Field Report for 4/27/22

April 27, 2022 Posted by: Maureen Gualtieri

 

TODAY'S STATS - 4/27/22	Denali	Mt. Foraker
Registered Climbers	808	15
Climbers Currently On Mountain	1	0
Completed Climbs	0	0
Number of Summits	0	0
Summit Percentage	0%	0%

The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station also maintains an almost daily automated statistics phone line, so if this blog is lagging behind and you need up-to-date registration numbers, call [phone].

Mountain Weather

It was a long, cold, snowy winter for most Alaskan residents, but this April has seen one gorgeous high pressure day after the next.  Once our first Denali patrol of the season heads up to Basecamp on May 1, we'll start sharing anecdotal weather conditions from the mountain.  In the mean time, see links below for weather data and forecasts for the Alaska Range.
 
Weather station telemetry data from 7K and 14K are transmitted hourly to the MesoWest website, including temperatures, wind speed, wind direction, snowfall, and solar radiation.  MountainWeather.com compiles a Denali Weather page, complete with links to the MesoWest data, the NWS Denali Climbing Forecasts, as well as links to FAA webcams. 

Click here for the National Weather Service Denali Climbing Forecast

The FAA webcam on the Kahiltna Glacier has yet to be installed for the 2022 season, but we'll let you now when its up and operational.

Backcountry Conditions Reports

As of April 27, there are 100 backcountry users exploring the Alaska Range. Approximate locations and numbers are as follows:

28 in the Upper Kahiltna
7 on the Eldridge Glacier
5 on the Buckskin Glacier
21 in the Upper Ruth
3 on Mount Hunter
24 in Little Switzerland
10 in the Lower Kahiltna
2 in the Kichatnas

Compiled below are notes from the Route Conditions binder at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station.  Although these conditions change rapidly, we thought we'd share them anyway to paint a picture of all the fun being had in the past few weeks. 

Quite a few teams are ordering Ham & Eggs this past week, reporting great route conditions overall. Some quotes from the notebook:

• "Climbing well. Tricky 'mushroom' at start of pitch 2. Crux pitch climbed okay but not very good pro. Pickets left to rap upper snow sections from summit." (4/19/22)
• "Conditions excellent. Anchor excellent. Human feces running throught the narrows...PU, gross" (4/20/22)
• "^ Ditto.  Pitch 3 is the crux, a bit overhung/mushroom.  Stem left on rock." (4/20/22)
• "Ham & Eggs was wonderful, the hardest move of the route is the first 90 degree step. Crux is climbing well. Found a good .75 placement next to the crux. Great climbing above." (4/17/22)
• "Stable conditions." (4/19/22)
• "Ham n Eggs climbing great. Crux is the first ice step. Solid AI3 from there up." (4/24/22)

Multiple reports of rockfall on Shaken Not Stirred:

• "First pitch was all mixed with no ice. Bailed at pitch 7 when stuff started to come down. Start early." (4/19/22)
• "Substantial rockfall in and around Shaken not Stirred" (4/24/22)

Little Switzerland 

• "Great cover, sun and warmth just starting sun crusts. Easy glacier travel everywhere. North slopes still holding powder." (4/13/22)
• "Returning from 9 days of high pressure. Solar is all cooked and has been shedding. Steep faces have all sluffed with variable snow quality. Lower angle N./non solar still skiing VERY well. Overall, good stability around compass, mostly impacted by warming and shedding. (4/15/22)
• "High pressure 4/17 to 4/20. Shady aspects stayed cold. Wind event (north-east) 4/19 left features on surfaces and small

Mount Huntington

• "Harvard Route, 4/13/22. Access to the upper basin is via Nettle-Quirk approach (left side of glacier) and bergschrund crossing is easy on left side of access couloir. Ice/snow mix in access couloir and deep snow above, throughout the route. No ice on mixed pitch, just snow and rock. (4/11/22, ~Micah, Mountain Bureau)

Buckskin Glacier

• "North asepcts skiing very well. Sunny aspects are out." (4/20/22)
• "Same comment as above. Could use a refresh."  (4/22/22)

Sheldon Mountain House

• "Snowshoed out past landing strip area and down towards confluence of Sheldon Amphitheater and Ruth Glacier. Stuck to established trail which was nice and hard-packed. Two from our group skinned up and skied down on two runs near the hut, said conditions were excellent where there wasn't any other tracks." (4/23/22)

Whale's Tail

• "Returned from a 4 night trip, 747 to Whale's Tail, ski out to mile 131. Stable conditions. No avalanche danger." (4/18/22)

Ranger Reports

Ranger Chrissie Oken headed into Little Switzerland on April 26 for the first NPS backcountry patrol of the season. Accompanied by Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP's) Liz King and Patrick Solomon, the patrol will spend a week on the Pika Glacier -- skiing, climbing, and contacting fellow explorers in Little Switzerland. We'll bring you their observations next week.

Ranger Travis Baldwin and VIP Eric Wickenheiser are flying into the Root Canal as I type. Similarly, we will hear their story next week, along with conditions information and other observations.

The first NPS Alaska Range patrol of the season pauses for a glamour shot before flying into Little Switzerland for a week of exploration.  From left to right, VIP Liz King, NPS ranger Chrissie Oken, and VIP Patrick Solomon.  (NPS Photo/Travis Baldwin)

Photo of the Day
 

A hearty welcome from the Denali National Park and Preserve mountaineering team, from left to right: Ranger Chrissie Oken, VUA Beth Howard, Ranger Travis Baldwin, VUA Marie Richter, Front Desk Supervisor Debbie Reiswig and her pal Lizzie, Ranger Mik Dalpes, VUA Chelsie Valetta, Ranger Galen Dossin, PIO/Budget Maureen Gualtieri, Ranger Alan Davis, Ranger Chelsea Bomba, Ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon, Ranger Joe Reichert, and South District Ranger Tucker Chenoweth.  (NPS Photo/Doug Gualtieri)