On the morning of Day 4, the couloir that Lonnie was going to climb avalanched. The powder cloud really shook his tent despite his distance from the run out. That chute is known to be a high avalanche risk, it is the reason the attempt in 2020 was aborted. Needless to say, that is spooky so Lonnie has opted for an alternate route.
Big day yesterday to gain elevation on the way to the ridge. Steep, icy, mostly front pointing. Last night, he spent a lot of energy and time carving out a spot for his tent on a tiny ledge. Listen in to Lonnie's call on the morning of Day 6, made from the little platform he cut out of the icy slope at 10,000ft.
The route ahead gets steeper and is more technical, but if he can just make the next 1,500ft, things will ease up. He has a wonderful forecast ahead with no precipitation, low winds and warming temperatures. Good thing, because he has elected to go light on his sleeping system.
Image of couloir that is prone to avalanches taken during 2019 attempt