July 30, 2012
Phil's 1982 Denali Summit Team reunited
30 years ago, I climbed Denali with the group shown here. How quickly time passes. Don Vandegriff, Jon Pelkey, Dennis Shields, Chris Shields, Phil Ershler, Dave Krohne, Sheryl Krohne and Jim Dallas – this was the team I took to Denali in June 1982. Eight of us landed on the Kahiltna Glacier and we expected all eight to summit. That’s just what happened. Everyone was totally committed to being on the expedition and totally committed to their team members. Pretty cool to watch a group share all the work and the thrill of reaching the summit. Maybe even cooler to watch them all remain in contact and stay friends. And really special when they all came to Mt. Rainier this past weekend and spend two days remembering and celebrating their success. A pleasure to be a part of it.
Phil Ershler