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TODAY'S STATS - 5/17/23 |
Denali |
Mt. Foraker |
|
Registered Climbers |
937 |
8 |
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Climbers Currently On Mountain |
241 |
4 |
|
Completed Climbs |
5 |
0 |
|
Number of Summits |
2 |
0 |
|
Summit Percentage |
40% |
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
7K -- (7:40 AM) BC Manager Gabby Faurot reported calm winds, temp of 15 F, with high overcast clouds moving north over camp, but mostly clear over the Kahiltna and to the south. They received ~2 feet of new, light snow overnight.
11K (7:00 AM) Ranger Galen Dossin texted that they are seeing less new snow today, but still very gusty with blowing snow.
14K -- (8:00 AM) Ranger Chrissie Oken repots clear skies at 14,200 feet, but still gusty with some blowing snow. Intermittent winds gusting up to 35 to 40 mph.
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.
Conditions Reports
Denali (reported May 13, by Polish climber Tomasz Rodzynkiewicz)
> Windy Corner - blue ice with patches of snow
> East Facing slopes in Lower Rib - thin blue ice
> Upper Rib snow - firm - variable. Some places crampon points, some places could kick steps."
As is typical this time of year, its getting a little quieter in the backcountry. There are currently 43 permitted climbers and skiers in the park's glaciated backcountry, distributed as follows:
4 on the Peters Glacier
13 in the Upper Kahiltna
17 in the Upper Ruth
9 on Mount Hunter
Patience is a Virtue
The past weekend saw a few more clear days before a low pressure system descended on the Alaska Range Sunday evening, bringing strong winds and precipitation. With this forecast in mind, many climbers tried to shoehorn a summit into a limited timeframe with costly results. Of the teams that attempted summits this weekend, no one was successful after Friday (the last clear, calm day). Five or so teams tried Saturday or Sunday, during clear skies accompanied by high winds and cold temperatures. These conditions resulted in no successful summits, and most teams saw members sustain frostbite that was either reported directly to the Park Service or shared second-hand via other climbers.
May can be an unsettled month in the Alaska Range in terms of weather. Climbers should expect to shape their plans around the forecast and on the ground observations, rather than trying to bend the elements to their expectations or hoped-for schedule. Operating otherwise can, and has, resulted in injury or death.
We understand that climbing Denali is a significant investment of time and money. This can affect peoples’ decision making and push climbers to make riskier decisions to fit a desired timeframe, especially with looming deadlines and flights home. These factors seemed to directly influence many of the attempts this weekend and resulted in multiple cases of frostbite.
Please be thoughtful and conservative climbing in the Alaska Range this season! Remember that risky decision making not only affects you and your team, but other climbers who may feel duty bound to assist you, and the rangers and volunteers working on the mountain. Make smart choices so you can return to climb another day.
(Evening ponderings from Mountaineering Ranger Chrissie Oken, 14K)
Ranger Reports
14K Patrol #1 (Reichert/Kayes) - Patrol #1 is currently flying out of Basecamp as of Field Report posting time, at least half of them. Their final few days on the glacier were the most eventful of the patrol, from a SAR perspective. Ranger Jake Kayes, VIP Jake Ephron, and VIP Jonah Olson skied back up to 9,200-feet on Monday to assist a hypothermic climber who lost his tent. The trio warmed and attended the patient through the brunt of a two-day storm; the park helicopter and pilot are hoping to fly to the camp this morning to evacuate the patient and Jonah, serving as medical attendant.
14K Patrol #2 (Oken) - Patrol #2 has spent the last couple days hunkering down from the wind, troubleshooting camp tech/communications, and providing medical advice to climbers with cold injuries sustained during the recent cold snap.
14K Patrol #3 (Dossin) Ranger Galen Dossin and VIP Mitch Beres put in a long day at the office on Monday. After just reaching the 11,000-foot camp on Sunday evening, Galen and Mitch descended to 9,200 feet at about 1 am Monday morning to assist a hypothermic patient who lost the tent. They sheltered and warmed the patient, then once the Three J's of Patrol #1 made it up to 9K from Basecamp on Monday afternoon, Galen and Mitch headed back uphill. They made it back to their teammates late Monday night, just in time to dig in before a significant wind and snowstorm. Just overheard on the radio, VIP Marissa described their 11K status as: "we are currently perfecting the hunker".
14K Patrol #4 (McBrayer, Dalpes, Ramey) Dream Team #4 will enjoy the expertise of not one, but three NPS rangers - including Joey McBrayer, Mik Dalpes, and Anika Ramey, as well as the rescue and emergency medical skills of VIP Patrick Saylor and VIP Caroline Dillon. The team flew into Basecamp this morning, ready for excitement.
Patrol #4 from left to right: Ranger Joey McBrayer, VIP Patrick Saylor, VIP Caroline Dillon, Ranger Anika Ramey, and Ranger Mik Dalpes (NPS Photo / Paul Barendregt)7K Patrol #3 (Chenoweth) 7K Patrol #3 enjoyed a longer and busier Basecamp patrol than anticipated, helping orchestrate the emergency response to the hypothermic patient at 9K. Additionally, a distressed party at 10K will likely be able to self-rescue once winds on the mid-mountain dissipate further. Overall, the high winds and multiple feet of falling and blowing snow made for a memorable weekend full of radio juggling and shovelling.
Photo of the Day
Ranger Joe Reichert ascends the fixed lines. Joe flies off the mountain today at the end of what his likely his final Upper mountain patrol as a mountaineering ranger. But luckily Joe was caught on camera pointing to the future -- and his new promotion to the position of Denali National Park Aviation Manager, a formidable job in a wilderness park the size of Massachusetts. Congratulations Joe! (NPS Photo / Jonah Olson)