snowfall, which effectively obliterated the old trail to Camp 1. The trail was not well marked, and so the team took the prudent course of action and decided to wait until they could see where they were going before heading out onto the broad and rather nondescript Kahiltna Glacier.
The terrain is very vague outside of camp, and if a team were to wander a bit too far right or left, they could easily find themselves in an area rife with crevasses or threatened from ice falling from neighboring peaks. The forecast is for a bit of improvement in the weather, and they are planning to get an early start in the morning and head out to Camp 1.
Here is Matt:
This is a note for Michael Crowley,
Mike
Hope things are going well and keeping our fingers crossed for favorable conditions your climb. Team Eclectica did well, beat our time from last year by about 40 minutes coming in 19th in our divisions and 103 overall. No injuries and a lot of smiling faces, you were greatly missed. Enjoy your journey and your team and we will keep checking in on you.
Cheers
Bob
Finally located you. Hope weather improves so you can get going.
All of you are in my payers.
Weather here – gale winds.
Love, M