|
TODAY'S STATS |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
1,136 |
16 |
|
Climbers Currently On Mountain |
251 |
0 |
|
Completed Climbs |
848 |
16 |
|
Number of Summits |
496 |
7 |
|
Summit Percentage |
58% |
44% |
The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station also maintains a daily automated statistics phone line, so if this blog is lagging behind and you need up-to-date registration numbers, call (907) 733-9127.
Weather Report
7,200 feet - Lisa is taking a few days off down here in Talkeetna, so thanks to Sarah McConkie for weather observations. She reports broken skies over basecamp this morning, with flat light conditions. Wind was calm, save for an occasional gust to 11 mph out of the southeast. They received 5 cm of new snow overnight.
In the last 12 hours:
Current temp: 3 C / 39 F
Low temp: 1 C / 34 F
High temp: 3 C / 39 F
14,200 feet - Coley reports 18 new cm of snow overnight. Morning sky conditions were scattered clouds -- more specifically, 14 camp was right in the cloud tops, with clear skies above. There was a 4 mph wind from the west, with gusts to 18 mph from the west.
In the last 12 hours:
Current temp: -11 C / 12 F
Low temp: -11 C / 12 F
High temp: -10 C / 14 F
National Weather Service forecast
Ranger Update
NPS Denali Patrol #4 (Shain, 4 VIPs) Off the mountain yesterday!
NPS Denali Patrol #5 (Gentzel, 3 VIPs) Coley, Jaime, Alison, and Jim welcomed Patrol #6 to 14 camp yesterday afternoon. They plan on heading up the fixed lines either today or tomorrow to retrieve a garbage cache from up on the ridge. Then they plan to move up to high camp tomorrow or the next day, depending on weather conditions. The team had a long morning yesterday, relaying radio communications between multiple teams up high on Denali involved with a climber who took a fall. Although initially the injuries sounded serious, the individual's condition improved to the point he and his teammate were assisted down to 17 camp by an unrelated climber.
NPS Denali Patrol #6 (Weber, Preston, 4 VIPs) From their position at 11 camp, Dave and Frank actually fielded the initial FRS call for help at around 3:45 am yesterday from the team in distress up high. After that situation resolved itself, the patrol then headed up around Windy Corner and arrived in 14 camp by early evening.
NPS Basecamp Patrol #5 (Erickson, 2 VIPs) The Little Switzerland recon and cleanup patrol ended as of yesterday, though the threesome will stay in the range for a few days off, with intent to ski and float back out to Talkeetna.
Route Conditions
Lots of new snow yesterday on the upper half of the mountain, with several small, natural avalanches periodically releasing.
Patrol #6 reported fine travel conditions yesterday between 11 camp and 14 camp.
And yesterday turned out to be a big summit day, with warm temperatures and relatively mild winds.
Photo of the Day
A bird's eye view of the Kahiltna Basecamp taken last week. NPS Photo/Melis Coady