Denali |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Thursday, July 31, 1986 Location: Kantishna Hills Summary: First report - Helicopter crash of contract helicopter, no injuries or fatalities. Second report (8/1 1:45pm) - Pilot and two NPS on board. Skids snagged a cable on take off, then tore off. Helicopter crashed into Caribou Creek and was totally destroyed (Bell 206). ERA Helicopter owned chopper. Minor injuries. Helicopter to be removed later.
Location: Auditorium @ Hotel complex Summary: Mr. E.G. died of a stoke while in auditorium.
Location: Kantishna Airstrip A PA-18 Super Cub owned by North Country Air (a contracter) sank through snow upon landing at Kantishna on the 23rd. The plane's propeller contacted the ground and bent. Neither the pilot (an employee of the contractor) nor his NPS seasonal passenger were injured. OAS will conduct an inspection and investigation.
Location: Pilgrim Mine, Stampede District The NPS requested an Army EOD Team to destroy 60 sacks of TNT (50 lbs ea) and 10,000 caps that were discovered as hazardous materials on the Stampede Mining District site. The sacks were carried out approximately 30-40 yards and detonated by the EOD Team. A milling building, assay office, and a small building that housed tools and equipment were totally demolished. Assessment of other damages will not be made until the EOD Team again sweeps the entire area (1/2 to 1 square mile) and destroys any remaining unexploded ordinance (probably will be 5/2). No injuries, property damage minimal. EOD Team is the 176th from Ft. Richardson, Alaska.
Location: Mount Foraker Early in May, two two-man climbing teams - one from Anchorage and one from Banff, Alberta - were dropped into Denali at Mount Foraker. An avalanche is now feared to have overrun and killed all four climbers. M.P. and D.D. were to have been picked, up on May 14th. Their pilot was unable to find than, but did spot avalanche debris spreading downslope for more than 2,000', with the lower edge at about 3,500'. Both MPS and Alaska Mountain Rescue crews found conditions too unstable for a safe ground search. On the 16th, a stuff sack belonging to M.P. and including boots with his name in them was recovered from the debris area. I.B. and D.G. were flown in on May find and were not expected to return until May 31st at the earliest, nonetheless, search crews, operating under difficult conditions, have been unable to locate signs of the two. It is thought that there plans were to cache equipment at a specific site, then undertake an acclimation climb on the mountain's southeast ridge, where M.P. and D.D. were also climbing. Air searchers spotted a yellow climbing suit at the debris edge. It is reported that the Canadians had such equipment, and that neither of the Americans possessed such an item. It has not yet been possible to retrieve the suit. There is hope that the Canadians may have gone on to other climbs, as their itinerary called for climbs of two other routes. A ground team is attempting to reach their cache site in hopes of batter calculating their activities. The news media, and all four families are aware of developments.
Location: West fork, Toklat River While hiking in the park, Mr. R.S. encountered two bears. Both ran at him; one stumbled, but the other swiped R.S.'s backpack and stepped on his foot. R.S. received unspecified but non-serious injuries and was able to get to some other hikers about two miles away. One went for help, while the other kept R.S. warm in a sleeping bag. R.S. was transported to a nearby clinic and is doing well.
Location: Southeast fork, Kahiltna Glacier Mr. D.H. was piloting a Wilburs Flight Service C-152; Ms. K.W. was a passenger. D.H. flew low over the glacier to get some photographs and was not aware that he was not gaining enough altitude to clear it until it was too late. The plane nosed into the glacier, but D.H. and K.W. were unhurt. There was little damage to the aircraft. A pilot from another air service witnessed the incident. The plane was removed on May 31 without NPS authorization. Investigation continues.
Location: 17,000' level Messner Couloir T.B., while descending the Messner Couloir of Mt. McKinley, fell 1500'. The medical camp at 14,000' could see him. Six people from the medical camp climbed to him. They were able to lower him in a litter. He was then placed on a sled and dragged to the medical camp. His injuries consist of a fractured pelvis, contusions of the chest wall, and contusions to other parts of his body. He was evacuated by helicopter at 10:00 pm.
Location: South Buttress, Mt. McKinley Two British climbers - Mr. S. and Mr. J. - were due back from a climb on the mountain on June 10th. A search was mounted when they failed to return. Four searches of their scheduled route were conducted by fixed-wing aircraft without luck, and a helicopter was called in to search the area between 7000' and the summit. They were found at the 19,500' level yesterday afternoon, and appeared to be in good condition. A radio was to be dropped to them to make sure all was okay.
Four climbers - two two-man teams - from Banff and Anchorage were reported overdue in mid-May. Search crews were unable to locate any of them despite extensive efforts, update: Evidence was found indicating all four were likely swept away by an avalanche. A stuff sack belonging to one climber was found where the avalanche came to rest about 2000' further down the mountain. A presumptive death hearing will be held before a magistrate in July.
Location: Messner Couloir P.J., a Polish national, was descending the Messner Couloir on Mt. McKinley when he fell 2,600' to his death. He was at the 17,300' level on the mountain at the time. His body was recovered by two Polish and two American climbers and lowered to the 14,000' level, where he was removed by fixed wing on the 4th.
Location: Not specified A visitor, whose name was not reported, was backpacking approximately 1/4 mile off the main park road. He noticed a bear in time to avoid confrontation, but got caught up in photographing it. The bear then approached, so the visitor took a fetal position for protection. The bear then sniffed him, bit him in the right calf and departed. No further information currently available.
Location: Mt. McKinley A search has been in progress since 7/23 for an overdue climber. B.H. was overdue on 7/20. He is a solo climber with some mountaineering experience. He was last seen on 7/7 by other climbers. He told them that he intended to climb Cass in which takes 4-6 days. He told them he had no ropes for climbing. The northeast fork is a rough area, experienced climbers generally carry ropes. The air taxi operator who flew B.H. in has gone over the routes he was to have taken, but there are no tracks or other sign of him. OAS is sending a high altitude shop to search a few places B.H. in which. Hoover might be stranded. Fresh snow has fallen in the area. Two people from Hudsons are also searching. More information will be sent as it becomes available.
Location: not available A NPS research team of 3 attempted to replace a radio collar on a sow with 2 cubs. After darting her with Telezol the bear ran down a slope and disappeared into the brush. Two of the members of the research team lost sight of her, the third (who was the spotter) could still see her. Meanwhile the 2 cubs charged uphill toward the research team. The sow was out of sight for approximately 5 minutes. When the researchers found her she had fallen into a pond. She still had a pulse. For the next hour the researchers performed nose to mouth resuscitation. The attempt was unsuccessful. The cubs have not been seen since the incident. A decision was made to leave them alone. The sow was originally collared in 1985 because she was a problem in developed areas. Since that time, she had stayed away from developed areas and had remained in the park near Elison. The incident has attracted a great deal of attention from the local media. Anchorage Dally News Tranquilized bear drowns at Denali Park officials fear orphan cubs will die The Associated Press FAIRBANKS - A grizzly bear darted by a researcher's tranquilizer gun staggered into a lake at Denali National Park and drowned, leaving her two cubs standing on the bank, park officials said, "The truth is, there is some possibility the rubs might survive, but it will be tough for them," Tom Griffiths, the park's chief ranger, said Wednesday. "They are small and defenseless and now they have no sow to protect them from being eaten by male bears or wolves" Wolves were seen feeding during the weekend on the bear carcass, but no one hes seen the cubs since the Aug 26 shooting, Griffiths said. A team of three biologists sedated the adult bear near Glacier Creek, about 70 miles west of the park entrance. They had hoped to replace en old battery-operated radio collar on the bear, known as No. 107. But shortly after they shot her with the tranquilizers, the bear staggered over a hill, fell into a lake and drowned, "The research team pulled her out of the water, held her mouth closed and blew through her nose for nearly an hour, trying to revive her," park spokeswoman Jane Anderson said. "It didn't work. She didn't come to." The bear was first collared In 1085 as part of an "aversion conditioning experiment," In which researchers try to train problem bears not to go near camps in the backcountry, After several years of conditioning, the experiment seemed to be working well with this particular grizzly, who had stolen food from several camps before she was collared. "What the researchers do is set up fake campsites and when the bear comes around, they shoot It with rubber or plastic bullets," Anderson said. "The bullets don't penetrate, but they sting. The goal is to get the bear to associate eating backpackers' food with a negative experience." This bear had steered away from camps and hikers for two years, Anderson said. "She was a success story," Anderson said. "Her death makes us all real sad It's unfortunate the way it happened." The researchers who shot the bear wore in the field and could not be reached for comment. The bear was the first to die during park research in six years, Griffiths said. The aversion conditioning program was Instituted several years ago when bears and hikers started running Into each other with alarming frequency, Anderson said, "Bears would rip backpacks, get food, or scare hikers while they cooked dinner," Anderson said. "Fortunately, there were not a large number of Injuries or tragedies." So far, four bea^ have gone through the conditioning program, and all have avoided camps, Griffiths said. "Five or six years ago, Denali had the highest number of bear-human conflicts in the backcountry of any grizzly park In the park system," Griffiths said. "That seems to have been turned around. There was not one food-related bear problem in the backcountry this year, that we know of." No attempt was made to track down the cubs, but the area was closed to overnight use to reduce the chance of the orphaned cubs turning into camp-robbers, Griffiths said. "At this point, we're letting nature take its course as best it can," he said. Capturing the cubs for a zoo or trying to find another mother bear to adopt them are impractical ideas, he said. "Zoos don't want grizzly cubs any more," Griffiths said. "And getting another sow to take the cub would have been risky." Biologists would have had to tranquilize another grizzly to bring the cubs in. "Say we went out and found another sow and cubs," Griffiths said. "We would be running some risk of something happening again. There where would we be? We'd have four cubs without mothers."
Location: Mt. McKinley, West Buttress L.M.S., on an expedition with Genet Expeditions apparently died from exposure and hypothermia. Two other members of the party are reported as hypothermic, with a 4th having possible back and cervical injuries. L.M.S.'s body has been left at 19,000 ft., the remainder of the party are at 17,000 ft. and attempting to descend. Attempts at removing them by helicopter are being made. Park rangers and an AP reporter are also at the 17,000 ft. level.
Location: Denali Lodge Park rangers received reports of 2 bomb threats by unknown persons identifying the Denali Lodge as the target of the threats. The bomb squad from a local Army base has been called in and they are searching for the device with a bomb dog. At last report their efforts had been unsuccessful.
Location: West Buttress On July 10th, 32-year-old I.M. of Barcelona, Spain, began a solo ascent of the West Buttress route on Denali. He was scheduled to return from this climb on the 28th. On the 24th, a Japanese climbing party met him at 11,000' and later reported that he was very low on food and fuel. On the 25th, a guided climbing party reported a solo climber at 8,000'; this was probably I.M., in search of food and fuel caches. On the 29th, another guided party noticed single tracks ascending the Prow of the West Buttress above Windy Corner at 13,200'. A search for I.M. was begun on the 31st. No sign of him was found, and poor weather prevented further searching until August 4th. At that time, extensive search efforts were begun from both a fixed wing aircraft and helicopter. I.M.'s tracks were spotted and followed along the 16,000' ridge, and his tent was found at 16,200'. His pack was later located at 17,200'. I.M.'s tent contained a sleeping bag and stove; his pack had fuel and food taken from a ranger rescue cache. There were no signs of I.M. or his tracks at either location. Search efforts concentrated on the upper West Buttress from 14,000' to the summit, but were suspended on August 7th when no further traces of him could be found. I.M. is presumed dead, and may have been a victim of either an avalanche or a fall into a crevasse. He was one of a record 887 climbers on the mountain this season, and was the second fatality this year.
Efforts are being made to locate a Japanese climbing team on Mt. McKinley which has not been heard from in more than a week and may have run out of food six days ago. The climbers - N.Y., 39, T.S., 31, and K.K., 34, all of Tokyo - are apparently near the summit, and are thought to have holed up in a snow cave above 17,000' because of the hurricane-force winds buffeting the 20,320' peak. The National Weather Service has reported sustained winds of 60 - 100 mph in the area, but climbing ranger Bob Seibert has estimated that those winds reach 90 - 200 mph as they funnel through passes in the mountains. Although the climbers' food supplies should have been exhausted almost a week ago, they may be near an NPS food cache at 17,200'. There's also concern that the men may have run out of fuel needed to melt snow; without water, the climbers could quickly succumb to dehydration and hypothermia. The park has asked the Army to provide Chinook helicopters equipped for high-altitude rescues, but they are not expected to be able to fly until tomorrow or Friday due to the high winds. An Army plane circled the mountain repeatedly on Monday, broadcasting messages, but received no response from the climbers. Though the men have a radio, no transmissions have been received from them. (Associated Press).
Specially equipped Army Chinook helicopters and a medical team are now on scene and waiting for winds to abate enough to allow a search for the three missing Japanese climbers. A twin-engined plane leased by the park approached to within 12 miles of the peak Tuesday, but was driven back by hurricane-force winds. Once the winds subside, the Chinooks will be used to convey searchers to a snow cave at the 17,200' level of the mountain; if the climbers are not found there, an aerial search will be begun. The climbers began their ascent on February 15th, and have not been heard from for more than a week. (Associated Press).
The three Japanese climbers who disappeared while ascending Mt. McKinley are now presumed to be dead, and the search for them was suspended yesterday. Searchers in a twin-engine aircraft flew over the mountain on Friday and saw three orange objects, possibly bodies, at the 17,400' level, about 200' above the Japanese party's camp and just below Denali Pass, an area known for its high winds. Rangers speculated that the climbers might have been "blown right out of the pass"; if that happened, the Japanese would have fallen several hundred vertical feet. On Saturday, two Army Chinooks attempted to get closer to the area, but were blocked by turbulence and severe downdrafts - even at full power, the helicopters were losing 2,000' per minute. A number of Japanese, including the consulate general and several climbers, were in the party on the Chinooks, and subsequently agreed that conditions prohibited further search efforts until the climbing weather improves in April or May. (Rich O'Guin, RAD/ARO, and Associated Press reports).
Although unable to determine the nature of three objects spotted below Denali Pass on Friday, rangers are convinced that they are in fact the bodies of the three Japanese climbers. A flattened tent was also observed at the team's 17,200' camp. All parties agree that the climbers would have been moving during the good weather of the last few days if they were alive. Two Swiss climbers were flown in on Sunday to try a traverse up West Buttress and down Muldrow. They have agreed to try to identify the objects seen below the pass, and will try to secure the tent and its contents at the park's rescue cache at 17,200'. Meanwhile, solo climber D.S., chief guide for Genet Expeditions, a mountaineering concession at Denali, continues his ascent of McKinley. The last contact with him was on Friday, March 10th, when he used his radio to communicate with a plane flying overhead. At that time, he was at 16,000' on the West Rib, rather than on his planned route up Cassin Ridge. His intention was to move to the Balcony Camp at 17,000' on the 11th, then try for the summit on the 12th. One of D.S.'s friends was to fly over the mountain on Monday to see if D.S. was okay and/or wanted to be picked up. (Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA).
Solo climber D.S. successfully completed his winter solo ascent of Mt. McKinley via the West Rib route on or about March 11th and was flown out from the mountain several days later. He reportedly had a very enjoyable climb, except for being held up by high winds and having to contend with some difficult ice fall climbing high on the route. On March 17th, seventeen experienced Japanese mountaineers were flown to the southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier at 7,500' to begin recovery of the bodies of the three climbers who were killed in Denali Pass. The park has allowed the recovery team to establish a supply cache at 9,800', but required that the team start at the usual point on the southeast fork in order to properly acclimatize. Once recovered, the bodies will be transported by commercial helicopter to Anchorage. The recovery effort is expected to take at least three weeks. The park will be working closely with the Japanese consulate in Anchorage during the recovery effort. (Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA).
Ten of the Japanese climbers who have been ascending Mt. McKinley in attempt to recover the bodies of the three climbers from Denali Pass moved their camp from 14,300' to 17,200' yesterday. They were unable to move on Tuesday because of high winds, but had examined the collapsed tent left by the three climbers before the winds came up. It was found to be badly damaged and unusable. The climbers could also see the three bodies, but made no efforts to approach the scene. From 17,200', the team should be able to complete the recovery, then move to 19,800' for a pickup by fixed wing aircraft. Two of the original 17 climbers in the team have been flown out from base camp because of illness. (Message from Bob Seibert and Tom Griffiths, DENA, to RAD/ARO and RAD/WASO).
Yesterday, we reported that the recovery team would be picked up by a fixed wing aircraft at 19,800'. That should have been 9,800'.
On March 30th, the recovery team reached the bodies of the three Japanese climbers and moved them to the camp at 17,200'. The bodies were flown off the mountain on Saturday, and the recovery team was to have completed its descent and returned to Talkeetna yesterday. (Message from Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA to RAD/ARO and RAD/WASO).
On the evening of April 23rd, rangers in Talkeetna received word that a Piper Super Cub which had been flying in the Ruth Gorge area was overdue, and that an ELT (emergency transmitter) signal had been picked up from that general area. Bad weather, however, precluded any immediate response. In the interim, the pilot of a commercial aircraft reported that he'd talked with the plane's pilot, who said that he'd crashed near a small hut in the Sheldon Amphitheater and that he and his two passengers - one of whom was seven months pregnant - were uninjured. The pilot also reported that he'd crashed due to a stall which occurred while he was trying to land on the glacier and investigate an SOS one of his passengers had spotted in the snow near the hut. The SOS had been stamped into the snow by a climber whose partner had broken a femur or hip bone while attempting to climb an ice pillar on Mt. Johnson. The climber had descended avalanche-prone slopes to the hut in an attempt to get help; once the pilot transmitted the information on the radio, the climber returned to his injured partner. Weather continued to prevent any possible rescue effort until the evening of the 26th, when an Army H-3 arrived at the scene and evacuated the injured climber and his partner. At the same time, a Chinook helicopter landed and picked up the victims of the plane crash. As it turned out, two of the crash victims, including the pregnant woman, had in fact sustained minor injuries. The injured climber was taken to Humana Hospital in Anchorage, and he is reported to be in stable condition following surgery. (Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA, via RAD/ARO).
On the morning of May 18th, a climber on Mt. McKinley saw a body at the base of a couloir adjacent to the West Rib and reported the discovery to ranger Roger Robinson, who was camped, at the Medical Carp at 14,300'. Robinson organized a group of climbers to investigate. The group reached the location just before 1 p.m. and found the bodies of three English climbers. The three (namies are being withheld pending notification of their families) had signed out on May 1st for an ascent of the West Rib, a moderately technical snow and ice climb. They were last seen on the 17th by two volunteer members of an NPS patrol currently on the mountain. The volunteers were descending the West Rib in deteriorating weather, and tried to convince the British climbers to do so as well. Trie three men chose to continue their climb. Although the couloir is steep and is off the normal West Rib route, climbers often try to descend it directly to the basin at 14,000'. There have been several serious accidents and fatalities in this couloir in the past. The bodies are being evacuated by a party of volunteers directed by Robinson. Weather permitting, they will be flown from the mountain today. (Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA, via CompuServe to RAD/ARO and RAD/WASO).
A party of German climbers returning from Mt. McKinley yesterday reported that they had discovered the body of a climber approximately a quarter mile north of Denali Pass at the 18,000' level on the 17th. Based on their description of his clothing, rangers believe that the body may be that of I.M., a Spanish solo climber who's been missing since last August. An attempt will be made to make a positive identification. It has not yet been determined if an evacuation is practical. (Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA, via CompuServe to RAD/ARO and RADA/ASO).
While camped at the 16,000 foot level on the West Buttress of Mt. Mckinley on the night of May 26th, two members of a group guided by Genet Expeditions, a park concessioner, were blown off a ridge and ejected from their tent while sliding down the steep 1000-foot snow slope beneath the ridge. Their guide sent the rest of the group back down to the medical camp at 14,000 feet, then descended to the two victims with what equipment he could carry. He found, both victims alive; they had only minor injuries, but were suffering from exposure because they were without sleeping bags or shelter. The victims were rescued by helicopter from the 15,500 foot level the following day. On May 29th, the bodies of the three British climbers who were killed on the 17th near West Rib (see the 5/19 morning report) were removed from the mountain by helicopter. A Geeting Air Taxi with three climbers on board crashed while attempting to land at the Kahiltna Glacier base camp in foggy conditions on the 29th. There were no injuries, but the plane was badly damaged. The plane will be removed by helicopter as soon as possible. On the 30th, a Korean climber with seriously frostbitten hands and feet was reported to be at the medical camp at 14,000 feet. He will be flown out as soon as the bad weather breaks. (Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA, via CompuServe message to RAD/ARO and RAD/WASO).
On September 9th, Paul J. Andert, Jr., 40, a seasonal equipment operator at Denali since 1975, died in a boating accident on Butte Lake, located about six miles off the Denali Highway east of Cantwell. Andert and two other residents of Healy, Alaska, were fishing on the lake when their boat was swamped by high winds. Only one of the three men made it to store. Andert and the other man apparently died of hypothermia, as all three v/ere reported to have been, wearing life preservers. (CompuServe message from Tom Griffiths, CR, DENA).
The Japanese climbing team that was attempting a winter ascent of Mt. McKinley failed to reach the summit and has returned from the mountain. The climbers were not able to get their camp higher than the 14,200' level due to heavy snows and extreme winds. They told rangers that they will try again next year. (CompuServe message from DENA, 3/15/90).
H.I., 28, a climber from Hyogo, Japan, died 1,000 feet below the summit of Mount McKinley on the evening of Sunday, June 10th. H.I. was part of a seven member climbing team which started up the mountain on May 25th. On the 9th, they decided to make a fast push to the top from 17,200 feet, where they left their gear in order to travel light. At 19,300 feet, H.I. began suffering altitude sickness and was unable to continue to the summit. His six companions left him without a tent or any survival gear. After they reached the top, the six split into two parties for the descent. A group of four climbers found Ito in bad shape and bivouacked with him without equipment that evening. The party radioed for help on Sunday morning. Three climbers headed down for help; the one remaining with H.I. learned by radio that the park had dropped oxygen 200 feet above and went to retrieve it. When he returned, H.I. was dead. Another rescue team was 500 feet below Ito at that time. Two of the climbers who camped with H.I. suffered serious frostbite on their toes and feet, and helicopters flew them off the mountain yesterday. H.I. is the 62nd climber to die on the mountain - the first this year. (United Press, 6/11).
On June 12th, park rangers and Army helicopter crews located the bodies of M.K., 33, and S.J., 29, at the 15,800-foot elevation of the mountain. The two climbers were last seen alive at 16,100 feet on June 1st, and a search was begun after they failed to return on schedule. It appears that they were killed in a fall. Their bodies are in a position which would make recovery difficult and dangerous. An NPS patrol on the mountain will attempt to climb to a point near their bodies to make a final decision on whether or not a recovery will be attempted. (CompuServe message from RAD/ARO, 6/13).
Late on the afternoon of August 3rd, Dr. C.N.W., 58, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, suffered what appeared to be a massive myocardial infarction and went into cardiac arrest while at his campsite in Teklanika Campground. The incident was witnessed by a family friend who sought assistance. CPR was immediately begun by other campers, and park rangers responded by both ground ambulance and helicopter. CPR was continued throughout the rescue effort. A full range of techniques, including fluid therapy, cardiac drugs and defibrillation, was attempted without success. Washington was transported to Healy Clinic via helicopter, where resuscitation efforts were suspended. Dr. C.N.W. was a highly-regarded surgeon and pioneer in the field of laser surgery. He was in Alaska to teach surgical techniques at Humana Hospital this coming week. (Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, via telefax from Steve Holder, RAD/ARO, 8/5).
During the early morning hours of the 26th, the park road was blocked by five separate rock and mudslides which stranded visitors in the west end of the park. After an unusually warm, dry summer, the park received torrential rains, which resulted in slides at Polychrome Pass, Sable Pass and Igloo Canyon. The slides and high water backed up at Regan Creek resulted in the closure of the road at mile 15. One tour bus, caught between slides near Sable Pass, was freed after several hours and returned east. All 40 visitors west of Polychrome Pass were stranded and spent the night at Eielson Visitor Center, Toklat and Wonder Lake. Park road crews worked all day on the slide areas, only to have more material come down at Polychrome that night. Clearing efforts continued yesterday, and the park hoped to evacuate the stranded visitors by mid-afternoon. The forecast is for continued rain. (CompuServe message from Interp/ARO, 8/27).
Continuing rain and wet snow are keeping several rock and mud slide areas active along the park road, which will remain closed to the public at Teklanika River (mile 30) until conditions change. Only necessary park administrative travel is being allowed, and is being conducted with the assistance of road crews. Shuttle and tour buses are operating up to the river and are turning around and returning from that point. The campgrounds at Igloo Creek and Wonder Lake will remain closed until the road opens, and no backcountry permits are being issued for areas beyond the river. The campgrounds at Riley Creek, Savage River, Sanctuary River and Teklanika River remain open, as do all other visitor facilities in the park's entrance area. (CompuServe message from George Wagner, PIO, DENA, 8/29).
At 8 p.m. on August 30th, the park dispatcher received a call for assistance from Alaska State Police. A trooper had pursued a stolen pickup with four occupants into the park, where it had run off the road just past the park boundary. Three of the occupants fled into the forest; the fourth, a hitchhiker who was riding in the pickup's bed, was injured in the crash. Rangers responded and assisted by sealing off a large forested area which is bounded on two sides by swiftly flowing water. Rangers took one suspect into custody during the ensuing search, but the other two eluded capture. The injured hitchhiker was taken to the Healy Clinic by park ambulance. The suspect who was captured provided authorities with the names of the other two occupants, and state felony warrants have been issued for their arrest. (CompuServe message from RAD/ARO, 8/31).
