The Moment of Momentum

The time has arrived to shut the eyes and dream positive one last night before awakening in the morning to load the airplane and fly out onto the mountain. Today was another bustling day of activity here in Talkeetna, which, I discovered recently, also hosts the conclusion of the formidable Iditarod Dog Sled Race.

This morning the entire climbing team gathered for a gargantuan breakfast at the Roadhouse Cafe. Half-sized orders are a menu option for reasons you can only understand if you make the digestive mistake of ordering a full-sized order. Downing a pancake reminiscent of a New York style pizza, I set off for the K2 aviation hanger to sort out all of our group and personal gear for the next 21 days on the mountain.

Creature comforts do not seem necessary while embracing a full stomach in the comfort of a building full of warm air. I had to close my eyes and visualize the demands my stomach and body would be communicating to my mouth in a week, when the temperatures are 30 below zero, and I have burned more calories than Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. I immediately packed my Haribo Gummie Bears. They should make for a delightful frozen treat :) Other necessities include: pounds of dried fruits, bagels, oysters, clams, sausages, cheeses, and other things that will become to me as mouthwatering as an hors d'oeuvres plate at a White House luncheon. My lunches weighed out at around 25 pounds, with the group dinners and breakfasts to be divvied after we arrive at base camp. Next up was a gear check to make sure we had everything necessary to keep our fingers and toes from becoming charcoal nuggets. Thanks to First Ascent and Whittaker Mountaineering, I have been furnished with everything necessary to turn my tent into a sweatlodge.

Rolling out for lunch, we stopped by the Park Service Office to pay our climbing fees, get a quick orientation, and scope out the relics of many past climbs by teams and individuals from around the globe. Looking through the books I noticed one titled Alaska 24/7. I immediately flashed back to circa 2001, when I was on Mann's Creek in West Virginia doing a photo shoot for the cover of the same book series called West Virginia 24/7. I turned to the first page and there was my cover shot, amongst the other state's cover shots, of Erica Mitchell and me on the falls below the gristmill. Just another sign of good things to come here in Alaska.

After lunch, we headed back to the airstrip to do a dry run of tent construction in order to eliminate confusion before we are faced with the gale force winds on the mountain which could turn our tents into sails capable of navigating the Black Pearl to World's End. It's now time to rest the eyes and ease the mind before our early departure. Mt. McKinley...."PREPARE TO BE BOARDED!”