[Video Recap TR - Denali West Buttress (May 2021, self-guided)]

@wdietsch It took us 3 working days with 3 people (approximately 70 human hours).

[Video Recap TR - Denali West Buttress (May 2021, self-guided)]

Denali via the West Buttress, May 14-June 2, 2021 (just now got around to making the TR video).

Team 3:1 Advantage (3 person team originally, then 2 person).
This was my husband's (Marlin Thorman) and my 50th state highpoint we accomplished together.

Itinerary:

May 14 - Flew onto Kahiltna Glacier. Trekked from the airstrip to 7800' camp. Starting weight was about 140lb food and fuel per person (prepared for 28 days).
May 15 - 7800’ camp to 9900’ camp
May 16 - 9900’ Camp to 11k camp
May 17 - Rest day in 11k camp
May 18 - Cache to 13,500’
May 19 - Rest/weather day
May 20 - My husband trekked our 3rd teammate out to the airstrip and back by himself. (Teammate bailed due to inability to tolerate altitude and exertion with having had covid recently.)
May 21 - Move from 11k camp to 14k camp (windy/snowy day, but worse weather approaching)
May 22 - Establishing camp at 14k
May 23 - Camp reinforcement & repair day due to broken tent pole from high winds overnight
May 24 - Retrieve cache from 13,500’ and Edge of the World excursion
May 25 - Cache to 16,800’
May 26 - Reconstructing the melting camp walls day, dug an underground bathroom
May 27 - Weather day (lots of shoveling snow)
May 28 - Rest day
May 29 - Weather day (snowing & super windy again)
May 30 - Move from 14k’ camp to 17k’ camp
May 31 - Summit day, pack up 17k’ camp, back to 14k’ camp (bad weather approaching)
June 1 - 14k’ camp to 7800’ camp. Tried to push to the airstrip but poor visibility and no broken trail on lower mountain made going slow and precarious with unknown crevasse locations.
June 2 - 7800’ camp to airstrip and flew out to Talkeetna. Beautiful day!

Trip report video:

 

Detailed video of our snow castle camp at 14k'......

 

[Glacier Peak conditions?]

Hey, just wondering if anyone has been to Glacier Peak recently and could give an update on conditions of the road in (Sauk River Rd) and where the snow line is? We're ski mountaineering it starting on 6/18/20 and planning on 4 days (D1 TH to White Pass, D2 to Glacier Gap, D3 summit then to White pass, D4 to car). Also any beta on good lines to ski down from the top(ish) back to Glacier Gap? I'd love anyone's gpx track! Thanks!