|
TODAY'S STATS |
Mt. McKinley |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
1,000 |
15 |
|
Climbers Currently On Mountain |
470 |
6 |
|
Completed Climbs |
288 |
9 |
|
Number of Summits |
111 |
4 |
|
Summit Percentage |
38% |
44% |
The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station also maintains a daily automated statistics phone line, so if this blog is lagging behind and you need up-to-date registration numbers, call (907) 733-9127.
Weather Report
14,200 feet - Its snowing with occasional wind gusts at 14,200 camp, and most everywhere on the mountain for that matter. Windspeed at 14K was 4 mph out of the south at 8 am, with gusts to 17 from the south. Camp received 11 cm of new snow in the past 24 hours. One upside of snowy weather is that Tucker had time on his hands to to take apart and fix the weather monitoring equipment, so we're back up and running:
In the last 12 hours:
Current temp: 0 F (-18 C)
Low temp: -4 F (-20 C)
High temp: 0 F (-18 C)
7,200 feet - Also snowy and a little breezy. Basecamp received 19 cm in the past 24 hours, and their cumulative storm total is now 34 cm and rising. The morning windspeed was 4 mph from the east, gusting to 14 mph from the southeast.
In the last 12 hours:
Current temp: 27 (-3 C)
Low temp: 19 F (-7 C)
High temp: 27 F (-3 C)
Weather on the ground here in Talkeetna is still wet and rainy, with few breaks anticipated through the weekend.
National Weather Service forecast
Ranger Update
NPS Denali Patrol #2 (Shain + 3 VIPs) is at Basecamp, waiting for good weather for a return flight to Talkeetna.
NPS Denali Patrol #3 (Weber, 2 PJ's, 2 VIPs) has been tent-bound since they arrived at high camp (17K) due to wind and blowing snow. On their first day up there, they assisted a patient with minor frostbite and early signs of HAPE, though that climber descended with their team before the storm hit and is now feeling much better at 14K.
NPS Denali Patrol #4 (Chenoweth, 4 VIPs) is camped at 14,200-feet. Camp is quiet, as teams are generally hunkered down and waiting for the weather to change.
NPS Denali Patrol #5 (McBrayer, 4 VIPs) is doing the Talkeetna Hang. Patiently packed and ready to go when the weather is flyable.
Likewise, NPS Basecamp Patrol #3 (Corn +1 VIP) is waiting for good weather to swap out with Basecamp Patrol #4 (Westman + 2 VIPs). Outbound climbers are starting to accumulate at Basecamp, waiting for a flight back to civilization. The more climbers in camp, the more feet are available to help stomp down the snow on the glacier runway.
Denali Rescue Volunteers (DRV), the park's 'Friends' group that helps support mountaineering Volunteers-in-Parks at Denali, will be hosting two slideshow/fundraisers in Alaska within the next week -- a Talkeetna event on Saturday, June 6 and an Anchorage event on Tuesday, June 9. (See below for showtimes and locations). In addition to door prizes and raffle items donated by local and national sponsors (outdoor gear, flights, food & beverage, etc), the headline event is a slideshow narrated by David Roberts and Matt Hale, who will be telling stories of their epic first ascent of the Harvard Route on Mount Huntington.
Route Conditions
Rangers at all three elevations (7K, 14K, 17K) report that all is relatively quiet on the mountain today. Most climbing teams seem to be staying put due to snowfall, wind, and limited visibility.
The lower glaciers are benefiting greatly from the current snowfall and colder temperatures. Expect travel conditions to improve relative to last week's meltdown.
Photo of the Day
Can't have mountaineering without a good snowfall from time to time. (NPS Photo/Kakiko Ramos-Leon)