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Geeze it was warm in Alaska


Jedi

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Write your congressman about global warming. [Roll Eyes] We ended up bailing early because it was too hot in the Ruth Gorge and I did not bring my rock shoes and chaulk bag. Would have been a great season for rock climbing. In the area for 14 days. Never saw it dip below 15 at night. 35 at night was the norm the 2nd week there. 2 cloudy days and the rest of the time it was blue bird skies. Hot during the days. 118 in my tent one day. We had to shovel snow INTO the area around our tents because the snow was melting so much. I have never seen so many avalanches in my life. The Ruth really puts on a show.

French team put 2 rock routes on Mt Dickie. one was 30 pitches, the other was 40 pitches.

 

I heard Moonflower was REALLY lacking ice and people were not bothering.

Talked to 2 guys that went in to do the Infinite Spur on Foraker and chest deep rotten snow turned them away.

Rumor was rotten/melting snow on the Kahiltna made things tough for teams without skies and snowshoes. I heard stories of people with snowshoes being knee deep. Probably using MSR's without the adaptors. Heard there was a knee deep and deeper, trough leaving the airstrip heading down to the Kahiltna Good weather probably made for good summit days for those up higher.

Flight Service ditched a plane on the landing strip on the 24th durning take off. Downdraft probably pushed the back of the plane down. Rear hit 1st, then a wing and it flip over on its top and slid a ways. No one was hurt luckly.

The Ruth area is awesome place. Looking for partner for next year. SW Ridge of Peak 11,300, SW Ridge of Dan Beard, South Face of Huntington and Ham & Eggs are on the "to do" list for sure (not all in the same trip of course).

Jedi [big Grin]

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We were there from late April through the 10th and it was butt cold (-15 one night) during the night and teens low 20's during the day. We had 7 stormy days out of 12 so...we bailed. Snow conditions were also unstable to 6 weeks of crystal clear weather and then 3 feet of new! Tried to get up West Ridge of the Moose's but conditions were no good!

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We had 8 days of clear weather on the WB. Still didn't summit. HAPE got one of my team 17K. We also had some disputes in leadership, or was it a lack thereof? Any way, we didn't see any troughs or knee deep snow with MSR's. In fact we walked most of the way out in boots. It was stupid to not take skiis. I'd write a full TR but it would be all whinning about the one that got away. Mid May was the time to go this year. Traveling at night was important as it was blistering on the Kahiltna from 11 to 4. Much better colors at night too. Saw some 0 and maybe a few -10 nights but mostly luke warm. A couple times the temps dropped to -20 or -30 with a wind chill but that was gusty. Denali pass and higher got hit with some high winds but even those didn't last all day.

One night I was packed and ready to solo the Rib from 14 but a linticular was over the summit at midnight so I went back to bed. Should have gone for it. Some Koreans summitted in mild winds at 3PM that afternoon. Best advice from Bug; go with people you know.

I'm glad I went though. It's a huge place.

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Sometimes the indians don't have the consitution for the route you've chosen and you have to go back the next year with another indian.

 

Knee deep and thigh deep snow we encountered was the rotten snow. Crust on top, rotten sugary crap underneath. You need a mask and fins to swim in that stuff.

My first time on AT skis in the mountains. They rule for glacier travel. I don't think I'll ever go back to shoes if I can help it. Now If I can only learn how to go down hill. [Eek!]

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quote:

Originally posted by Jedi:

My first time on AT skis in the mountains. They rule for glacier travel. I don't think I'll ever go back to shoes if I can help it. Now If I can only learn how to go down hill.
[Eek!]

Having now AT skiied 2 x in my life I can help with that... point skis down hill. Pick up speed. wipe out. repeat as necessary until at bottom of hill, or until binding breaks and you carry skis back to camp [laf]

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DRU, I thought I was the only one that knew that. If going down is not bad enough, throw in being roped up into the mix and a crevasse in here or there for some spice.

Drill:

-Ski a little bit.

-Fall.

-Ski a little bit.

-flip rope out of way as not to run over.

-miss turn.

-rope tightens.

-pull guy in front down when you fall.

-Ski a little bit.

-crevasse coming up.

-snow plow in wet snow.

-cross skis.

-fall.

-Ski a little bit.

-fall because you actually make turn and didn't fall. Excited you look up, lose concentration.

 

I need to practice.........bad. [laf]

Jedi

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Take ski lessons. Otherwise you are trying to learn how to fly from an earth worm. I went downhill on long skinny boards for ten years. Then one day I took a lesson and learned how to ski. Don't fight it. You will only suffer longer.

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Jeez, I wish I had read your post before we went up there... We left on the 31st and got to Talkeetna just as everyone was leaving. We were going to try 11,300, but talked to the last group to be flown out of there, and they said they'd been there for 3 weeks waiting for conditions to improve, and they did the opposite. So we turned our sights to the W. ridge of Hunter, but before we flew out I got ahold of Joe Puryear on the radiophone who was hanging out at Kahiltna base, and he said not to bother, there's nothing but chest-deep slop out there. He recommended going to the Ruth to climb rock. We didn't have rock shoes or a big enough rack for that, and though we may have been able to beg/borrow, we figured it was just best to cut our losses and come home. Now I can use a week & 1/2 of vacation for something else, but Talkeetna is a relatively expensive place to spend a weekend... [hell no]

 

Oh, the McKinley Deli & Pizza burned over the weekend! The girl who was renting the room in the attic fell asleep with a candle burning. Plastic melted all over her hand, but she made it out ok. Tough break for a Talkeetna landmark!

[Eek!]

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Ahhh, that must have been the 3 guys from Salt Lake. If it was, they made an attempt and got up above the Grey Rock bivy (upper bivy) and then came back down. Conditions were not good but it was still "doable". I talked to a guide who did it (he met Salt Lake guys on the way down) and he said they seemed a little intimidated by the route (possible reason for coming down). It took the giude 3 days to get to the summit and a day and a half to get down. This guide climbing it 15 years ago.

Our 2nd attempt had us punching though crusty/rotten snow at 4am. Just not a good season but I am sure next year will be butt cold and not one good day (just the opposite) which will thwart my efforts. Just have to bring more beer. a 12 pack does not last 3 guys long on rest days while laying in the sun. Nice of Paul to fly a case in and Doritos.

 

If you go next year, ask me about the squeeze chimney. [Frown]

Jedi

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No, these were a couple of intense kids and an old guy from Toronto. They said they made one feeble attempt and barely even got to the base of the route. They did watch one party who summited (must have been the guide & client) come down, and it looked like they were hurtin'. Narrow misses with calving off hanging glaciers, wallowing in slop, etc...

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Yes, that was Jeff, Maddy, and Robin (father of one of the 2). Robin was running base camp. Yeah, the Canadains were there to try Reality Ridge, Alaskan grade 4+. It has only been done 4 times. The 1st carry up a 2000' couloir kinda hurt their drive (would have hurt mine, too much work). The loads were heavy (15 days of gear,food and fuel). The snow warmed quickly (mashed potatoes) and made travel tough. They then decided to try to only go to 13,200, where the technical terrain ends. Then come back down to camp. That was the plan when we last saw them. I gave them my topo for PK 11,300 so maybe they would have better luck.

I bet the warm weather made traveling on double corniced & knife edged ridges "fun". It was their 1st time to AK. Rangers tried to talk them out of the attempt. Glad to hear they are safe. Super nice guys.

Jedi

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