As of Monday morning, there are 90 registered backcountry users in the Alaska range outside of the West Buttress route. We continue to see visitors with plans to ski and climb in areas like the Pika glacier, the Root Canal, and throughout the Ruth.
Climbers and skiers have reported significant snow accumulations in the past weeks, although this varies greatly based on location. One group in the Buckskin reported limited heavy wet snow, and very few natural avalanches. Other groups coming out of the Pika and Ruth reported lots of fresh cold snow, and groups chose to limit their exposure to avalanche terrain during the storm.
It feels a little bit like Groundhog Day here in Talkeetna – our stormy April is rolling in to an equally stormy May. With all the precipitation, climbers and skiers visiting the range should continue to carefully assess avalanche hazard and be prepared for weather delays!
Stuck in Talkeetna waiting to fly in? Need a little pick-me-up? Check out the Denali puppy cam, featuring the latest litter of aspiring sled dog puppies that work on the north side of the park. Webcam: Sled Dog Puppies - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)
Basecamp
Basecamp has gotten busy in the last week! Climbers looking to attempt technical routes in the area, along with expeditions headed to the West Buttress have been flying in during every available weather window.
Like the rest of the range, basecamp has seen significant snowfall in the past few weeks. On Monday morning, ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon and his volunteers Kevin McGarity and Tatum Scheibler reported 2-3 feet of fresh snow overnight, and strong winds at high elevations.
Base camp patrol volunteers Kevin McGarity and Tatum Scheibler, along with ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon are currently holding down the fort at Basecamp in stormy weather.
West Buttress
Despite the storms, teams have been making their way uphill on the West Buttress. Patrol 1 with ranger Joseph McBrayer is currently at 11,000 ft camp. They hope to move to 14,000 camp as soon as they get a break in the weather.
Despite stormy weather, stoke remains high on patrol 1. The team celebrated volunteer Joe Grout’s birthday with some backcountry baking. Happy Birthday Joe! Left to right: Andrea Tupy, Carter Keene, Joe Grout, Joseph McBrayer. Photo: S. Barrier
Travel conditions on the West Buttress route above ski hill camp. Expect fresh snow and wind drifts, making careful avalanche assessment and crevasse assessment essential! Photo: S. Barrier
Patrol 2 with ranger Alan Davis launched last week and is currently at the base of Ski Hill. Volunteers Ben Hannon, Austin DiVesta, Chris Bailey, and Matt Skorina will continue to acclimatize and move uphill in the coming week.
Patrol 2 left to right: Chris Bailey, Alan Davis, Matt Skorina, Austin DiVesta, and Ben Hannon.
Alaska Range Patrols
Ranger Chrissie Oken and volunteers Kailyn McGrath, Andy Paul, and Madison Crowell are currently on the Muldrow glacier. The team has made it past the lower icefall, and reports that travel is more difficult than pre-surge, but it is possible! The team will establish camp and assess higher sections of the glacier in the coming days.