Thanks for all your thoughts, prayers and support!

The Rainier Summit for FA is now history and I want to thank the Rope Team for a great effort climbing the highest glaciated peak in North America. I
was really impressed by the focus and effort displayed by all.  It was truly a team effort!

I also want to thank our mountain support crew (Jennifer McCorey and Susan Cournoyer) as they both did a great job making sure the team had everything
they needed to tackle the mountain.

I want to think our RMI guides, Casey, Pete and Ellena who trained us and led the way up the mountain. They also were superb in leading Kevin and I down from the summit in challenging weather conditions.

Finally, I want to thank all of our Rope Team Supporters who contributed to FA Research, cheered us on during the climb and sent countless messages back congratulating us on the accomplishment. We should all feel proud about what we have done to help find a cure for FA.

Thanks again for joining me on the Rope Team for FA.

Bill

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Summit Day Update

The entire team is safe and sound - very tired, cold and glad to be off the mountain.  Both Bill McCorey and Kevin McQueen reached the summit at 6:28 am (PST).  The trip back down was an adventure as Mother Nature unleashed major thunderstorms, lightening, hail, wind and fog.  Bob Cournoyer made a very strong climb to Camp Muir at 10,300 feet.  Todd Stormes made it to 11,300 feet and had to pull back due to altitude sickness.  Great summit pictures of the FA flag signed by all the kids at a recent FA camp.

The team had a great time together on this adventure and Kevin and Bill are already talking about keeping the rope team together on another mountain in the future. 

Sorry that the GPS satellite tracking didn't send out the messages as planned as one needs to be in place for at least 20 minutes for the messages to go through. 

Thanks for all your support - it helped all of us achieve this big mountain.
Bill

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OK ESN:0-7347998

Team,
The Rainier expedition is going great - here's where we are on the mountain. Summit ahead!

Bill
ESN:0-7347998
Latitude:46.8501
Longitude:-121.7481
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:08/18/2008 06:44:00 (US/Mountain)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=46.8501,-121.7481&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Day 2 Training / Trip to Camp Muir

Yesterday training on the mountain went well in record heat, 98 degrees at the bottom of the mountain. The team hiked up to 7,200 feet and spent a full day learning various climbing  techniques such as self arrest, team arrest, pressure breathing, rest walking and rope work on crampons. Our guides Casey and Pete did a great job putting everybody through the tests. 

The team did experience one minor injury, Todd Stormes jammed his left ring finger while sliding down the mountain. It appears to be healing well and Todd is ready for the trip to Camp Muir today.

Dinner last night was fun and included a good friend Manoj Rewatkar and his wife and daughter. Manoj made a run at the Summit on 8/16 and made it to Camp Muir, quite an accomplishment. We also celebrated my one
year birthday as 8/16 was the anniversary of my fall!

Today the team is gathering and getting ready for the push to Camp Muir and the summit attempt. We are anxiously watching the weather which at this time calls for thunderstorms, high winds and precipitation. Keep us in
your thoughts as we aim higher!

Bill

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OK ESN:0-7347998

Team,
The Rainier expedition is going great - here's where we are on the mountain. Summit ahead!

Bill
ESN:0-7347998
Latitude:46.8042
Longitude:-121.7262
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:08/16/2008 12:02:40 (US/Mountain)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=46.8042,-121.7262&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Day 1 - Base Camp

We arrived at “Base Camp” in the early afternoon after a pretty drive from Seattle. It is unusually hot with highs in the 90s. We have several incredible views of Rainier on the way in. To say it is imposing would be a massive understatement. It is hard to believe that we might be standing on the top of it in a few days.  After checking in to the bunkhouse, we picked up all of our rental gear, grabbed lunch and then waited for orientation at 3:00.  The orientation involved meeting the other climbers on our trip, an explanation of the route, a slide show and a talk through all of our equipment. In addition to the four of us, we will be joined by the Hoff clan, two brothers and a sister from New York, and Tom from Washington. Everyone seems reasonably nice. No one has too much experience. Our guide has climbed Rainier over 100 times and has done Everest twice, so we should be in good hands. Fortunately this year the route to the summit is in excellent shape. We can take the normal course over Disappointment Clever instead of the longer route that got Bill in trouble last year. There shouldn’t be many crevasses. The biggest issue will likely be falling rocks which sounds like a lot fun. After orientation we settled into our rooms and headed out for a great dinner up the road a piece. Now we are having a few beers on the porch before we hit the hay. Tomorrow is a full day of training in a snow field which should be fun but very hot. I am staying in the bunkhouse with 5 other strangers. Its a bit a like staying in hostel in Europe. Good times. More on that tomorrow.

Test 2 from blackberry

Email from blackberry

OK ESN:0-7347998

***TEST***
Team,
The Rainier expedition is going great - here's where we are on the mountain. Summit ahead!

Bill
ESN:0-7347998
Latitude:37.5641
Longitude:-77.5231
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:08/08/2008 07:00:23 (US/Mountain)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=37.5641,-77.5231&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Test

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