Contrary to what many people think snow/glacier travel is often extremely hot work. Climbers are essentially at the bottom of a shiny bowl that reflects all sunlight. In addition higher elevations mean less atmosphere to block ultraviolet light making the sun seem more intense. The results can be bad sunburns under the chin or even inside the nostrils. Additionally without glacier glasses blocking 80% - 95% of the light, burned retinas are a real risk. They might be protected from the worst of it but the previous day was still a sweaty workout.
With that in mind today was planned to be a bit of a rest day. Sleep in, relax, and have the option to start climbing in the evening. No doubt they are tweaking their rope and sled systems and mapping out their itinerary for the next few days.
Prior to leaving there was a lot of discussion regarding where they would spend their first night. Since knowing their arrival time and weather wasn't possible, day 2 could have started anywhere between base camp and 9,800 feet. With that question mark removed and an updated local forecast I'm sure they spent the hottest part of the day under the pyramid tarp outlining the next 2-3 days and watching other climbers. They are not alone on the mountain by any stretch and they are reportedly enjoying the instant camaraderie among teams. The view isn't bad either.
Please note that after leaving Talkeetna, they have no way to send me pictures to post. What you see linked are pictures I found on SummitPost.org.
Update (midnight Jun 7): They made it up to 8,800 ft with great weather.
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