Hardwear Sessions

The four mountaineers arrived in Seattle last Wednesday evening in order to make final preparations for the Friday flight to Glacier Bay National Park. Last minute equipment deliveries and fresh food purchases were done on Thursday, while all the gear was packed for the Alaska trip in a huge conference room at the Hutchinson Center. Throughout the day, well wishers stopped by to look at the piles of gear and equipment that the team would be taking to the mountain. Rainer Storb, who met with the team in January on their first visit to the Hutchinson Center, looked on and shook his head saying, "This is quite an undertaking...quite something. I wish them all the best!" The major hurdle on Friday's flight to the park was checking the mountain of gear that accompanied the team. With the new airline baggage regulations, there was concern that getting all the duffels and skis on the plane with the team would be a major difficulty. However, as it turns out there are friends of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center everywhere, including Sea-Tac Airport, and check-in went very smoothly. It was about halfway through the 17-minute flight from Juneau to Gustavus near the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park that the flight attendant came on the loudspeaker and said, "We are privileged today to have the members of the Big Expedition for Cancer Research on board with us. They will be attempting to climb an unclimbed mountain in the northern reaches of the park for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Let's wish them well with a big round of applause," and that's just what they got. It all seemed very real at that point. On Friday evening, the team met with officials from the National Park Service who showed their support for the Big Expedition. Park Superintendant Cherry Payne, Head Ranger Randy Larson and Margaret Hazen, visitor use supervisor, spent a couple of hours with the team discussing all the elements of the expedition, showing recent photos of the mountain and the approach and offering every resource they have to help make the Big Expedition a success. The special use permit that was issued to the team is the first such permit granted in over 30 years. The team exchanged some wry smiles and grins when they were told about the brown bear that has been hanging around the beach in Reid Inlet looking for seafood. It was suggested that the team should make their camp on the icefield at least a mile from the beach and there were absolutely no arguments. The boat ride on Saturday morning was chilly but stimulating. Dawn said she just had to see a whale before she left the park and she didn't have to wait that long. An hour or so into the trip, two young humpback whales came to see Dawn and the rest of the team. The whales breached several times and crossed in front of the boat as if to wish the team a safe journey. Along with several sea otters with babies on their chests and bald eagles, the wildlife in the park all joined in to kick-off the Big Expedition. As Alaska Dream pulled away from the shore, the team began assuming their roles for the journey of a lifetime. The parallels to the work being done by cancer researchers at the Hutchinson Center are very clear. It is a long, hard road but it is dotted with successes that advance us toward the ultimate goal. The mountaineers became small specks on the vast Alaskan landscape but there was no doubt that their contribution would be worthy of major note in the years ahead. We wish them well.