At about 7:00 a.m. on the 14th, the park fire brigade was asked to assist the Healy volunteer fire department on a structural fire at the Healy road house. Seven members of the brigade responded with the new truck the park acquired last summer. Although unusually warm (i.e., above zero) temperatures made water handling easier, strong winds hampered suppression efforts. Firefighters were able to save a mobile home residence adjacent to the north wing and the three buildings that comprised the south wing, but the main and north wings were destroyed by the fire. Of particular concern at the time were several fuel tanks located between some of the buildings. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation. [CompuServe message from RAD/ARO, 2/14]
On the morning of March 26th, the park received a report that there was a woman at the Kantishna roadhouse who was suffering from a worsening back injury. The woman, C.C. of Healy, Alaska, had suffered the injury in a snowmobiling accident several days earlier and was in serious medical condition. Since the roadhouse is located 90 miles from the nearest plowed road, rangers coordinated an air evacuation with an Army MAST helicopter unit stationed at Fort Wainwright. The evacuation was completed during a brief window of flying weather. Hospital diagnosis later revealed that Cummings had two fractured vertebrae. [CompuServe message from RAD/ARO, 3/31]
An earthquake with a magnitude of from 6.0 to 6.6 on the Richter scale occurred near the park late Tuesday night but caused virtually no damage. The epicenter was about 70 miles below Talkeetna, and the town reportedly received a "good shake." The quake triggered a sizable avalanche near the edge of the Kahiltna Glacier and several smaller slides just outside the park's boundaries. Rangers contacted many of the expeditions on the mountain by CB radio yesterday morning and determined that none had experienced any quakerelated problems. They planned to fly over the mountain during the day to check on the remaining expeditions. [FEMA message, 5/1; telephone report from Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/1]
As of late Wednesday evening, the park had received no indications that any of the expeditions on Mount McKinley had experienced any problems as a result of the earthquake. Not all groups carry CB radios, though, and some are on remote routes and out of contact. Progress was slowly being made in contacting each of these groups. There is still cause for concern, as several are on remote routes in other parts of the range and afternoon weather prevented further flying. Pilots from the park and from Talkeetna have reported major fracturing and avalanche activity all around the mountain. Flights will continue to be made as weather permits. [Telefax from Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/2]
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 15th, a combination Swiss-American climbing team was attempting to reach the summit of Mt. McKinley when they came across a Korean climber lying in the snow at the 18,000-foot level about a quarter of a mile from his tent. The climber, who was a member of the nine-member Blue Fire Expedition that had begun an ascent of the West Buttress on May 1st, had evidently fallen and appeared to be suffering from a broken arm, broken ribs and frostbite. Three more Koreans, all of them weak but uninjured, were found in the tent, and a fifth Korean rejoined the group shortly thereafter. They'd apparently been at that location for four to five days. The Swiss-American climbers learned that the Blue Fire Expedition had split into four and five-man teams during the ascent, and that the remaining Korean climbers were elsewhere on the mountain. The incident was reported to rangers who were at the 14,000-foot level. A rescue effort was begun, but bad weather precluded any flights that day. Meanwhile, a climbing team from the Army's Northern Warfare Training Center that had reached the 17,000-foot level saw two climbers from another party fall while descending from Denali Pass. They went to the injured climbers and assisted them to the Army camp. One of the climbers was unhurt, but the other apparently had internal injuries. The two climbers were members of the other Blue Fire team. The park's contract helicopter was able to fly to the mountain early on Thursday morning. Two of the rangers at the 14,000-foot level were picked up; one was taken to 17,000 feet and the other to 18,000 feet. The two most seriously injured climbers were evacuated and taken to Talkeetna, where they were transferred by helicopter to a hospital in Anchorage. Of the three Korean climbers remaining at the 14,000-foot level, one has a knee injury and a second has frostbite on his hands. The park was unable to rescue them yesterday because of weather conditions, but will take them off as soon as the weather permits. This incident brought into service an NPS rescue helicopter stationed in Talkeetna for the first time this season. The NPS has never before had a high-altitude-capable helicopter dedicated to work on Mount McKinley and other high peaks in Alaska. Without this contract rescue helicopter, rangers would have to have lowered the injured climbers by ropes on sleds to the 10,000-foot level of the mountain before flying them out. Rangers Jim Phillips, Renny Jackson and Jim Woodmency participated in the rescue effort. [Telefax from RAD/ARO, 5/16]
On May 30th, concession employee J.S., approximately 30 years old and believed to be from Kansas City, Missouri, signed out for a hike to the Cathedral Mountain area, stating on the register that he would be hiking solo, that he was in good physical condition, and that he had no previous experience hiking in Alaska. An employee for ARA, the park concessioner, reported J.S. as overdue when he failed to return to work at 5:00 p.m. on June 2nd. There are some indications that J.S. may have deviated from his initial course and gone into the Toklat area, but this has not yet been confirmed. Searches are currently underway by fixedwing aircraft; the park may also employ its contract Llama helicopter. (Jim Unruh, DENA, via telefax from Steve Holder, RAD/ARO, 6/4]
On July 3rd, K.W., 28, of Warsaw, Poland, left a climbing partner and attempted to reach the summit of Mount McKinley alone. Weather conditions deteriorated, though, and Wiecha became trapped near the summit with minimal survival gear. Searchers spotted him at the 19,800-foot level on the afternoon of the 6th. K.W. was lying on the snow near a crevasse, where he had apparently taken refuge, and waved to the plane. Rescuers in a high-altitude helicopter first tried to drop a bundle with a tent and other survival gear to K.W., but the bundle rolled by him and crashed 2,000 feet down the mountain. The helicopter then flew rangers Daryl Miller and Jim Phillips to a landing spot at 19,500 feet. The rangers climbed to the 19,800-foot level and lowered K.W. to the drop-off point, where the helicopter picked him up early on the 7th. K.W. is listed in serious but stable condition in a hospital in Anchorage. [Telephone report from Steve Holder, RAD/ARO, 7/7; John Enders, Associated Press, 7/7]
On August 4th, a concessioner-owned Cessna 207 with seven occupants had a partial engine failure while returning from a scenic flight near Mt. McKinley. The pilot nursed the Cessna back toward its base airport near park headquarters, but the engine totally failed about ten miles out and the pilot was required to make a forced landing. He managed to land the plane on a park road, successfully dodging road signs, adjacent trees and motor vehicles in the process. There were no injuries, and the aircraft was not damaged. The FAA and NTSB are investigating. [CompuServe message from Jim Unruh, DENA, 8/6]
On the morning of August 7th, G.K., 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suffered a heart attack while at Polychrome Pass on the park road. Ranger Rich Erving and two members of G.K.'s party, one a doctor and the other a nurse, immediately began CPR. Rangers John Thompson and Bernadette Kane, a registered nurse, responded from the Toklat River area, and ranger Cody Cole flew in on the park helicopter from the Glen Creek area of Kantishna. The litter-equipped helicopter took G.K., Cole and Kane to the clinic in Healy. While at the clinic, G.K.'s heartbeat and breathing resumed, and he was subsequently taken by park helicopter to the hospital in Fairbanks. G.K. died late that evening. [Telefax from Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 8/9]
A search has begun for two park employees E.H., 23, an SCA employee from Pasadena, California, and J.C., 24, a seasonal interpretive ranger from Summit, New Jersey who failed to return as scheduled last week from a climb of 8,838-foot Scott Peak, six miles from the visitor center at Eielson. E.H. and J.C. planned to hike to the foot of Sunset Glacier, then make a oneday climb up the mountain. They were to have returned by September 12th or, at the latest, the 13th. On the morning of the 14th, searchers received a report that a tent had been spotted which appeared to be blowing on a river bar about six miles up Thorofare River from Eielson. Two rangers hiked in and found the tent, which belonged to E.H. and held a sleeping bag, a pad and two pairs of hiking boots. They also found a bearresistant food container in the vicinity. Since the pair had left their hiking boots behind, its believed that they are wearing their mountaineering boots and are on the mountain. The search is focusing on two possible routes, both of which have difficult areas and exposure to ice and snow. Four rangers and volunteers were flown to the search area from Talkeetna via helicopters on the 15th, and a volunteer team from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group was to join them yesterday. Overcast skies and winds in excess of 70 miles per hour have limited the use of helicopters and fixedwing aircraft. Temperatures were in the high 20's most nights last week, but were above freezing on Friday. [Telefaxed report from RAD/ARO, 9/16]
E.H. and J.C. have been found alive approximately six miles from the farthest point of their ascending route on Scott Peak. A technical mountaineering team led by ranger Daryl Miller reported finding tracks on the summit ridge early on the 17th. The location of the tracks indicated that J.C. and E.H. had strayed from their route. Ranger Jim Unruh flew over the new search area, and spotted them at 2:00 p.m. A medical team was flown in by helicopter and found that they were uninjured but were dehydrated, weak and hungry. Although an eyewitness had told rangers that the two had set out on their trip on the 10th, J.C. and E.H. said they left on the 8th as planned and had hiked in and set up their base camp. They reached the summit of Scott Peak on the 9th, but became disoriented in worsening weather and descended to the southeast, away from their camp. Two attempts to get back were thwarted by the severe weather. Continuing rain on the 12th made their one down sleeping bag almost useless; they had no tent with them. Clouds, rain and high winds remained constant until the 17th. During the eight days without food, J.C. and E.H. survived on soapberries. While they made good decisions after becoming disoriented, their decision to push to the summit despite worsening weather was not a good one and was the cause of all their subsequent problems. [Telefax and phone reports from Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 9/18]
A team of rangers led by Tom Habecker and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent helicoptered to three illegal hunting camps in the remote southwest end of the park on September 23rd and seized several illegally taken animals. The team members first stopped at spike camps being operated by hunting guides J.M. and G.P., both of whom have state permits to guide and hunt outside the park. G.P. also has a federal permit to guide and hunt in the national preserve. During the contacts with the guides and their clients, one of whom is a member of the Austrian parliament, an illegally taken moose was seized. Information was also gathered on other unlawful activities. The team returned to the area on the 25th after being weathered out for a day. Upon approach, they were advised that an ELT signal had been picked up by the RCC at Elmendorf AFB and plotted to their vicinity. The source of the ELT turned out to be a damaged aircraft owned by G.P., who had attempted to land near a third, previously unknown camp. An assistant guide and client were contacted in the camp and the subsequent investigation lead to the seizure of another illegally taken moose and a caribou. The investigation is continuing, and several charges are pending. The park reports that the interagency cooperation between NPS and FWS has been very fruitful, and that both agencies will be working toward more cooperative enforcement actions in 1992. [Telefax from Carrie Stroble, RAD/ARO, 9/26]
On April 9th, a hunting guide flying near the boundary of the park contacted state troopers and reported that he'd seen two men on dark snowmobiles chasing a large, dark-colored grizzly bear inside the park. Within hours of the report, rangers had flown the area and located an exhausted but alive bear. Although no snowmobiles were spotted, evidence indicated that the bear had probably been harassed. On the following morning, rangers received and confirmed a report that the bear had been killed and skinned on the evening of the 9th. On April 11th, rangers Jim Phillips, Darryl Miller and J.D.S. snowmobiled to the site and found that the bear's head, hide, feet and gall bladder had been removed by the poachers. Two hours after alerting local taxidermists and state troopers, a hide matching the description of the one taken from the bear was identified and reported. The hide and head were seized by state troopers and turned over to Phillips. The park's high-altitude Lama helicopter was employed to long-line the carcass out; it was then sent to the state crime lab. On April 24th, a positive match between the hide and carcass was made. Reconstruction indicates that the bear was 22 to 25 years old, weighed about 1,000 pounds and measured 9'6". Warrants are pending and should be executed within the next few days. Investigators believe that this incident is linked to gall bladder trafficking to oriental countries from Alaska. [J.D. Swed, DENA, via telefax from C-C. Stroble, RAD/ARO, 4/29]
On May 1st, rangers J.D. Swed and Jim Phillips and regional law enforcement officers Scott Taylor and Susan Morton executed a search warrant at the residence of D.M.T., 50, in Wasilla, Alaska. D.M.T. is the prime suspect in the recent poaching incident in which snow machines were used to chase and harass a bear into exhaustion prior to killing it and collecting its marketable parts. Incriminating evidence seized during the warrant execution included blood-stained clothing, maps, weapons and articles on gall bladders clipped from magazines and newspapers. It was learned that D.M.T. had been tipped off to the forthcoming search by the landlord, and he may have removed or destroyed some items prior to the actual execution of the warrant. Ballistic tests on the weapons and other forensic processes are scheduled. The U.S. Attorney's office plans to present the case to a grand jury within the next couple of weeks. [J.D. Swed, DENA, via telefax from C-C. Stroble, RAD/ARO, 5/6]
On May 11th, three mountaineers were rescued and airlifted off Mount McKinley by park rangers and a high-altitude Lama helicopter on contract to the NPS. Just after 2:00 p.m. that afternoon, D.H. came into the ranger station at 14,000 feet on the mountain and said that his two climbing partners were in trouble at 17,500 feet. T.R., 43, of Ridgecrest, California, was suffering from high-altitude cerebral edema, pulmonary edema and frostbite on both feet and his nose; R.R., 56, also of Ridgecrest, was suffering from frostbite on his feet. The Lama was called and flew from Talkeetna to the 14,000-foot level to pick up ranger Ron Johnson and volunteer Julie Culberson and drop off ranger Daryl Miller to man the ranger station. Pilot Bill Ramsey flew Johnson and Culberson to 17,500 feet, where they stabilized the patients and loaded them on the helicopter. While Ramsey flew the patients to 14,000 feet, Johnson and Culberson and a French guide who had assisted them traversed to a better landing area for pickup. Before the rangers were picked up, however, a second rescue call came in. T.D.H., 39, of Bellvue, Washington, had fallen at about 15,800 feet on the head wall of the West Buttress route. His partner, who was leading as they descended, fell; T.D.H. arrested the fall, but broke his right arm and scraped his face in the process. The climbers were not using the fixed lines on the headwall. Johnson and Culberson were flown to 15,600 feet, climbed up to T.D.H., stabilized him, and brought him to the helicopter. All three patients were then flown from 14,000 feet to 7,200 feet, where a fixed-wing air taxi took them to Talkeetna and eventually to Humana Hospital in Anchorage. District ranger J.D. Swed and ranger Roger Robinson flew communications cover throughout the entire operation. The injured were off the mountain by 6:00 p.m., less than four hours after first notification. The rescues brought to four the number of climbers taken off the mountain this month by the Lama. An SCA working for the NPS was flown off late last week with frostbite in his hands. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, RAD/ARO, 5/11]
On May 9th, two sightseeing aircraft collided in midair near Mount McKinley, clipping about three feet off the wing of a Cessna 172 and damaging the landing gear of a Cessna 185. Both planes flew safely to Talkeetna. A total of ten people were on board the two aircraft, including four schoolchildren in one plane and three Florida tourists in the other. The C-185 is owned by Getting Aviation, an NPS concessioner; the C-172 was rented from an Anchorage aero club. The commercial aircraft pilot had her radio tuned to 122.7, the frequency used by pilots in that area. The other pilot did not. The planes were at about 9,200 feet when they collided. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, RAD/ARO, 5/11]
A 28-year-old Korean man fell an estimated 300 meters while attempting a new route on the south face of Mount McKinley on the afternoon of May 11th. He suffered severe head injuries and was evacuated by members of the Korean Alpine Club to the Kahiltna Glacier base camp at 7,000 feet at 4 a.m. yesterday morning. Visibility at the camp was zero and heavy snow was falling at the time of the report. Continued poor flying conditions are predicted. Doctors who are in the camp as part of other expeditions are treating him. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, RAD/PNRO, 5/12]
A 26-year-old French woman was rescued from 17,000 feet on Mount McKinley on the evening of May 11th by ranger Ron Johnson and three volunteers. The woman had been left at that altitude by her climbing partners, who descended to the ranger station at 14,000 feet at 2:30 p.m. and advised the rangers there that the woman was exhausted and unable to continue. She reportedly had a sleeping bag and tent, but no stove. Weather forecasters were predicting the arrival of the worst storm in ten years that evening; it would bring heavy snow and winds up to 100 mph. A four-man rescue team was sent after her and arrived at her location in four hours. They found her in fine condition. She descended the West Buttress to 14,000 feet on her own power in about two hours. Rangers plan to question the climbers as to why they did not descend as a group. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, RAD/PNRO, 5/12]
D.T., 50, of Wasilla, Alaska, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage on May 12th for violations of the Lacey Act and for possession of illegally taken game in Denali NP, both misdemeanors. D.T. has admitted that he killed a grizzly bear, but asserts that he committed no crime because the USGS map he used did not show the park boundary, which was established in 1980. Arraignment is scheduled to take place next week. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, RAD/ARO, 5/13]
An Alaska National Guard Pavehawk rescue helicopter picked up 25-year-old Korean mountain climber S.W.-S. from the 7,000-foot base camp on Mount McKinley at 6:45 a.m. yesterday morning. S.W.-S. had sustained severe head injuries in a 900-foot fall while rappelling on McKinley's south face and had been unconscious since the accident occurred on May 11th. Bad weather - zero visibility and five feet of snow in 24 hours - had prevented earlier evacuation efforts. During that time, Woo-Song was attended by two doctors from other climbing expeditions. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, RAD/ARO, 5/13]
Rangers are in the process of attempting to drop food, water and a camp stove to three Korean climbers who have been marooned without food or water for six days at the 18,000-foot level of Mount McKinley, but efforts to drop the supplies by helicopter have been thwarted so far by winds of from 60 to 70 mph. Park spokesman John Quinley reports that nearly perfect weather will be required to fly in and rescue the climbers, but adds that "perfect weather is not in the forecast." Rangers learned of the climbers' plight when the Koreans radioed on Saturday to a helicopter crew searching for several European climbers on the mountain. Swiss climber A.V.B., 42, died on Sunday after experiencing respiratory problems at 14,000 feet, and two Italian climbers - R.P., 30, and G.C., 49 - were killed late last week when they fell while climbing Cassin Ridge. Rangers recovered G.C.'s body yesterday at the mountain's 11,800-foot level; R.P.'s body remains on Cassin Ridge at 15,000 feet. While efforts were underway to find and/or recover these climbers, rangers also learned of another incident in which three Koreans from a second Korean climbing party fell into a 60-foot crevasse at 15,500 feet. One climbed out, a second was rescued, and the third was being pulled out by rangers and volunteers late yesterday. The third climber, who is suffering from major trauma, will be raised out on a stretcher and taken by sled to the 14,000-foot level for evacuation. [Yereth Rosen, Reuters, 5/18]
Rangers finally reached the three Korean climbers on Mount McKinley yesterday and evacuated them by helicopter. Their condition is not presently known. The stranded climbers were in a snow cave at the 18,200-foot level of the 20,320-foot peak. Earlier reports indicated that the group's leader was suffering from frostbitten fingers and altitude sickness. The mountain received significant amounts of snow during an unusually strong spring storm last week. About 400 climbers were reported to have been on the mountain over the past weekend. [Media reports, 5/18 and 5/19]
Three Korean climbers died in a fall on Wednesday in yet another incident on Mount McKinley. The bodies were found at the 15,000-foot level after observers warned rangers that the climbers might be in trouble. The trio fell down the Orient Express, a little-used route on the mountain's west rim, while descending from 18,000 feet, where they'd been trapped by bad weather for seven days. The bodies will remain on the mountain until the weather improves enough to allow a recovery team to enter the area. The three fatalities followed the rescue of three other Korean climbers on the mountain's summit on Monday. The three, who were stranded for a week without food or water, were evacuated to an Anchorage hospital. [Yereth Rosen, Reuters, 5/21]
Alaska Regional Office has provided us with a summary of the past week's intense activity on Mount McKinley in Denali. Over that period, rangers responded to ten incidents involving a total of 18 climbers; of the 18, six are dead (five of them still on the mountain), nine were airlifted to hospitals, one was uninjured but is no longer on the mountain, and two are well and still on McKinley. Here's a chronology of the events which took place: * May 14th - The park received a report from a party of Korean climbers that they'd seen a body on Cassin Ridge, but winds were too high to fly a confirmation flight. * May 15th - Morning winds continued to be high, but the park's Lama was able to fly in the afternoon. One body was confirmed at 15,000 feet, and a second was suspected. A pile of ropes was seen at about 11,800 feet. Rangers suspected that the victims were a team of Italian climbers. While on that flight, rangers received a distress call from a three-person Korean team at 17,700 feet (not the same group that reported the fatality on the 14th). * May 16th - Winds were blowing at 50 mph, and rangers were unable to fly emergency gear to the Koreans at 17,700 feet. The deaths of the two Italians were confirmed. They had reached the summit and were descending Cassin Ridge - a very rare and dangerous route. At 10:35 a.m., rangers received a report that a Swiss climber had died of respiratory problems at 14,000 feet. His family was on site as part of a group of eight climbers. At 5:25 p.m., a report came in that three Koreans from still another group had fallen in a crevasse at 15,500 feet at the base of the headwall on the West Buttress. One went all the way through; two were stuck up to their arms. One of them was able to extricate himself and report the incident. The second eventually went all the way down. An 11-person rescue team was assembled. The members were Ron Johnson, Matt Culberson, Julie Culberson, Jim Wickwire, John Roskelly, Brian Okenek, and five Koreans. At 8:06 p.m., the rescue team located both victims about 60 feet down on the false floor of the crevasse. Winds were blowing snow at 30 mph. One of the two was extricated by about 10 p.m.; the other was eventually dug out and taken to 14,000 feet with more serious injuries. Weather precluded a helicopter rescue flight. The body of one of the Italian climbers was recovered and flown off the mountain by fixed wing aircraft in early evening. * May 18th - The weather improved, and the Lama was able to evacuate the Korean injured in the crevasse fall from 14,000 feet to 7,000 feet, where he was transferred to a National Guard Pavehawk and taken to Humana Hospital in Anchorage. Army CH-47 Chinooks were summoned from Fort Wainwright. The park planned to either drop emergency supplies to the Koreans at 17,700 feet from the Lama or lower them via the Chinooks. At 4:30 p.m, Lama pilot Bill Ramsey dropped a bag of emergency gear to the climbers, but it rolled off the mountain. When the weather calmed, he attempted to land about 40 feet from the climbers; when they rushed the ship, Ramsey (and ranger Jim Phillips, who was on board) lifted off and signalled them that only one climber could be extricated. Ramsey landed again and picked up the worst injured of the three. After a short turnaround at the NPS camp at 14,000 feet, he picked up the second climber, then went back again for the third. The Army Chinooks picked up the three climbers and took them straight to the hospital in Anchorage. One had severe frostbite on his fingers and toes; the second had severe frostbite to his feet and was dehydrated; the third suffered from mild dehydration and abdominal pain. During subsequent interviews, the Koreans reported that they discovered an abandoned bottle of stove fuel while digging their snow cave. * May 20th - A translator working with Korean climbers reported that two Koreans at 14,000 feet had contacted her to report that another three-person Korean team was at 18,000 feet and heading down after spending seven days there due to bad weather. They were on their last day of food and water. The information was passed on to Matt and Julie Culberson - both volunteers working with rangers - who had been on patrol on the West Rib since May 19th. At 7:25 p.m., the Culbersons reported that they'd found the bodies of three Korean climbers at 15,000 feet at the base of the Orient Express, a steep couloir named by climbers for previous accidents involving foreign climbers. * May 21st - Meetings were held in Talkeetna between park and regional staff and the Italian consul general from San Francisco. Italy will send a climbing team to recover the body of the remaining Italian climber at 15,000 feet, and the Service will provide helicopter support in moving the body after it's taken to a landing zone. There's high media interest both nationally and internationally in the spate of incidents on the mountain. Many questions have been raised in the press and by callers questioning the Service's policy of not charging climbers - particularly foreign climbers - for rescue costs. [cc:Mail report from John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO, 5/21]
T.S., 41, a highly-regarded mountaineer and guide, died in an accident on Mount McKinley on May 21st. His death was the seventh in seven days on the peak. T.S., who was employed by Mountain Trip, Inc., was following two clients as part of a three-person rope team at about 14,400 feet on the South Buttress when they stopped, looking for the route. As T.S. moved to the front of the line, the snow broke away under him. T.S.'s clients were able to arrest their descent only when the rope from T.S. stopped pulling. One client descended into the crevasse twice in hopes of locating Stump, but was unable to find him. The pair then continued down the mountain and reported the accident on May 22nd. After hearing a description of the accident and the crevasse, rangers decided to make no recovery effort. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO, 5/25]
A search was begun for four climbers on Mt. McKinley after they were reported overdue. An airplane search was initiated, and the foursome was spotted making their way across an icy gully. The medical camp at 14,000 feet was notified by radio, and a ranger there watched the men through binoculars. As he watched, the four slipped and fell 3,000 feet to their deaths. The bodies were found at 16,000 feet, but it's not clear if they've yet been removed from the mountain. The accident brings the death toll for climbers this year to 11; the previous high was eight in 1967 and 1980. Details to follow. [Associated Press news report, 6/3]
On May 29th, rangers received word that two German climbers - G.S., 31, and C.M., 25 - on the mountain's West Buttress route were in trouble. G.S. was reported to have severe head injuries sustained in a fall, and C.M. was said to have frostbitten hands. Three NPS volunteers, including a physician, helped them descend to 17,000 feet later that day. They were then picked up by the park's high-altitude Lama helicopter, transferred to an aircraft at 7,000 feet, then flown to a hospital in Anchorage. District ranger J.D. Swed was in the Lama; ranger Jim Phillips was on board the fixed wing cover aircraft; and Daryl Miller worked from the ranger camp at 14,000 feet. [Reuters news report, 5/29, and cc:Mail report from John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO, 5/29]
The four Canadian climbers who were killed on Mt. McKinley on May 31st were attempting to traverse the top of the Messner Couloir when the fall occurred. Body recovery by ground team was ruled out because of the extremely unstable snow conditions discovered by ranger Daryl Miller's team on Monday when it went to the site to confirm the deaths. Recovery was accomplished by the park's Lama helicopter employing a short-haul line and hook. [cc:Mail message from John Quinley, PA/ARO, 6/3]
On June 18th, climbers T.W., 34, R.K., 25 and C.C., 25, were climbing the Pink Panther/SE Ridge route at the 13,500-foot level of Mount Foraker when an avalanche struck and killed T.W. and R.K. C.C. was injured, but was able to descend the ridge to a climbers' camp at the 7,000-foot level of nearby Mount McKinley and report the fatalities on June 24th. All three were experienced climbers. This incident brings the number of climbers killed in the park this year to 13. All of the others were on Mount McKinley. The last fatalities recorded on Mount Foraker were in 1987, when four climbers died in an avalanche. [John Quinley, PA/ARO, 6/25, and Associated Press, 6/26]
A volcanic eruption from Mount Spurr, 130 miles south of Mount McKinley, sent a huge ash plume into the sky on Saturday, June 27th, and threatened to strand 130 climbers in the park. The climbers had expected to be ferried by ski-plane off the peak's Kahiltna Glacier base camp, but the eruption showered ash on the snow runway, hastening the runway's summer meltdown and making future glacier landings and take-offs dangerous. Air-taxi companies based in Talkeetna plan to close the Kahiltna base camp today. Climbers will now have to hike all the way out carrying their gear. [Reuters news story, 6/28]
Between Friday, September 11th, and Monday, September 14th, the park received a very heavy early snowfall which dropped more than three feet of snow at headquarters and led to the closure of visitor services in all but the entrance area. Guests at three Kantishna lodges, located about 90 miles west of headquarters, were brought out in a convoy on Saturday night. Campers at interior campgrounds were evacuated on Friday. The high passes along the 90-mile road have had avalanches and drifts of at least four feet. About 60 park, concession and inholder employees remain in the park interior. The park's fall road opening for 1,200 vehicles to go into the interior was canceled on Friday. [John Quinley, PA, ARO, 9/14]
On September 22nd, the federal district court in Anchorage found D.T., 50, guilty of violating the Lacey Act for the transportation of illegally taken game and of violating federal regulations prohibiting possession of illegally taken game. The charges stemmed from an incident which occurred last April in which D.T. killed a large grizzly bear near the Tokositna Glacier in the southern portion of the park. At that time, witnesses informed rangers that a bear had been harassed by hunters on snow machines. They investigated and located a bear carcass nearly two miles inside the park boundary. With the assistance of the state crime lab and state fish and wildlife protection officers, the carcass was matched with a bear head and hide that D.T. had turned in for sealing to a taxidermist in Wasilla. D.T. said that he thought he was outside the park boundary, and used a map that had not been revised since 1973 to back his claim. In 1980, Denali was substantially enlarged, and several new units which were closed to sport hunting were established. Sentencing is set for November 19th. D.T. faces a maximum penalty of up to two years in jail and $200,000 in fines. The U.S. attorney commended the fine team effort demonstrated by the agencies involved, particularly the NPS. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 9/23]
Following nearly a week of snow clearing efforts, a one lane road was punched through to Kantishna, 90 miles west of park headquarters, on Friday, September 18th. An escorted caravan of 30 vehicles with 57 people and ten horses left the area late Friday night and successfully exited the park. The snow clearing was hampered by considerable avalanche activity and by drifts of up to 15 feet in the Polychrome Pass and Eielson Bluffs area. The unprecedented storm, which began dropping substantial amounts of snow on September 11th, shattered all records for snowfall since measurements began in 1917. The storm dropped 44 inches of unusually heavy snow at park headquarters, almost three times more than has ever been recorded for the month of September. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 9/23]
On December 11th, D.T., 50, of Wasilla, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for convictions stemming from the illegal killing of a bear in the park last April. D.T. was ordered to pay a $3,600 fine, placed on probation for three years, forfeited his sport hunting privileges for three years, and forfeited the bear's hide and skull to the park. The money will go to the Denali Resource Protection and Education Fund, which is used to assist in wildlife enforcement and education projects. D.T. admitted that he killed the grizzly bear, but asserted that he had committed no crime because the 1973 USGS map he used did not show the park boundary, which was established in 1980. The case was important because it reinforced the principle that it is a hunter's responsibility to know where he is hunting. [John Quinley, PIO, ARO, 12/17]
In March, 1988, ranger Norm Simons and an Alaska state trooper began a two- year-long investigation into the illegal killing of two wolves in Denali and a series of related burglary, trespass and theft incidents which occurred outside the park. A reward was offered, and information was received which proved helpful to the case. Five carcasses were recovered outside Denali and two wolf pelts were seized in San Francisco. Through extensive forensics work, Simon was able to match two of the pelts with two of the five carcasses. Charges were subsequently filed in state court against J.G. of Chugiak, Alaska, for illegal guiding, trespass, burglary, and illegal possession of wildlife. J.G. was convicted in 1990, but appealed. J.G., however, had his past to contend with. He was notorious throughout Alaska Region for burning his plane to keep it from being seized after a moose poaching incident in Katmai in 1980. A year later, he was involved in illegally killing a grizzly on the Katmai coast, was caught and convicted of poaching, and was on probation when the wolf charges were filed against him. Last month, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld J.G.'s 1990 conviction and he began serving a three-and-a-half year prison term in Seward. [Steve Shackelton, RLES, RAD/ARO, 2/11]
On Sunday, April 25th, three members of a British Army expedition developed frostbite while descending from the summit of Mt. Foraker. The entire eight-member team descended to 5,700 feet on the north side, where one member became completely immobile due to rewarming of his frostbitten feet. The five healthy members separated and skied down to Wonder Lake for help, expecting to arrive there on May 4th. On May 3rd, commercial aircraft picked up a mayday call from the three injured climbers on an FAA emergency channel. Since the south side of the range was clouded in, ranger Ron Purdum flew from headquarters along the north side of the range and located the camp on the Foraker Glacier. After dropping them a park radio, he determined that they needed to be evacuated. The park's rescue Llama, which followed a K2 Aviation aircraft that flew ahead to pick out the clearest route, reached the party about two hours later. Ranger Kevin Moore helped evacuate the climbers, who were taken to Talkeetna, then to Humana Hospital in Anchorage. The other five members of the expedition arrived at Wonder lake on the 4th. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/6]
A 31-year-old Marine suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema and acute mountain sickness was evacuated by helicopter from the 14,000-foot level of Mount McKinley at noon yesterday. M.D., from Camp Lejune, North Carolina, was part of an on-duty Marine Corps expedition on the mountain. His symptoms began Tuesday shortly after reaching the 14,000-foot elevation. M.D. was given oxygen and medical treatment by rangers at that location, and showed some improvement by yesterday morning. The decision to use the park's high-altitude rescue helicopter was based on his condition and the need for continued medical attention. A ground evacuation to the Kahiltna Glacier airstrip would have taken two days. M.D. was taken to Talkeetna, where he was transferred to an Alaska National Guard helicopter, which took him to the hospital at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. M.D. and his group started their trip on May 13th. This was the second medical evacuation from the mountain this season. [John Quinley, PA, ARO, 5/20]
A second member of the Marine expedition on Mt. McKinley was evacuated by helicopter on May 20th. Sgt. A.B., 29, was medevaced from the 12,000-foot level of the mountain with symptoms of acute mountain sickness. A.B. had suffered vomiting and diarrhea for 48 hours before his partners contacted park rangers and was semi-conscious when the park's Lama helicopter transported him to the Marine's 7,200-foot base camp. He was then transferred to an Alaska National Guard helicopter and taken to the hospital. Both he and 31-year-old M.D., who was medevaced from the mountain on May 20th, have been released following treatment. [John Quinley, PA, ARO, 5/25]
C.C., 40, of Seattle, Washington, was killed while descending Mt. McKinley at 11 p.m. on May 30th. C.C. was descending the Orient Express when he fell from the 18,500-foot level to the 15,200-foot level. There were two other climbers in the group, but no other injuries have been reported. The group has been described as reasonably experienced. D.G., an air taxi operator, is removing the body from the mountain. At the time of the report, there were 550 people on McKinley. [Scott Taylor, ARO, 5/31]
On June 1st, French mountaineering guide T.P. was fined $3,000 in U.S. magistrate's court for illegal guiding on Mt. McKinley. Rangers were tipped off to his illegal expedition when two members of the party returned early with frostbite. The two, who had been having difficulties, asked T.P. to help them down, but he refused to do so. They sustained the frostbite while descending by themselves. When ranger Jim Philips contacted T.P., he confessed to illegally guiding seven clients up the mountain. Illegal "pirate" guiding on Mt. McKinley has long been a problem. Tips regarding potential illegal expeditions are being aggressively pursued. Enforcement actions such as this one are part of a regionwide push to bring all concessioners into compliance. [Ken Kehrer, DENA, 6/3]
On June 7th, R.S. of Salzburg, Austria, contacted ranger Daryl Miller at the 14,000-foot camp and told him that his "client", E.E., was very ill with high-altitude pulmonary edema. Ranger Jim Phillips responded in the park's high-altitude Llama helicopter and evacuated E.E. to a hospital in Anchorage. Based on the one word tip from R.S., rangers telephoned and interviewed several key witnesses in Austria, then interviewed E.E. through an interpreter at the hospital. R.S. was then cited into court, where he pled guilty to conducting an illegal business operation on Mt. McKinley. U.S. magistrate John Roberts fined R.S. $500 and required him to pay $5,600 in restitution for the cost of the rescue. The money will be placed in the Denali SAR donation account. E.E. was released from the hospital on June 13th. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/18]
J.R., 63, of Toledo, Ohio, began suffering seizures at the Sheldon Mountain House cabin on the Ruth Glacier early in the afternoon of June 23rd. Members of his party employed a CB radio to reach climbers on the summit of Mount McKinley, who then relayed the message to park rangers. The first fixed wing flight to the cabin, located at about the 5,700-foot elevation on the southeast flank of the mountain, had to turn back because of poor weather. The Service's rescue helicopter was then used to fly up the glacier, but still had to land twice to wait for better visibility. J.R. was eventually evacuated to a fixed wing plane flown by Jay Hudson, who finally reached the Mountain House. Rangers were assisted by Talkeetna EMT III Terry Mangione. J.R. was flown to Talkeetna, then transferred to a hospital in Anchorage. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 6/28]
L.T., a 33-year-old climber from the Czech Republic, was evacuated from the 14,000-foot elevation of Mt. McKinley late on Tuesday, June 29th, after being rescued by fellow climbers and rangers on Sunday night. L.T. suffered acute mountain sickness and possible cerebral edema while at the mountain's 17,000-foot level and was unable to walk. Climbers from his and another group undertook the six-hour process of lowering him to safety; they were joined during the descent by park staff climbing up from the 14,000- foot camp. When it was determined that L.T.'s recovery was not progressing well, an evacuation was ordered. He was flown by the park's high-altitude Lama to Talkeetna, then transferred by private air ambulance to an Anchorage hospital. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 6/30]
On July 4th, members of the Alaska Reclamation Committee (ARC), a splinter group of the Alaskan Independence Party which claims state ownership of the park road, drove into the park in defiance of existing park regulations (failure to obtain a permit) and held a picnic on state and private inholdings in the Kantishna area, some 96 miles from the park's entrance. Prior to the event, there were rumors and threats that up to 300 people would participate in the event, but only 25 people in 11 vehicles participated. The park staff was augmented by 18 rangers from throughout the Alaska Region. The group drove past the road access check station at mile 15; they remained as a group even though their one oversized recreational vehicle was not permitted to travel beyond mile 30 until all park tour and shuttle buses had passed. The group continued to Kantishna, where they rafted on Moose Creek (the group is also challenging the question of navigability of park waters) and operated a sluice box near the mouth of Eureka Creek. There were no confrontations with park staff, though members did tell reporters that they "feared for their lives" after monitoring park radio frequencies and observing a van load of rangers following their convoy. Park staff were in the position of preparing for all contingencies that might result from this group's visit while still maintaining normal operations during the holiday. A helicopter was available to carry park law enforcement and EMS personnel to any point along the road corridor as needed. ARC claimed that the event was a success and plans to return for another "Drive Denali" weekend in six weeks. Meanwhile, the park is preparing legal action resulting from violations that occurred on the 4th. The park reports that staff "are optimistic that the issues of road ownership, river navigability, and mining claims will be resolved in court rather than on the road." The incident commander was ranger/pilot Ron Purdum. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 7/9]
A Cessna 185 on a sightseeing tour made a forced landing on the Lower Ruth Glacier within the park on the evening of Tuesday, July 20th. The pilot of the K-2 Aviation plane reported that the plane's engine lost power while they were flying at about 800 feet. He was unable to restart the engine, and the plane subsequently crashed on the glacier. Four of the five people on board were injured - all with a variety of fractures. Ranger JD Swed flew to the scene in a fixed-wing aircraft and dropped survival gear to the victims. National Guard and hospital helicopters arrived at the scene about two hours after the accident and transported the passengers to medical facilities. NTSB is investigating. [John Quinley, PA/ARO, 7/21]
On August 17th, a FirePro helicopter on contract from Tundra Copters of Fairbanks, Alaska, lost power and made a hard forced landing in the park. No injuries were reported, but the helicopter was sufficiently damaged to be unflyable. A second park helicopter evacuated the pilot, E.K., and passengers J.R. (Denali), L.H. (Denali) and A.J.L. (Alaska Regional Office). The helicopter was on a cabin inventory/archeology mission at the time of the accident. [Steve Holder, RAD/ARO, 8/17]
As part of an extensive trip through Alaska, Secretary Babbitt spent two nights and three days in the Denali area. On August 16th, Governor Hickel joined him for a trip through Denali on the much-contested park road. The radical faction of the Alaska Independence Party which demonstrated in the park on July 4th promised to return to Denali, so appropriate security measures were put in place. An incident command structure was established and assistance was provided by a Western Region special events team. No major incidents marred the visit. [Ken Kehrer, DENA, 8/22]
Over the Fourth of July weekend last year, D.C., K.L. and approximately 35 other Alaska Reclamation Crew/Alaska Independence Party members and their families participated in an unsanctioned but monitored drive along the park road as part of a demonstration in which the group(s) claimed state ownership of that road. On Friday, April 1st, D.C. and K.L. were convicted in federal court of driving the road without a 36 CFR 1.6 permit. In order to convict D.C. and K.L., the United States had to prove ownership of the road, despite the fact that a 1959 quitclaim deed issued by the Secretary of Commerce purportedly conveyed the road to the state along with the territorial roads that were legitimately transferred at the time of statehood. Although the Department of Interior managed the territorial road system from 1932 until 1956, when Commerce assumed responsibility, the United States was able to prove that the park road was constructed and maintained under separate authorities and funds. No interest in the road therefore passed to Commerce which could be conveyed to the state. The decision is subject to appellate review, and may be attacked by the state in a quiet title suit under 28 USC 2409a. The decision nonetheless represents at a minimum a significant interim determination in this long simmering dispute. [Russ Wilson, Paralegal, ARO, 4/4]
T.M., 26, and W.P., 36, both of Girdwood, Alaska, were descending a technical ice and rock route on Mount Wake with a third person on April 24th when they fell approximately 1500 feet to their deaths. The two men were unroped at the time; one apparently fell and caused the second to fall. The third climber made her way safely to the bottom of the route on her own. The bodies were recovered that evening by another climbing party. Rangers were notified of the accident by radio on Monday afternoon. The bodies were evacuated, and an investigation was begun. The accident - which occurred about 15 miles from Mount McKinley - came as the climbing season begins in the park. Denali rangers and US Army helicopter crews placed the supplies for the seasonal ranger camp at the 14,200-foot level of McKinley on Monday afternoon. The first climbing patrol begins on May 1st. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 4/26]
The Service has taken action against two men for conducting illegal guide services on Mount McKinley. W.M., 32, of Talkeetna, registered to take two clients to the West Buttress, though he had limited experience in high-altitude expeditions and his clients had no mountaineering experience. The citation, issued on May 1st, alleges that W.M., who had no permit to lead commercial trips, was receiving compensation for heading up the expedition. The clients, both physicians from Georgia, returned home without climbing the mountain. In an unrelated incident the same day, R.B., 32, of Munich, Germany, was also found to be illegally running a commercial operation. Rangers found that R.B., through a company called Amical, had advertised extensively and had coached his clients on what to say if questioned. R.B. admitted to rangers that he was the paid guide for the group, and was turned over to federal Immigration and Naturalization Service officials. He spent the night in jail, then returned to Germany. His clients included some very experienced mountaineers; they were permitted to continue their McKinley trip. The NPS may take action against Amical. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 5/8]
A.C. and C.C. were in a party of five climbing the northwest variation of the west ridge of Mount Hunter on May 5th when they were caught in an avalanche and injured. Members of the party tentatively diagnosed A.C. as suffering from a broken leg and C.C. as having sustained a chest puncture. The accident was reported at 7 p.m. and help was requested. Cloudy weather prevented the park's rescue helicopter from reaching the climbers, but two rescue teams with seven climbers reached the injured climbers later that night. Team members stabilized the two men and moved them to the base camp on Kahiltna Glacier, where they were flown off on Friday afternoon by Hudson Air Service. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 5/8]
P.B., 33, of British Columbia, was killed on the morning of May 15th when she and her boyfriend, Navy Lt. Richard Tyler, 28, fell more than 800 feet at the 18,000-foot level of Mount McKinley. Tyler was seriously injured. The two had reached the mountain's summit and were descending through Denali Pass when the accident occurred. According to Tyler, they were both tired and stumbling along just before the fall. Tyler said he was unconscious for five to six hours, then waited another two hours before he was discovered by another climbing party. A member of that group radioed air taxi operators at the Kahiltna Glacier base camp, and the park's high- altitude Lama helicopter was dispatched from its base in Talkeetna to the seasonal ranger camp at 14,200 feet to pick up a ranger and a volunteer physician. The Lama then flew to the climbing party's camp at 17,200 feet, where the ranger and physician climbed up to the scene and evacuated the victims. Tyler, who lost his gloves during the fall, is in serious condition with severe frostbite to all of his fingers and toes. The temperature was 40 below zero at the time of the accident. P.B. is the first person to be killed on McKinley this year. Last year was one of the safest on the mountain, with only one fatality out of 1,108 climbers; the previous year was one of the most deadly, with 11 climbing fatalities. [Anchorage Daily News, 5/16]
On Tuesday evening, climbers on Mt. McKinley found the body of K.W.K., 27, of Pusan, South Korea, a volunteer member of the park's eight person patrol who had been missing since May 21st. K.W.K. was found below the 16,000 foot level in a rock band between the ice climbing route he had completed and the fixed ropes on the headwall of the West Buttress. K.W.K. was anchored into the snow and apparently had not fallen. The cause of death and events leading up to the accident will not be known until rangers can get to the site and recover his body. K.W.K.'s death is the first among park staff and volunteers working on Mount McKinley since 1954, when ranger Elton Thayer died on the Muldrow Glacier. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 5/26]
While registering for a climb at Talkeetna on May 1st, W.M. told rangers that he was the expedition leader for a group of four climbers who would be ascending Mount McKinley. Acting on a tip, South District ranger J.D. Swed and mountaineering rangers Jim Phillips and Kevin Moore interviewed the group and discovered that two of its members - both physicians from Alabama - had compensated W.M. to guide the trip through a mixed cash, loan and land transaction. One physician was a business acquaintance of W.M., but had minimal mountain climbing experience; the other had no climbing experience and had never held an ice axe. The expedition was terminated by rangers at this point, partly because of its illegality and partly because of safety concerns. On October 5th, W.M. pled guilty to one count of 36 CFR 5.3 (engaging in an unauthorized business in a park area). W.M. was ordered to pay a $500 fine and was placed on probation for two years, with the special condition that he must inform Talkeetna rangers of his itinerary prior to entering any national park area in Alaska with a group. The successful prosecution of the case turned on a jurisdictional issue. Because the Talkeetna ranger station is a rental property located 22 miles south of the park, it does not fall within the existing (but soon to be revised) 1.4 definition of "boundary." The U.S. Attorney's Office supported the case under the theory that the defendant's act (registering the group) was sufficient to place the case within an area of less-than-fee interest (the leased property) and therefore met the jurisdictional requirements of 36 CFR 1.2(a)(3). [Russ Wilson, Paralegal, ARO, 10/17].
