Field Report, May 4

May 04, 2023 Posted by: Maureen Gualtieri

 

TODAY'S STATS - 5/4/23	Denali	Mt. Foraker
Registered Climbers	853	6
Climbers Currently On Mountain	31	0
Completed Climbs	1	0
Number of Summits	1	0
Summit Percentage	100%	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 [phone].

Mountain Weather
 

Snow. Lots of blowing snow Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  The NPS patrol camped at 9,500 feet reported over three feet of snow in the past three days at that elevation, hard to accurately measure due to the accompanying winds.  This morning, the snow stopped falling, but visibility was still limited.  At 7:40 AM this morning (Thursday), Gabby at 7K reported a "temp of 10 F, winds calm, a thick fog settled on the glacier. Ceiling estimated at 12,000 feet."  By 10:30 am, the fog and clouds had lifted and she was reporting clear, flyable skies.


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.

Backcountry Conditions Reports
 

There are currently 74 permitted climbers and skiers in the park's glaciated backcountry, distributed as follows:

4 on the Peters Glacier
18 in the Upper Kahiltna
40 in the Upper Ruth
7 on Mount Hunter
5 in Little Switzerland
 

There were no new entires/observations written in the Conditions Reports binder since Monday.  (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

14K Patrol #1 (Reichert/Kayes) - As mentioned above, Patrol #1 has been camped at 9,500 feet since Monday. As conditions improve, they are pondering a move upward.

14K Patrol #2 (Oken) - NPS Ranger Chrissie Oken just flew into basecamp with five volunteers, the second all-female upper mountain patrol that Chrissie has led in two years. ("I swear, I DO actually know some guys.") This year's patrol is likewise heavy on emergency medical skills - including 3 EMT's, an ER nurse, and an ER Doc.  Meet the team below:


From left to right, VIP Jenn Pirog, NPS Ranger Chrissie Oken, VIP Elyse Parcell, VIP Emily Junck, VIP Maria DeBari, and in the way back, VIP Kiira Antenucci.  
 

7K Patrol #1 (Ramos-Leon)  The patrol did a lot more shovelling than climbing in the past several days, with the 3-day snowstorm dominating their Basecamp stay.  The team flies out today.


Eldridge Patrol (Dossin) Galen and Martin's patrol in the Eldridge likewise did not go according to plan due to the near-constant snowfall.  It didn't keep them from moving, however, they did manage to move several miles down to the Eldridge Glacier moraine to a lower glacier for today's helo pickup. 


 

Photo of the Day

Volunteer Jenn Pirog is loaded in a vacuum mat during pre-patrol helicopter training in Talkeetna. Fellow patrol members Ranger Chrissie Oken, VIP Elyse Parcell, Emily Junck, and Maria DeBari enjoy a beautiful May afternoon in Talkeetna.  (NPS Photo/Kiira Antenucci)