|
TODAY'S STATS - 5/16/22 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
1,110 |
17 |
|
Climbers Currently On Mountain |
254 |
7 |
|
Completed Climbs |
14 |
0 |
|
Number of Summits |
0 |
0 |
|
Summit Percentage |
0% |
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. |
As of May 16, there are 44 backcountry users exploring the Alaska Range:
- 4 in Upper Kahiltna
- 19 in the Upper Ruth
- 12 on Mount Hunter
- 3 on the Tokositna Glacier
- 4 in Little Switzerland
- 2 on the Lower Kahiltna
Mountain Weather
Monday, May 16. Don't see a report from Gabby at Basecamp, but ranger Chrissie says its gusting at 11K.
Rangers Galen and Alan at 14K similarly report gusts this morning to 30 mph, with poor (1/2 mile) visibility.
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 -- Almost operational, still troubleshooting some internet connectivity issues.
Conditions Reports
On the West Buttress, a climber punched into a crack at the top of Motorcycle Hill, unclipped. He was able to stop himself about 8 feet down, but reports it was a very deep crevasse. Rope up!
COVID Update
The 2021 Denali climbing community got lucky last year with no reported COVID cases during the mountaineering season. This season, with more contagious variants and fewer prevention protocols in place internationally, COVID has begun to make its mark in the Alaska Range.
Following reports in the past several days of climbers returning from the mountains to Talkeetna with signs and symptoms of COVID, Denali NP rangers strongly encourage preventative measures to ensure climbers don’t contract the virus before their flight into the Alaska Range. These measures include the CDC recommendations:
- Staying up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters;
- Wearing a mask when indoors
- Staying 6 feet away from others
- Avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
- Washing hands frequently.
These precautions are especially important in the two weeks before your expedition start date and during your time in Talkeetna! You have likely invested a great deal of money, time (months? years?), and energy into planning this expedition. Don't let COVID-19 ruin that investment.
Although optional COVID testing is now available daily in downtown Talkeetna by the non-profit partner Denali Education Center (click for more info), testing does not take the place of prevention. The virus, particularly with the current variants, is not always detectable in asymptomatic individuals.
Search and Rescue
There were two medical evacuations over the weekend. On Saturday, a team of three made the decision to self-evacuate when one of their team members began experiencing medical problems. After descending from 11,000 camp to 7,800 camp, the climber's pain increased in severity and the team radioed for emergency assistance. NPS ranger Chrissie Oken and VIP physician Anna Condino descended on skis from their camp at 9,500 feet. NPS-contracted helicopter pilot Eric Ridington flew to the camp, loaded up the patient and VIP Condino as medical attendant and flew to the Kahiltna Basecamp. A LifeMed helicopter met them there and evacuated the patient to an Anchorage hospital.
On Sunday evening, a climber was experiencing a medical emergency near the 11,000-foot camp and teammates contacted NPS for help. Pilot Ridington flew first to the Kahiltna Basecamp and picked up Rangers Mik Dalpes and Taylor Bracher, then flew to the 11,000 camp. After loading the patient, they flew out to Talkeetna and transferred care to a ground ambulance crew.
Ranger Reports
NPS 14K Patrol #1 (Dossin, Davis) Patrol #1 has all the camp infrastructure in place at 14,200 feet - including the NPS medical tent, communications tent, and cook tent. If winds died down today, they intend a trip up to the base of the fixed lines to begin maintenance efforts. They report no one was camped higher than 14,200 feet last night, but they conveyed that two teams of two - one via the West Buttress and one via the Upper West Rib -- reportedly reached the summit over the weekend. (Neither team has checked back at the Talkeetna Ranger Station, so statistics will not be adjusted until that happens!)
NPS 14K Patrol #2 (Oken) Patrol #2 was well situated on the lower glacier to assist with the two medical evacuations over the weekend. The team is now camped at 11,000 feet, and intends to stay another night or two.
NPS 7K Patrol #2 (Dalpes) Ranger Mik Dalpes and Ranger Taylor Bracher, a Backcountry Ranger from Denali's north district, had a short, but event-filled Basecamp patrol involving two medical evacuations that were run through Basecamp. They flew out with the patient Sunday night.
Meet the Temsco Crew
Denali National Park's mountaineering operations are largely possible due to the strong partnership with contractor TEMSCO Helicopters. Each season, Denali NP and TEMSCO sign a 120-day exclusive use contract for the A-Star B3e helicopter, a powerful, yet agile aircraft well-suited for high altitude search and rescue operations on Denali. For the next three weeks we will introduce you to the three members of the TEMSCO team that make it possible. This week, say hello to Eric Ridington, the primary pilot for the 2022 contract. While its Eric's first year with the Denali contract, he is no stranger to high altitude flying.
Eric's background is in the guiding industry. He is an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides Ski Guide with over 14 years heli-ski and ski-mountaineering experience. Before that he was a Pro Ski Patrol on Whistler Mountain for 11 seasons and had a summer river guiding business. Eric always wanted to fly helicopters and heli-ski guiding fueled the dream.
Now in his 16th year as a pilot, Eric is a mountain flying specialist with over 8,000 hours experience in Alaska, Canada, and Nepal. He has worked as a flight instructor for both the TC glider and FAA CFII helicopter. His flight experience spans firefighting, heli-skiing, fish and wildlife surveys, aerial filming, offshore platform operations, drill moves, production/precision longline, power and pipeline patrol, arctic and winter mountain flying, helicopter tourism, and high altitude rescues.
Welcome, Eric, we are grateful to have you on the team!
Eric Ridington, primary pilot with TEMSCO Helicopters. (Photo courtesy of Eric Ridington) Denali Rescue Volunteers
DRV and the Denali Arts Council hosted two sold-out showings of The Sanctity of Space at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar in downtown Talkeetna over the weekend, to rave reviews! Filmmaker Freddie Wilkinson was on hand for an intro and a Q & A about the film, was which largely filmed in the Alaska Range and around Talkeetna. Those that missed this incredible mountaineering film can catch it at the Bears Tooth in Anchorage, AK on Thursday, May 19 (not a DRV fundraiser), or via streaming on demand.
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
Rangers Chrissie Oken, Alan Davis, and Joe Reichert becoming proficient with the park's newest piece of equipment, the rescue tripod, during spring Rigging for Rescue training in Chugach State Park. (NPS Photo/Kakiko Ramos-Leon)