J.B., 35, of Peters Creek, and C.R., 34, of Trapper Creek, were killed on the morning of Saturday, April 15th, when their Cessna 180 crashed near Anderson Pass. A search for the plane was begun after an ELT signal was picked up from the plane. Although severe weather turned rangers back that afternoon, searchers in the park's Lama helicopter, a Pavehawk helicopter and an Alaska National Guard C-130 located the wreckage of the plane at about 6,500 feet on the Northeast Fork of the Eldridge Glacier on Sunday. The bodies of the victims were recovered. The accident is under investigation by FAA and NTSB. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 4/27]
B.M., 37, of San Diego, California, was killed late on the evening of Thursday, May 4th, when he fell near Denali Pass while returning with his partner from a successful climb of Mt. McKinley. B.M.'s death was reported by his partner, Michael Angove, 31, and another two-person expedition from Oregon that had reached the summit at about the same time. Angove, who is stationed in Guam with the Navy, reached the other expedition on Friday morning. He was suffering from rib injuries and frostbite and is being cared for by the other two climbers at the 17,200-foot elevation. His injuries are preventing the trio from descending the mountain, which is being buffeted by snow, winds over 70 mph, and extremely low temperatures. Rangers have made several attempts to reach the area in the park's Llama helicopter, but have been turned back by the weather. Communications are being maintained with the group via cellular phone. The three climbers have obtained additional food and fuel supplies from a park rescue cache. The weather forecast at the time of the report yesterday was for winds over 80 mph and continued extreme temperatures. The first mountaineering patrol of the season, led by ranger Kevin Moore, was expected to reach the camp at 14,000 feet some time yesterday, but it's unlikely that a ground rescue can be attempted before tomorrow. [Ken Kehrer, Jr., CR, DENA, 5/8]
The weather calmed enough on the morning of May 9th to permit the park's contract Llama helicopter to land at Mt. B.M.'s 17,200-foot level and remove M.A., who was injured in the fall that killed his partner, B.M. Climbers Deborah Robertson of Portland and Roderick Hancock of Lake Oswego, Oregon, had cared for M.A. for the four days that they were confined to their camp by high winds and extreme temperatures. Following M.A.'s extrication, Robertson and Hancock descended to the camp at 14,000 feet, where they'll stage for an attempt on Mt. Hunter. M.A. would likely have died without their care. [Ken Kehrer, Jr., CR, DENA, 5/9]
Three Washington state mountaineers were found dead on the West Buttress route on Mt. McKinley on the morning of Friday, May 26th. The three men - T.D., 52, S.H., 34, and J.H., 52 - were ascending the West Buttress from a camp at 11,000 feet when the snow bridge they were on collapsed into a crevasse. Although they fell only five to ten feet, blocks of snow and ice fell on top of them. The bodies have been recovered and flown off the mountain. In a separate incident, two climbers were treated for serious frostbite to their hands at the ranger camp at 14,200 feet. Both elected to descend the mountain with other climbers. A third person, P.R., 55, of Switzerland, was treated for a heart problem made more serious by altitude and evacuated by helicopter to Talkeetna. Weather on the mountain was generally bad all last week. Up to eight feet of snow fell at the base camp at Kahiltna Glacier, and winds blew at speeds over 60 mph. There were over 400 climbers on the mountain during the week. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 5/27]
A Doug Geeting Aviation C-185 flipped over on the evening of May 25th while attempting to take off from the Kahiltna base camp. A Hudson Air aircraft flipped onto its nose at the upper end of the turnaround at Kahiltna the following night. There were no injuries in either accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accidents. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/27]
A.P., 26, of Barcelona, Spain, was killed on June 9th when he fell 4,000 feet down the Orient Express on Mt. McKinley. A.P.'s two partners, also from Spain, were rescued from the 19,200-foot level of the West Rib later that evening. The three-man rescue party was dropped off by an Army Chinook helicopter from Fort Wainwright, as the park's high altitude Lama helicopter had been grounded by a minor accident. One of the two rescued climbers was treated for mild frostbite but was otherwise in relatively good shape; the second had severe frostbite on his hands and feet and remains hospitalized. The three climbers had been at the 19,200-foot level for four days. In additions to frostbite, rangers believe that they were suffering from high altitude related problems caused in part by climbing too high too fast. The climbers had started up the mountain on May 26th and had spent only eight days reaching their final camping site. A.P.'s death brings to five the number of fatalities on Mt. McKinley this season. There are about 425 climbers on Denali this week; to date, a total of 950 climbers have ascended the mountain. [John Quinley, PAO, ARO, 6/12]
On June 11th, J.M., 30, of Talkeetna, fell nearly 1500 feet while skiing down from the summit of Mt. Foraker, coming to rest only a few feet from a 1500 foot cliff. The other three members of his party lowered J.M. to the 12,000 foot level of the mountain, then called for help via CB. The park's contract Llama helicopter was still down for repairs at the time, so Army pilots in CH-47 Chinooks responded. Ranger Kevin Moore was winched down to the victim, placed in a rescue suit, then winched back up to the helicopter. This was the second rescue in three days involving Chinooks. Due to the very high costs of flying these helicopters, the battalion commander volunteered to stage two Chinooks in Talkeetna until the Llama is back on line. Using non-DOD rates, the cost of the round trip for two helicopters, the minimum the Army will send on a mission, can exceed $55,000. The Llama was back in service on the afternoon of June 13th. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/15]
After attempting the summit of Mt. McKinley on June 13th, seven members of a Taiwanese climbing expedition were forced to bivouac at the 19,400-foot level due to high winds and whiteout conditions. On the following evening, four members of the group descended to 17,200 feet, where two American climbers put them in a snow cave and cared for them. Two of the Taiwanese, J.C.C. and H.T.C., were suffering from frostbite and required medical attention. Despite erratic weather, the park's Llama helicopter was able to evacuate them late on the morning of June 16th; they were then transferred to an Air National Guard Pavehawk helicopter and flown to a hospital in Anchorage. Later that morning, Jay Hudson and climbing ranger Joe Reichert searched the upper mountain by fixed-wing aircraft and located two of the three remaining climbers. The Llama made several attempts to reach them, but was unable to do so because of high winds. Volunteer rescue climbers Alex Low, Conrad Anker, Tim Light and Vince Langman climbed to the 17,200-foot level, where Light and Langman assisted the other two Taiwanese at that level in their descent of the mountain. Meanwhile, Low and Anker "sprinted" to the 19,400-foot level, where they found climbers D.M.-L. and M.C.W. and the body of their partner, C.J.-L. Lowe and Anker, with the assistance of three Austrian climbers, helped the survivors reach the 17,200-foot level, where they were airlifted off the mountain by Army Chinook helicopters, then transferred to Pavehawks for the flight to the hospital. One of the four climbers has since been released; the remaining three will require considerable treatment for severe frostbite. Erratic winds and intermittent whiteout conditions severely hampered rescue efforts throughout the day. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/16]
On the evening of June 19th, two members of a Japanese snowboarding expedition were attempting to snowboard the Messner Couloir, a 45 to 48 degree, funnel- shaped slope that begins at 19,400 feet and terminates at the 14,200 foot level, when one of them - 24-year-old Y.T. - triggered and was caught in an avalanche. Y.T. was swept 2,400 feet over an ice fall and came to rest at the 14,800 foot level of the mountain. The avalanche missed his partner, who slowly continued down the mountain. Rangers and volunteers from the camp at 14,200 feet responded and were able to reach Y.T. in less than an hour. A volunteer physician and rescuers were able to stabilize and transport him by sled to their camp, where he was treated for hypothermia, a pneumothorax, a femur fracture and spinal injuries. Treatment included insertion of a chest tube, administration of IV fluid therapy, warming, and splinting of his leg. The park's Llama helicopter evacuated him from the camp at 3 a.m. on June 20th and took him to a lower camp, where he was transferred to an ANG Pavehawk helicopter and taken to a hospital. Y.T. is currently in stable condition, but paralyzed from the waist down. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/21]
Four climbers were swept 1400 feet down the South Buttress of Mount McKinley by an avalanche late on the evening of June 27th. Two members of the party sustained injuries - R.R., 40, of Olympia, Washington, suffered fractured ribs and an ankle; J.F., 38, of San Mateo, California, suffered fractured vertebrae. The other two members of the party miraculously escaped serious injury. Their CB radio call for help was picked up by a private operator and relayed to the park just after midnight. The park's Llama helicopter short-hauled ranger Kevin Moore to the site, where he stabilized J.F.'s and R.R.'s injuries. Both were lifted out by short-haul from the 10,400 foot level and taken to Talkeetna, where a waiting ANG Pavehawk helicopter picked them up and took them to a hospital in Anchorage. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/28]
On the evening of June 28th, Sgt. A.P., 30, and D.M., 25, fell into a crevasse at the mountain's 13,500-foot level. The two men were part of a ten-member British climbing party called "Unseen Steps." A.P. is a differently-abled climber who was partially paralyzed on his left side, blinded in one eye, and partially blinded in the other in an ordnance accident that occurred in 1992; D.M. served as A.P.'s "eyes" on the climb. The two men were accordingly closely tied together for safety at the time of the accident. Their fall was arrested by other climbers in the party, but D.M., who appeared to have suffered a fractured pelvis, became wedged in the crevasse above A.P., who was unhurt. D.M. was transported to the camp at 14,200 feet by his climbing party, where he was evacuated by the park's Llama helicopter and taken to a hospital in Anchorage. He was treated for torn cartilage in the pelvic region, then released. The British Broadcasting Company is filming A.P.'s climb. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/3]
On the afternoon of June 30th, the park received word that a Talkeetna Air Taxi sight-seeing plane with four passengers aboard had crashed near the Muldrow Glacier at Anderson Pass. The park's Llama helicopter, a Hudson Aviation aircraft with a ranger aboard, two ANG Pavehawk helicopters, and a C-130 refueling ship responded. Since it was uncertain whether they'd be able to reach the range because of intervening bad weather, an ERA Flightseeing helicopter was also conscripted; it off-loaded its passengers at Eielson visitor center, where it picked up a ranger and flew to the scene. The Llama was able to snake through the range, however, and located the wreck site. Although the aircraft was found upside down with wings and tail section torn off, the fuselage was intact and none of the passengers or the pilot received any injury more serious than bruises and abrasions. They were evacuated from the scene by the Llama and a Pavehawk, taken to a hospital, treated and released. The accident was apparently caused by severe downdrafts in the area. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/3]
H.F., 56, of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, crashed his mountain bike at the end of the 90 mile park road near Kantishna at 10 p.m. on July 13th. H.F. lost consciousness for at least 20 minutes and lapsed in and out of consciousness thereafter. Rangers responded with life support equipment and stabilized him; he was then flown to a hospital in Fairbanks. H.F. sustained trauma to the occipital and temporal areas of his head, five fractured ribs, and a dislocated shoulder. He is in intensive care and in a semi-coma. The helicopter was able to fly at such a late hour due to the long periods of daylight in Alaska at this time of the year. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA]
Just after 9 p.m. on November 22nd, the park received a request to assist with a serious motor vehicle accident just north of the park's boundary. Rangers Kehrer, Habecker, and Eckert responded with the park ambulance and emergency vehicle. A Chevrolet Suburban had broadsided a Toyota Corolla, killing all four occupants of the latter vehicle. The three occupants of the Suburban survived; one was flown to the hospital by military helicopter, and the others was transported by ambulance. Rangers assisted state troopers with the investigation. Icy conditions are thought to have been the major cause of the accident. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA]
Early this month, Talkeetna rangers recovered an historic ski, a probable artifact from one of the pre-1940s climbs of the mountains, which had been illegally taken from the Muldrow Glacier on Mount McKinley. Climbers S.B., 37, and S.L., 30, found the ski at the 5,800-foot level of the mountain last summer. Off-duty rangers twice contacted the pair in the park prior to their departure, advised them that the ski was culturally significant, and told them that it should be turned in at the park's visitor center. They refused to identify themselves, ignored the warnings, and left in a private vehicle - but not before the off-duty rangers photographed them and their vehicle. Following a lengthy investigation by rangers Pete Christian and Daryl Miller, S.B. was contacted by phone. He denied all knowledge of the theft, but eventually confessed when presented with additional evidence. He told rangers that S.L. had the ski. S.L., a resident of San Diego, was contacted and agreed to turn the ski over to park staff at Cabrillo. S.L. was cited and fined $400 for removing a cultural artifact from the park; S.B. was cited and fined $250 for giving a false report. According to ranger J.D. Swed, the recovery of the ski is significant to all mountaineers, as it's a part of the relatively short mountaineering history of Mt. McKinley. During the 1940s, only 26 people even attempted to climb the mountain, and just five of them were successful. Only 75 people tried to attain the summit before 1950. The ski probably belonged to one of these expedition members. [Ken Kehrer, DENA]
On October 7th, D.E., who runs a masonry and concrete cutting business in Fairbanks, called the park and reported that T.L., a Swedish national, had apparently removed a number of geodes from Denali. D.E. reported that T.L. had brought the geodes to him and asked to have them cut; during their conversation, T.L. told D.E. that they'd been taken from the park. Ranger Sandy Kogl recalled having issued T.L. a backcountry permit, located the document, and noted that T.L. had returned from his backcountry trip on October 3rd. District ranger Tom Habecker faxed a description of T.L. to Canadian customs officials at Beaver Creek, who subsequently identified him, found some "rocks" in his vehicle, and called the park. Habecker asked them to seize the geodes and obtain a written statement from T.L. The customs officials told T.L. that they could deny him entry into Canada if he refused to cooperate. He then provided them with a statement admitting the theft of the geodes from the Cathedral Mountain area within Denali. The geodes were tagged as evidence and transferred to the park by Alaska state troopers. T.L. was mailed a citation for violation of natural resource preservation regs. T.L. reportedly intends to return to the park next year to climb Mt. McKinley. If he fails to pay his fine, INS in Anchorage will be notified and he will be met upon arrival at the airport. [Ken Kehrer, DENA]
At 7:15 a.m. on March 20th, park firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the Denali Princess Lodge, located outside the park. Several volunteer companies also responded. Upon arrival, they found that one side of the main lodge building was fully engulfed in flames. No water was initially available at the site; when additional crews arrived, water was shuttled to the lodge from the park system, located six miles away, and pumped out of the Nenana River once a hole was punched through the ice. A 17,000-gallon tanker and large loader were provided by Usibelli Coal Mine late in the morning, and greatly assisted in protection efforts. Crews spent seven hours battling the fire and were able to save two wings of guest rooms, the maintenance building, an employee dormitory and the cafe. Two additional wings, the main lodge building and a restaurant were lost; the total damage has been placed at $25 million. Over 30 members of the park's staff participated in direct attack, protection of other structures, or the provision of logistics and additional heavy equipment. The hotel's owners vowed to rebuild the hotel within 60 days in order to be ready for the first scheduled visitors. The state fire marshall has determined that the fire started in the main lobby near two floor furnaces. Arson has been ruled out. [Ken Kehrer, DENA]
N.B., 32, of Broomfield, Colorado, was climbing a 45 degree ice and snow slope on the South Buttress with two men on May 27th when she fell about 50 feet and was injured. Her partners used a cellular phone to call 911 and request assistance. Mountaineering rangers dispatched the park's high- altitude Lama helicopter to the scene and moved N.B. down to the Kahiltna Glacier base camp. She was then flown to Talkeetna and taken by ambulance to a hospital in Palmer. The men remained on the route and continued the descent. [John Quinley, PAO, AFDO]
B.U., 22, and M.D., 34, both Croatian nationals, were descending from a climb of Mount McKinley on the afternoon of May 28th when M.D. slipped and fell nearly 4,000 feet down the Orient Express, a snow and ice couloir. B.U. attempted to descend and find him; he discovered only an ice axe, so continued his descent down the West Rib. He was met by two climbers from Colorado, who took him to their camp. B.U. was then escorted down the remainder of the route by three NPS volunteers. M.D.'s body was found at the bottom of the couloir. His death marks the first fatality on the mountain this season. About 400 climbers are currently on Mount McKinley. [John Quinley, PAO, AFDO]
On June 2nd, J.J.G.L., 32, a Spanish national, was ascending from Denali Pass to the summit at 18,500 feet when he fell about 300 feet, seriously injuring an ankle. Ranger Kevin Moore and a volunteer who were camped at 17,000 feet and climbed to assist him. The six-hour rescue operation included a 900-foot lowering with the assistance of other volunteers. He was evacuated by an Army Chinook helicopter on a training flight. [John Quinley, PAO, AFDO]
The park has begun a ground and air search for a German climber last seen at Denali Pass on Mount McKinley on Monday, June 3rd. The climber, whose name is being withheld pending notification of his relatives, was descending with a partner in high winds and whiteout conditions when the pair became separated. The partner reported the incident on Tuesday to the park ranger camped at 17,200 feet on the West Buttress route, but bad weather prevented a search until yesterday. Today's search has involved flights by the park's high-altitude helicopter and ground patrols by a ranger and volunteer climber in the Denali Pass area. [John Quinley, PAO, AFDO]
A search is currently underway for two missing mountaineers on Mount Hunter, a 14,573-foot peak near Mount McKinley. J.H., 28, of Madison, Wisconsin, and C.D., 27, of Seattle, Washington, began their climb early on Saturday, June 22nd. They were attempting a new route, and expected to be gone only four days. They carried neither a tent nor sleeping bags, depending instead on bivvy sacks and their parkas for shelter. When they failed to return on the 27th, rangers began the search for them. The Alaska all-risk incident management team was called in to manage the search the next day. Poor weather conditions permitted only limited air searches through Saturday, but observers were placed at three locations on the Kahiltna Glacier to check their most likely descent routes. The weather cleared on Sunday, which allowed air searchers to log about 18 hours of flight time in helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. No sign of the climbers was found. Three climbers were flown to the plateau below the summit of Mount Hunter to check that area more thoroughly. Air operations were to resume yesterday. About 30 people are currently involved in the search effort. J.D. Swed is IC. [Kris Fister, IO, IMT]
A search was begun on June 27th for J.H., 28, of Madison, Wisconsin, and C.D., 27, of Seattle, Washington, when the pair failed to return from a climb of Mount Hunter, a 14,573-foot peak near Mount McKinley. On July 1st, a body and pack were discovered melting out from under fresh snow on the mountain. Although indications were that the remains were C.D.'s, the victim's identity could not be confirmed due to the body's hazardous location in a gully where snow and ice falls were continuing. Another pack was also observed near the base of the couloir, but no sign of J.H. was found. On July 7th, air observations indicated that the body believed to be C.D.'s had melted out enough to fall on a debris cone below the gully. A second body, believed to be J.H.'s, was seen melting out near the point where the first body had been spotted. After a careful evaluation of hazards, mountaineering ranger Daryl Miller was short-hauled to the site on July 8th and recovered the body believed to be C.D.'s. Due to deteriorating weather, the helicopter had to land at the Kahiltna base camp and spend the night. Recovery of the second body is still not yet possible due to its location. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA]
Around noon on Friday, September 13th, rangers at the west end of the park received a message broadcast on the park radio frequency saying: "Down at Anderson Pass with injuries." Repeated efforts to establish radio contact and gain additional information were unsuccessful. Rangers then contacted ERA, Inc., a helicopter tour operator, to determine if they had any helicopter in the area. They advised that they did, and the rescue coordination center at Elmendorf AFB subsequently confirmed that they'd received emergency locator transmitter signals from that approximate location. A coordinated rescue effort was begun which involved an Air National Guard C-130 and Pavehawk helicopter, ERA helicopters, NPS employees and aircraft, and sundry medical personnel. The downed helicopter was found in the pass at 3 p.m. The pilot and one passenger were okay, but a second passenger had suffered possible back injuries. All were evacuated. Weather at the time of the crash was marginal, with a low cloud ceiling and snow showers. The NTSB is investigating the accident. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA]
A small, single-engine plane crashed near the Dall and Yentna glaciers on the afternoon of February 1st. Aboard are B.J., 27, his wife, C.J., 21, and their 21-month-old daughter. B.J. became disoriented by bad weather while flying from Port Allsworth to Anchorage and advised flight service that he was running out of fuel at 4 p.m. About an hour later, the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Fort Richardson picked up an ELT signal and launched two aircraft. Both had to return because of poor weather. The park was notified and took command of the incident. With the assistance of state troopers and personnel from Denali State Park, six snowmobilers, including rangers Tom Habecker and Dennis Knuckles, left the closest point they could reach by vehicle (55 miles from the crash site) on Sunday and broke trail to Angel's Lodge, a small lodge about 25 miles from the crash site. They were hindered by high winds, fresh snow and whiteout conditions. After resting, five members of the group, along with two civilians from the lodge, broke trail for another 20 miles, reaching a point near the terminus of the two glaciers, but had to turn back by midnight. Air National Guard pilots made another attempt to fly in, but were again turned back by snow and severe winds. In the process, however, they were able to plot a better location for the ELT signal, now located on the mountainside above the Dall glacier. Mountaineering rangers Roger Robinson and Billy Shott and a mountaineering team established a base camp at the base of the glaciers yesterday. They are still between five and seven miles from the site and will attempt to reach the plane today. Another mountaineering team will be shuttled to the base camp this morning to assist them. Snow and high winds continue to hamper flights, but aircraft have occasionally been able to reach the base camp and have supplemented the lengthy and arduous snowmobile shuttles. Assisting agencies include the aforementioned groups, two area rescue teams, several Talkeetna-based mountaineering guides, and a host of highly-skilled civilians from the area. JD Swed is incident commander. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 2/3]
The search for the missing Piper Pacer with the family of three on board ended on Tuesday morning with the discovery of the crash site and the bodies of B.J., 27, his wife, C.J., 21, and their 21-month-old daughter. A National Guard Pavehawk helicopter was finally able to reach the plane, which had crashed at the 2,900-foot level on the Dall glacier almost two miles from the closest location plotted from ELT signals. Extreme weather had hampered efforts to reach the site for three days. All three died instantly upon impact. The bodies were extricated from the wreckage and flown out. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. Over 60 people were assigned to the incident at its peak. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA; Betty Knight, PIO, ARO; 2/5]
On Sunday, May 18th, the McKinley Explorer, a southbound Alaska Railroad passenger train, derailed on a remote section of track 15 miles south of the Denali depot. An engine and eight passenger cars were involved. Over 400 passengers were evacuated from the train in a multi-agency mutual aid response. EMS crews handled two cardiac cases, a pregnancy complication, and two orthopedic patients. Access to the site was by airboat on the Nenana River and by helicopter, an ATV and high-rail vehicles. District ranger Tom Habecker coordinated the park's response with local EMS and fire agencies, railroad personnel and state troopers. Twenty persons from Denali responded to the incident. The main railroad line will remain closed until repairs can be made. In the interim, passengers are being bussed to the park. [Tom Habecker, DR, DENA, 5/19]
On the night of May 29th, M.T., 35, of Aldershot, United Kingdom, fell 2,500 feet to his death while trying to descend the Orient Express route on Mt. McKinley. M.T. and his partner, Paul Holmes of the British Army expedition, had summitted earlier and were descending in poor weather when they got off the West Buttress route and found themselves descending what they thought was the Messner couloir. When it became steep, they fell, tumbling about 2,500 feet before stopping near the mountain's 15,800-foot level. Holmes lost consciousness and later awoke and found M.T. lying on top of him. Holmes then crawled and staggered through a crevasse field in whiteout conditions, calling for help. Another climber heard and located him and assisted him to the camp at 14,200 feet. Miraculously, Holmes had only minor injuries from the cold and fall. M.T.'s body was recovered on June 2nd. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/5]
On Thursday, May 29th, a guide and assistant guide from Alaska Denali Guiding left the 17,200-foot camp on the West Buttress with four clients to attempt the summit of Mt. McKinley. White-out conditions quickly set in around 19,300 feet and forced the group to dig a snow cave and spend the night. All six had bivvy sacks and sleeping bags, but the conditions outside were the worst the guide had ever seen. They were reported overdue, but a search could not be initiated due to the weather. They were able to return to the high camp on Friday and initially reported only minor frostbite. Early on Saturday morning, however, the park received a call from the group reporting more serious injuries requiring rescue. Three members of the group - C.B., 47, D.C., 42, and S.P. - were flown from the 17,200-foot camp by the Service's Lama helicopter and transferred to a waiting National Guard Pavehawk helicopter at the 7,200-foot base camp for transport to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. D.C. had frostbite in his feet but is expected to recover; C.B. had frostbite to his face, fingers, toes and cornea, but will ultimately lose only his left little finger; S.P. froze and re-froze his feet and suffered frostbite to his hands and will lose some toes and fingers. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/9]
S.M., 38, of Bellingham, Washington, was struck and killed by a large ice block while on the 17th pitch of the Moonflower Buttress on Mt. Hunter early on the morning of June 6th. It took his partner, Allen Kearney, a day and a half to descend and report the incident. Kearney reported that S.M.'s body is pinned by huge ice blocks and may not be safely recoverable. S.M.'s death is the fifth on Mt. Hunter in the last 13 months. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/9]
On Sunday, June 28th, M.P., a well-known Alaskan aviation fuel expert, left Anchorage's Merrill Field in his private Cessna 182 with three passengers for an apparent circumnavigation of the Mount McKinley massif. The aircraft failed to return. No flight plan was filed, but investigation has revealed this was his likely plan. Extensive evaluation of reliable radar data indicates that an aircraft, believed to be M.P.'s, arrived at or near the Kahiltna Peaks, but the transponder was not communicating with radar beyond that point. An extensive air search has been underway since the plane disappeared. The search has involved the park's Lama helicopter, National Guard C-130s and Pavehawk helicopters, Army Chinook helicopters, NPS fixed wing aircraft, and as many as 16 Civil Air Patrol fixed-wing aircraft. No sign of the aircraft has been found and no ELT signal has been received. The Rescue Coordination Center at Elmendorf Air Force Base is coordinating the air search. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/6]
The search for the missing Cessna 182 piloted by M.P. has been called off. The Rescue Coordination Center at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage met with family members on July 8th to brief them on the decision. Despite an intensive eight-day air search, no sign has been found of the white and gold aircraft, believed to have crashed somewhere in the vicinity of the Kahiltna Peaks. Family members have thanked searchers for their exhaustive effort. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/8]
While hiking several miles east of Eielson visitor center on July 9th, L.R., 20, an employee at the Denali Princess Hotel, was charged and bitten in the hand by a grizzly bear. The encounter occurred when L.R. hiked over a rise and found herself about 20 yards from a sow with two cubs. She began to back away, waving her arms and shouting, when the bear charged part way, hesitated, then closed the distance between them. L.R. immediately dropped into the fetal position and played dead while the bear pawed her and bit her hand, breaking the skin and drawing blood. After about 40 seconds, the bear and her cubs left the area. L.R. then walked to the visitor center to report the incident. She was taken to Healy for a medical examination and the backcountry was immediately closed. This was the first bear caused injury at Denali since 1988. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/10]
Russian mountaineers F.L. and D.O. were returning from a climb on the morning of July 23rd when they attempted to cross the McKinley River. While crossing the third braid of the river, the two men, both carrying heavy packs, were swept down the river and separated. D.O. was able to swim to the next gravel bar, but F.L. was swept downstream. D.O. dropped his pack, ran downstream for a couple of minutes, found F.L., and dragged him onto a gravel bar. After 30 minutes of unsuccessful CPR, D.O. covered his partner, crossed the remaining braids in the river, then ran and walked three miles to a trailhead, where he reported the incident to a shuttle bus driver. Wonder Lake rangers Brian Johnson and Greg Russell overheard the radio traffic, commandeered a nearby resource management helicopter, and flew to the scene. They performed CPR for almost an hour, employing employed a heart monitor, but were unable to revive him. The McKinley River, notoriously dangerous to cross even in good weather, was swollen at the time by recent heavy rains. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/24]
On the afternoon of July 23rd, the park was notified of a downed aircraft at the 9,100-foot level of the Kahiltna Glacier. The Hudson Air Cessna 185, piloted by Eric Dinkelwater, had just lifted off when it was forced to the ground by a downdraft. The aircraft was a total loss, but all four occupants walked away uninjured. The air taxi had specifically asked to land at this location due to conditions at the 7,200-foot base camp strip. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/24]
