Field Report, May 1, 2023

May 01, 2023 Posted by: Maureen Gualtieri

 

TODAY'S STATS - 5/1/23	Denali	Mt. Foraker
Registered Climbers	838	6
Climbers Currently On Mountain	25	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
 

After an incredible 22 seasons serving as K2/TAT Basecamp Manager, Lisa Roderick has handed off the baton to Talkeetna-born-and-raised Gabby Faurot!  Gabby learned the ropes the past two seasons while relieving Lisa for multi-week breaks, but as of this past weekend, Gabby is now officially at the helm. In addition to greeting and orienting climbers to basecamp, she will relay weather and glacier conditions to inbound pilots and coordinate flights for returning climbers.  In this morning's quick weather report received via inReach, Gabby reported 25 F temps and blowing snow.    

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 73 permitted climbers and skiers in the park's glaciated backcountry, distributed as follows:

4 on the Peters Glacier
3 at the Kahiltna Basecamp
18 in the Upper Kahiltna
37 in the Upper Ruth
6 on Mount Hunter
5 in Little Switzerland
 

Conditions reports submitted to date:  (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)

Mount Hunter (dated 4/14/23) - "“Climbed Bacon and Eggs. Overall good conditions with some thin sections and snice. V threads and 3 fixed anchors all the way down."

Mount Hunter (dated 4/17/23)  “Tried the beginning of Moonflower. Very thin and snowy. Bailed after pitch 4. Mugs start looks better.”

Kichatnas (dated 4/30/23)  “Trident Glacier. First ascent on North buttress of Augustin. Good neve and snow conditions. Then lots of fresh snow (4 to 6 feet). Starting to get a little warm(er).”

Little Switzerland (4/26 to 4/30)  “Two feet of fresh on April 28, almost too deep to ski on low angle slopes.”  ~’Best Skier Boys’.

Ruth Peaks (4/23 to 4/27) “Glacier 1 – Widespread solar crusts, including NE and NW aspects. Solar point release wet loose activity evidence upon our arrival, but not much continued wet loose activity while we were there. A fat trace of light fluffy last night may improve things.”

Ranger Reports

14K Patrol #1 (Reichert/Kayes) - Patrol #1 is currently camped at 9,500 feet. This morning they reported stormy conditions with 6 to 8" of drifting snow. With more of the same in the forecast, they will likely remain at 9,500 until better weather moves in.

7K Patrol #1 (Ramos-Leon) Ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon flew into Basecamp a day late, on April 29. He is accompanied by two Anchorage-based VIP's Stephen Job and Thomas McIntyre.  Over the weekend, the team established the NPS basecamp tent and communications , and helped fellow ranger Travis Baldwin and TEMSCO helo pilot Jon Combs get gear loads flown up to the 14K camp.

Basecamp patrol #1 from left to right: VIP Stephen Job, NPS Ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon, and VIP Thomas McIntyre 


Eldridge Patrol (Dossin) Ranger Galen Dossin and VIP Martin Arteaga flew into the north fork of the Eldridge Glacier on Saturday, April 29 to spend a few days patrolling that region, with a possible ski/walk out to Honolulu Creek.  Yesterday they attempted to climb Mount Mather, but got turned back by high winds and spent the rest of the afternoon in a whiteout back at their Eldridge Glacier camp. 


 

Photo of the Day

Mountaineering ranger Mik Dalpes pins a park ranger badge on Talkeetna's newest ranger Anika Ramey on her second day on duty.  Anika hails from California, where she has worked as a ski patroller and a rescue tech for Yosemite Search and Rescue YOSAR.  Welcome to the team, Anika!    (NPS Photo/Debbie Reiswig)