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TODAY'S STATS - 5/2/22 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
879 |
15 |
|
Climbers Currently On Mountain |
13 |
0 |
|
Completed Climbs |
0 |
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. |
Mountain Weather
In her 23rd season welcoming climbers to the Denali basecamp, Lisa Roderick (Basecamp Manager, K2/TAT) opened the doors of her brand new Arctic Oven tent on Friday, April 29th. Her first 24 hours provided a rude awakening, with 5 F temps, 30 mph winds and avalanches. Though she welcomed a few new climbers over the weekend, today was a snow day to catch up on Stanley Tucci's new book Taste, making her very hungry.
AM report for May 2: weather is down on the Kahiltna Glacier. Obscured by clouds, 3 inches of snow overnight, 16 F, though windless. By early evening Monday, she reported 4 more inches, lightly snowing, with 20 mph light winds. Lisa will begin her 8:00 pm nightly mountain weather reports on FRS radio...tune in.
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 has yet to be installed for the 2022 season, but we'll let you now when its up and operational.
Conditions Reports
As of May 2, there are 65 backcountry users exploring the Alaska Range, down substantially from the 100+ last week. Not many new written conditions reports, though conversations indicate that a few new inches of snow over the weekend freshened up conditions on many routes. The route conditions notebook had a new write up on the Kichatnas - Mostly dry conditions. High winds damaged much of the snow 4/20 to 4/21. Lots of blue ice in couloirs. (4/13 to 4/21).
Lisa at BC reports: West Ridge of Hunter got climbed with the normal "moonys" here to try North Buttress of Hunter.
Based on his 29 seasons of experience on Denali (holy cow!) and almost daily flights into the range the past week or so, mountaineering ranger Joe Reichert reports the Alaska Range is showing the standard early season snowpack. He hasn't noticed anything too unusual..basecamp is firm and walkable ('like walking on styrofoam'), though maybe 14 camp snow conditions are a little bit softer than usual. More to come...
Ranger Reports
NPS 14K Patrol #1 (Dossin, Davis). The first upper mountain patrol of the season flew into Basecamp on Sunday, May 1. Meet the intrepid team that will get the 2022 party started, pictured below from left to right: NPS ranger Alan Davis, NPS ranger Galen Dossin, VIP Auri Clark, VIP Mary Gianotti, VIP Quinton Barnett, and VIP Chris Andersen.
NPS Photo/Joe ReichertRanger Chrissie Oken and VIP's Liz King and Patrick Solomon returned yesterday from a ski patrol on the Pika Glacier...report and photos to come.
Ranger Travis Baldwin and VIP Eric Wickenheiser just flew out of the Root Canal yesterday, Sunday May 1, standby for a patrol report and photos.
Denali Rescue Volunteers Event
Coming soon to a theater near you! Or, at least, near us. Denali Rescue Volunteers and Denali Arts Council are teaming up to present the Alaska premiere of the Sanctity of Space to the big screen in downtown Talkeetna, Alaska. "Inspired by the photography of legendary explorer Brad Washburn, three friends traverse some of Alaska's most challenging peaks." The Sanctity of Space will show Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14, showtime 7:00 PM at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar. Rumor has it that filmmaker and climber Freddie Wilkinson will be on hand to introduce the film. A portion of the event proceeds will go to support the two non-profits hosting the event -- Denali Rescue Volunteers and Denali Arts Council.
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
The view from the back porch. Two 'Sugar Bears' (aka U.S. Army Aviators from B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Fort Wainwright, AK) take in the view while their Chinook (CH-47) helicopter transports NPS camp gear to the Kahiltna Basecamp on Wednesday, April 27. (Photo courtesy of Charles Mason, US Army)