On the morning of October 6th, the winter keeper at the Kantishna Roadhouse, located 90 miles west of park headquarters, advised park dispatch that three mining claimants - W.P., 60, M.P., 56, and Ma.P., 24, all of Homer, Alaska - had departed from Kantishna the previous evening in a snowstorm in an attempt to drive the unplowed park road to headquarters. Park headquarters had received 18 inches of snow on the 5th and there were no signs of a vehicle exiting the unplowed section of road. District ranger Tom Habecker flew the area in a contract helicopter and located the P.'s flatbed truck, which was mired in drifted snow at mile 65. He also noted that significant drifting had occurred in the higher passes. Flying weather was marginal, with intermittent snow showers and low visibility. The P.s, along with their two dogs, had spent the night in the cab of their truck. Two flights were required to evacuate the three family members and the dogs. The fully-loaded truck will remain where it is until snowplows reach it next May. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 10/7]
On the evening of April 25th, Alaska state troopers notified park staff that a snowmobiler had been buried in an avalanche in the Upper Bull River area of the park. Three snowmobilers had been "highmarking" (a practice of climbing as fast and far as one can up steep chutes and couloirs) when an avalanche swept down, burying M.S., 34, of Fairbanks. His companions, Bob Tolman and Dale Springer, searched and yelled for him for about a half hour before leaving for help. It took them an hour to ride out to the George Parks Highway, where they used a cell phone to call 911. The troopers determined the incident was on park land and advised the park. South District and mountaineering ranger Joe Reichert flew to the area in the park's LAMA helicopter. Other rangers interviewed the reporting party. Reichert and ranger JD Swed found the avalanche debris field to be unstable and employed probes to determine that it was between nine and 25 feet deep. Darkness quickly forced them to leave for the night. Park mountaineers, search dogs, and members of a mountain rescue group were flown into the area the following morning. The snowmobile was located around 10:20 a.m., and M.S.'s body was found about a half hour later. He was buried under almost seven feet of snow. [Ken Kehrer, DENA, 4/29]
D.R., 25, of Whistler, British Columbia, died in a fall on Mount McKinley around 2 p.m. on May 24th. The accident took place as he was descending the mountain's West Buttress route at 16,500 feet. D.R. fell about 1,200 feet onto the Peters Glacier. Volunteer park rangers were notified and descended to the accident scene from 17,200 feet. D.R. could not be located until late that night due to 60 to 80 mph winds and whiteout conditions. A volunteer physician pronounced him dead at the scene. During the rescue, NPS volunteer climber Mike Vanderbeek of Talkeetna apparently fell and disappeared from his partner's sight while attempting to descend to D.R.'s location. Two other rescuers joined Vanderbeek's partner and searched for him until exhaustion and darkness set in. They bivouacked for the night at 16,000 feet in storm conditions. Vanderbeek's pack was subsequently found about 20 feet from D.R.'s body, but there was no sign of him. Rescue efforts continue. Plans call for a descent on 1800 feet of rope to search for him. High winds, poor visibility and extreme cold continue to hinder rescuers. At the time of the report, yet another rescue was underway, this one for a climber who fell into a crevasse at the mountain's 14,200-foot level. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 5/26]
Three days of exhaustive ground and air searches have yielded no signs of volunteer climbing ranger Mike Vanderbeek, 33, of Talkeetna, who fell during the search for climber Daniel Raworth last Sunday. Rescuers camped in snow caves at the 16,200-foot level on Mount McKinley received a short break in the weather on Tuesday night and were able to search the area where Vanderbeek was last seen for seven hours that evening and early Wednesday morning. Ranger Billy Schott and volunteer climbers Dave Horne, Ryan Hokanson, Kirby Spangler, Dave Langrish, and John Elwell set fixed lines in severe weather conditions; they were forced temporarily into snow caves by winds gusting over 60 mph, but went back out despite the terrible weather to search for Vanderbeek. They were able to locate some climbing equipment but were not able to find him. The park's Lama helicopter made three passes over the area, but did not see any signs of Vanderbeek. Active ground search has been suspended. Air searches will continue as the weather permits. Extended weather forecasts for the Alaska Range call for six to twelve inches of new snow with winds continuing and gusting over 40 mph. Twenty NPS personnel, eleven volunteers and seven emergency hires participated in the search for Vanderbeek. Air crews flew a total of 18 hours, providing weather and communications information to rangers and searching the area. "It is incredibly difficult for all involved any time there is a tragedy on the mountain," said superintendent Steve Martin. "This incident is especially painful because it is one of our own. Our hearts go out to Mike's family and friends; from the amount of calls we have received so far, it is obvious how widely respected and loved he was." Arrangements for a local memorial service are being discussed with family, friends and members of the local community. Weather conditions on the mountain have been severe all month; winds have reached hurricane force and temperatures have dipped to 60 degrees below zero. This is the first time since records have been kept that no one has reached the summit in May. This is the peak of the climbing season on McKinley, and there are over 465 climbers stacked up on the mountain at present - all waiting to make the ascent. [Jane Tranel/Kris Fister, PIOs, and Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 5/27]
On the afternoon of May 26th, Australian climber J.S., 29, fell nearly 300 feet down a slope known as "Rescue Gully," then fell another 50 feet into a crevasse and landed on a ledge. Luck was with him, as the crevasse was extremely deep and he fell on the only ledge visible. J.S. was extricated by NPS crews led by ranger Daryl Miller, who is based at the ranger station at 14,200 feet, then flown out to a hospital in Anchorage. He is in stable condition with rib injuries and a pneumothorax. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 5/27]
A concessioner-operated Cessna 185 air taxi made a hard landing on the upper portion of the packed airstrip at the Kahiltna Glacier base camp on Mt. McKinley on May 16th. The plane, which was carrying two climbers, plowed through deep snow and came to rest 200 feet above the airstrip. No injuries were reported. Ranger Eric Martin, who was in the base camp at the time, assisted in digging out the plane and dealing with an estimated 35-gallon fuel spill. Damage to the plane was moderate, and it was airlifted out by helicopter on May 21st. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 5/23]
On the morning of October 6, 1997, the park was advised that three mining claimants had departed from Kantishna the previous evening in a snowstorm in an attempt to drive the unplowed park road to headquarters. Park headquarters had received 18 inches of snow the previous day. The claimants' flatbed truck was spotted from the park's contract helicopter, mired in drifted snow at mile 62. Two flights were required to evacuate the three family members and the dogs. On May 22nd, the owner of the truck was finally able to get back to it. The truck had wintered well and started on the first try. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 5/23]
Extensive ground and aerial searches are continuing for missing NPS volunteer mountaineering ranger Mike Vanderbeek. Ranger Billy Shott and his patrol team at the 14,000-foot camp on Mount McKinley have been able to search the area where he disappeared with the high-altitude Lama helicopter. A ground search has also been conducted in areas where there's a high probability of finding his body. Several articles of clothing and equipment belonging to him were recovered in this search. Efforts will continue as weather permits. On June 2nd, a private memorial service was held on Mike's newly-purchased land at Talkeetna. A reception followed at the mountaineering center. A fund in his honor has been established by the family. The Mike Vanderbeek Alaska Outdoor Scholarship Fund will provide financial aid to students who are pursuing careers outdoors. Contributions can be sent to the National Bank of Alaska, Wasilla Branch, 581 Parks Highway, Wasilla, AK 99645. Those wishing to express condolences and best wishes may write to Mr. and Mrs. G.V. at 3290 Otero Circle, Littleton, CO 80122. The staff at Denali would like to express its sincere appreciation for the words of encouragement that have been expressed by people from throughout the National Park Service. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 6/3]
C.H., 21, of Seattle, Washington, an assistant guide for RMI, fell while descending from the 16,800-foot level of Mount McKinley late on the morning of June 6th. C.H. was part of a guided group returning from an ascent on the summit and was the last member of a rope team descending the west buttress route. A client in front of him stumbled, tried to stand up, then stumbled again. C.H. unclipped and moved to assist him, but slipped and fell on the icy 40% slope. Fixed lines have been set and numerous attempts have been made to locate C.H.'s body, but only his ice axe has been found. The mountain continues to be buffeted by snow, wind and generally poor weather, which has severely hampered search efforts. [Ken Kehrer, DENA, 6/10]
The body of C.H., 21, of Seattle, Washington, an assistant guide for RMI, was found and recovered on June 13th. Conditions had improved enough after a week of bad weather to permit the launching of an aerial search. Ranger Roger Robinson spotted C.H.'s body on Peter's Glacier at the 15,200-foot level of the mountain. The body was recovered via a long line and mechanical "grabber" tool deployed from the park's Lama helicopter. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/15]
Two separate incidents occurred on the "Orient Express" route on Mount McKinley on the evening of June 18th, both involving complex rescues. Three members of the nine-member British Army "Summit to Sea" expedition - M.S., 35, S.B., 26, and P.W., 23 - fell 300 feet from a point near the mountain's 19,300-level. P.W. and fellow climber J.J. were able to descend and report the incident to rangers at the 14,200-foot camp. While descending, they came across two injured American climbers near the 15,500-foot level. The two Americans - B.F., 24, and J.M., 25, both of Anchorage - were descending near 18,000 feet on the "Orient Express" when they fell approximately 2,500 feet. Ranger Roger Robinson and ten volunteers climbed to the Americans' location, and, through a series of lowerings and carries, brought them to the 14,200-foot camp. B.F. had multiple non-critical injuries; J.M. had suffered a critical head injury and was unconscious. An afternoon attempt by Army Chinook helicopters to fly in to the 14,200-foot level failed. J.M. was finally evacuated from the north side of McKinley by the park's Lama helicopter at 11:30 p.m. and transferred at Kantishna to a waiting National Guard Pavehawk helicopter. That same afternoon, two members of the British Army team remaining at 19,000 feet attempted to descend the "Orient Express" and fell 1,000 feet. S.B., 26, who had suffered a head injury in the initial fall, and J.F., 28, were near 16,500 feet when they fell. Ranger Roger Robinson witnessed the fall from the 14,200-foot camp. A ground team climbed to the location and transported the two to the camp. J.F. suffered multiple lower leg fractures in the fall. Inclement weather prevented any aircraft activity on June 20th, and ground rescuers, after two complex lowerings and carryouts from 15,500 feet, were too exhausted to immediately move towards the remaining group at 19,000 feet. On the morning of the 21st, the park Lama, three Army Chinooks from the High Altitude Rescue Team (HART), and Air National Guard parajumpers were staged, awaiting a break in the weather. Early in the evening, a Chinook was finally able to land at the 14,000-foot camp and evacuate J.F., S.B. and B.F. Another American climber who was suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema (unrelated to the other incidents) was also evacuated in the same flight. At approximately 9 p.m., the NPS Lama was able to make a food, radio and equipment drop to the two remaining British climbers at 19,000 feet. They had been without food for three days and had only bivy gear with them. Communications were also established. Weather continued to hamper later flights; after several failed attempts, Jim Hood, piloting the NPS Lama, was finally able to short-haul both climbers from the 19,000-foot level. British press interest in the incident was extremely high. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/23]
A concessioner-operated tour bus with 48 visitors on board caught fire at mile 16 on the park road on July 2nd. Park fire units, including a FIREPRO helicopter, responded; mutual aid was also provided by the neighboring community of Healy. All the passengers were safely evacuated, but the bus was a total loss. The fire, which originated in the engine compartment, was suppressed and kept from spreading into the adjacent brush and tundra. [Tom Habecker, DR, North District, DENA, 7/5]
C.S., 38, of Granite Bay, California, crashed his Piper PA-28 into a ridge near Anderson Pass around 3 p.m. on August 1st. C.S. apparently lost visibility and became disoriented in the clouds. An Air National Guard helicopter located the wreckage at the an altitude of 7,200 feet on the ridge just before 6 p.m. The aircraft struck the ground perpendicular to the 45- degree slope about 300 feet below the ridge top. The helicopter landed and National Guard parajumpers climbed down to the site and determined that the pilot had not survived. They had to tunnel through several feet of snow to reach the cockpit. Due to the extremely hazardous location, they departed immediately thereafter. Poor weather has made attempts to recover the body impossible. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 8/4]
A Toyota Forerunner went off the east shoulder of Parks Highway around 4 a.m. on July 31st. It traveled along the gravel embankment for about 300 feet, then rolled three times and came to rest 30 feet off the road. Both the driver and passenger - J.M., 23, of Tucson, Arizona, and J.Z., 23, of Redwood City, California - were ejected from the vehicle. J.M. was pronounced dead at the scene. J.Z. suffered head and pelvic injuries and was airlifted to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. He is expected to recover. Rangers are assisting state troopers with the investigation. [Ken Kehrer, DENA, 7/31]
Two German nationals were airlifted off Pioneer Ridge on August 17th after activating their personal locator beacon (PLB). C.B. and H.E. had begun their "Crossing the Range" expedition on the Pika Glacier on July 26th. While traversing Pioneer Ridge on August 16th, C.B. fell and suffered an injury to his knee. They were unable to continue, so turned on their PLB. The first rescue effort was thwarted by bad weather, but snow and low ceilings raised just enough to permit rescuers to reach them on the 17th. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 8/21]
On the morning of April 26th, seasonal maintenance worker J.S. was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. J.S. had just reported for duty for his first day on the job. He appeared to be intoxicated, and had driven his personal vehicle over an embankment in the employee parking lot. Rangers Chuck Passek and Todd Levesch arrested and transported J.S. to Clear Air Force Base, where he was given a breath alcohol test. The results showed that J.S.'s alcohol saturation was over twice the legal limit. J.S. was terminated from employment and will be prosecuted for driving under the influence. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 4/30]
S.D., 26, crashed his snowmobile south of Cantwell around 11 a.m. on the morning of April 23rd. S.D.,, who is from Elmendorf Air Force Base, came over a small hill at a high rate of speed and landed in a ditch on the other side. He was thrown about 30 feet upon impact and sustained a T-6 fracture in his back, rib fractures, and a pneumothorax. Volunteer EMTs from Cantwell responded by snowmobile and stabilized S.D.,. Ranger and park medic Chuck Passek arrived shortly thereafter on board an Army M.A.S.T. helicopter and transported the patient to Fort Wainwright. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 4/30]
Spanish climbers J.B., 39, F.P., 33, and Luis Ibanez fell nearly 600 feet while descending through Denali Pass at the mountain's 18,200-foot level around 8 p.m. on May 13th. The trio had been turned back by high winds near the 21,000-foot level. Although roped together, they were not using protection. Ibanez was unhurt, but J.B. sustained rib and ankle fractures and a punctured lung and F.P. suffered lacerations to the face and thigh and a fractured right wrist. The three men were able to descend to the 17,200-foot "high camp" and request assistance. Mountaineering ranger Kevin Moore and three volunteers were at that location and stabilized the injuries. Winds had calmed by the next day and the park's Lama helicopter was able to land at the camp and evacuate the two injured climbers. They were flown to a waiting aircraft at the Kahiltna base camp and taken to a hospital. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/17]
On May 19th, F.T., 38, suffered injuries to his right shoulder and leg when he fell about 60 feet on the West Rib of Mount McKinley. At the time of the accident, F.T. was photographing his partner, M.R., 35, who was descending on skis near the mountain's 14,200-foot level. Climbers M.B., 28, and J.R., 21, reported the accident by cell phone and greatly assisted in stabilizing and preparing F.T. for evacuation. Due to the steep terrain, the non-ambulatory F.T. was secured in a "screamer suit" and short-hauled to a waiting aircraft at the Kahiltna base camp. F.T. blamed the accident on a broken crampon. F.T. and M.R. are both Italian nationals. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/20]
Two members of a three-man British expedition were rescued from the 19,500-foot level of Mt. McKinley at approximately 11:30 p.m. on the night of Thursday, May 20th. A.H., 33, from Shropshire, and N.V., 29, from Derbyshire, had been stranded near the summit since early Thursday morning. Extreme winds and clouds thwarted attempts to reach the pair throughout the day. As no climbers were on the upper mountain at the time, ground crews began moving up from the 14,000-foot camp. A limited number of climbers were acclimatized for higher altitudes, making a lowering from 19,500 feet unlikely. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the weather broke, allowing NPS Lama helicopter pilot Jim Hood to long-line a supply bag with radios, warm fluids, extra gear and a "screamer suit" to the climbers. Rangers were then able to make radio contact with the two and obtain a report on their condition. A.H. reported that the group had been descending, roped, near the 20,000-foot level when N.V. tripped and all three fell 300 feet. A.H. and the third member, S.B., 42, from Staffordshire, were able to arrest the fall with their ice axes. A.H. injured his shoulder in the fall. They then descended to the 19,500-foot level, seeking shelter from the winds. Rangers told the two men how to put on the screamer suit and attach it to the short-haul rope on the Lama. The Lama returned to the site, dropped off another screamer suit, and picked up N.V., flying him directly to the base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier. A second trip was made for A.H. Both climbers were suffering from severe frostbite. They reported that S.B. had left the two at 1 p.m. on Thursday to try to climb up to the West Buttress route and follow it to the 14,000-foot camp for help. S.B. was located early on Friday afternoon by a ground team near the 17,500-foot level. He had fallen while descending Denali Pass and sustained an open fracture of his lower left leg. He was hypothermic and dehydrated with severe frostbite on his face, hands and feet. With weather worsening and the 14,200-foot camp clouded in, mountaineering ranger Billy Shott was short-hauled from the 7,200-foot Kahiltna base camp directly to 17,200 feet. Shott and S.B. were then short- hauled back to the Kahiltna base camp. S.B. was flown to the hospital in Anchorage by a waiting National Guard helicopter. The Thursday night rescue was the highest short-haul operation ever conducted on Mt. McKinley. Ranger Billy Shott's 10,000-foot vertical short-haul climb to 17,200 feet and the 30 minute total elapsed time in short-haul were the longest ever conducted on Mt. McKinley. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/22]
On the afternoon of Friday, May 21st, Colorado climber M.D., 45, fell 120 feet while ascending a difficult ice couloir on the southwest ridge of Mt. Hunter. M.D. and his partner, Jim Donini, were 2,600 feet up the route when M.D.'s protection failed and he fell, striking Donini in the thigh with his crampon points. M.D. sustained an open fracture of one leg and an ankle fracture of the other. Donini was able to lower M.D. 150 feet, but was unable to continue due to both of their injuries. He secured M.D. at about the 10,000 foot level and descended the mixed rock, snow and ice route to their camp on the Kahiltna Glacier. Only minutes later, a passing Talkeetna Air Taxi pilot spotted Donini and picked him up. Darkness and poor weather grounded rescue teams until Saturday morning, when an partial assessment of the situation was possible. M.D. was tied into a small ledge 2,400 feet from the bottom of the route and 1,100 feet from the small (approximately ten foot by ten foot) mushroom-shaped top. The near vertical slope and deep coulior appeared to negate a short-haul helicopter evacuation. It appeared a raising was the only possible means of rescue. This would require short-hauling rescuers to the summit, who would then descend to M.D. and arrange a technical raising followed by a short-haul removal of all from the summit. The weather forecast was for continued unsettled weather. Due to the several previous days of exhausting rescue activity, the Alaska Region's Type II incident management team (Hunter Sharp, IC) was called in to assist the park's staff. Throughout Saturday, additional resources were brought in, including hand-picked parajumpers from the Air National Guard and five members of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group. As the weather cleared on Sunday morning, a slightly different helicopter approach was visible that had been obscured by clouds the day before. Ranger Billy Shott was short-hauled on a 200-foot rope to a point about 40 feet below M.D.. With the helicopter hovering, Shott climbed to M.D. and clipped him into his harness; Lama pilot Carl Cotton then backed away, swinging both out to safety. M.D. was the seventh climber rescued this season and the sixth bonafide save. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/25]
Rangers responded to a mutual aid request for assistance at a motor vehicle accident 75 miles south of park headquarters on the George Parks Highway on May 20th. Park staff responded in an ambulance and joined other units in the extrication and stabilization of five critically injured persons and one fatality. Patients were evacuated by air by military and private ambulance helicopters. The single-vehicle accident occurred on a stretch of highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks that is as far from medical care as can be found in the area. The park hosted a previously-scheduled, multi-casualty drill simulating a bus rollover two days later. Over 100 people from several volunteer EMS and SAR organizations participated. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 5/25]
Park dispatch received a request for assistance in responding to a rafting accident with fatalities at 11:15 p.m. on May 29th. A MAST helicopter from Fort Wainwright was also requested. The incident occurred at the confluence of the Yanert and Nenana Rivers, just outside the park's eastern boundary. Two rangers and a Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department medic were flown to a helispot just upstream of the accident site. The raft, operated by Alaska Raft Adventures, was part of a three raft group of senior citizens from Georgia. It had been caught in a hydralic, spilling five of the senior citizen passengers into the river. Two 75-year-old women drowned and the others were hypothermic. The husband of one of the victims also began exhibiting multiple medical problems. A joint command post was established at the McKinley Park airstrip. Nineteen patients, five guides and three rescuers were flown out in seven flights. One person was flown to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment; the others were cared for by park rangers and local ambulance personnel. The rescue took place during the long Alaska twilight hours and concluded at 2 a.m. The rafting operation has been suspended pending an investigation by the Alaska state troopers. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 6/1]
The park and National Weather Service (NWS) marked 75 years of cooperative weather observations in a joint Founder's Day/National Weather Service Day event held at the park's sled dog kennels on August 25th. The NWS presented the park with an award commemorating one of the longest standing weather cooperatives in Alaska's history. Park visitors received a special commemorative postcard and the Postal Service was on hand to provide commemorative postal cancellations. NWS and NPS staff also answered questions about the kennels and Alaska weather history. [Russ Wilson, DENA, 8/27]
A semi-truck carrying sodium hydroxide solution rolled near mile 235 on the George Parks Highway around 4 a.m. on September 7th. The driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel. Park staff, state troopers and local fire and ambulance companies responded; ranger Chuck Passek was IC. The sodium hydroxide was in a 50% solution and small leaks were observed coming from three locations. Appropriate hazmat precautions were taken and the highway was closed. Due to cool temperatures and absence of rain, the leaking material posed no immediate threat to highway traffic. The highway was accordingly reopened. The Alaska State Department of Environmental Conservation oversaw the removal of the solution from the truck and will continue until cleanup and removal of contaminated material has been completed. Although the truck was completely destroyed, the driver walked away with only a separated shoulder. It's estimated that between 500 and 700 gallons of the sodium hydroxide spilled. [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 9/8]
Fourteen-year-old B.E. of Chugiak died in a snowmobile accident on state land within the park on the afternoon of March 11th. The accident occurred when B.e. attempted to climb a near vertical, 15-foot embankment along the Tokositna River. His machine evidently became stuck in the alders lining the embankment, then fell backward on top of him. He was found about 25 minutes later by his father. The boundary between state and park land is the mean high water line of the river, which flows through a portion of the park. State troopers are investigating. [Ken Kehrer, DENA, 3/13]
Supply technician Judy Goodman was driving to Anchorage after work on April 14th when her car struck a moose on Alaska Highway 3 near Big Lake. Goodman was seriously injured in the collision and was evacuated by air to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. She sustained a spinal cord injury at the thoracic level and as of yet has no sensation below the waist. She's had several operations in an effort to repair the spinal cord damage and is now on a ventilator and semi-conscious. Doctors will not have a reliable prognosis until spinal cord swelling diminishes. Although she can't have visitors, cards would be most welcome. They can be sent to Judy Goodman, Room 2011, Intensive Care Unit, Providence Hospital, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 4/19]
Supply technician Judy Goodman continues to recover from injuries suffered on April 14th when her car struck a moose on Alaska Highway 3 near Big Lake. She has had several operations that have gone well, but will remain in intensive care and on a ventilator until her respiratory muscles are working well enough to keep her lungs clear of fluid. Judy has been able to raise her arms - a good sign - but still has no feeling or movement below her waist. Doctors must wait for the swelling to go down before they can reevaluate her spinal injury. Judy's husband, Bob, and other family members have been by her side; they express their appreciation to all those who have sent along their best wishes. Although she can't have visitors or receive phone calls, cards would be most welcome. They can be sent to Judy Goodman, Room 2011, Intensive Care Unit, Providence Hospital, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 4/27]
Climbers G.D., 21, from Montana, and G.H., 22, from Australia, disappeared and were presumed dead after being caught in an avalanche early on the afternoon on May 27th near the 8,500-foot level of 17,400-foot Mount Foraker, the second highest mountain in the Alaska Range and the sixth highest peak in North America. The two climbers were attempting a difficult route known as the "Infinite Spur" on the mountain's southwest face. Two other climbers saw the avalanche and reported the incident by radio to rangers at the Kahiltna base camp the following morning. Rangers flew to the scene but were unable to get a good look at the site because of poor lighting in the area. Ranger Kevin Moore later flew to the accident site on an Air National Guard Pavehawk helicopter; he spotted the climbers' abandoned base camp near the 8,000-foot level on the route and saw their tracks covered by avalanche debris. There were no other indications that they'd survived. Late that evening, though, ranger Daryl Miller received a phone call from the wife of one of the two climbers who'd witnessed the avalanche. He had called his spouse on his cellular phone and reported that G.D. and G.H. had been seen at a camp about 900 feet below his location. The park's Lama helicopter flew to the site in the morning and confirmed that the two men were uninjured. They had been on the periphery of the avalanche and thus escaped. They are continuing their climb of the mountain. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 5/28 and 5/29]
Climber S.S., 38, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was killed on the evening of May 25th near 8,400-foot Mount Johnson in the Ruth Gorge on the Mount McKinley massif. S.S. and fellow climber Tim Wagner, 34, also from Salt Lake City, were attempting to climb a serac (a large mass of glacier ice remaining behind in a crevasse after glacial movement or melting) near the East Buttress of the mountain around 8 p.m. that evening. The serac is located near the 4,500-foot level of the mountain. Wagner was near an ice cave at the base of the serac testing the ice with an ice axe when a 50-foot wall of ice collapsed on top of S.S.. S.S. was standing near the base of the icefall taking photographs at the time. Wagner's legs were pinned to the ground by falling ice boulders, which also fractured his left fibula, but he was able to extricate himself from the debris. He searched for S.S., but could not see or hear him under the avalanche debris. Wagner was able to ski up the Ruth Glacier and met with other climbers near Mount Dickey. One of those climbers skied to a nearby camp to gather additional help; the others skied back to the accident scene to look for S.S. and later radioed an air taxi for assistance. The park was notified just after 11 a.m. the next morning. An air taxi near the scene ferried Wagner off the glacier and to Talkeetna for medical assistance. He was treated at a local clinic and released. Rangers from Talkeetna flew to the scene on the evening of May 26th. They determined that S.S. is buried under tons of vehicle-sized ice blocks and that the area is unstable. His body will not be retrieved. S.S. was an experience climber, as is Wagner. The pair climbed Mount Johnson last week and had been on the glacier since May 15th. [Tom Habecker, DR, North District, DENA, 5/27]
Climbers W.R., 45, and R.G., 34, both of Bend, Oregon, were rescued from the 17,200-foot high camp on Mount McKinley early on the morning of May 27th. The two were suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema/high altitude cerebral edema (HAPE/HACE). HAPE and HACE are manifestations of failure to adapt to the stress of high altitude and are not individual diseases. Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is the underlying cause in all cases; both HAPE and HACE can kill. The park's high-altitude Lama helicopter, piloted by Jim Hood, flew to the high camp at 9 a.m. and transferred W.R. and R.G. to the base camp at the mountain's 7,200-foot level. They were then flown out to a hospital in Anchorage. The two men were on separate guided climbs when they became ill. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 5/27]
On the evening of Saturday, June 10th, L.S., a climber from the Republic of Georgia, fell about 20 feet while descending the West Buttress route on Mt. McKinley and sustained significant bruises on his back and shoulders and possible fractured ribs. The incident occurred near the mountain's 17,400-foot level. Nearby climbers carried L.S. to the high camp 200 feet below, where he was cared for rangers and two members of the Air National Guard who are also members of the park's Mt. McKinley patrol. High winds and whiteout conditions made a helicopter rescue impossible, so climbing ranger Joe Reichert and volunteer climbing rangers Denny Gigoux and Jay Mathers began a technical litter lowering. A second team, comprised of climbers Scott Backes, Steve House, Marc Twight and Peter Athans, helped lower L.S. to the ranger camp at 14,200 feet. It took the rescue team about five hours to complete the operation. L.S. was flown to Fort Wainwright by Chinook helicopter when the weather cleared. There are currently 388 climbers on the mountain; 292 climbers have reached the summit so far this year. [JD Swed, DENA, 6/13]
