|
TODAY'S STATS - 6/3/22 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
1,112 |
15 |
|
Climbers Currently On Mountain |
471 |
12 |
|
Completed Climbs |
304 |
3 |
|
Number of Summits |
195 |
0 |
|
Summit Percentage |
64% |
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 (907) 733-9127. |
As of June 3, there were only 16 registered backcountry users exploring the Alaska Range:
- 5 in Upper Kahiltna
- 5 in the Upper Ruth
- 4 on Mount Hunter
- 2 in the Kichatna Spires
Mountain Weather
STILL in the high pressure system that won’t quit. That said, Dave Weber reports “All is good at base camp. Very light winds and nice freeze last night. Many teams moving up this morning.”
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 as of this past weekend. Look for the green dot labelled Kahiltna Glacier.
Conditions Reports
Unrelenting sunshine, beach-like temperatures, and no new precipitation have taken a toll on the lower Kahiltna Glacier. Most climbing teams are moving on a night schedule now, at least on the lower glacier, when temperatures are cold and glacier travel is better. Ranger Chrissie Oken just descended on Wednesday, and even at night, she reports "the lower glacier (below 9,000’) is in poor shape, i.e. looks like late June/early July conditions. The trail itself is hardened, but even going slightly off trail its very soft. Big sags, bridges are visible. 7,800-foot camp and Ski Hill are sketchy."
Air taxi operators are reportedly limiting most flights to the morning hours only when the glacier surface is still frozen. At least until the weather pattern changes and the glacier sees more snow and cooler temperatures.
As for the good news, the climbing conditions are great further up the mountain! From the 9K camp up, all seems in fine shape -- Windy Corner, the fixed lines, the Denali Pass Traverse, all are in great shape.
Continued COVID Caution
Still needs to be said....Denali NP rangers strongly encourage preventative measures to ensure climbers don’t contract the virus before their flight into the Alaska Range. Wearing a mask when indoors; social distancing when possible; and washing hands frequently are precautions are especially important in the two weeks before your expedition start date and during your time in Talkeetna! Don't let COVID-19 ruin your expedition. COVID testing is available daily in downtown Talkeetna by the non-profit partner Denali Education Center (click for more info), however testing does not take the place of prevention.
Search and Rescue
A climber in medical distress below the fixed lines at ~15,100 feet elevation was evacuated on Friday, June 3 (today). TEMSCO pilot Eric Ridington flew the patient and medical attendant PJ Matt Steible to Mat-Su Regional Hospital, as the LifeMed air ambulance was unavailable. Thanks to good positioning, ample patrol resources, and great flying weather -- the entire rescue, from callout to ER transfer, took place in under 3 hours.
On the topic of search and rescue, or more specifically of personal risk management, don’t miss Ranger Travis Baldwin’s latest Denali Dispatches blog post, Holding the Weight.
Ranger Reports
NPS 14K Patrol #2 (Oken) Done and done!
The women of Patrol #2 treat themselves to a bouquet of wild roses after a job well done! We thought it was time to get some patrol 'after' shots in these Field Reports. (NPS Photo/M. Gualtieri) NPS 14K Patrol #3 (Baldwin/Ramos-Leon) Patrol #3 had intended to move up to 17K camp today, with plans to enjoy the view from up high at least through Monday. Although those plans may or may not shift due to the medical evacuation they worked this morning/early afternoon. They continue to report a quiet camp at 14K thanks to the unrelenting good weather that has allowed good spacing, ie. no traffic backups. Last reported inventory at 17K was 24 tents…they are going to follow the action.
NPS 14K Patrol #5 (Bomba) Patrol #5 reached 14K on Wednesday evening, then spent yesterday resting up and getting situated in camp. Feeling fresh and rested just in time for today’s medical evacuation. They will wrestle control of camp operations once Travis and Kakiko and friends head high.
NPS 14K Patrol #6 (Weber) Former Denali mountaineering ranger David Weber…now a Grand Tetons NP climbing ranger…just could not stay away! Dave is serving as a special guest host of Patrol #6, joined by fellow Teton climbing ranger Lexie Hunsaker; mega-VIP Shane Treat on his seventh patrol with Dave Weber; returning VIP and paramedic Rick Black; and last but definitely not least -- VIP, paramedic, AND former Denali National Park mountaineering ranger Ron Johnson, back on patrol for the first time since 1991 and 1992!
