Everest Attempt. Climbing the historic route which claimed the lives of Mallory and Irvine in 1924, the Wyoming Centennial Everest Expedition, commonly called “Cowboys on Everest,” led by Courtney Skinner, fought against weather conditions resulting from the heaviest monsoon in years according to Tibetan locals. On the approach, rains caused landslides, vanished roads and washed-out bridges and delayed the arrival at Base Camp until August 25 after nearly 25 days of travel and waiting. From Base Camp at 17,000 feet, we set up three camps to Advance Base at 21,325 feet at the foot of the North Col. It took twelve days to fix the route up the col. A safe line was used up the center of the sérac field. Camp IV was set up on the col on September 21 and a few days later a group reached Camp V at 25,000 feet. Winds destroyed tents at Camps IV and V and, after several more tries, the expedition was called off on October 14. The team returned to Base Camp after 57 days on the mountain. The members were leader Courtney Skinner’s brother Orion and his father Bob Skinner, Quint Barney, Bob Bohus, Peter Breslow, Doug Burbank, Jim Burnett, Julie Cheney, Sue Cobb, Carl Coy, Rick Dare, Matt Ellenthal, Mack Ellerby, Dave Frawley, Ethan Goldings, Ross Greenlee, Ted Handwerk, Sibylle Hechtel, Alexandra Hildebrandt, Sherri King, Steve Marts, Brian McLean, Dave McNally, Dave Padwa, Mark Pilon, Fred Riedman, Jim Robinson, Jeb Schenck, Anne Stroock, Brad Wemtz and I.

Stephen Gardiner, Unaffiliated