E.P., 59, an Italian national, was evacuated by helicopter from the ranger camp at 14,200 feet on Mt. McKinley on June 9th. NPS volunteers Kevin Smith and Lance Taysom came across E.P. at Denali Pass (18,200 feet), where he'd fallen from a higher elevation during his descent from the summit. E.P.'s face was bleeding; he was disoriented, carrying his mittens and was not wearing a hat. Smith and Taysom assisted E.P. and another member of his expedition with putting on extra clothes and getting roped up for the descent to the camp at 17,200 feet. E.P.'s expedition brought him down to the ranger camp and asked for further assistance because E.P. had sustained an ankle injury and could not walk. He was flown to Talkeetna, examined by a doctor, and found to have a hairline fracture in his right ankle. [J.D. Swed, Acting CR, DENA, 6/12]
The pilot of a private plane reported an overturned plane on the shore of the Yentna River on June 9th. Rangers Cale Shaffer and Kevin Moore flew to the location in the park's Lama helicopter. The stranded pilot, M.G., 59, of Chugiak, had been flying his Piper Super Cub when he ran out of fuel in one of his wing tanks. Efforts to switch over to the other wing tank were unsuccessful. M.G. made an emergency landing on a gravel bar, but his plane tipped over during the landing. He was uninjured, but was fortunate to have been sighted because he hadn't filed a flight plan. The FAA is investigating. [J.D. Swed, Acting CR, DENA, 6/12]
On June 9th, a member of the Hong Kong Mountaineering Association told rangers that a member of his team, L.Y.M., 38, was suffering from severe abdominal pain and was unable to move from a point below Washburn's Thumb at the 16,700-foot level of Mt. McKinley. A rescue team found L.Y.M. clipped into a fixed line, covered with down clothing and lying on his pack. L.Y.M. was placed in a litter and lowered to the camp at 14,200 feet. A doctor checked him and found that L.Y.M. had a history of incapacitating abdominal pain. He was treated and was able to descend with his expedition. [J.D. Swed, Acting CR, DENA, 6/12]
On June 9th, NPS volunteers Jay Mathers and Denny Gignoux escorted climber C.G. down to 11,000 feet from the ranger camp at 14,200 feet. C.G. had been diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary edema when he arrived at the camp during his ascent of the West Buttress route. Mathers and Gignoux kept C.G. on oxygen and monitored him for several hours. His condition improved at the lower elevation and he required no further assistance. [J.D. Swed, Acting CR, DENA, 6/12]
A Hudson Air Service Cessna 185 with an NPS seasonal ranger, two NPS VIP's and the pilot on board was reported overdue yesterday evening and is feared down. The plane was flying from Talkeetna to a base camp at 7,200 feet on Mt. McKinley. While en route, the pilot radioed that he was turning around due to bad weather. He was flying at 6,000 feet at the time of the call. The last communication with the plane was at 6:30 p.m. The NPS sent another Hudson Air Service aircraft out to look for the Cessna; joining the search were an Alaska ANG C-130 and CAP aircraft. No ELT signal has been reported and no radio contact has been made. All three NPS employees had portable radios with them. Staff at a nearby lodge reported that there were four inches of hail on the ground and heavy thunderstorms with severe downdrafts in the area at the time of the pilot's last radio transmission. An ARO Type II incident management team is en route to the scene and should arrive by this evening. The air search is continuing, weather permitting. The outlook is for continued poor weather through Thursday. [Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 6/20]
The burned wreckage of the missing Hudson Air Service Cessna 185 was found yesterday afternoon near the confluence of the Kahiltna and Lacuna glaciers. All four people on board were killed in the crash -- seasonal ranger Cale Shaffer, 25, NPS volunteer patrol rangers Brian Reagan, 27, and Adam Kolff, 27, and pilot Don Bowers, 52. Shaffer, Reagan and Kolff were scheduled to be part of an NPS mountaineering patrol on Mt. McKinley and were headed for the base camp at 7,200 feet. The plane went down in what witnesses called one of the worst thunderstorms they'd ever seen. Cale Shaffer was an experienced mountaineer and was beginning his second season in the park. Before that, he worked for two years at Grand Canyon NP, contacting visitors in the park in an effort to reduce search and rescue incidents and providing medical and other care to visitors in emergency situations. Adam Kolff was an experienced mountaineer with extensive climbing and backcountry experience and had recently returned from three years in Peru, where he worked for The Mountain Institute. Brian Reagan had three years of mountaineering experience in the Sierra Nevadas. Don Bowers was the chief pilot for Hudson Air Service and a well-known sled-dog racer in the Iditarod, which he ran five times. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/20; Maureen Clark, Associated Press, 6/20]
The bodies of the four victims of the crash - seasonal ranger Cale Shaffer, 25, NPS volunteer patrol rangers Brian Reagan, 27, and Adam Kolff, 27, and pilot Don Bowers, 52 - were recovered from the wreckage of the plane yesterday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the accident and will report its findings at a later date. A National Park Service support team is en route to the park to provide support to all those affected by the four deaths. As noted above, the NPS has authorized the lowering of all flags to half staff until interment; Ranger Activities has also authorized the wearing of black bands on NPS badges during the same period. Those wishing to send condolences may send them to the following addresses: o Don Bowers - Don and Sally Bowers, 6400 South Lake wood Drive,
Van Buren, AR 72956 Details on funeral arrangements and memorial fund contributions will be posted in the Morning Report as soon as they are available. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/21]
No additional information is yet available on the cause of the crash, funeral arrangements or other related matters. Such information will be posted as soon as it's received. One correction has been sent regarding the addresses for sending condolences. Condolences to the family of volunteer ranger Brian Reagan should be sent to John and Ann Reagan, 11005 West Cameo, Sun City, AZ 85351. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/22]
A memorial service to honor the lives of Don Bowers, Cale Shaffer, Adam Kolff and Brian Reagan will be held at 6 p.m. on Sunday June 25th in Talkeetna. For details, contact Punky Moore at the park at 907-733-2231. The following memorial funds have been established at the request of family and friends: o For Don Bowers - Iditarod Trail Committee, P.O. Box 870800,
Wasilla, Alaska 99687 Director Stanton has extended the condolences of the National Park Service to the families. A copy of the message has also been transmitted to all employees. See "Memoranda" below for the full text. [Jane Tranel, DENA, 6/23]
The funeral service for seasonal ranger Cale Shaffer, killed in last week's air crash in Denali, will be held at 1 p.m. on June 28th at the United Methodist Church in Madisonburg, Pennsylvania. Cale's parents, Carol and Ron, have extended an invitation to any National Park Service people who want to attend. They would like have those attending wear their summer dress uniforms. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/24]
As noted in Sunday's Morning Report, the funeral service for seasonal ranger Cale Shaffer, killed in last week's air crash in Denali, will be held at 1 p.m. on June 28th at the United Methodist Church in Madisonburg, Pennsylvania. The NPS will be represented by rangers and employees from a number of areas. Cale's ashes have been returned home by ranger Mark Motsko, who was a friend and his supervisor at Wonder Lake last year. If you plan on attending, please contact Clark Guy in NERO (215-597-7135), who is coordinating the NPS participation. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 6/26]
Seasonal maintenance worker Mark Weronko, 52, was killed in an off-duty accident on Dalton Highway (the pipeline haul road to Prudhoe Bay) late on the afternoon of June 24th. He was the passenger in a vehicle that left the narrow, gravel road and rolled onto its roof. The driver's injuries, if any, are not known. Mark worked at Eielson Visitor Center. [Tom Habecker, DR, North District, DENA, 6/25]
Talkeetna River Guides received a cell phone call from one of their guides on the Chulitna River on the afternoon of July 5th, reporting that a raft being guided by D.M. was stuck in the river in a strainer - a place where trees have fallen beneath and just above the surface of the river. D.M. had five visitors in his raft. The incident occurred within Denali State Park; staff there contacted Denali NP and asked that the park's Lama helicopter be employed to rescue the rafters. Pilot Jim Hood, helicopter manager Dave Kreutzer, and rangers Scott Metcalfe and Kevin Moore soon arrived on scene and began a short-haul rescue. The six occupants were lifted from the raft and deposited on a nearby gravel bar. A second helicopter then picked them up and flew them to a nearby helipad. Rangers said that D.M., a licensed rescue guide, did an excellent job in holding the raft steady while the rescue effort was underway. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 7/5]
A memorial service for seasonal ranger Cale Shaffer, killed last month in an air crash in Denali, was held on June 28th at the United Methodist Church in Madisonburg, Pennsylvania. Attending from the NPS were more than 20 rangers, some of whom came from as far away as Alaska, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, and an honor guard of six Park Police officers. The little town of 100 people is located in farming country in the central Pennsylvania hills. The church was overflowing with people, including family, Park Service representatives, and many of Cale's Amish and Mennonite neighbors. Many people spoke at the simple Methodist service, remembering Cale as a person who had touched many lives with his smile and adventuresome spirit. Family members recounted Cale's infatuation with becoming a ranger and his efforts toward that goal and read from his journal about his adventures in the park. They thanked the Park Service for being Cale's other family. Ranger Jim Northup talked about Cale's dedication and spirit and how he had been actively recruited at the Grand Canyon because of his outlook. Ranger Mark Motsko, who brought Cale's remains home to his parents, spoke about working with Cale and about how hard Cale worked to save lives on Denali. Superintendent Russ Wilson of Sandy Hook presented a letter from Director Stanton to the family. Cale's family and many members of the community expressed their thanks to the NPS representatives for making such an effort to come to Madisonburg for the service. Superintendent Bill Sanders, who attended from Hopewell Furnace, adds this note: "The heartfelt words spoken by peers, supervisors, and official representatives expressing Cale's loss as a friend, professional and fellow ranger made lasting impressions on the family, community, and, perhaps most of all, upon those of us representing the Service. We can take renewed pride in our organization at times like these which, although burdened by sadness, illustrate the continuing dedication of those in the Service to one another and to shared ideals bigger than individuals." [Summary from reports by Bill Sanders, Superintendent, HOFU, Ed Whitaker, DR, DEWA, and Bill Pierce, WASO]
On August 8th, M.L., 30, of Lyon, France, obtained a backcountry pass from the park with the objective of spending two weeks on Muldrow Glacier. Four days later, the Rescue Coordinator Center (RCC) in Anchorage received an emergency signal from M.L.'s personal locator beacon (PLB). Rangers on board an NPS contract helicopter searched for her that evening, but were unable to spot her. The search resumed on the morning of August 13th. M.L. was located by the crew on an Air National Guard helicopter that afternoon and flown to Alaska Regional Hospital for treatment of an injured arm and hypothermia. Although M.L. was almost invisible on the glacier, the ANG crew was able to nail down her exact location with the electronic equipment they had onboard their Pavehawk helicopter. The type of PLB she was carrying must be activated by the person using it in order for the rescue signal to be sent out. The signal is picked up by satellite and relayed to the RCC. It also displays the name of the individual who is in need of rescue. [Jane Tranel, IO, DENA, 8/13]
Seasonal backcountry ranger Carlin Kaufman, 21, had a run-in with a black bear on August 8th that had a favorable outcome but led to the temporary closure of the McKinley Bar trail near Wonder Lake. The following account was extracted from a report by Tim Mowry in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner: Kaufman was on a day-hike patrol of the area when she thought she heard something behind her. She turned around twice, but found nothing in sight; the third time she turned around, though, she found herself staring into the eyes of a big black bear who was only a couple of feet away. Kaufman threw a rock and hit him in the head. The bear backed up a few feet, then started circling toward her. She screamed obscenities at the bear and continued throwing rocks at him, but he declined to move away. After ten minutes, the bear was still only a few feet away. Kaufman then ran for the forest, about 30 yards away, with the objective of getting a tree between her and the bear. The bear pursued, though, so she broke off and returned to the gravel bar. She threw more rocks at him, but the bear continued to advance. Kaufman said she knew that the bear was stalking her and that he saw her as prey. Said Kaufman: "I was thinking, 'This is going to hurt so bad when he eats me.' When my voice would falter or get softer he would get closer. When I averted my eyes from him he would get closer. The minute you started acting weak he picked right up on it. I knew I wanted to be aggressive back toward it." Kaufman accordingly took the offensive, reaching out and smacking the bear on the head with her hand. The surprised bear backed away a few yards. Kaufman then reached into her pack, pulled out a radio, cranked up the squelch as high as it would go, and stuck the blasting radio in the bear's face. The bear ran off about 30 yards and stopped; Kaufman slowly retreated, then bushwacked through the woods to the park road, where a tour bus picked her up. Bear management technician Ed Vorisek confirms that the bear was probably stalking Kaufman, and added this comment: "She handled it in the best way possible. You need to be aggressive with a curious black bear." The trail was closed while rangers searched unsuccessfully for the bear, but has been reopened for day use. Rangers are advising hikers in the area to travel in groups. [Fairbanks Daily News Miner, 8/16, via John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO]
A search for missing backcountry hiker R.S., 25, of Grand Canyon, Arizona, ended successfully late on the morning of August 20th. R.S. was expected to return from her trip into backcountry on Friday, August 18th, and was last seen at Eielson Visitor Center two days before that. She planned to hike over Thorofare Mountain to the saddle between Mt. Galen and Thorofare, then return to the park road via Little Stony Creek. The weather at the time of her hike was mostly cloudy with scattered showers and snow at the 4,000-foot elevation. Friends contacted rangers Saturday night to tell them R.S. was overdue from her backcountry hike. Rangers began a ground and air search early on the 20th. R.S. was spotted from a Firepro helicopter at noon and was picked up and flown back to park headquarters. She was in good shape. She said that she'd become lost in poor visibility and ended up hiking into the wrong drainage. Once she realized she had strayed from her route, she stopped and stayed put until found. Tod Levesh was IC. [Jane Tranel, PIO, DENA, 8/20]
J.T., 44, of Fairbanks, Alaska, was killed by an avalanche while snowmobiling in the park early on the afternoon of December 9th. J.T. and four companions were snowmobiling in a part of the park that was recently closed to all snowmobile use by special regulation. J.T. had just assisted a member of his group who had become stuck while attempting to descend a steep chute. After digging that snowmobile out, J.T. began descending the chute and was struck from behind by the avalanche, which buried him face down under four feet of snow. His companions used probes to locate him. CPR was performed for about 40 minutes. Others in the group went for help and tried to call Alaska state troopers by cell phone. Although cell phone coverage is minimal in the area, the state troopers' office in Fairbanks received a sketchy report and alerted a local trooper. The trooper called for EMS support and a military helicopter. By the time they arrived in the area, J.T.'s companions had brought him out to the highway. Rangers are investigating the accident. [Tom Habecker, Acting CR, DENA, 12/10]
A South Korean climber arrived at the 14,200-foot camp on Mount McKinley on the afternoon of May 14th, asking for assistance. The cause of his illness was unknown at the time of the report, but the climber has a history of ulcers and medical personnel at the camp suspected gastrointestinal bleeding. Clear skies permitted his evacuation to the 7,200-foot camp via the park's Lama helicopter. An Air National Guard Pavehawk helicopter picked him up that evening and took him to Alaska Regional Hospital. A total of 1,319 climbers have registered to climb the peak so far this year; 130 climbers checked in last Friday alone. [Daryl Miller, IC, DENA, 5/14]
On the afternoon of May 17th, rangers on Mt. McKinley rescued F.B., a 32-year-old American climber who had fallen at the base of the fixed lines at the mountain's 15,400-foot level. F.B. was attempting the popular West Buttress route when he fell about 30 feet on a steep snow slope, injuring his ankle. Although he fell below the lines, F.B. was able to self-arrest by using his ice axe. Since he was not able to walk, rangers and volunteers lowered him 900 feet, then placed him in a litter and skied him down to the ranger camp at 14,200 feet. By that evening, F.B.'s condition had deteriorated, and he lost feeling in his toes and part of his foot. Meanwhile, another climber stricken with a severe case of high-altitude sickness arrived at the camp in need of medical treatment. He couldn't walk and was barely conscious when he arrived. Although rangers advise all climbers not to ascend more than a thousand feet a day above 10,000 feet due to the risk of such afflictions, the climber had ascended 7,000 feet in less than four days. Rangers determined that additional medical attention and air evacuation were in order. Skies were clear and windless, so the park's Lama helicopter was able to fly to the site and transport the climbers to the 7,200-foot base camp. They were picked up at that location by an Air National Guard Pavehawk helicopter and flown to a hospital in Anchorage. [Daryl Miller, DENA, 5/21]
Rangers evacuated climber R.M., 51, of Denver, Colorado, on the morning of Sunday, May 20th. R.M. had completed a long day of transporting gear and provisions to the 16,200-foot level on Friday; when he returned to the camp at 14,200 feet, rangers there noted that he was unsteady on his feet and exhausted. When he woke up on Saturday, he had no feeling in his right foot and was treated by rangers for frostbite. After his foot thawed, he was unable to walk. Although such an injury does not normally warrant immediate transport off the mountain, weather forecasts indicated a significant decline in weather conditions until Thursday, during which clouds would close out the 14,200-foot camp to aircraft. He was accordingly flown off the mountain, then taken to a hospital by air taxi. There are 485 climbers on the mountain at present, with 283 checking in this week. A total of 1,280 climbers have registered to ascend the mountain so far this year. [Daryl Miller, DENA, 5/21]
P.L., a member of the Glaronia-Swiss Expedition, was descending to the 14,200-foot camp with a heavy pack on May 23rd when she severely twisted her left knee. Her three teammates helped her reach the ranger camp, where she was examined by NPS patrol staff and a physician on another expedition. P.L., who is a physiotherapist in Switzerland, likely tore ligaments in her knee. Due to the knee's instability and inflammation, park staff considered an evacuation necessary. Air transport was delayed for several days due to weather, during which time P.L.'s knee was immobilized and treated with anti-inflammatory medications. She was flown off the mountain on May 26th and released on her own accord at the 7,200-foot Kahiltna base camp. Anchorage fireman M.H. was evacuated from the 14,200-foot ranger camp the next day. M.H., who was a member of a guided expedition that began its climb on May 19th, was suffering from a lung infection, pulmonary edema, and acute mountain sickness when he reached the ranger camp on the evening of the 20th. Rangers at the camp treated him with oxygen and altitude medications, but he remained in serious condition and an air evacuation was considered necessary. The park's Lama helicopter picked him up and flew him to the Kahiltna base camp, where he was transferred to a LifeGuard helicopter and flown to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. M.H., who is president of the Anchorage Firefighters Union, was dedicating his climb to the memory of firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty. [Daryl Miller, IC, DENA, 5/26]
Two members of a British expedition on Mount Hunter suffered a climbing fall at 6 a.m. on the morning of May 29th. The two climbers were roped up and ascending the mountain's southwest ridge when they lost their footing and fell an estimated 700 feet. Four other team members were not involved and were able to assist the pair. Two of the uninjured members of the expedition skied down the glacier to get help and were able to reach a Talkeetna Air Taxi pilot via CB radio just before 11 a.m. the next morning. The pilot picked them up, notified the park, then flew them back to the accident site. The park's high-altitude Lama helicopter flew to Thunder Glacier with rangers Kevin Moore and Gordy Kito on board. An Air National Guard Pavehawk and crew joined them to assist. A Hudson Air Service Cessna 206 flew overhead as a 'cover ship' to assist with communications and visibility. A military Hercules C-130 was also dispatched by the Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage to refuel the Pavehawk and provide enhanced radio communications. Once on scene, Lama pilot Jim Hood lowered Moore via short haul line to the victims. Moore placed the first victim in a backboard unit called a "Bowman Bag," then clipped him to the short haul line for transport to the landing zone. The climber was suffering from a lower back injury, possible lower leg fracture, and a possible head injury. Hood and Moore then returned to the accident site and short hauled the second victim to the LZ. He was suffering from a lower leg fracture, torn ligaments, and other injuries. The two climbers were taken to a hospital in Anchorage on the Pavehawk. [Daryl Miller, Acting DR, South District, DENA, 5/29]
A 32-year-old female concession employee was severely beaten by an unknown male assailant at 2 a.m. on August 6th. She had been out walking and took a shortcut trail from the park road back to her dorm. As she approached the outdoor mailboxes at the park post office, she was struck from behind and knocked to the ground. The assailant demanded money, but got nothing. He kicked her in the ribs, punched her in the face, and kicked her in the head before fleeing on foot into the nearby forest. The woman sustained a concussion and numerous bruises and was hospitalized at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. This appears to have been a crime of opportunity. There are no suspects at present. Employees have been advised to carry flashlights at this time of day when out and about, and to walk in small groups. Tom Habecker is the investigating ranger. [Tom Habecker, DR, North District, DENA, 8/8]
Ranger/pilot Tom Betts landed near a guest lodge on the Chitina River on August 30th while en route to investigate a wrecked boat on the Chitina River. During his visit with the proprietors, he was informed of a problem with a couple of the guests. M.B. and C.O. of New Jersey had won a trip to the lodge while playing on a TV game show, and were flown out to the lodge on August 28th. On the night of August 29th, they got into a domestic dispute in which C.O. received minor injuries. On the morning of the August 30th, C.O. was flown back to Anchorage without M.B., since the two were still fighting. Over the course of that morning, M.B. made several comments to the lodge owners about killing himself. He also had reportedly consumed quite a bit of vodka and a couple of unknown pills. Shortly after Betts arrived at the lodge, he was informed that M.B. was suicidal and had disappeared. With the Chitina River so close to lodge, it was feared that M.B. would not be found. After about 25 minutes of searching for signs of M.B., Betts found him in the woods, face down and passed out. Betts was able to awaken him and get him up, and found a folding knife underneath him. M.B. had no apparent injuries, but continued to make statements about killing himself. The lodge is located on private land within the park and falls under Alaska state trooper jurisdiction. Betts called ranger/pilot Jim Hannah and asked him to fly to the lodge with a state trooper who could take M.B. into protective custody and transport him to the Glennallen holding facility. M.B. would only be civil with the lodge owner's wife, so Betts had her talk with him during the two-hour response time. Hannah and the trooper arrived in an hour and forty-five minutes. M.B. was secured and placed in the aircraft with minimal resistance. He spent the night in the holding facility before being released. The lodge is located almost 100 miles up the Chitina River and is accessible only by aircraft. [Tom Betts, DENA, 8/31]
On May 15th, two Spanish climbers were injured in a fall at Denali Pass while descending from a climb of Mt. McKinley. The two climbers, members of the five-person Gamba De Palamos expedition, were traveling unroped from the 18,200-foot level to the 17,200-foot high camp when the fall occurred. F.R.M., 35, suffered broken ribs and severe frostbite, while his teammate, M.A.R.R., 33, suffered an occipital fracture to the head, a tibia/fibula fracture, and a fractured femur. The fall was not witnessed by the climber's teammates, so many details, including what events triggered the incident or the actual distance of the fall, remain unknown at this time. This much has been ascertained: Three of the five members of the expedition descended from Denali Pass early Wednesday evening. One of climbers arrived at the high camp roughly two hours before F.R.M. and M.A.R.R.. This third climber, whose name is not yet known, was traveling alone and fell into a small crevasse as he arrived at the camp. Since his injuries were minor, he was able to extricate himself from crevasse and walk over to the ranger camp at 17,200-feet. Shortly after checking in with the rangers, the climber noticed his two injured teammates in the distance at the bottom of Denali Pass. Rangers, volunteers and an Air National Guard pararescue specialist at the high camp were alerted and came to the aid of the Spanish climbers. The rescue team provided overnight medical assistance until the two climbers could be evacuated from the 17,200-foot level by a high-altitude Lama helicopter. They were transferred to a LifeGuard helicopter, then flown to Anchorage Hospital for treatment. Two days later, Denali Pass was the site of another climbing fall. The fall occurred around 10 p.m. near the bottom of Denali Pass, between 17,400 feet and 18,200 feet, inflicting possible rib fractures, chest injuries, and deep abdominal bruising on the climber. The climber, who was traveling independently, dug into the snow and camped through the night at the site of the fall, then walked to the 17,200-foot ranger camp the following morning for medical assistance. The park's ranger patrol, which included a volunteer physician, examined him and provided medical care throughout the day. Based on the patient's respiratory difficulties and potential internal injuries, the NPS-contracted Lama helicopter evacuated the injured climber to the 7,200-foot base camp. He was then flown to the hospital in Anchorage. [Daryl Miller, IC, DENA 5/20]
On Monday, June 17th, rangers confirmed the deaths of brothers K.S., 27, of Anchorage, T.S., 21, of Wasilla, and C.S., 15, of Eagle River, Alaska. The brothers began their climb of the 17,400-foot peak on June 11th. Their last reported contact was made by CB radio on June 13th, when the climbers reported their location at 10,500-feet on Mt. Foraker. Although the climbers were not overdue, a pilot with the group's air taxi flew over Southeast Ridge on June 16th. The pilot did not see the climbers, but noticed evidence of avalanche activity in the area. On June 17th, base camp personnel notified NPS staff at the Talkeetna Ranger Station that they were concerned about the climbers. At 3:30 p.m., the park dispatched a Lama helicopter with two NPS rangers to search for them. The rangers found tracks near the 10,500-foot elevation of Mt. Foraker. The bodies, still roped together, were found at approximately 4:40 p.m. on a slope at 8,500 feet. It's not known what triggered the fall. The bodies were recovered from the mountain on Monday evening with the Lama helicopter. [Doug Stockdale, PIO, DENA, 6/20]
T.T., 67, and E.O., 53, both of Connecticut, were reported overdue from a day hike on trail-less and exposed Primrose Ridge on the evening of June 20th. The two women were minimally prepared and weather conditions were poor, including heavy rain, wind, sub-freezing temperatures, and snow above 4,000 feet. Hasty search teams and road patrol rangers were deployed throughout the night to provide containment, attraction, and clue identification. As air operations were about to begin the next morning, ground searchers located T.T. and E.O., who were following searcher footprints in the snow toward the park road. The women were exposed to the harsh conditions for nearly 24 hours and attributed their survival in part to information provided to them by a concession bus driver, a backcountry ranger, and an NPS backcountry safety video they viewed at the park visitor center. [Pat Navaille, IC, DENA, 6/24]
A solo climber fell a thousand feet to his death just after midnight on Sunday, June 30th, while descending from the 18,000-foot level on Denali Pass. Climbers and an NPS ranger witnessed the fall from the 17,2000-foot high camp and responded. The climber's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. This is the first climbing fatality to occur on Mt. McKinley this year; the last was in 1998. Three climbers were killed on Mt. Foraker earlier this month. So far this year, 1,231 climbers have registered to climb Mt. McKinley; of these, 183 are still on the mountain. [Doug Stockdale, PIO, DENA, 6/30]
L.E., 54, a long-time state Department of Fish and Game employee, and Lori Churchill, 54, a female friend from Minnesota, were killed in a plane crash on a mountain in Anderson Pass last week. The wreckage of L.E.'s red and white Super Cub, missing since July 4th, was found on Monday, July 8th, by Civil Air Patrol searchers. Although the pass is narrow, it is often used by pilots as a path through the Alaska Range. The bodies were recovered on the 8th. NTSB is investigating the accident. [Doug Stockdale, PIO, DENA, 7/10]
A canoe capsized and submerged its three occupants in Wonder Lake around midnight on July 19th. The lake is about four miles long and a half mile wide and has sustained summer temperatures in the mid-40s. One of the occupants swam to shore and hiked to Wonder Lake campground to get assistance for his companions, who stayed with the waterlogged canoe. At 1 a.m., the campground hosts called rangers at the lake and notified them of the accident. Park personnel responded in the park's Zodiac rescue boat. The other two victims were found after an extensive search of the lake. One was still with the canoe; the other was on shore. The person with the canoe had been in the water for almost two hours. Park maintenance employees and campground hosts assisted with search efforts, patient care and logistics. All three were treated for mild to moderate hypothermia and released later that morning. [Mark Motsko, SDR, Wonder Lake Subdistrict, DENA]
A major power failure affected numerous buildings in the park
headquarters area for 48 hours beginning on Wednesday, May 21st. It
occurred as inspectors were testing the condition of the lines. Park
crews scrambled to install temporary lines to bypass the failed sections
so that facilities and services at headquarters remained available to
support activities during the park's intense visitor season. Over the
past four months, 15 percent of the underground electrical distribution
system at Denali has failed. Inspections on the failed sections, which
are 35 years old, have revealed that the electrical insulation has
deteriorated significantly. The contractors hired to inspect and test
the system have determined that the problem is systemic and predict that
the distribution system will fail completely in the near future unless
the power lines are replaced.
