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TODAY'S STATS - 6/29/22 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
1,129 |
5 |
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Climbers Currently On Mountain |
137 |
0 |
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Completed Climbs |
992 |
5 |
|
Number of Summits |
682 |
0 |
|
Summit Percentage |
68% |
0% |
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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 (907) 733-9127. |
Today there are only 5 registered backcountry users in the Alaska Range.
(For those paying close attention, you might see subtle variations in our day-to-day statistics as the front desk staff tidy up the data.)
Mountain Weather
Standing in Talkeetna, one wouldn't know there was an Alaska Range sitting in the distance today, despite zero cloud cover. Smoke haze from area wildfires has obscured visibility in all directions. In the mountains today -- the haze isn't so bad. Using the FAA webcams link below - compare and contrast the McKinley South webcam with the Kahiltna Glacier webcam..and then work your way up north to get a feel for the statewide smoke conditions.
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 is fully operational. Look for the green dot labelled Kahiltna Glacier.
Conditions Reports
Returning teams continue to report rotten lower glacier conditions -- glacier travellers require good flotation and a rope connected to a good friend or two. Turquoise blue glacier lakes are pooling up all around, beware the unexpected swim!
Search and Rescue
All quiet in recent days...
Ranger Reports
NPS 14K Patrol #6 (Beren) As mentioned on Monday, Jake and his teammates were "poised to either head up to the summit or to help climbers in need...whichever happens first." With all quiet on the upper mountain, the patrol enjoyed a beautiful and relatively calm walk to the summit yesterday (Tuesday).
NPS 14K Patrol #7 (Dossin) Ranger Dossin and his Dream Team are headed up to high camp today, trading places with Ranger Beren and his brave companions. They will spend a few days up high before returning to 14K to put the finishing touches on the end-of-season camp pack-up.
NPS 7K Patrol #7 (Ramos-Leon) Ranger Ramos-Leon and his hard-working crew are buttoning up 7K today, with a flight scheduled out of the Alaska Range tomorrow. The US Army Sugarbears are tentatively slated to fly camp gear out on July 14th.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
Mountaineering Rangers Chrissie Oken (above, on left), Chelsea Bomba (above, in the air), Mik Dalpes, and Alan Davis took advantage of a clear day to do some late season short-haul training. Training for short-haul must be done at least once every 90 days to maintain currency. This training took place in the Tokosha Mountains, situated between the toe of the Ruth and Tokositna Glaciers. We focused on transporting a patient in a "screamer suit," an evacuation harness that is easy to put on. Another focus of all trainings is communication. We primarily use radios with hand signals as a back-up. The short-haul technique is only used when landing the helicopter is not possible due to the terrain. The idea with a short-haul is that it is a short transport to an area where the helicopter can land and the patient can be transferred inside the helicopter. (NPS Photo/Mik Dalpes)