Field Report, June 19, 2024

June 19, 2024 Posted by: Maureen Gualtieri

 

TODAY'S STATS - 6/19/24	Denali	Mt. Foraker
Registered Climbers	952	27
Climbers Currently On Mountain	207	2
Completed Climbs	740	25
Number of Summits	354	0
Summit Percentage	48%	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

Gabby says it was clear this morning at Basecamp, 27 F at 7:00 am with a light easterly wind.   This last week of high pressure has consistently met with clear, cool mornings with some cloud buildup by early afternoon.  
   

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. 

The National Weather Service publishes their mountain-specific forecast here: Denali Climbing Forecast

Conditions Report

Still freezing overnight on the lower glacier, but only during the wee morning hours.  Expect heightened crevasse hazard and falls outside that timeframe as the glacier is deteriorating with the long sunny days and warm daytime temperatures.

Search and Rescue Report

Another relatively light, or at least straightforward, week in the Search and Rescue department...good communications, cooperative weather, non-emergent patients.  Both climbers evacuated this week were from guided parties, including a patient with respiratory distress/HAPE at the 14,200-foot camp, and a climber with foot injuries at 11,000 feet.

Ranger Reports 

The new spool of rope has been installed at high camp. The old spool not only had a broken box, but the rope itself had passed its use-by date.  The spool enables labor intensive, but life-saving technical lowering capabilities when the helicopter cannot make it into high camp.  (NPS Photo/Travis Baldwin)


14K Patrol #5 (Baldwin-Kayes)  Patrol #5 spent some time at high camp this week.  Cache consolidation, high camp inventory, creating snow sculptures.  In between those duties, most patrol members worked in a climb to the summit on Monday.  The patrol flies out of the Range this coming Saturday.

14K Patrol #6 (Dossin)  After a week spent tidying up the lower glacier of abandoned caches, Patrol #6 tended to the respiratory patient earlier in the week.  Otherwise, generally quiet around camp as teams moving up and down in predominantly fine weather.  

14K Patrol #7 (McBrayer-Guetschow)  Patrol #7 has been working their way up to 14K, slowly but surely, sidetracked for a day or two with the patient at 11K with severe foot pain. 


Practice make perfect.  Patrol #7 warming up with some crevasse rescue skills outside of Basecamp.  (NPS Photo/Taylor Guetschow)   

Denali Rescue Volunteers

 

 

Learn more about Denali Rescue Volunteers, an organization that helps make Denali National Park and Preserve's mountaineering operations whole! Thank you for all that you do each season, from helping equipping our volunteers, housing them before and after patrols, and supporting our recruitment process! 

Photo of the Day

The NPS got some new signage at high camp this week.  (NPS Photo/Travis Baldwin)