A McKinley Air Service Cessna 185 with four people aboard crashed in
South Hunter Pass on Mount Hunter some time between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on
Wednesday, May 28th. Talkeetna resident K.M., 35, co-owner of
McKinley Air Service, was the pilot of the Cessna. K.M. was flying
two climbers - Alaska Mountaineering School guide B.A.,
39, and AMS client M.W., 31 - to the Kahiltna base camp,
and also had a scenic tour passenger - C.D. -
on board. The two mountaineers were intending to climb Sultana Ridge on
Mount Foraker. The NPS was notified of the downed plane just before 3
p.m. on Wednesday. Rangers flew to the scene in the NPS-contracted Lama
helicopter and confirmed that all four had perished in the crash. The
plane was found on relatively flat terrain at the 8,200-foot level of
the mountain. Park personnel and an NTSB investigator subsequently flew
to the site to remove the bodies and begin an investigation. The state
medical examiner will conduct an autopsy of K.M. as part of the
standard accident investigation. Skies were generally clear at the time
of the crash, with unknown wind conditions in the vicinity of South
Hunter pass.
Three mountaineers were rescued Wednesday afternoon
from above 19,000 feet on Mt. McKinley. The climbers departed the
14,200-foot camp at 4 a.m., Tuesday, June 3rd, to climb the Messner
Couloir. At 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, ranger staff at the 14,200-foot
camp received a radio transmission from the threesome, who were located
at approximately 19,100-feet on the route. One of the climbers, C.L.,
28, from Longmont, Colorado, was suffering from hypothermia,
dehydration, and altitude sickness. C.L.'s partners, P.H. and
J.M., both from the Czech Republic, were weakened by the long cold
night at high altitude. Rescue operations involved three consecutive
short-hauls with the NPS-contracted high altitude Lama helicopter. At
additional risk due to the high elevation, pilot Jim Hood flew to the
site and hovered overhead while C.L., the most critical patient,
secured himself in the rescue basket. Hanging below the helicopter,
C.L. was flown from 19,100-feet to the Kahiltna base camp at 7,200
feet. Hood then returned to the Messner Couloir two more times to
evacuate the other climbers. A LifeGuard Air Ambulance transported C.L.
from the base camp to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. The other two
climbers were flown to Talkeetna via air taxi. A final leg of the rescue
mission involved an unrelated incident, with the Lama transporting a
climber with an injured hip from the 14,200-foot ranger camp to base
camp. Skies were clear at the time of the helicopter rescue, with light
winds. This is the second helicopter operation of the season involving
the rescue basket, the first occurring at 15,200-feet on the West Rib in
late May. Since 1998, the Lama, which the NPS contracts each season with
Evergreen Helicopters, has rescued eight climbers from above the
19,000-foot level using the short-haul method.
Mountaineering rangers were called in to assist an unconscious
climber at the 17,200-foot camp on Mt. McKinley shortly before noon on
Friday, June 13th. F.B., 51, became ill and his conditions
rapidly deteriorated for reasons his four climbing partners could not
readily ascertain, as he had not shown any serious signs of mountain
sickness during their summit of the mountain the previous day. With
medical guidance provided via radio from volunteer ranger/medic Michael
Dong, ranger Meg Perdue and two volunteer rangers who were positioned at
the high camp at the time of the incident administered oxygen and
medication for cerebral edema. F.B. gradually regained
consciousness and motor functions. Skies were clear on Friday afternoon,
although gusty winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour precluded a helicopter
evacuation. The three-member ranger patrol roped up with the patient and
assisted him down the ridge and fixed lines to the 14,200-foot ranger
camp. The climber's condition improved dramatically as the group
descended. After spending a night at the 14,200-foot camp under medical
supervision, F.B. felt strong enough to continue and descended
safely to the 7,200-foot base camp with his four teammates on Saturday
afternoon. At 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, however, rangers at base camp were
awakened by F.B.'s teammates with news that he had again lapsed
into unconsciousness. Oxygen and cerebral edema medication treatments
were begun. F.B. again responded with dramatic improvement. When
skies at the base camp cleared on Monday afternoon, a military Pavehawk
helicopter picked him up and transported him to Alaska Regional Hospital
in Anchorage for further care. Without the rapid medical response
provided by the ranger and volunteer staff on Mt. McKinley, F.B.
might not have survived his unusual illness. During both episodes,
rangers were provided with excellent medical advice from medics and
physician volunteers on ranger patrols, as well as physicians on private
expeditions.
A multi-day rescue effort to save an injured Korean climber was begun on Thursday, May 20th, following a late night emergency call to the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (RCC), which in turn notified mountaineering staff at Denali National Park & Preserve. Forty-year-old I.H.C. of South Korea, leader of the Daejeon Mt. McKinley Expedition, reportedly fell 50 to 60 feet just above Denali Pass at 18,300 feet during a descent of the West Buttress route. I.H.C. was unable to descend any further due to his injuries. Climbing partners wrapped him in layers of down clothing, insulated him from the snow with a backpack, then descended to the 17,200-foot high camp to get help. Throughout the early morning hours, members of several Korean climbing parties made two separate attempts to return to I.H.C. with emergency supplies, but were turned back by high winds and whiteout conditions. On Friday morning, a Hercules HC-130 aircraft from the 210th Rescue Squadron out of Kulis Air Force Base in Anchorage flew to the park, but could not find I.H.C. due to overcast skies. In a remarkable 15-hour push made on Friday, an NPS ground rescue team climbed from the 14,200 foot ranger camp to where I.H.C. lay at 18,300 feet. The team then executed a technical lowering of the injured climber, reaching high camp at about 10 p.m. The team was led by Renny Jackson, a climbing ranger from Grand Teton National Park on temporary detail to Denali. Jackson's team consisted of four other Teton climbing rangers who volunteered their time to join Jackson during his detail.At high camp, I.H.C. was stabilized and treated overnight for exhaustion, hypothermia, dehydration, frostbite, and a possible head injury. On Saturday, poor visibility continued to preclude a helicopter evacuation, so Jackson led a further technical rope lowering of I.H.C. down the "Rescue Gully" from the 17,200-foot high camp to the 14,200-foot ranger camp. This was the second time in a week that the Grand Teton-based patrol and other volunteers had executed a 3,000-foot rope lowering of an injured climber down the Rescue Gully. When skies cleared on Monday morning, May 24th, the park's contract high altitude Lama helicopter flew into the 14,200-foot camp and evacuated I.H.C. to 7,200-foot basecamp, where he was transferred to an airplane and taken to Anchorage for further medical care. Denali mountaineering ranger Gordy Kito served as the incident commander for the rescue, with mountaineering ranger John Evans directing ground operations from the 14,200-foot camp. The overall effort involved the entire South District ranger staff, the 210th Rescue Squadron, and over 35 volunteers at various camps on the mountain. Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer, Talkeetna Ranger
Station
One climber was killed and two others were seriously injured in a
climbing accident that occurred on Mt. McKinley on the morning of
Sunday, June 27th. The three climbers were struck by large falling
boulders at 13,000 feet while descending the West Buttress route, just
above an area known as Windy Corner. American climber C.W., 47, died
shortly after the rock fall from multiple injuries; American M.M., 47,
sustained a femur fracture in his right leg and a broken wrist; German
citizen G.I., 56, suffered several broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a
ruptured disc in his lower back. The three men were members of a
twelve-person guided expedition lead by Alaska Mountaineering School
(AMS) that had reached the summit of Mt. McKinley the day before. AMS is
a park concessioner. The expedition's lead guide placed a distress call
shortly before 10 p.m., triggering a rescue by park mountaineering
rangers. A hasty team comprised of military pararescueman Dave Shuman
and volunteer ranger Lindsay Archer left the NPS camp at 14,200 feet and
descended to the victims for medical triage. A seven-member ground
rescue crew led by ranger Mik Shain followed the hasty team with heavier
rescue equipment and additional medical supplies. C.W., who was knocked
unconscious by the rocks, died shortly after the crews reached the
accident site at 11 p.m. M.M. and G.I. were assessed, stabilized, and
packaged for an air evacuation. The park's high altitude Lama helicopter
reached the accident site with ranger/paramedic John Loomis at midnight.
The two injured climbers were flown separately down to the 7,200-foot
Kahiltna base camp, where they were transferred to a LifeGuard
helicopter and flown to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. C.W.'s body
was evacuated to base camp and flown to Talkeetna on Monday morning. A
spontaneous rockslide of this magnitude, with boulders reportedly
ranging from two to ten feet in diameter, is highly unusual on the West
Buttress route. No other known fatalities on Mt. McKinley have occurred
due to rock fall. While small rocks and snow shed regularly at
Windy Corner during warmer weather, the climbers were descending at
night when cooler temperatures and frozen conditions make for safer
travel. Ranger Joe Reichert served as incident commander for the
rescue.
On Friday, June 25th, a climbing party discovered the well-preserved
remains of a deceased climber at the 17,200-foot camp on the West
Buttress route on Mt. McKinley. The climbing party reported its find to
mountaineering ranger Gordy Kito on Sunday. Upon further investigation,
it appeared that the remains were buried in a sleeping bag and carefully
covered with rocks. Kito and his patrol carefully exhumed the frozen
body on Monday. The body was placed in a litter on Tuesday evening and
ground crews completed a rope lowering from the 17,200-foot camp to the
14,200-foot ranger camp. The NPS-contracted Lama helicopter was to fly
the body from the 14,200-foot camp to Talkeetna yesterday, where it was
to be transferred to the control of the state medical examiner. Due to
the location of the body and the style of equipment, rangers believe
that they know the identity of the individual, but positive
identification cannot be made until dental records are obtained. The
remains are believed to be those of G.C. of Cody, Wyoming, who died
of high altitude pulmonary edema at the 17,200-foot camp on
June 19, 1969. G.C., who was 32 years old
at the time of his death, was a member of a six-man expedition that
began an ascent of Mt. McKinley on
June 6, 1969. According to the expedition log, G.C. started
showing signs of illness on June 17. His teammates assisted him with
their limited supplies of oxygen and various medications, but G.C.
ultimately succumbed to pulmonary edema. His teammates decided to bury
G.C. at the 17,200-foot camp, as that had reportedly been his wish. At
the request of the state medical examiners office and the Alaska State
Troopers, the body must be legally identified and therefore removed from
its current position. Typically, the National Park Service recovers all
bodies left on the mountain, assuming the recovery can be done
safely. Today, with better technology, improved aircraft support,
and skilled ranger staff, recovery of such remains is a low risk
endeavor.
On Friday, June 25th, a climbing party discovered the well-preserved
body of a deceased climber at the 17,200-foot camp on the West Buttress
route on Mt. McKinley. An investigation confirmed that they were the
remains of G.C. of Cody, Wyoming, who died of high altitude pulmonary
edema at the 17,200-foot camp on June 19, 1969. G.C., who was 32 years
old at the time of his death, was a member of a six-man expedition that
began an ascent of Mt. McKinley on June 6, 1969. His teammates decided
to bury him at the 17,200-foot camp, as that had reportedly been his
wish. G.C.'s identity was confirmed by personal effects found on the
body — a watch with a calendar dated June, 1969, and a wedding band
matching the description provided by his widow. G.C.'s family asked that
he be left on the mountain. Following a review of regulations and
related information, the NPS, state police and the medical examiner's
office agreed to the request. G.C.'s remains, however, will be
re-interred on the plateau near the ranger camp at the 14,200-foot
level, where they were lowered subsequent to their discovery. The camp
at the 17,200-foot level is too heavily used and has snow that's too
shallow and windblown for re-interment at that location.
On Friday, June 25th, the park received a request from the Alaska
State Forestry Department to assist with a reported wildfire near the
toe of the Eldridge Glacier within the boundaries of Denali State Park.
The state park shares a common boundary with the national park in the
area of the glacier. The park's high altitude Lama helicopter was
dispatched with helicopter manager Dave Kreutzer on board, stopping to
pick up a state fire incident commander en route. Arriving over the
two-acre fire, the helicopter crew discovered that it had apparently
been started by a downed light aircraft. The park helicopter ferried
firefighters to the scene and provided water bucket drops to help
suppress the fire. On Saturday, the helicopter transported a state
trooper and representatives from both the NTSB and the FAA to the crash
site for an investigation and removal of the pilot's body. The deceased
pilot was subsequently identified as J.S.C., 62, of San Diego,
California. National Park Service personnel are not involved in the
accident investigation, which is ongoing.
On the evening of Wednesday, July 28th, a solo backpacker received minor scratches on his right arm when he encountered a sow grizzly bear with a single spring cub while hiking near Glacier Creek, about three miles southwest of the Eielson Visitor Center. N.H., from Oslo, Norway, was hiking through a brushy area near the creek when he saw the bears approximately 150 feet from him. He began to make noise and back away from them, but the adult continued to approach him. When the bear got to within 10 feet, N.H. lay down and played dead. He felt heavy pressure on his right side when the bear made contact with him and scratched at his arm through the layers of clothing. N.H. then shot off an emergency flare that he had in his pocket and the adult bear backed away. Both animals then moved away from the area. N.H. hiked to the Eielson Visitor Center and reported the incident to park staff at approximately 7:30 p.m. He spent the night at the Wonder Lake Campground and took a bus back to the park headquarters area the next morning. He was taken to a local clinic where he received a tetanus shot. The last incident involving a bear injuring a visitor in the park occurred in 1997. The same bears may have been involved in another incident that occurred earlier that day in the same area. Rangers at Eielson Visitor Center received a report from another solo backpacker who had encountered two bears. He reported that the bears had approached him until they were about 30 feet away. He made noise and the animals moved away and left the vicinity. Although the park's wildlife biologists believe that the bears reacted normally and may have been surprised by solo backpackers who were not making much noise, they monitored the area for several days. No adverse actions were against the bears, who have been seen regularly in the area this summer. Food was not obtained in either incident. Additional bear activity at the Eielson Visitor Center has prompted
park managers to temporarily close the area in the vicinity of the
Visitor Center to all hiking. A different female grizzly with two spring
cubs has been frequenting the area and has begun to exhibit erratic
behavior, including charging the building and vehicles for no apparent
reason. Bus drivers are currently dropping off and loading their
passengers at the entrance to the visitor center and visitors are being
asked to remain by the building or observation deck until further
notice. Use of the picnic area immediately adjacent to the building is
being allowed if the bears are at least a quarter mile away.
B.P., 19, of Cleveland, Tennessee died of injuries sustained during a
fall that took place at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Monday, August 16th,
during a day hike on Mt. Healy. B.P. and one of her two hiking
companions were attempting to go below a rock outcropping in steep,
rugged terrain near the summit at the 4,500 foot elevation when she
stepped on a loose rock and fell approximately 45 feet, landing
face-down against some rocks below the outcropping. She was
semi-conscious when her hiking partner, R.K., 18, of Cashton, Wisconsin
reached her location. R.K. called for help from A.C., 23, from Houston,
Texas, who had stayed below to wait for the two to return. A.C. remained
with B.P. while R.K. hiked back about three-and-a-half miles back to the
trailhead to seek assistance. Park rangers were notified by a call from
the concession bus barn just after midnight. Due to the time of night
and rugged terrain, the Rescue Communication Center (RCC) in Anchorage
was contacted. RCC dispatched a night-vision equipped Pavehawk
helicopter with a crew of technically trained rescue personnel,
including paramedics, and HC-130 plane from the 210th Rescue Squadron
stationed at the Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage. The HC-130
was sent along to facilitate communications, refuel the helicopter, and
provide additional support with parajumpers if needed. The aircraft left
Anchorage around 2:45 a.m.The plane arrived first, in about 45 minutes,
and its crew was able to see the beam from the A.C.'s flashlight. The
helicopter landed near the site at 4:15 a.m., and the paramedics
determined that B.P. was no longer alive. A.C. was flown out to the park
airstrip. During a later interview, he told rangers that B.P. had
stopped breathing within 30 minutes after R.K. had gone for assistance.
Rangers flew to the accident location to complete the investigation and
remove B.P.'s body from the mountain. B.P. and her hiking companions
were seasonal employees of the McKinley Chalet Resorts. The hike to Mt.
Healy is a popular day hike, even though only the first two miles is
maintained trail. Above that point, access is via social trail or
cross-country travel. This is the first falling fatality to have
occurred on Mt. Healy.
On August 30th, rangers arrested two park concession employees for
felony theft and misappropriation of property. Lithuanian nationals
E.D. and A.B., who were in the country on J-1
visas, were hired to clean concession tour buses. An investigation
revealed that the pair would board empty buses which had just returned
from tours and take any valuable items unintentionally left on the
buses by visitors. They would then sell the items to other concession
employees. Rangers executed a search warrant of the suspects' residence
and recovered $3,500 worth of stolen cameras, binoculars and cell
phones. The two had also placed $1,000 in calls to Lithuania using the
stolen phones. They each pled guilty to 17 counts of misdemeanor theft
and to two counts of misappropriation of property; each was sentenced to
15 days in jail and ordered to pay $1,500 each in restitution to the
park. At the conclusion of their sentences, both defendants were turned
over to the INS for deportation. Other concession employees were
implicated in the theft ring but not charged. Ranger John Leonard led
the investigation, assisted by district ranger Ann Marie
Chytra.
A search is underway for a climber who was reported missing after a probable avalanche on Mt. Huntington. The climber's partner reported the incident directly to the Talkeetna Ranger Station staff via satellite phone just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15th. The missing climber, J.S., 26, of Trapper Creek, was last observed by his partner between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. that morning as the two-person team approached the West Face Couloir route on Mt. Huntington, a 12,240-foot peak situated just south of Mt. McKinley. J.S. was skiing up ahead of his partner, J.R., as the two ascended the peak near its 8,800-foot level. J.R. saw his partner reach a bench, then J.S. skied out of view. When J.R. reached the same bench, he was unable to see or hear the lost climber. Although J.R. did not see an avalanche occur, debris covered the area. After searching for over three hours, the partner descended to the team's base camp at 8,000-feet and phoned for assistance. An aerial search has been underway since Wednesday. [Submitted by Maureen McLaughlin]
Efforts have been suspended in the search for a lost climber on Mt.
Huntington. Trapper Creek climber J.S., 26, is missing and
presumed dead in an avalanche which occurred on Tuesday, February 15th.
J.S. was last seen alive by his climbing partner, J.R., on
Tuesday morning, as the pair approached the mountain's West Face Couloir
route. After several hours of probing in avalanche debris in search of
his partner, J.R. used a satellite phone to initiate search and
rescue efforts. J.R., a furloughed Denali National Park
mountaineering ranger, was on a personal climb at the time of the
incident. Poor visibility precluded a rescue effort the evening of the
avalanche. On Wednesday morning, multi-agency aerial searches were
conducted by members of the Air National Guard, the Alaska State
Troopers, and the National Park Service. Avalanche expert Blaine Smith
of the Alaska Mountain Safety Center was also flown to the search zone
to make an avalanche risk assessment. Smith's assessment concluded that
the search zone was confined to an area smaller than the size of a
football field, and that J.S.'s likely location was in a large
crevasse at the bottom of the slide path. Smith and NPS ranger Gordy
Kito determined that the area probed by J.R. immediately following
the accident was the spot where J.S. most likely buried.
Avalanche concerns and inadequate rotor clearance precluded a helicopter
landing at the immediate site, and approaches from safer landing zones
were also considered to be heavily avalanche prone. The National Park
Service determined that a ground search was unsafe due to the extreme
avalanche danger. An additional aerial search was conducted on the
morning of Thursday, February 17th, by Alaska State Trooper pilot Mel
Nading, Alaska State Trooper SAR coordinator Craig MacDonald, and Blaine
Smith. The crew determined that the avalanche hazard remained too
severe for a ground search, and no new evidence was observed in the
search zone. Due to the extremely hazardous conditions in the vicinity,
a body recovery is unfortunately not possible. Said NPS incident
commander Meg Perdue: "We would like to thank everyone who assisted in
this search effort. We appreciate the quick and professional response
from the different agencies involved, and the many offerings of help
from the local community. Our thoughts are with Johnny's family and
friends."
Jo.S., 52, of Poquoson, Virginia, was injured by a single, adult-sized grizzly bear on Monday, May 23rd, in an incident which took place in the early afternoon in an off-trail area west of the Savage River. She and her husband Ja.S., 54, had hiked up the slope along a ridge and were returning to the trail. They took a different route going back and found themselves in heavy brush with poor visibility. They had climbed up on an eight- to nine-foot rock outcropping to survey the area for a better route when they heard the bear as it ran downhill toward them through the six-foot-high vegetation. Snorting as it ran past them, the bear stopped about 20 to 30 feet below them, then turned and charged. The bear leapt up the rock and grabbed Jo.S. by the right ankle with its mouth, pulling her down to the ground. She immediately assumed a fetal position, and Ja.S. shouted and jumped down to assist his wife. The bear looked up and moved quickly away, disappearing into the brush. The entire attack took place within just a few seconds. The couple made their way up to the ridge, then walked down to the Savage River Check Station, where they reported the incident to the rangers at approximately 3:30 p.m. They were assessed and treated on scene and taken by ambulance to Healy, where they were treated by the local clinic's physical assistant. Jo.S. sustained injuries to her right ankle, bruising on her left side and a broken nose due to the fall from the rock. She was taken to Fairbanks for additional treatment, but was released that night. Ja.S. was treated for a sprain to his left ankle that he sustained from the jump off the rock. Wildlife technician Win Staples and rangers Dan Fangen-Gritis and Jeff Caulfield hiked into the area Monday evening to attempt to locate the bear. They did encounter two bears, but neither behaved in an unusual or aggressive manner. A sow grizzly with two yearling cubs has been frequenting the area, but she was not seen. Park managers have temporarily closed the Savage River drainage downstream of the park road to all access. The vehicle parking areas on both sides of the river are closed to use, and hiking trails into the area have been signed with warning notices to prevent entry. The area will remain closed for the next several days as rangers and wildlife management staff monitor the area. This is a popular area for picnicking and day hiking, as it is within the section of the park road that is accessible to private vehicles. [Submitted by Pat Navaille, IC and Kris Fister, IO]
R.A., 65, and C.P., 65, both from the Long Beach, California area, died on Friday, August 5th, when the single engine Beech Bonanza they were flying crashed in the park at the 5,300 foot elevation on the ridge dividing the Riley Creek and Little Windy Creek drainages, approximately 15 miles southwest of the park headquarters. According to witness statements, the accident is believed to have occurred shortly before noon. The National Park Service was notified of a possible downed aircraft in the park at approximately 2:30 p.m. by Alaska State Troopers, who had been given information by the US Air Force 11th Resource Coordination Center (RCC) in Anchorage. Early reports of the accident had the site on the Eldridge Glacier, which is south of the Alaska Range, but additional information was developed from witnesses which put the accident site to the northeast in the Riley/Windy Creek area inside the park wilderness. RCC dispatched a Pavehawk helicopter from the 210th Air Rescue Squadron with pararescue personnel from the 212th Air Rescue Squadron aboard to the reported crash site. At 4:00 p.m., the park was notified that pararescue personnel had reached the scene and confirmed that both of the plane's occupants had perished. Their remains were transported by the Pavehawk helicopter to the Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage. The pair was flying the private plane from Fairbanks to Anchorage as part of a guided aviation excursion consisting of nine aircraft. Four planes were flying together at the time of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to arrive in the park today to conduct an investigation of the crash site. Park rangers will also fly into the site on Monday to assist with the accident investigation. A plan to remove the plane is being developed. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Specialist]
The park has begun an air and ground search for a missing backpacker, R.H., 34, of Anchorage, Alaska. There are almost 30 people currently assigned to the search effort, which is focusing on an area surrounding what is believed to be R.H.'s abandoned campsite in the Kantishna Hills at the 4,000 foot elevation, about five miles northeast of Wonder Lake. On Friday, August 5th, the park received information from a pilot with Kantishna Air Taxi that during one of his flights in the area he had spotted a tent that appeared to be abandoned inside the park east of Kantishna. A check of backcountry permits the next day revealed that R.H. had received a permit for a planned backpacking trip into the park on July 10th for a unit adjacent to the area in which the tent was located. It was also determined that R.H. had been issued a bear-resistant food canister (BRFC), which had not been returned after his planned exit from the park on July 18th. This is not unusual, as some backpackers forget to return the canisters and wilderness users are not required to "check-in" as they exit the park. Due to the NPS response to the small plane accident with two fatalities that occurred on Friday, August 5th, and the subsequent investigation over the weekend, park rangers were not able to fly to the abandoned campsite to begin the investigation until Monday, August 8th. After arriving at the site, rangers confirmed that the number on the BRFC was the same as the one checked out to R.H. and that the tent color listed on the permit matched the one at the campsite. NPS special agents contacted R.H.'s next-of-kin, who reported that they had not seen or heard from R.H. since his scheduled trip to the park, although no missing person report had been filed with the park or Alaska authorities. Additional evidence found in his Anchorage residence indicates that he has been away for a significant period of time. R.H. has been described as physically fit, but it is not known at this time how familiar he was with the area or how much backcountry experience he has. He is a white male, 6 feet tall and weighing 195 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Investigators are interviewing employees and visitors throughout the park and in the Anchorage area to develop additional intelligence of R.H.'s whereabouts. Air and ground search efforts on Tuesday centered on the area surrounding R.H.'s campsite, and rangers continued combing the site for evidence. Three aircraft were dedicated to the air search. Plans to make the most effective use of ground crews were completed on Tuesday and additional searchers began searching by foot on Wednesday. Efforts are being coordinated with the Alaska State Troopers. The park is asking anyone who might have information about R.H.'s whereabouts or his activities since July 4tj to call 907-683-9500. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
Approximately 20 people searched the Kantishna Hills area of the park on Wednesday, seeking any sign or clue to the whereabouts of missing backpacker R.H., 34, from Anchorage, Alaska. Wednesday's search effort focused on the drainages of Rainy, Dry, and Glen Creeks, which are below R.H.'s abandoned campsite. Ground searching is very labor intensive in that area, as the topography is quite rugged and the alders, willows and other dense vegetation in the lower elevations make walking and viewing difficult. No clues or signs of R.H. were found by the end of the day. The search groups, comprised of teams of two, were to continue their assignments on Thursday until they had checked the areas closest to R.H.'s campsite to the highest degree possible. Backcountry units in the search area have been temporarily closed in order to facilitate the search effort. Additional resources arrived in the park early Wednesday evening and were being staged for use on Thursday. They included three dog teams (a team is a dog plus its handler) from Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs and personnel from the Mountain Rescue Group. Both of these volunteer rescue organizations are based in Anchorage. Two helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft were also made available for search operations. Investigators have interviewed campers who were on the bus with R.H. on July 10th, the same day he received a backcountry permit from the Backcountry Information Center near the park entrance. He was last seen walking down the park road toward Kantishna after being dropped off by the camper bus at the main road's "Y" junction with the side road to the Wonder Lake campground. Flyers with a photo of R.H. are being posted and distributed around the area, and the National Park Service is asking anyone who may have seen R.H. or have information about his whereabouts or activities since July 4th to call the park Communication Center at 907-683-2294. Additional agencies and organizations contributing to the search effort include the Alaska State Troopers, park concessioner Doyon/ARAMARK Joint Venture, Denali Princess Hotel, the Rescue Coordination Center, and the Civil Air Patrol. Staff and resources from Western Arctic National Parklands and Kenai Fjords National Park are also being utilized on the search. [Submitted by Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
The ground search for Anchorage resident R.H., 34, who hasn't been seen since disembarking a camper bus for a backpacking trip near Wonder Lake on July 10th, continued into its sixth day on Saturday. The assignments given to the 25 searchers included checking portions of the highest priority sections that hadn't been cleared, investigating clues detected in a previous search and beginning work on a new section to the east. A new objective added on Saturday was to search Moose Creek more closely. Four people were to kayak approximately six miles from the creek's junction with Glen Creek to the bridge at the park road, checking along the banks and in the deep pools. New clues and pieces of information were called into the command center during the course of the day from the ground searchers. They were logged in, noted on a map and thoroughly investigated. Nothing found to date can be definitively linked to R.H. Very smoky conditions present early on Saturday morning grounded the fixed-wing aircraft that are being used to move people and supplies between the park headquarters and the temporary camp that has been established at Friday Creek to support the field crews. The two helicopters were able to safely navigate in the hazy conditions, but some crews were delayed in getting to their search assignments by the lack of fixed-wing aircraft. The safety of the field crews and other search personnel is the highest priority in this and any incident. Crews are briefed each morning on specific safety concerns and things to be aware of, which include the use of proper protective equipment (PPE), especially around aircraft; dehydration due to the hot weather conditions; and old, abandoned explosives at old mining sites and mine shafts. Despite the difficult terrain, there have been no searcher injuries to date. There are over 50 people assigned to the search. Many agencies, organizations, and businesses are contributing to the search effort, including the private lodges in Kantishna (Camp Denali, Denali Backcountry Lodge, and the Kantishna Roadhouse), Alaska Fire Service, Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, Alaska State Troopers, Denali Outdoor Center, park concessioner Doyon/ARAMARK Joint Venture , Evergreen Helicopters, Food Services of America and numerous other businesses in the communities outside the park. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
The park has scaled back the ground search for missing
backpacker R.H. The wide-spread ground search in the
Kantishna Hills area was suspended at the end of Sunday, but limited
searching will continue by using specialized resources targeted at
investigating specific clues. The investigation will go on at the same
level as has taken place throughout the incident, following up on leads
and clues gleaned from the field search and from interviews with family
and friends. The decision to change the focus of the search was reached
after reviewing how thoroughly the areas closest to the abandoned
campsite and the reasonable access routes in and out of the area had
been searched. Sunday's efforts focused on searching any portion of the
area not already thoroughly covered. Additionally, four kayakers floated
down Moose Creek, checking along the shoreline and in deep pools. Clues
they reported included a disposable camera, a sock and footprints on the
shore. These and other clues are being investigated, but nothing that
can be specifically linked to R.H. has been located. A search
assignment that will continue in the future is the investigation of all
habitable structures with food resources located in the major creek or
river drainages leading away from the area. These drainages, each
containing a number of cabins, will be checked all the way to the park
boundary, a distance of 20 to 30 miles from the campsite. The ground
search for the 34-year old Anchorage resident was begun on August 8th
after it was determined that an abandoned tent reported to the park
three days previously belonged to the same person who had not turned in
the bear-resistant food canister issued to backcountry users. R.H.
had taken a camper bus into the park on July 10th and was due out on
July 18th. He was not reported missing until NPS investigators checked
with relatives for permission to search his Anchorage apartment. The
park has expressed its deep appreciation for the support and assistance
provided by the myriad agencies, organizations, and businesses who
contributed a variety of services and supplies to the search effort.
[Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer] On July 21st and 22nd, rangers Jon Murphy and Pete Schula participated in a multi-agency marijuana eradication operation along with officers from the Virginia State Police and Patrick County Sheriff's Department. Six plots were found in the Rock Castle Gorge area of the park. A total of 8,816 plants were removed. The investigation continues. [John Garrison, Chief Ranger]
Two vehicles parked in the parking lot of the Wilderness Access Center in the park were burglarized on the morning of September 7th. Windows were smashed to gain entry, and purses containing cash, credit cards, and jewelry were taken. Fairbanks city police were notified that evening that one of the credit cars stolen from a vehicle in Denali was being used to purchase a motel room in Fairbanks. Local authorities subsequently contacted and arrested R.W.H.S. and C.L.F. at their motel room. Many stolen credit cards and other property were seized from the couple's room and vehicle. R.W.H.S. is a convicted felon from Tranquility, California, southwest of Fresno. Preliminary investigation suggests that the couple may have burglarized many vehicles during their trip from California to Alaska. Parks between central California and Alaska with unsolved auto burglaries over the last month or two should contact ranger Dan Fangen-Gritis by NPS email or by calling 907-683-9596. The NPS case number is DENA-05-0282. [Peter Armington, Chief, Division of Visitor and Resource Protection]
A 33-year-old Utah man fell over 3,300 feet on a ski descent of Mt. McKinley late on the evening of Thursday, May 25th, but suffered only minor injuries in the fall. The man, who had reportedly summitted the mountain earlier that evening with his two climbing partners, was attempting a ski descent of the steep couloir or snow gully known as the Orient Express when the accident occurred. He was able to descend toward the ranger camp at the mountain's 14, 200-foot level to seek assistance. Meanwhile, a three-person ranger team that had been notified of the accident by the man's climbing partners headed up the mountain, meeting the man about 500 yards outside the camp. A medical assessment revealed facial trauma, a possible spinal injury and pain in both legs. The park's contract Lama helicopter flew to the camp on Friday morning and transported the climber to the Kahiltna base camp at 7,200 feet. He was then transferred to a LifeGuard Air Ambulance and flown to Alaska Regional Hospital. The snow and rock-banded Orient Express lies directly west of the technical West Rib route. While rarely ever ascended, it is an occasional descent route for experienced skiers and snowboarders. The top of the Orient Express is located at 19,300-feet, at which point it steeply drops at a 40 to 45 degree angle to the 15,700-foot level, where it flattens into the 14,200-foot basin. A total of 15 climbers have died from falls on the Orient Express since 1972. The high altitude Lama helicopter has evacuated an additional four patients in the past month for various medical ailments, included a pre-existing heart condition, frostbite, high altitude pulmonary edema, and severe acute mountain sickness. As of last Friday, there were 423 mountaineers attempting Mt. McKinley, with another 13 climbing Mt. Foraker. So far this year, 89 climbers have reached McKinley's summit, with no recorded summits of Mt. Foraker. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Affairs Specialist]
Two climbers stranded near the summit of Mt. Hunter were rescued by park's contracted high altitude Lama helicopter at 7:30 p.m. on the evening of Saturday, May 27th, after spending over 24 hours without food and shelter in severe winds. Denali mountaineering rangers had been informed on Friday evening that two members of a Korean climbing team required emergency assistance. The two men, both age 35, became separated below the summit of Mt. Hunter during their climb. Winds in the Alaska Range were severe overnight and throughout the day Saturday, gusting to 60 mph at the 14,000-foot elevation. Rangers were in radio contact with one of the men, who communicated his position and condition with the assistance of a translator. During a scheduled radio communication at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday night, he reported that the winds had calmed significantly and was able to identify an adequate helicopter landing zone. The Lama flew to their location shortly thereafter and extricated the two men. Both climbers were assessed and treated by a volunteer doctor. Despite fatigue and dehydration, both were in relatively good condition considering their overnight exposure to high winds and cold temperatures. They were released to the care of their three teammates, who were already at the Kahiltna base camp. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Affairs Specialist]
Concern for two overdue climbers on the challenging Infinite Spur route on Mt. Foraker prompted the park to begin a search for them on the evening of Thursday, June 1st. These concerns were based on information gathered about the climbers' anticipated time on the route and the supplies they had with them. The NPS high-altitude Lama helicopter was launched for a reconnaissance flight when weather cleared Thursday evening, following several days of heavy snow in the Alaska Range. No signs of the climbers - a 37-year-old Canadian woman and a 36-year-old woman from Colorado - were found during that flight. Flights continued on Friday and Saturday and were also fruitless, though observers did spot a backpack and some its contents at the base of the route. The gear appeared to have fallen from a higher elevation. The backpack was retrieved by a hydraulic 'grabber' suspended below the Lama. The weather over the mountain cleared on Sunday, allowing aerial searchers to make the first complete survey of the Infinite Spur route since the search began. Although neither climber was seen, searchers found additional gear, including a jacket, stuff sack and a glove near the spot where the backpack had been found and recovered. Based on equipment descriptions provided by one of the climber's friends, it's believed that all of the gear belonged to her. Observers on board the Lama also got a better look at tracks found at the 14,800-foot level of the Infinite Spur and are confident that they belong to the two women. Additional tracks were seen between the 15,500-foot and 15,800-foot elevations on the route. Clear skies and calm winds on Monday allowed personnel in the Lama to thoroughly investigate the area in the vicinity of the summit of Mt. Foraker, the climbing team's planned exit route on Sultana Ridge, and the glaciers north and south of the peak. The tracks spotted on Sunday were confirmed. On Tuesday, the Lama did not fly due to a required rest period for the pilot. Replacing it were two Chinook helicopters from the 52nd Aviation Regiment's high altitude rescue team, based at Fort Wainwright, and an Aerostar from ERA Helicopter Division. Analysis of digital photos taken from the Lama during its Monday flight confirmed tracks at 16,400 feet, so plans were to focus Tuesday's search efforts on the area just below the south summit of Mt. Foraker. Further updates will be posted as they are received. The two missing women are both highly skilled technical climbers with years of experience in the Alaska Range. [Kris Fister and Maureen McLaughlin, Public Affairs Specialists]
The aerial search for the two climbers missing on Mount Foraker have been thwarted by bad weather for the last several days (click on "More Information" below for the original report). The NPS contract high-altitude Lama helicopter and other searchers and equipment are on standby until conditions improve. The weather forecast is for continued cloudy conditions for the next few days. A search of the summit area of Mount Foraker, where tracks of the climbers were discovered last week, will resume as soon as weather allows. The two climbers - a 27-year-old Canadian woman and a 36-year-old American woman from Colorado - were last seen on May 14th at the base of the Infinite Spur route on Mount Foraker. They were reported to be carrying food and fuel for 10 to 14 days. They are both highly skilled professional climbers, with years of experience in the Alaska Range. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer] HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents &id=2607" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents&id=2607
The search for missing Mount Foraker climbers K.M. and S.N. was again put on hold on Sunday due to poor flying conditions. Clouds shrouded the lower elevations of Mount McKinley and the ranger camp at 14,200-foot elevation received six inches of new snow overnight. Weather conditions were not expected to improve significantly through at least Wednesday. Only limited aerial searches have taken place since Monday, June 5th, due to cloud cover and poor flying conditions in the search area. After a thorough analysis of the situation and in light of the predicted weather, search managers have determined that a continued focused search effort will not provide any different results from those that have been obtained to date and have accordingly decided to suspend active search operations. The goal of locating the climbers will continue, as weather and resources allow. This will include further examination of the summit area and periodic examination, as melting occurs, of the avalanche debris where the backpack and other gear items were found. Since June 1st, the National Park Service has conducted 27 hours of low-level aerial search with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft as conditions allowed, all within a five mile radius of Mount Foraker. All of the search segments, including areas of the summit, have been flown on multiple occasions, and at every opportunity that weather conditions have allowed. During this time, there has been no sighting of the climbers on the route, nor any evidence of activity on the snow surface in the vicinity of the summit or any of the various routes leading off the mountain. It is believed that even if the two climbers had all of their fuel containers with them, assuming none were in the backpack that was discovered at the base of the avalanche chute, they would only have lasted 18 days under the best of conditions. Without the ability to melt snow into water, climbers rapidly become dehydrated, increasing the probability of debilitating frostbite, hypothermia and weakness. Eating snow for water provides some relief, but generally hastens hypothermia and depletes the calories needed for warmth. In the best case scenario, S.N. and K.M. have had no water for ten days. S.N., 36, of Vail, Colorado and Karen K.M., 37, of Canmore, Alberta, Canada, were last seen on May 14th at the base of the Infinite Spur route on Mt. Foraker. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Specialist]
Climber S.K., 53, of Seoul, Korea, died of unknown causes while descending Mt. McKinley's West Buttress route on the evening of Thursday, June 29th. S.K., a client on an Alaska Mountaineering School guided expedition, was descending a section of the route known as the Headwall when he collapsed, or sat down, at an elevation of roughly 15,800 feet. S.K. was unconscious and unresponsive when his guides reached him. NPS ranger assistance was requested via radio and CPR was immediately begun and continued for 30 minutes. A ground crew of Denali mountaineering rangers, volunteers, and mountain guides from the 14,200 foot camp reached the party at approximately 8 p.m. S.K. was strapped into a rescue litter and transported down to the ranger medical tent at the camp for closer examination. The climber was pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m. Thursday night. Although the cause of death remains unknown pending further medical examination, the fatality does not appear to be a result of a fall or other trauma. In their attempt of Mt. McKinley's summit, the eight-member team had reached a maximum elevation of 18,600 feet. According to his guides and teammates, S.K. had not shown any previous signs of altitude-related illness or other physical problems since the expedition began on June 13th. [Maureen McLaughlin]
On Thursday, June 15th, the park's communication center received a report that a visitor had fallen approximately 15 to 20 feet from a feature known as Savage Rock and was having difficulty breathing. The site is located approximately 15 miles out the park road and about 12 miles from park headquarters. A ranger hiked up to the site, assessed her injuries, stabilized her, and prepared her for evacuation. While that was taking place, trail crew members, wildlife technicians, kennels staff and other rangers responded with an ambulance and technical gear. Some of these employees were designated members of the SAR and EMS teams, but others were drafted for the incident. Assistance from the East District road crew staff was also offered but was not needed. The patient was loaded into a litter, belayed approximately 75 feet to the trail, then carried approximately 400 yards to the parking lot, where she was further assessed and provided with advanced life support treatment. Due to concern about the severity of the injuries, a helicopter from the 68th Medical Company at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks was requested. The ship landed on the nearby park road, picked up the patient, and transported her to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. She was admitted for treatment of multiple external and internal injuries. The ranger division continues to appreciate the support it receives from supervisors of other divisions who allow their employees to participate as members of the SAR team and for ambulance work. This cooperative effort significantly enhances the level of care and service the park is able to provide to its visitors. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
On Friday, June 30th, rangers began what turned out to be a successful search for an overdue hiker from one of the private lodges in Kantishna. A 60-year-old Texas man had begun a hike near Grassy Pass at mile 68 on the Denali Park Road around 7 a.m. that morning. He told staff at the lodge that he intended to hike to the northeast on a ten-mile cross-country route that he had hiked during previous summers and return by 7 p.m. to a pickup point further east on the park road. By 10 p.m., he still had not appeared at the pickup point, so a hasty search of his travel route was begun by park rangers and staff from one of the lodges located on private land in Kantishna. A full search ensued on the next morning. More than 30 NPS employees and a contract helicopter were utilized to search the major drainages and canyons within the highest probability search area. Efforts were being intensified when the park was notified around 1:30 p.m. that the hiker had returned to his lodge. Despite having hiked the route before, the hiker went over 14 miles in the opposite direction of his intended route, forcing his way through dense brush and clouds of mosquitoes. He stumbled upon a cabin occupied by park inholders Saturday morning, where they fed him breakfast and then returned him to his lodge. He was exhausted and suffering from numerous insect bites, but otherwise in good condition. [Dan Fangen-Gritis, IC]
First Lady Laura Bush arrived in the park by train on July 23rd for a one-week vacation at a private inholder lodge in the Kantishna area. Her visit was managed by the park's incident management team. Members of the park staff assisted Secret Service and White House personnel with communications, security and logistics. A small number of rangers from other parks in the region were detailed to Denali to maintain normal operations so that a portion of the park's law enforcement staff could be assigned full-time to augment and assist the Secret Service details. During the week. Mrs. Bush and a small group of friends enjoyed daily hiking excursions throughout the park. On Friday, July 28th, she and her companions traveled to park headquarters to tour the Murie Science and Learning Center, a collaborative venture by Denali, seven other national parks, and several park partners. She later attended a luncheon hosted at the center and greeted park staff and the regional director. [Richard Moore, North District Ranger]
On Monday, September 18th, two rangers flew to the site of a plane crash in the southwestern part of the park with NTSB and FAA personnel to assist in the investigation of an aircraft accident and recover the remains of the two occupants. The site is at an elevation of 2,700 feet, approximately one mile inside the park boundary on the north side of the canyon in the west fork of the Yentna River drainage southwest of Mystic Pass. The airplane was broken into many sections and there was evidence of a post-crash fire. According to information received by the Alaska State Troopers, two aircraft - a DeHavilland Beaver and a Cessna 185 - were returning to Anchorage after a successful moose hunt in the Selawik area on Friday, September 15th. The two planes stopped in Galena to refuel, but reportedly encountered bad weather in the Mystic Pass area. The Cessna was able to turn back and returned to Galena around midnight. When the Beaver failed to show up, the occupants of the Cessna contacted authorities. On Saturday, troopers asked the Rescue Coordination Center and Civil Air Patrol to launch a mission to locate the missing aircraft. At approximately 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, the wreckage of the Beaver was located by members of the Anchorage Polaris Squadron of the CAP. Pararescuemen with the 212th Rescue Squadron were able to make it to the crash site and confirmed that both occupants had died in the accident. The two men have been identified as A.S., 38, and A.B, 33, both of Anchorage. Stack was the pilot. The NPS was notified of the accident late on Sunday when it was determined that it had occurred within the preserve. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer] HYPERLINK "http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/aviation/story/8208217p-8104889c.html"
On the evening of Sunday, September 17th, a local hunter reported the presence of a possible hunting camp in the northeast corner of the park, where hunting is prohibited. The park pilot conducted an overflight of the area, located the camp, and observed a moose kill site approximately two miles inside the park boundary. Aerial observations suggested that the hunters had illegally used ATV's to access the area. Three rangers flew to the site by helicopter early on Monday morning and apprehended two hunters - 54 year-old D.N. of Anderson, Alaska, and 22 year-old R.M. of Nenana, Alaska. The rangers seized a 43-inch bull moose (43 inches is the measurement of the maximum width between the bull's antlers) along with weapons and other evidence. To prevent further resource damage, one of the hunters' two ATV's was sling-loaded to a point outside the park boundary. Activation at the kill site of the hunters' own GPS receiver showed that they were well inside the park. Misdemeanor Lacey Act and other charges against the two are pending. [Pete Armington, Chief Ranger]
A climber on Mt. Wake was killed in a thousand-foot fall around 6 p.m. on Monday, April 23rd. The accident occurred as the climber was rappelling down the northeast ridge of the 8,130-foot peak. The climber's partner descended to the body, confirmed the death, then sought assistance from another climbing party in the area. A satellite phone was used to inform an emergency contact about the accident; that person then notified Denali mountaineering staff around 9 p.m. The climbers then returned to the accident scene and brought the body back to their camp in Ruth Gorge. A ranger flew to the gorge on Tuesday morning. He confirmed the identity of the victim and brought the body back to Talkeetna. The cause of the accident is unknown. Mt. Wake is a highly technical, mixed rock, snow, and ice peak located in the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier. At least five other parties were climbing in the vicinity of the Gorge at the time the accident occurred. [Maureen McLaughlin]
The park has released the name of the climber who died on Mt. Wake on Monday, April 23rd. L.-K.K., 38, of Seattle, Washington, died from injuries sustained in a 1,000-foot fall that occurred while rappelling the technical Northeast Ridge. Her climbing partner did not directly witness the fall, and it remains unknown exactly what caused the rappelling accident. L. - then L.B. - was a former seasonal climbing ranger and member of the search and rescue team at Mount Rainier NP. A current US Forest Service employee living in the Seattle area, she would often help with SAR missions at Mount Rainier during the fall, winter and spring. She and her husband, C.K., another former climbing ranger, last assisted the park in the search for two RMI guides in the winter of 2005. Mike Gauthier, the park's search and rescue coordinator, writes this about Lara: "She was an exceptional climber, snowboarder, surfer and world traveler. When choosing adventures, Lara always sought remote locations off the beaten path. She did not seek the spotlight, but was easily recognized as a leader amongst her friends. Her independent spirit touched many people, including people at Mount Rainier." [Kris Fister, Public Affairs, Denali; Mike Gauthier, Search and Rescue Coordinator, Mount Rainier]
Two climbers died in a 1900-foot fall during a descent of Mt. McKinley on the evening of Thursday, May 17th. M.T., 36, of Lake Forest Park, Washington, was pronounced dead shortly after the fall. Her partner, 27-year-old B.M. from North Bend, Washington, remained unconscious throughout the night and succumbed to his injuries Friday morning. M.T. and B.M. had left the 14,200-foot camp on Tuesday morning for an ascent of the Upper West Rib route of Mt. McKinley. A third team member stayed behind at the 14,200-foot camp. At 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening, a mountaineering ranger patrol staged at the mountain's 17,200-foot High Camp witnessed the fall, which began from an elevation just below 19,000-feet near the Messner Couloir. The roped pair fell to a point just below High Camp. A hasty team comprised of members of the ranger patrol and two climbing guides traversed to the team and confirmed that M.T. had died. The rescue team performed an initial assessment of B.M., who was immediately carried back to the ranger tent for emergency medical treatment for severe injuries. B.M. never regained consciousness, though, and he died Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. The bodies were recovered from High Camp on Saturday morning after winds subsided in the area. [Maureen McLaughlin and Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officers]
An avalanche in Ruth Gorge on Mt. Barrille killed two climbers attempting the Japanese Couloir route on the peak's east face last week. The climbers - 33-year-old A.C. of Salt Lake City and 32-year-old B.P. of Park City, Utah - were seen beginning the 10- to 15-hour climb around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15th. On Thursday afternoon, members of another climbing party notified a ranger patrol in the Ruth Gorge that the two climbers were overdue and that their skis were still sitting at the base of Mt. Barrille. Whiteout conditions on Thursday evening and most of Friday precluded a surveillance flight or a ground-based investigation. When skies cleared Friday evening, an NPS-contracted Lama helicopter flew to the peak. At approximately 9:30 p.m., two rangers on board the helicopter spotted climber tracks leading into an area where a slab avalanche had released from a shallow gully near the summit ridge. Following the fall line down, rangers saw what appeared to be two figures in avalanche debris at the base of peak. Due to flat light and decreasing visibility, the Lama and crew returned to Talkeetna. On Saturday, the Lama helicopter returned to the debris area with two mountaineering rangers. The climbers' identities were confirmed and their bodies and gear were flown from the accident site back to Talkeetna. Mt. Barrille, at 7,650-feet, is one of the more frequently climbed peaks in the Ruth Gorge, with multiple routes ranging in technical difficulty. The Japanese Couloir is a moderate, Alaska grade III route featuring steep snow and ice. [Maureen McLaughlin and Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officers]
On the evening of Monday, July 2nd, the park's communication center was notified of the discovery of the body of a young man hanging from the railroad trestle above Riley Creek. Rangers responded and found the body hanging by a rope looped around the neck from one of the low girders of the train trestle at ground level. The victim was identified as a 21-year-old man from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia, who was employed as a seasonal worker at the Denali Bluffs Hotel, located outside of the park near the entrance to the Denali Park Road. He was last seen alive sometime on Saturday, June 30th. All indications are that the death is a suicide, but the investigation is continuing. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
Mountaineering rangers and volunteers used a customized 3,000-foot rope to lower a sick climber from the mountain's 17,200-foot high camp to the 14,200-foot ranger camp on June 30th. M.K., 65, had developed snow blindness while descending from the peak's 20,320-foot summit, slowing the four-person team's progress considerably and forcing them to camp out above Denali Pass at 18,500 feet. When they descended to high camp the following morning, an NPS ranger patrol performed a medical evaluation of the climber. While being treated for snow blindness and exhaustion, M.K. began to display signs of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and his condition rapidly deteriorated. Although weather conditions were clear and calm at high camp, low elevation cloud cover precluded a helicopter evacuation; a technical lowering was therefore begun. Ranger Tucker Chenoweth directed the lowering from the top of the 3,000-foot long line, while volunteer ranger Mike Loso attended M.K., who was packaged in a Cascade litter. Loso and M.K. were lowered 2,200-feet down the 30- to 55-degree slope in less than three hours. Where the terrain levels off at 15,000 feet, M.K. was met by ranger Kevin Wright and volunteer Ben Habecker, who skied the litter down to the 14,200-foot ranger camp. The entire transport time for the patient from camp to camp was four hours. In former years, ranger staff used multiple shorter ropes and corresponding anchoring systems to lower a patient. This method on average took between eight and ten hours and required six to ten rescuers. In 2001, the single 3,000-foot rope system was developed to enable safer and significantly faster rescues while putting fewer people in danger. This long line rescue took place in the midst of a lively week for rescue staff at the park, who had to deal with four helicopter evacuations and one ground rescue in the four day stretch from June 27th to June 30th. [Maureen McLaughlin]
On Wednesday, August 22nd, Z.M., 20, of Berkeley, California, was rescued from a small rock ledge on a steep slope on the north side of the Alaska Range with assistance of military personnel from Anchorage. The crew of an Air Force HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter was able to hoist Z.M. into the helicopter around 8 a.m. and fly him to the park airstrip, where he was evaluated by park medics and found to be in relatively good condition. Z.M. had become stranded the previous morning when he and his hiking partner, Chris Scruggs, attempted to cross a steep and extremely rugged ridge dividing the headwaters of the East Fork and Teklinika Rivers on the third day of a planned five-day backpacking trip. Z.M. fell a short distance, and, though uninjured, was unable to move from his position approximately a thousand feet above the glacier in the valley below. It took Scruggs eight hours to hike the 15 miles to the park road, where he flagged down a park shuttle bus. The initial report was received in the park around 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Personnel in the park's fire program helicopter and fixed-wing Husky aircraft were able to locate Z.M. relatively quickly. The helicopter landed on a small saddle above Z.M.'s location and ranger Michael O'Connor was able to make his way down to within 150 feet of Z.M., determining that he was suffering from only mild hypothermia. Due to deteriorating weather and impending darkness, both aircraft had to depart the area, but O'Connor stayed at the scene overnight to monitor Z.M.. Because of concerns about forecasted precipitation and below-freezing temperatures, the park contacted the Rescue Coordination Center and requested military assistance. Personnel from the 210th, 211th and 212th Air Force Rescue Squadrons responded in an HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter and an HC-130 rescue tanker, both with night vision capability, arriving at the park between 11 p.m. and midnight on Tuesday. In spite of multiple attempts, they were unable to overcome weather conditions. After being on station for over three hours, they were forced to return to their base. The second combined rescue attempt was launched at daybreak on Wednesday. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
While on an aerial hunting patrol on the afternoon of September 17, 2006, park pilot Colin Milone saw two hunters with a moose down inside the park. The kill site was north of the Stampede Road corridor in the northwest corner of the park. Accessing the area early the following morning, first by ATV and then by helicopter, rangers apprehended D.N. of Anderson, Alaska, and R.M. of Nenana, Alaska. They had killed a young bull moose and illegally driven two ATV's across approximately two miles of tundra to the site. Both were charged under 36 CFR with the illegal taking of wildlife and off-road travel. In a pre-trial motion, defense counsel sought dismissal based on lack of mens rea, or criminal intent. In ruling for the government, the magistrate judge found that mens rea, including knowledge of the defendants' location in the park, is not required in order to support a finding of guilt on both counts. The court ruled that park regulations are subject to a strict liability standard. The case went to trial in federal court in Fairbanks on August 23rd, and both men were subsequently found guilty. Following a sentencing hearing on November 1st, D.N. and R.M. were placed on two years probation. Both lost their hunting privileges for a year and each was fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $2,160 in restitution. In his sentencing remarks, the magistrate judge noted that this case had been "an interesting journey" for the court and had taken more court time than some felony cases. The park received outstanding help on this important case from assistant United States attorney Stephen Cooper, who is believed to be the longest serving AUSA in the country. Talkeetna-based mountaineering ranger John Leonard was the lead investigator on the case. [Peter D. Armington, Chief Ranger]
A search is underway for two overdue climbers on the Cassin Ridge of Mt. McKinley. The two men, both from Japan, were expected to return from their climb of the Cassin Ridge by Thursday, May 22nd. The pair had been climbing in the Alaska Range since April 7th, including several technical peaks in the Ruth Gorge. Clouds and high winds in the Alaska Range kept the high altitude Lama helicopter on standby all day on Friday, though weather conditions allowed a preliminary aerial search to an elevation of 12,000 feet on Saturday morning. The climbers were not spotted. The search resumed on Sunday. A Cessna 206 was launched at noon on Sunday, but had to turn around due to cloud cover. The Cessna and a twin-engine Conquest tried again around 5 p.m. and this time were able to fly over the climbers' route. Spotters saw no obvious sign of the pair, but high resolution photos were taken and are being scrutinized for clues. Another Conquest flight was planned for later on Sunday night. As is common for climbers attempting the challenging Cassin Ridge route, the two men made an acclimatizing ascent of the West Buttress in early May, reaching Denali Pass at 18,200 feet. The team was reportedly last seen by another climbing party on May 9th at their camp at 7,800 feet near the mouth of the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier, the team's intended approach route to the ridge. It is uncertain what day they began their ascent of the Cassin Ridge, a technically difficult climbing route that involves a one to two-day approach, plus three to six days climbing on the route itself. Cassin Ridge features steep, 55- to 75-degree slopes of mixed snow, ice, and rock. According to their stated intentions, the climbers planned to descend the mountain via the West Buttress, which would take an additional one to two days. The National Park Service will resume the aerial search as soon as weather permits. [Maureen McLaughlin, Mountaineering Administration and Public Information]
The search continues for two overdue climbers - T.Y., 27, of Saitama-Ken, Japan and Y.I., 24 of Tokyo, Japan - on the Cassin Ridge of Mt. McKinley. The two men were expected to return from their climb of the Cassin Ridge by Thursday, May 22nd. On Tuesday, the Lama helicopter conducted a lengthy low level flight of the search zone, while a plane flew three additional search flights. In addition to the aerial search, the extensive collection of photos taken on these flights is being closely analyzed by rangers and other observers for clues. The magnified images can be digitally modified with color and contrast to bring forth clues such as subtle tracks and snow disturbance. Thus far, the combined aerial and digital search efforts have discovered a probable former tent site at 17,000-feet on the Cassin Ridge as well as tracks on the route at approximately 16,000 feet. Both clues suggest the two climbers reached the upper elevations of the route. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
The active search effort for two missing climbers on the Cassin Ridge of Mt. McKinley was scaled back on Thursday morning after search managers determined that further air operations were unlikely to locate the men. Mountaineering rangers will continue to try and determine the whereabouts of the climbers through extensive digital imagery collected during the past week. T.Y., 27, and Y.I., 24, both from Japan, were expected to return from a climb of the Cassin Ridge on May 22nd. With no sign of the men, the National Park Service began planning the search on May 23rd, although cloudy and windy weather initially kept all aircraft on standby. From May 24th to May 27th, skilled observers flew a total of 33 hours of helicopter and fixed wing flight time in the aerial search effort. More than 3,000 high resolution photos of the search zone were captured during these flights. Analysis of the enlarged and enhanced images enables a concentrated and effective search effort to continue at ground level. There have been no sighting of the climbers or gear on or near the route, nor any evidence of a fall or related disturbance on the snow surface. Clues found throughout the week, including multiple sets of footprints and a campsite at 17,000 feet, suggest that T.Y. and Y.I. reached the upper elevations of the route. Tracks followed by a subsequent climbing party reportedly reached to upwards of 19,000 feet. During a low level flight on Wednesday, mountaineering rangers on board the NPS Lama helicopter also discovered tracks traversing the five mile length of the Kahiltna Peaks. According to the journals left in camp, the team had intended to approach their route via this knife-edge ridge, which reaches a peak elevation of 13,440 feet. The tracks follow the dramatic ridgeline and connect with Cassin Ridge, indicating the team accomplished an arduous and highly technical new variation on the traditional approach. In a discussion with Denali rangers a month prior to their climb, T.Y. and Y.I. said they planned to take five to six days of food and fuel on the ascent of Cassin Ridge. Furthermore, as is typical of a quick, technical ascent of the route, the team likely took minimal, lightweight gear. Based on the dated journal entries, the men probably left their camp at 7,800 feet as early as May 10th, and, as such, have been without food and water for as long as 10 to 14 days. In light of their limited supplies and the subzero temperatures, search managers consider that survival is outside the window of possibility. Observers have thoroughly searched the route and surrounding areas to a degree that would make it likely that the climbers would have been seen if they were visible on the surface. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
Denali mountaineering rangers led a life-saving technical rope rescue of a fallen solo climber on Mt. McKinley on the evening of June 3rd. C.R., 44, of Montreal, Quebec was descending the West Buttress route from the 17,200-foot high camp to the 14,200-foot camp when he fell almost 2,000 feet down to the Peters Glacier. C.R. fell from an elevation of approximately 16,400 feet down a 35 to 40 degree snow and ice slope, suffering facial trauma and a leg and ankle injury in the fall. He was able to use his satellite phone to dial 911 shortly before noon on Tuesday. Alaska State Troopers connected the distressed climber with Denali rangers, who put a ground rescue operation into effect (the high altitude Lama helicopter was unable to fly due to heavy cloud cover). A hasty team led by NPS mountaineering ranger Brandon Latham mobilized immediately from the 17,200-foot high camp, reaching the injured climber within three to four hours. A second rescue team led by mountaineering ranger Mik Shain climbed up the fixed lines from the 14,200-foot camp to assist in the elaborate technical rope rescue. After an initial medical assessment was performed by the first responders, C.R. was secured in a rescue litter and the labor-intensive technical rope rescue commenced. Using multiple anchored rope systems, the patient was first raised 2,000 feet back up to the 16,200-foot elevation on West Buttress ridge, then lowered 2,000 feet down the Headwall to the NPS ranger camp at 14,200 feet. From the time of the initial distress call, the entire ground rescue operation took ten-and-a-half hours and involved 14 ground rescuers, including mountaineering rangers, NPS volunteers, mountain guides, and independent climbers. Denali mountaineering staff estimates there have been at least ten significant climbing falls onto the Peters Glacier, including three separate fatalities in 1998. The technical rope rescue of C.R. involves the longest raising operation in Denali mountaineering history. As of the morning of June 4th, C.R. remained in serious but stable medical condition at the 14,200-foot camp awaiting helicopter evacuation. Expectations were that improving weather would make it possible to fly him off the mountain yesterday and transfer him to an Anchorage-based air ambulance for further medical care. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
An air and ground search is currently underway for two missing backpackers - A.F., 25, from Craylord, Minnesota, and E.N., 23, from Las Vegas, Nevada. The two women were last seen on Thursday, June 12th, at the Savage River check station. They had obtained a wilderness permit earlier that day, and their itinerary called for a one-night backpacking trip and return on Friday. The park was notified that they were overdue on Saturday when they failed to report for work at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. The search is focused on the Savage River drainage north of the Denali park road, the most likely route that the pair would have utilized to access the Mount Healy wilderness unit that they had a permit for. Potential camping areas and other travel routes on Mount Healy and in the adjacent Primrose Ridge backcountry unit are also being investigated. Saturday's air search utilizing two helicopters and an airplane yielded no sign of the two women. Three teams of ground searchers were deployed on Sunday to investigate those heavily wooded and vegetated sections within the primary search area that can not be effectively searched with aircraft. The air search is continuing, utilizing the park's high-altitude Lama helicopter and a park airplane. Approximately 40 people were committed to the search effort yesterday. The two women are experienced trail hikers, but have had limited experience with Alaska backcountry conditions. Weather conditions have been mostly typical of the season, i.e. daytime highs in the 60s, with nighttime lows in the 40s, although Saturday was warmer. As part of the investigation supporting the search effort, search managers would like to speak with anyone who was hiking in the Savage River drainage between Thursday, June 12th, and Sunday, June 15th. Anyone who may have information to share is asked to call 907-683-9648. [Kris Fister, IO]