Left to right: VIP Rick Black, Ranger Dave Weber, Ranger Lexie Hunsaker, VIP Ron Johnson, VIP Shane Treat. (NPS Photo/M. Gualtieri)NPS 7K Patrol #4 (Davis) Ranger Alan Davis couldn’t get enough mountain time after his initial 14K patrol, so he flew back into the Kahiltna Basecamp yesterday with VIP Austin DiVesta. They are braced for action after hearing about lower glacier route conditions from Chrissie. To that end, they are practicing their crevasse rescue skills today.
VIP Austin DiVesta and Ranger Alan Davis break from their packing. (NPS Photo/M. Gualtieri)Another Installment of "Meet the TEMSCO Crew"
Although the park's high altitude helicopter pilots and mountaineering rangers routinely grab the headlines when it comes to search and rescue daring-do, all will agree that the safety of the aviation program relies heavily on an often unsung hero -- TEMSCO mechanic Nate Smith. Nate not only keeps the TEMSCO A-Star B3e helicopter in tip-top performance, he is an integral team member who is always willing to jump in and lend a hand. We asked Nate to share a few words about himself and how he got here...
Hi, I’m Nate Smith, I’ve been working for TEMSCO Helicopters since 2010 and have had the opportunity to work with the Denali High Altitude SAR program since 2016. I worked alongside Andy Hermansky for the first six years I was on this contract and developed a deep appreciation for what was asked of him operationally. Together we worked out many of the finer details of the helicopters setup. This past year saw a change in the left seat and I am thankful to have a conscientious and capable team of pilots rotating throughout the season this year.
I became interested in aviation around the time I was three or four and frightened my mother by often telling her I was going to be a fighter pilot when I grew up. She had probably seen Top Gun and wanted to save me from being a cocky Maverick. I ended up going to a collage down in Texas at LeTourneau University, initially for a four year degree in Commercial Aviation until I got the bill for my first flight course, then after a brief count of both of my dollar bills I switched majors to Aeronautical Science with a concentration in Aircraft Systems which was a maintenance focused field. I managed through careful time management to squeeze a four year degree into four and a half years and came out the other side with an A&P License.
I was offered the opportunity to start off in the airlines which I did for a short time before moving over into a more interesting and varied field of military contracting. While working on Elemendorf AFB I was able to make some connections with other fixed wing operators and began to do freelance, part-time and on-call work for various operators and particularly a remote lodge in the Wrangell Mountains which melded my love for aviation and mountaineering into several years of very enjoyable work and enriched my life with some close friendships. It was here that I caught a breath of hope that my profession didn’t have to resemble an episode of “The Office” but the pursuits that I felt life-giving could blend with the skillset I depended on to earn a living and become something that was constantly new, challenging, unique and meaningful.
Through the years I have had the privilege to have some incredibly patient and forgiving mentors who have had very significant impact on shaping my life. I would love to list them but the list would be extensive, suffice to say I would not be in this line of work without the network of relationships that I lean on for support. I have incredible support from co-workers, equipment manufacturers, field service representatives and the like, but I have one specific mentor who has become to me closer than a brother, answers my calls at any hour of the day or night, and pretty much knows everything there is to know about maintenance and a great deal more, with a friend like that It makes me look like I “have it all together” on my end of things but I’m very dependent on Him and a large number of support people who are behind the scenes helping to make my contribution to the Denali SAR program a success.
I can’t leave without a word about my wife Annie. It is a true gift to have a wife who is flexible and resilient to the nearly constant change and unpredictability that life as an Aviation Maintenance Technician has built into it, especially in Alaska and specifically with helicopters. The rotor wing industry has a rather poor record of relationship lifespan for both pilots and support crew as we all go where the work is and live in oftentimes austere environments where old-fashioned things like faithfulness and loyalty are put on trial. That being said, I have an amazing gift in my beautiful wife Annie. She is a constant support, tireless encouragement, voice of reason, faithful friend and partner in the adventure of life. It would be safe to say that I wouldn’t be part of this program without my wife and her complete backing. ~Nate Smith, TEMSCO
Annie and Nate Smith, TEMSCO helicopter mechanic (Photo courtesy of Nate Smith)
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
Ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon and PJ Tony Yusup make a day trip to the 16,500-foot bivy ledge on the West Rib cutoff. The ledge used to be snow-covered, but is dry rock now. (Photo courtesy of Tony Yusup)