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TODAY'S STATS - 5/1/24 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
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Registered Climbers |
957 |
32 |
|
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. |
As of today, 357 park visitors have registered for adventures in the Alaska Range backcountry (translation: not on Denali or Foraker). Most have come and gone (263 people), with 94 currently in the field.
Mountain Weather
Gabby Faurot, in her second season of basecamp management, will be monitoring weather on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna, as well as coordinating flights for all three primary air taxis this year -- K2 Aviation, Talkeetna Air Taxi, and Sheldon Air Service this season. This morning, Gabby reported via InReach: "mornin! broken ceiling at 13,000 feet, light downglacier wind, 1" of new snow overnight, and morning temp of 19 F. The main Kahiltna is wide open...we'll see how it trends."
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.
Starting today, the National Weather Service publishes their mountain-specific forecast here: Denali Climbing Forecast
Conditions Reports
All climbers are encouraged to check out the Backcountry Conditions Reports binder on the front desk of the Talkeetna Ranger Station. The binder is full of detailed, site- and date-specific conditions reports. A rough characterization of those reports, including anecdotal information shared with rangers, is that the snow coverage throughout the Alaska Range has been good this season, though starting to transition to spring/summer snowpack. Reports indicate there is nice ice on the Moose's Tooth this year, but limited ice in the rest of the Range.
Search and Rescue Activity
The Alaska Range saw its first tragic incident of the 2024 mountaineering season, a fatal fall on Mt. Johnson the night of Thursday, April 25. See Denali National Park News Releases more information on the incident.
Ranger Reports
From left to right, meet VIP Vince Langmann (returning VIP from NPS patrols in 1993, 1995, and 1996!), VIP Alec Wilson (a YOSAR veteran on his first Denali patrol), VIP Madelyn Ferdock (second year in a row on a 14K patrol), VIP Andrea Tupy (likewise, a returning VIP from both 2023 and 2015), NPS ranger Jake Kayes, and NPS ranger Kakiko Ramos-Leon.
14K Patrol #1 (Kayes and Ramos-Leon) The first Denali ranger patrol of the season flew into the Kahiltna Basecamp on Monday, April 29. The set-up patrol's main mission will be to construct the 14,200-foot camp infrastructure, but in the mean time, they will gradually acclimate to elevation by working their way up the West Butress route. On Monday, rangers Jake Kayes and Chrissie Oken (on a day trip to BC), flew with one of our two NPS-contracted TEMSCO Helo pilots, Jon Combs, to the top of Mt. Crosson to install the mountain's radio repeater. This critical equipment is positioned to enable/enhance NPS radio communications throughout the range for the months of May, June, and early July. Yesterday, Tuesday, the team practiced crevasse rescue skills at Basecamp, and today Kakiko reports the crew is headed to Camp One at 7,800 feet.
The ever-important, often finnicky, NPS mountain radio repeater in position atop Mt. Crosson (NPS Photo/Chrissie Oken)
Photo of the Day
Denali South District Ranger Tucker Chenoweth (far left) and Mountaineering Ranger/EMS Coordinator Chrissie Oken (far right) extend the collective NPS gratitude to climbers Kevin McGarity and Louie Allen for their invaluable assistance in the recent rescue and recovery efforts on Mt. Johnson last weekend. (See news release link above for more informaton). McGarity and Allen, both professional mountain guides, were on a personal climb on Mt. Johnson when they helped save the life of a fellow climber in need. Rangers Oken and Chenoweth were the two NPS rescuers who were short-hauled to the accident site for the initial rescue and subsequent recovery efforts, respectively. (NPS Photo)