Denali Journal, Day 4: Camp II (Rest)

A low cloud system worked its way onto us today and has kept us at Camp II all day.  At times, you could almost see the eclipse-like outline of the sun.  Walter was surmising that camp at Camp III and higher was likely sunny.  This morning, we huddled in our tents after packing to await Walter's call: we will stay at Camp II, and so we moved back into the tent.  It was windy and kind of cold, and nearing total white-out.  You could barely see the next wand on the route and at times not at all.  The only features we could see were our tents and wands marking the camp perimeter, all against a big white omnipresent blurb.  To the left, our tent anchor system (snowshoes).

I helped the guides build a mess tent area, which is dug by cutting big blocks of snow in an "O" shape around a center snow table and cutting and digging snow benches all around, upon which we would put foam sleeping pads for seating.  It all works very well!  A huge canopy top keeps us sheltered.

Eric and Billy (RMI) provided us some comic relief tonight at a dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, with Rice Krispy bars for dessert.  Billy has this uncanny ability to remember every episode of South Park and the good old days of Saturday Night Live and re-enact scenes verbatim!  I even indulged in some coffee tonight!  Mmmm!  It's the next best thing to Ice Axe Ale at the Roadhouse!

Earlier, we all got a good nap in, and I slept as long as I could until the pressure in my bowels became unbearable and I suited up to head to the CMC, only to find Wes starting his "run."  To make it worse, I had lost my hat in the abyss the pile of crap in my sleeping bag and had gone out with just a shell, so I scurried over to my snow-covered backpack to get my balaclava while I waited for Wes.  Once the CMC was free, I hurried over and did my deed in the deep, dark, and cold snow hole under the yellow ski pole-staked canopy that was ripping in the wind like a flag at full staff!  It didn't take long, but it was long enough for total shrinkage!  Then I went and hid under my -40 degree sleeping bag and finished another chapter in "One Hundred Years of Solitude."  

Tomorrow, if the weather breaks, we will head for Camp III!