Mt. McKinley (2011) - Day 10

Rest at Camp 4; build walls / kitchen / crapper

10:45 - Mike had told us the previous day that the sun will hit camp around 10am. I was lying in my sleeping bag, waiting. It never happened. It was over-cast and breezy. Neither Wes nor I had any desire to seriously consider a back carry.

Wes started work on a pancake breakfast, and I started fixing up our rear wall, which would be our privacy guard while using the CMC. After breakfast and another long chat with Mike, we decided to turn the rear of the camp into the kitchen/crapper. We started digging deep. Wes grabbed the yellow tarp thing and we staked it out as the roof of the kitchen. We are keeping regular shifts, making sure no Germans move their tent into it. I'm imaging a large "this is not Poland" sign.

And speaking of which, I haven't seen that German couple (Pukilicious) in a couple of days. I hope they turned around. Somehow I wouldn't be surprised if they had already pushed up to high camp. Rumor has it that they've done high altitude climbs in Nepal, so they have probably decided this mountain is short and easy; and they'll wind up dead.

Some days ago we started hearing talk of a Mountain Trips catastrophe. It's been very hush-hush so far, which is very odd for this mountain, where gossip reigns supreme. From what I've heard, the team took a spill coming down Pig Hill where their client broke a leg, the guide screwed up his shoulder/arm and one client was left uninjured.

The guide dug a hole for the broken-legged client, knowing that he couldn't move him down to high camp himself, and left him near the Football Field. The guide and the other client proceeded to descend to high camp to get help.

As they approached the top of Denali Pass, which is rather icy, the client fell and died. The guide continued on to high camp successfully.

There are numerous unanswered questions....