August 2, 2010
SUMMIT! Geo Grabs #500
July 31, 2010
George Dunn on top of Little Tahoma early in his guiding career
I just spoke with Phil via SAT phone… At 6:10am this morning George Dunn, alongside his wife Nancy, his son Jeremy and his partners Eric Simonson and Phil Ershler (and Phil’s wife Sue), summited Mt. Rainier for the 500th time. Sounds like it was a tough climb with some decent winds, blowing snow and the occasional lightning strike – but not enough to stop the Dunn and IMG family.
SPOT Track their progress here.
They’re walking downhill now.
More later…
Tye Chapman
#500 Is Hopefully Hours Away
July 30, 2010
George, Nancy and a couple fellow climbers enjoying a hot drink and dinner at The Flats.
We got word from The Flats and the teams are doing just fine! It was a busy day on the mountain but a nice hot drink, dinner along with an extended nap will get them through summit day!
Back at Muir are George’s Partners Eric Simonson and Phil Ershler along with Phil’s wife Sue. They’ll wake up a touch earlier than George to catch up with him en route to #500.
Stay Tuned – or follow along via the SPOT Tracker.
Tye Chapman
Jason Reports In From Camp Muir
July 30, 2010
On the stoves: Tyler Gimenez and Dan Zokaites. Enjoying their hard work is George Dunn and a couple WNPF Climbers.
Jason Edwards is up at Camp Muir with one of our annual Washington National Parks Fund climbs is able to sneak out the occasional email and photo. Below is his dispatch from this morning.
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Good Morning!
Breakfast time in the Weatherport. Hotcakes, hash browns and bacon, and of
course hot coffee!
Next on our agenda, some snow-school training.
Great weather up here at Camp Muir today! More later…
Jason
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On the same schedule as Jason’s team is George’s crew (his wife Nancy and son Jeremy). They’ll head up to the Flats later today, but be joined by Eric Simonson, and Phil & Sue Ershler early in the morning who will be climbing from Muir. Getting closer to 500! Go Geo!
Follow along via the SPOT GPS Messenger George is carrying.
Tye Chapman
All Is Well At Camp Muir
July 29, 2010
George Dunn at Camp Muir
Longtime guide and friend of George Dunn reports in from Camp Muir… All is well!
He relayed a classic George Dunn ‘moment’ as the group enjoyed dinner in the Weatherport:
Said George: “I have a great life…it has it’s ups and downs.” to which fellow guide Tyler Gimenez responded, “yeah, like 500 of them!” All eight of us in the Weatherport busted out laughing!
Life is good at Muir!
-Jason
Follow their progress via the SPOT GPS Messenger George is carrying.
Emmons Team Update
July 28, 2010
We were saddened to hear of a death on the Emmons Glacier route yesterday with a private rope team of 4 climbers. The party was descending from the upper mountain when a slip occurred and the other members on the rope were unable to arrest the fall.
Our group was low on the mountain at the time and not involved in the accident in any way. Trip leader Greg Vernovage had already planned to take a new variation of the route, on a more gentle traversing line that will avoid the site of the accident. The guides are committed to making the Emmons as safe and successful as they possibly can and the entire team is looking forward to an enjoyable climb on Thursday.
George Dunn
Rainier Update
July 27, 2010
IMG Guide Greg Vernovage reported in from the Inter Glacier this afternoon reporting all is well with the team. They’ll wake up in the morning and head up to Camp Schurman and if all goes as planned they’ll make their way up the Emmons Glacier on Thursday.
Over on the Kautz, Peter Anderson reports the team is making good progress to their camp near Lower Castle. They’ll make their way up to their High Camp tomorrow and theoretically summit the same day as our Emmons team
And on the DC Route, IMG Guide Josh Tapp reports from Camp Muir that all is well and the team made it to Muir in good form. They’ll move up to the Flats tomorrow and summit on Thursday – the same day IMG Partner George Dunn departs on what should be his 500th summit of Mt. Rainier.
All is well on Mt. Rainier!
Tye Chapman
Master Of The Mountain – George Dunn
July 26, 2010
Craig Hill of the Tacoma News Tribune captured George’s upcoming 500th summit of Mt. Rainier pretty darn well…
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CRAIG HILL
Published: July 26, 2010
One morning this week George Dunn, his crampons crunching through the snow atop Mount Rainier, likely will make history and it won’t even be the highlight of his day.
The 56-year-old guide plans to climb Rainier on Friday with friends and family and become the first person to summit the 14,411-foot peak 500 times. (READ MORE…)
George Dunn climbs Mount Rainier for the 498th time last month. The group is on a switchback climbing atop Panorama Point, on the way to Camp Muir. He has been a mountain guide since the 1970s. Here he leads a climb of scouts and dads. (Photo by Peter Haley TNT Staff Photographer)
George Grabs 499!
July 23, 2010
A view of Mt. Adams from Camp Muir (Photo by Andrew Locke)
Just heard from IMG Partner George Dunn who stepped off the crater rim of Mt. Rainier this morning for the 499th time! Way to go George!
He wasn’t alone – he and some friends from Outdoor Research along with his partner Phil Ershler were with him on the climb. It was a bit breezy overnight but that didn’t stop them from getting to the top. Nice work gang!
When will 500 take place you ask? Well, Geo is scheduled to go up late next week for what could be his 500th summit. We’ll keep you posted!
Tye Chapman