|
TODAY'S STATS - 5/15/23 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
925 |
8 |
|
Climbers Currently On Mountain |
191 |
4 |
|
Completed Climbs |
3 |
0 |
|
Number of Summits |
2 |
0 |
|
Summit Percentage |
67% |
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. |
Mountain Weather
At 7:30 this morning: Gabby at 7K reports calm winds, a temp of 22 F, and cloudy, obscured skies. Throughout the day, most communications with rangers at 7K, 11K, and 14K indicate continued cloud cover with some wind.
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
The FAA webcam on the Kahiltna Glacier has yet to be installed for the 2023 season, but we'll let you now when its up and operational.
Conditions Reports
Denali (reported May 13, by Polish climber Tomasz Rodzynkiewicz)
> Windy Corner - blue ice with patches of snow
> East Facing slopes in Lower Rib - thin blue ice
> Upper Rib snow - firm - variable. Some places crampon points, some places could kick steps."
There are currently 62 permitted climbers and skiers in the park's glaciated backcountry, distributed as follows:
4 on the Peters Glacier
15 in the Upper Kahiltna
24 in the Upper Ruth
9 on Mount Hunter
10 in Little Switzerland
Mount Huntington (reported May 11/12) "Harvard Route - Lots of snow during our stay. This will likely settle/blow off quickly. Good ice under ~2 feet of snow in access couloir for pro/v-threads. Go have fun! PS - try to take off some of the junk white fixed line littering the route."
Little Switzerland (reported for May 5-12) "Steep and deep in the mushroom kingdom! 5 feet just before we arrived, showery weather with < 1 feet snow throughout the week. Clear and warm today. North aspects shedding but not quite corn yet. The Munchkin has never been better." ~ Team Three Blind Mice
Little Switzerland (reported for May 7-14) "Stability OK, East/NE skiing well. More snow on the way. W/S skiing poorly with variable stability." ~Team Jangle
Kahiltna Peaks (reported for April 24 to May 11) "Lots of fresh snow, average conditions are mediocre. Good ice on Bacon, Mugs start is snicy but fun."
(If you don't see what you are looking for, be sure to review the past few Field Reports for more observations. We are only sharing new entries in the Conditions Report binder each Field Report)
Ranger Reports
Its been a busy, and difficult, week for staff and mountaineering rangers at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station, responding to two fatal accidents in the Alaska Range. A Denali NP co-worker died in an avalanche while backcountry skiing near mile 10 the park road on May 4. Then two climbers were lost while attempting the West Ridge route of the Moose's Tooth the night of Friday, May 5 For more details on that accident: Search Scaled Back for Two Climbers on the Moose's Tooth.
14K Patrol #1 (Reichert/Kayes) - Patrol #1 was scheduled to fly out of Basecamp yesterday (Sunday), but they may be stuck there for a few more days if the lousy weather forecasts are correct. But here is the Before & After photo evidence of all the work they did at 14K setting up camp:
The BEFORE shot at 14,200 feet (NPS Photo / Jonah Olson)
AFTER (NPS Photo / Jonah Olson)14K Patrol #2 (Oken) - The women of Patrol #2 reached the 14,200-foot camp on Thursday of last week, taking the camp reigns from Patrol #1 in time for the weekend. In a batch of photos received from volunteer Doc Emily Junck, the team is in fine spirits -- well-trained and ready for whatever the upper mountain has in store for them in the next ten days. Which is looking like it will include a few cold injuries following several cold, windy days up high.
14K Patrol #3 (Dossin) Ranger Galen Dossin flew into Basecamp for the start of his 14K patrol on Thursday, May 11, accompanied by the four smiling Volunteers-in-Parks pictured below. From left to right, is VIP Martin Arteaga, VIP Marissa Beiger, VIP Mitch Beres, and VIP Meagan Binkley. They have already reached the 11,000-foot camp as of post time, though early early this morning, Galen and Mitch headed back down to 9K to assist a climber in distress.
NPS 14K Patrol #3 (NPS Photo / Steve Mock)7K Patrol #3 (Chenoweth) South District Ranger Tucker Chenoweth, always missing the mountains, headed into Basecamp on Friday, for what was supposed to be a 'long weekend' patrol. Looks like unflyable weather will extend the stay a little longer. Luckily he is with worthy companions, including Volunteers (and both former US 210th Pararescuemen who served on Tucker's very first 14K patrol) Paul Barendragt and Jonny Davis, and VIP (and Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center Director) Wendy Wagner.
Photo(s) of the Day
A rare early season photo of Basecamp at night, taken May 1 at ~10:45 pm. Denali is the distant peak just to the left of the solar panel. (NPS Photo / Kakiko Ramos-Leon)
An evening view from the 14,200-foot camp, with the sun setting behind Windy Corner on May 11 at ~9:40 pm (NPS Photo / Emily Junck)