“A brutal, almost nauseous-tense day”
“We’re all in Talkeetna”, reports Dave Covill last night at midnight, “and walking back to our motel. Beckie is sore, her right knee doesn’t work very well and we’re not sure what’s wrong with it. But she’s getting around OK with her crutches.”
After Beckie was airlifted off the mountain at 14,200 ft. via helicopter and small plane, the remaining members of TZT hiked from 14,000 to 7,800 ft. from 4 to 10 pm. After a few hours of sleep the team then continued down toward the Glacier Camp and airstrip from 4 to 10 am through “a brutal minefield of crevasses for six miles.”
“Rob fell in once, I fell in three times, Dave P. fell in five and Chris, seven” concedes Dave. “I fell in up to my neck at had to be pulled out. It was pretty freaky.” With temps in the low 30s the team tolerated both rain and snow.
Once at the airstrip TZT boarded a small plane, sans Beckie, for the flight to Talkeetna. The pilot started to leave but a ski sank 18 inches into the snow. TZT unloaded the plane which took off with just the pilot leaving the team by the side of the airstrip next to the base camp manager’s tent.
By 8 pm a larger turbo-prop plane arrived to transport them down the mountain though the sleds and a few bags were left behind on the glacier. Dave Pellegrini missed his flight to Anchorage and will likely get out today. The remaining members of TZT weren’t sure of their plans as of last night’s call.
Finally in Talkeetna and reunited with Beckie “we all went into town and sought some of our ranger and climbing friends. We had salmon, halibut, king crab and burgers. Ah... it was wonderful, just wonderful.”
“And yes, we all had showers. It was wonderful.”
Dave P., Chris and Rob stayed at the hanger of the flight service at their offering while Dave and Beckie Covill stayed at a little motel that the folks from the clinic helped them find and brought her to...
“The important thing is that Beckie seems to be doing reasonably well.”
Sunday, July 1, 2007