Additional search teams on the ground, including two dog teams, and continued aerial searching with three aircraft failed to yield any sign of missing backpackers A.F. and E.N. yesterday. The day's operations ended at 7 pm so that crews and pilots could get adequate rest before the resumption of the search today. Over 20 members of the ground search teams are camping overnight near the Lower Savage ranger cabin, an historic ranger patrol cabin located on the northern boundary of the park, approximately four miles downstream from the Denali Park Road. A total of 51 people were involved in yesterday's operations. More ground search teams will join the search today. They include members of Matanuska Search and Rescue from Wasilla, Alaska Mountain Rescue Group from Anchorage, and a team of whitewater river experts from the Denali Outdoor Center in Healy. The air search will continue with three helicopters and the park's airplane. The helicopters are being provided by Air Logistics from Fairbanks, Maritime Helicopters, Inc. of Homer, and the Alaska State Troopers. The high-altitude Lama helicopter is on a mandatory one day rest period. The search area of approximately 100 square miles will remain the same for today's operations. Teams are being tasked with investigating search segments to the highest degree possible, which is difficult, slow work due to the rugged and heavily vegetated terrain. National Park Service search managers would like to speak with anyone who was hiking in the Savage River drainage between Thursday, June 12th, and Sunday, June 15th. Anyone who may have information to share is asked to call 907-683-9648. [Kris Fister, IO]
The combined efforts of eleven ground teams and four aircraft on Tuesday failed to produce any new clues on the location of missing backpackers A.F. and E.N. The teams were tasked with more thoroughly investigating specific segments within the search area - those sections that search managers felt were the most likely areas where they might be found. More than 60 people were involved in yesterday's search effort, including more than 40 air and ground searchers and the overhead personnel who provide support and assistance to them. Five new teams will be utilized in Wednesday's efforts in addition to the teams currently committed to the operation. They include a team from the Anchorage based Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and search and rescue teams from Grand Teton, Mount Rainier, Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. Two fresh dog teams from the Alaska Search and Rescue Dog organization in Anchorage will replace the PAWS teams from Fairbanks in today's operation. The additional staffing will allow search managers to increase the size of the teams in high priority segments, thereby making it possible for them to search more thoroughly. Searchers will be placed on the ground for the first time in some higher elevations of the search area that have previously only been searched by air. These segments have steep, rocky and snow-covered sections. A total of 105 people will be assigned to Wednesday's operations along with up to five helicopters and a park airplane. The park's high-altitude Lama helicopter is available, but will be needed for a medical evacuation from the 14,200-foot camp on Mount McKinley as soon as weather conditions allow. During the past two days, helicopters assigned to the search have been temporarily diverted to assist with two medical incidents in the park. On Monday, June 16th, an incident helicopter was needed to transport a 54-year-old man experiencing medical problems from the Eielson Visitor Center to the park airstrip, where he was taken by ambulance to the Canyon Clinic. Another helicopter was needed yesterday to evacuate a 53-year-old man who had a possible broken leg two miles up the trail on Mount Healy. He was flown to the Healy airstrip and transported to the Tri-Valley Clinic. National Park Service search managers would like to speak with anyone who was hiking in the Savage River drainage between Thursday, June 12th, and Sunday, June 15th. Anyone who may have information to share is asked to call 907-683-9648. [Kris Fister, IO]
A.F. and E.N. were grinning from ear to ear as they disembarked from a helicopter at the Denali Park airstrip yesterday afternoon and walked into the waiting arms of their anxious families. They were spotted on Wednesday afternoon from the park's plane in an area outside the park about 15 miles north of the point where they began their hike and eight miles west of the Parks Highway. After the reunion, they were assessed by park medics for any medical issues, then interviewed by search managers to get a thorough understanding of where they had gone and what they had done during their six day ordeal. Yesterday's remarkable chain of events began when E.N. called her mother's cell phone at approximately 9:15 a.m. while the E.N. and A.F. family members were being briefed on Wednesday's planned search activities. She said that she and Abby were not hurt and had just at that time been able to obtain a cell signal. Search managers attempted to get details of their possible location from them over the phone, using nearby landmarks. They also asked the young women to move to an open area, remain at that location, make themselves highly visible, and signal any helicopters that flew overhead. Two helicopters were immediately dispatched to the area where the two women were believed to be in order to locate and pick them up. After an hour of aerial searching, a third helicopter and the park's aircraft was also dispatched to search the area. As more time elapsed, ground searchers and two dog teams were added to the search, which was taking place on the eastern edge of the original search zone, approximately five miles west of the Parks Highway and north of Mount Healy. At 3:30 p.m. Erica called her mother's cell phone again. At that time she was told to use the text message feature to conserve battery strength. Between 3:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. she provided information on the features that they could see from their location and if and where they could see or hear aircraft. During this time, cell service provider ACS was providing the park's communication center with information to pinpoint possible search locations using bearings and distance from cell sites. This information provided a more specific site for searchers to investigate. At 4:22 p.m., the pair were spotted from the park plane. They were quickly picked up by an incident helicopter and brought to the park's airstrip. Abby and Erica spent the night with their families. Additional information on their ordeal will be provided as it becomes available. Search teams will be going through a debriefing and demobilization process today. [Kris Fister, IO]
After successfully locating missing backpackers A.F., 25, and E.N., 23, last Wednesday, park search managers interviewed the pair to determine what had taken place during their extended stay in the backcountry. The point where the pair was last seen was on the trail on the west side of the Savage River on Thursday afternoon, June 12th. They had gotten a wilderness permit for one night in a backcountry unit in the Mount Healy area. The two women had decided to traverse the unit, accessing it at the Savage River check station, located at Mile 15 on the Denali Park road, and exiting via Dry Creek. They intended to hike back from there to their housing area in Healy. They didn't inform anyone of their plan. The estimated distance of this hike is 15 miles, all cross-country over rugged terrain. The women crossed the Savage River at a point where there were several channels, the recommended method for backcountry river crossings. Their first night's campsite was in the Ewe Creek drainage, approximately four miles from where they had begun the hike. The next day they planned to go over a ridge and drop down into one of the drainages that lead into Dry Creek. The only map the two hikers had was the Trails Illustrated map of Denali, which doesn't provide detailed information due to its large scale. Instead of their planned route, the pair hiked down a different drainage that led back to the Savage River. They told search managers that on Friday and Saturday they hiked for eleven hours each day, traveling up the east side of the Savage River until it flowed into the Teklanika River, then up the east side of the Teklanika. They remembered crossing an ATV track, which search managers believe was the Stampede Trail, the northern edge of the search zone, on either Saturday or Sunday. Hiking at this rate would have placed them out of the search area before the aerial search was begun on Saturday. Believing that they were in Dry Creek, and that it was just taking longer than they had thought to complete their hike, they continued to move north. They eventually followed ridges to the east, and when finally located were just north of the park boundary and approximately eight miles from the Parks Highway, the major thoroughfare between Anchorage and Fairbanks. They didn't travel as far during the last two days, spending more time in their tent because of rain. With only two sandwiches and five granola bars between them for what was supposed to be an overnight trip, they shared their last granola bar over the last two days. They didn't have a stove, and had supplemented their two bottles of water with rainwater and melted snow. E.N. turned her phone on daily to see if she could get a signal, which finally occurred when they were far enough to the east to hit the Nenana cell site. When she contacted her mom the second time on Wednesday, June 18th, she was told to end the call in order to conserve battery strength and use the text message feature to provide information on what they could see and hear from their location. Technology based on signal strength and azimuth from the cellular tower gave searchers a general location for the pair and their description of the features they could see from their location - specifically the large domes housing the communication equipment at the U.S. Air Force's Clear Air Station twenty miles to the north - and of aircraft that they could see overflying the area together helped searchers finally pinpoint their location and spot them from the air. All told, the women had hiked approximately 25 miles through very difficult and mostly trail-less terrain. Media interest in the search was very high. Besides the major news outlets in the state, the incident was of high interest to outlets in Minnesota (A.F.'s home state), Nevada (E.N.'s home state) and Texas and to the national media outlets of all the major networks. Two Anchorage TV networks were present when the women were reunited with their families, and Good Morning America and the Today Show interviewed them and their families early the next morning. The incident information officer fielded hundreds of calls from media and facilitated interviews with the family. The women's employer, Princess Tours, provided invaluable support and assistance to the incident by supplying all of the meals for personnel and housing for out-of-area searchers. In addition to park searchers, assistance was provided by various Alaska volunteer rescue groups, the Alaska State Troopers, and Grand Teton, Mount Rainier, Yosemite, and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks. The search was managed by a Type 3 team consisting of Denali National Park and Preserve employees and technical specialists on contract. At the height of the search over 100 people and five aircraft were assigned. [Kris Fister, IO]
A member of the park's staff shot an aggressive black bear in a remote section of the Denali National Park additions on the night of July 4th. The black bear had threatened the life and safety of three park employees in an area along the McKinley River approximately 20 miles northwest of Wonder Lake. A research team consisting of three seasonal NPS biological technicians was conducting a botany field study along the remote river bar when a sub-adult black bear approached their field camp at 11:15 p.m. on July 4th. The team responded with aversive action, including yelling, arm-waving, and throwing objects at the bear. After initially being chased off into dense brush, the bear circled back to the camp three or four times, and at one point clawed and destroyed one of the team's tents. On its final approach to the camp, the black bear aggressively charged the three researchers, hissing and pouncing at the ground. An attempt to divert the bear with pepper spray was ineffective. In accordance with policy set forth in the park's bear-human conflict management plan, one of the researchers made the decision to shoot the bear when it charged within 20 feet of the team and posed immediate hazard to human safety. The employee, who was qualified and authorized by the National Park Service to carry and use firearms in the park, hit the bear in its mid-section with a 12-gauge shotgun slug. Despite considerable blood loss, the wounded bear moved into dense vegetation and out of view. The three employees immediately notified park dispatch. The following morning, the park wildlife biologist, along with two protection rangers and one backcountry ranger, were flown to the camp in a park helicopter to investigate the situation and take further action if necessary. The group tracked the blood trail for 200 meters, but were unable to locate the wounded bear in the dense brush. Both the helicopter and an airplane searched from the air, but spotters were similarly unable to locate the bear. In light of the remoteness of the incident and the amount of blood loss to the bear, park officials consider there to be little, if any, ongoing hazard to human life. Park managers have issued a backcountry closure for the area in question, a remote unit that sees very limited visitor activity. Investigation into the incident is ongoing. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Affairs Specialist]
A climber collapsed and died on the summit of Mt. McKinley on the evening of July 4th. J.N., 51, of Naperville, Illinois, was a client on an Alpine Ascents International expedition that began their climb on June 20th. According to the two expedition guides, J.N. exhibited no signs of distress or illness throughout the trip and was climbing strongly immediately prior to his collapse. The guides administered CPR for up to 45 minutes, but were unable to restore J.N.'s pulse. Park mountaineering rangers at the 14,200-foot camp were immediately notified by the guides via radio. The team was instructed by the rangers to descend carefully with the remaining four clients to the 17,200-foot camp, as J.N.'s body could not be safely recovered at the time. Conditions were initially calm and clear on the summit, but the weather began to deteriorate as the incident progressed. The 20,320-foot summit of Mt. McKinley features an exposed flat area roughly the size of a single car garage. Just below the summit, climbers must negotiate a 500-foot-long knife-edge ridge. A recovery along this ridge would require a highly skilled technical rescue team and a rope rigging system. Considering the high risk involved in such a ground lowering, as well as the excessive risk of a helicopter recovery at this extreme elevation, the National Park Service has determined that the safest alternative is to leave the remains of the deceased climber on the mountain at this time. This incident represents the first time a mountaineer has died on Mt. McKinley's summit. In 1988, a climber died at an elevation of 19,600-feet on a descent from the summit; the body was not recovered. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
For the second time in a week, a mountaineer has collapsed and died while climbing Mt. McKinley. P.T.B., 20, of Jakarta, Indonesia, was descending the West Buttress route on the night of July 7th when he collapsed about a quarter mile from the 17,200-foot high camp. P.T.B.'s guides began CPR and immediately called for assistance from another guided team at the high camp via family band radio. CPR was performed for over one hour, but efforts to revive P.T.B. were unsuccessful. P.T.B. was a client on a Mountain Trip expedition that began a West Buttress ascent on June 22nd. The team's three clients were all members of a scouting group from Indonesia. P.T.B., one of his teammates, and their two guides had reached the summit late in the afternoon of July 7th. The cause of death is unknown at this time. P.T.B.'s remains are currently in a protected and generally flat area outside of the 17,200-foot high camp. The National Park Service plans to recover the remains with the high altitude Lama helicopter when weather permits. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
Two hypothermic hunters were rescued from the banks of the Chulitna River on Saturday, September 20th, in a joint operation conducted by the National Park Service and the Alaska State Troopers. The two hunters, D.S. and J.H., both from Fairbanks, were swept down the East Fork of the Chulitna River while attempting to cross the river on the first day of a moose hunt. They were both able to struggle to shore, but were stranded on the far side of the river from Parks Highway and their vehicle. D.S. was able to call his wife via cell phone, and she alerted troopers in Fairbanks. Trooper Thomas Lowy and ranger John Leonard were in the vicinity conducting an aerial boundary patrol of the park at the time of the call. In deteriorating weather conditions, Lowy and Leonard, who were aboard an NPS contracted helicopter, were able to locate the uninjured but hypothermic hunters and transport them to the Parks Highway, where they were ultimately driven to their vehicle. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Affairs Officer]
On October 24th, a federal magistrate found J.K. of Denali Park, Alaska, guilty of moose poaching in the park. J.K., a four-time champion Iditarod sled dog racer, was found not guilty on a second count of driving his ORV into the park to retrieve the moose. During the trial, J.K. testified that it was his college-age daughter who drove the ORV across the park boundary, and she was not charged in the case. The decision brings to an end over a year of investigation, trial preparation, and court testimony by Denali rangers. Ranger John Leonard and Alaska state trooper Thomas Lowy first contacted J.K. and his daughter in a hunting camp near the northern boundary of the park in September 2007. At that time, J.K. said that he had harvested a bull moose southwest of his camp, and all appeared to be in order during the camp and license check. On a subsequent patrol of the same area two days later, rangers Leonard and Scott Pariseau found a pile of fresh moose bones southeast of J.K.'s camp, the opposite direction from what J.K. had stated. The investigation connected the bone pile to a kill site within park boundaries by genetically matching a meat sample collected from the kill site to meat seized under a search warrant of J.K.'s residence. Although J.K. mounted several defenses, including that the park had not properly marked its boundaries, the magistrate's decision found that the park had met both legal and practical standards in marking its boundary (the text of his decision can be found at HYPERLINK "http://media.newsminer.com/docs/jeffking1024.pdf"). Sentencing for J.K. is scheduled for December 4th. [Maureen McLaughlin, Mountaineering Administration and Public Information]
On the afternoon of March 25th, ranger Michael O'Connor stopped a vehicle for speeding on the George Parks Highway within Denali National Park and Preserve. O'Connor developed probable cause to believe that the driver, R.W.J. of Fairbanks, was operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol. His wife and one-year-old child were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. R.W.J. was arrested for DUI. Subsequent investigation revealed that R.W.J. had an open 40 ounce bottle of beer in the vehicle, that his license had been revoked due to a prior DUI conviction, and that an active warrant had been issued for his arrest. In 2006, R.W.J. had been convicted in state court for DUI and child endangerment, but had failed to surrender to serve the jail time imposed in his sentence. Before being taken to jail in Fairbanks, R.W.J. was transported to park HQ, where his blood alcohol level was determined to be .15%, well in excess of the legal limit. Under Alaska law, driving under the influence of alcohol with a minor in the vehicle constitutes endangering a child in the first degree, a Class A misdemeanor. An information charging R.W.J. under the Assimilative Crimes Act with this violation, as well as multiple federal traffic violations, has been filed by the US Attorney's Office in Fairbanks. R.W.J.'s 2006 conviction in state court involved similar circumstances. [Peter Armington, Chief Ranger]
A client on a guided expedition collapsed and died of apparent natural causes on Thursday, May 7th, while ascending the West Buttress of Mt. McKinley. W.H., 61 of Fairport, New York, was a client on a six-member Mountain Trip expedition which began its ascent on May 1st. W.H. collapsed shortly before 4:00 p.m. after his team had hauled gear from their camp at 11,200 feet to a cache site at 13,500 feet, just above the location known as Windy Corner. The expedition guides immediately began CPR and were soon assisted by two mountaineering rangers who happened to be at Windy Corner retrieving gear. CPR was performed for over 30 minutes, but W.H. never regained a pulse. Two advanced medical providers on the same NPS patrol, a paramedic and a nurse, arrived on scene from the 14,200-foot camp at 4:30 p.m. Shortly thereafter, W.H. was pronounced deceased after telephone consultation with the park's physician sponsor. While the five team members returned to their camp at 11,200 feet, rangers secured the deceased in place at 13,500 feet for later helicopter evacuation. The park's 2009 mountaineering season only recently got underway. A total of 1,052 climbers are registered to attempt Mt. McKinley this season, 167 of whom are currently on the mountain. Of the ten mountaineers that already completed attempts, eight reached the summit. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
G.M., a 41-year-old resident of Centennial, Colorado, began a long solo bid for the summit of Mt. McKinley during the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 19th. According to a note left for his three climbing partners, G.M. departed the 14,200-foot camp around 4:30 a.m. He was next seen at the 17,200-foot high camp at approximately 11:00 a.m. that same morning, grabbing his skis and digging into a cache that the team had left there on a previous acclimatization day. Other sightings that afternoon were made on the traverse to Denali Pass at 18,600 feet and then again near 18,900 feet. According to rangers on patrol at high camp, G.M. did not return to camp on Tuesday night. During their investigations the following day, rangers learned that G.M. was seen by another party at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday as he climbed the ridge approaching the mountain's 20,320-foot summit. Members of a team travelling approximately two hours behind the earlier party did not see any sign of the soloist during their summit bid, and G.M. did not return to high camp Wednesday night. At the time, weather high on the mountain was deteriorating, with winds gusting 40 to 50 mph. An aerial search in an Air National Guard HC-130 Hercules was conducted yesterday. Although G.M. was not seen, there was considerable cloud cover and high winds at upper elevation that greatly limited the search. G.M. was reportedly carrying skis on his backpack when he was spotted near the summit. Based on equipment left at various caches on the mountain, it is expected that G.M. was carrying minimal survival gear at the time of his disappearance. While he departed camp in warm clothing, G.M. was travelling light and did not appear to take a sleeping bag, thermal pad, bivy sac, or a stove for melting snow. It is unknown how much food or water he had in his pack. According to his partners, the climber was likely carrying his FRS 'family band' radio as well as a SPOT locator beacon. G.M. had programmed his SPOT device with three button settings: "OK, moving up", "OK, but not moving", and "911". According to the GPS data recorded by the SPOT, the last electronically recorded location was the 17,200-foot camp at 10:50 a.m. on May 19, when G.M. had recorded his position by pressing the "OK, moving up" button. Throughout his trip, G.M. had reportedly been making one position recording each day. Aerial searching will continue as visibility and winds allow. NPS rangers and volunteers at the 14,200-foot camp and at high camp have been conducting visual searches via spotting scope of possible ski descent routes. Currently, visibility is generally obscured by clouds, with wind gusting to 45 mph near the summit. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Office]
The search continues for Dr. G.M., a climber who has not been seen or heard from since his solo summit bid on Mt. McKinley early last week. Favorable flying conditions in the Alaska Range on Saturday permitted more extensive aerial searching and photo documentation of zones previously obscured by clouds. Three aircraft with spotting crews - the park's A-Star B3 helicopter, a Cessna Conquest twin-engine airplane, and a Cessna 206 - together flew over ten hours. Search zones included the upper mountain, elevations between 14,200 and 17,200 feet, and potential north side descent routes. A ground team climbed to Denali Pass on Saturday, but was turned around by high winds. On Sunday, aerial spotters on board two U.S. Army Chinook helicopters attempted to check elevations above 17,000 feet, but strong winds and intermittent clouds during the morning and early afternoon precluded safe searches of the more probable zones high on Mt. McKinley. The park's A-Star B3 was similarly unable to fly the zones safely on Sunday. The U.S. Army Chinook crews remained overnight in Talkeetna and were to resume the aerial search early yesterday morning. Dr. G.M. began his summit bid from the 14,200-foot camp on the morning of Tuesday, May 19th, and is believed to have travelled light with minimal survival gear. He was sighted above Denali Pass (18,200 feet) later that afternoon. An individual climber was observed on the summit ridge the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20th, although it cannot be confirmed that it was Dr. G.M. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
The active search for solo climber Dr. G.M. was scaled back on Tuesday afternoon after search managers determined that further air operations were unlikely to locate him. There has been no sighting of the solo climber or his gear during six days of aerial and ground searching. Although no more flights are anticipated, ranger staff will continue to search through the thousands of high resolution images taken during the flights in search of clues to G.M.'s whereabouts. G.M. began his summit bid from the 14,200-foot camp the morning of Tuesday, May 19th. He was sighted at various elevations along the West Buttress route that day, the highest of which was somewhere between 18,000 and 19,000 feet. G.M. did not return to high camp on Tuesday night. An individual climber was observed on the summit ridge the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20th, although it cannot be confirmed that it was G.M. G.M. was seen to be carrying only a small daypack with minimal survival gear at the time of his disappearance. He did not take a stove for melting snow, and it's not known how much food he had in his pack. Throughout his climb, G.M. carried an FRS radio and a SPOT locator device; the last GPS location reported by the SPOT device was at the 17,200-foot camp on May 19th. Throughout his trip, G.M. had been making at least one position recording each day. In light of his limited supplies and the subzero temperatures, search managers consider that survival is outside the window of possibility. Observers have thoroughly searched the route and surrounding areas and it's believed that there's a high probability they would have found any climbers visible on the surface. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
Although there is still no clue to the whereabouts of missing climber Dr. G.M., high resolution images collected during the recent search did reveal the remains of two young Japanese climbers who disappeared after an attempt of the Cassin Ridge in May 2008. On Sunday, May 24th, while in the process of analyzing new photos from the upper west face of Mt. McKinley, rangers observed what appeared to be two partially-buried figures connected by a rope in a steep rocky area west of the Cassin Ridge at 19,800 feet. On the afternoon following this discovery, the park's contracted A-Star B3 helicopter was able to hover close enough to the site for a NPS mountaineering ranger to confirm the presence of two frozen figures. Based on their location, clothing, and rope color, NPS mountaineering rangers identified the bodies as 27-year-old T.Y. and 24-year-old Y.I. The National Park Service and the Japanese Consulate in Anchorage notified the next of kin. Family and friends representing both the T.Y. and Y.I. families came to Talkeetna this week to meet with mountaineering ranger staff. T.Y. and Y.I., both from the Tokyo area, were expected to return from a climb of the Cassin Ridge on May 22, 2008. During the subsequent week, National Park Service observers aerially searched the mountain for a combined total of 33 hours of helicopter and fixed wing flight time. Thousands of photos were also taken of the vast search zone. Although numerous clues were discovered using the images, including extensive tracks and a probable campsite, the two men were not found. During the 2008 Cassin search, which was the first time Denali National Park rangers used the photographic approach to search a vast land area, the cameras used were effective in locating tracks and general disturbances in open snow fields, but finding definitive clues in rocky and shadowy terrain proved difficult. A more advanced camera and higher powered lens were used during the recent May 2009 search for Dr. G.M. While the majority of images taken during G.M.'s disappearance in May have been analyzed, the photographic search will continue through the remainder of the season. National Park Service managers have determined that the bodies of the two Japanese climbers will not be recovered from their current location due to the extreme risk posed to a recovery team. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
Two men died of traumatic injuries sustained in a fall of several thousand feet on Mt. McKinley on Thursday, June 11th. Dr. J.M., 39, of Newton, Massachusetts, and Dr. A.S., 36, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were roped together at the time of the fall. Many factors remain unknown about the accident, such as the location where the initial fall occurred and whether the team was ascending or descending at the time. Although the onset of the fall was not witnessed, a team did observe them falling between the 16,500-foot elevation on the Messner Couloir and its base at 14,500 feet. Rangers at the 14,200-foot camp were notified via FRS radio within minutes of the event, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on Thursday. Three skiers in the vicinity were first to respond to the climbers who were located approximately 30 minutes away from the 14,200-foot camp. A team of four volunteer NPS rangers, including an emergency room nurse and two medics, followed close behind and confirmed that the two men had died in the fall. The bodies were recovered by the park's A-Star B3 helicopter that same evening and flown to Talkeetna. The two men began an ascent of the West Rib route on May 30th, but their climbing registration forms did not specify a particular descent route. Situated in between the West Rib and the West Buttress routes, the Messner Couloir is a steep, hourglass-shaped snow gully that drops from near Archdeacon's Tower at 19,000 feet down to the 14,200-foot basin. With a 40 to 50 degree snow and ice slope, the Messner Couloir is an occasional advanced ski descent route, but is rarely descended on foot or ascended. J.M. and A.S. were both experienced mountaineers. In 2000, Denali National Park and Preserve presented the two men with the Denali Pro Award, an honor recognizing the highest standards in the sport for safety, self-sufficiency, and assisting fellow mountaineers. During their 2000 attempt of the West Rib route, they aided several different teams in distress; assisted a National Park Service patrol with multiple visitor protection projects; and demonstrated sound risk assessment in their climbing objectives. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
The park received a report of a lost hiker in the Mount Healy area of the park in the early hours of Saturday, June 20th. D.C., 19, of Bowling Brook, Illinois, a local seasonal employee of Princess Resorts, had begun his solo climb to the summit of the mountain at 1 p.m. on Saturday from the Mt. Healy overlook trailhead near the park's visitor center. After summiting around 4 p.m., he attempted to descend on the opposite north slope but lost the route and dialed 911 after becoming disoriented and mildly hypothermic and falling in steep terrain several times. Rangers were able to contact D.C. on his cell phone - although phone reception was not sufficient for voice communications at his location, they were able to communicate with him by text message during the search. After narrowing the search area based on clues provided by D.C., rangers mobilized search teams and were able to direct park aircraft to the general area of the upper Dry Creek drainage. He was soon spotted at a location on upper Dry Creek just outside of the park's boundary by personnel in the park's fixed wing aircraft and retrieved shortly afterwards by the park contract high-altitude rescue helicopter. D.C. required no medical attention and was returned to his seasonal housing in Healy after some much-appreciated water and food, as he had begun his hike with no food, water, or raingear. [Richard Moore, North District Ranger]
In 2006, the park received several tips that D.R.L., 53, of Talkeetna was conducting glacier landing flight instruction on several glaciers within the park through his business, Alaska Floats and Skis. D.R.L. did not have a permit or authorization to conduct such business activity. He was advised both verbally and by letter to cease his activities in the park, but failed to do so. An undercover operation was accordingly planned. In 2007, ranger/pilot Pete Christian from Gates of the Arctic worked online to sign up for D.R.L.'s three-day course offering. Over two days in March, D.R.L. flew a total of 5.1 hours with Christian and made about 20 landings, approximately ten of which were on glaciers in the park. A search warrant for business records was subsequently executed at his Talkeetna residence. Special agent Beth Shott assisted Denali rangers with the seizure of computer records and subsequent forensic analysis. On July 7th, D.R.L. pled guilty in federal court in Anchorage to one count under 36 CFR 5.3. Pursuant to a plea agreement, he was fined $5,000, placed on supervised probation for three years, and banned from flying within the boundary of the park for three years. The magistrate judge ordered that the fine be paid into the park's wildlife protection fund. The park received superb support from AUSA Steven Skrocki, who prosecuted the case. The case agent was lead mountaineering ranger John Leonard. [Peter D. Armington, Chief Ranger]
On the morning of May 21st, park dispatch received a report that a man was threatening to execute passengers on a concession tour bus at the Wilderness Access Center (WAC). The WAC is the park hub for tour and shuttle buses and was experiencing a high volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic at the time. Ranger Michael O'Connor was first on scene and found a full tour bus parked there with many of the passengers moving about the bus rapidly. The bus driver told O'Connor that the man had run off the bus toward the entrance to the WAC. O'Connor contacted the man, subsequently identified as M.C., who he found sitting on a bench and immediately arrested him. M.C. continued threatening to kill people around him and said that the only way to stop him was for police to kill him. While being searched by ranger Scott Pariseau, M.C. became combative. Pariseau and O'Connor were able to control him by using knee strikes and control techniques. The whole episode was witnessed by hundreds of rather astonished park visitors. M.C. was charged with disorderly conduct and threatening federal officers. He remained in federal custody until his scheduled trial on July 23rd. M.C. pled guilty; he was credited with time served, placed on six months of supervised probation, and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. [Pete Armington, Chief Ranger]
On July 26th, the park received a 911 call reporting an attempted suicide in the Doyon-Aramark Joint Venture employee housing area. Ranger Michael O'Connor arrived on scene within five minutes and found a 34-year-old man from Glenwood City, Wisconsin, semi- conscious on the floor of his room. O'Connor was able to determine from what the man told him that he'd consumed 70 to 75 pills of Alprazolam (generic Valium) in an attempt to commit suicide and "go to sleep and not wake up." Ranger Scott Pariseau arrived with the park ambulance and the man was transported to the Canyon Clinic. En route, his condition continued to deteriorate, but he was stabilized at the clinic before being flown to a hospital in Fairbanks for definitive care. The attending physician's assistant at the clinic said that, without intervention, the man would have died within an hour. The 911 call came from two Joint Venture employees in an adjacent room, MJ Horwedel and Matt Payne. They heard odd noises from the man's room and went to investigate, subsequently calling 911 when they found him down. Had they not been in their room or willing to check on their neighbor, the outcome would have been much different. Their actions saved his life. [Pete Armington, Chief Ranger]
During the late afternoon hours of September 5th, the park's dispatch center received a report of a fire in the Sanctuary River drainage about 10 miles south of the park road. Coincidentally, the park's contract helicopter was in the air at the time, extracting backcountry rangers from a moose-hunting patrol on the park's north boundary. Rangers Dan Fangen-Gritis and Matt Smith diverted the ship to the reported fire location. Smoke from the fire was readily visible. As the helicopter descended for a landing, the rangers saw a man on the ground waving at them with one arm. They contacted R.F., a 39-year-old resident of Toronto, Canada. R.F. had taken a 20-foot fall the previous evening, lost most of his equipment, and sustained fractures to his upper arm and lower spine. He continued hiking out about 10 miles, but failed to attract attention from passing airplanes. As his strength and condition deteriorated, he started a fire on a bench of dwarf birch above the river. R.F. was stabilized and evacuated and subsequently transported by air ambulance to Fairbanks. Members of the park's fire management team controlled the four-acre fire with about 40 water bucket drops. Ranger Jaime Smith was the incident commander. [Pete Armington, Chief Ranger]
Park staff evacuated an injured hunter - V.C., 48, of Fairbanks - from Seven Mile Lake near the Rex Trail on Friday, September 11th. V.C. had sustained chest injuries when his ATV overturned while he was traveling south of the lake the previous evening. Despite his injuries, he was able to walk back to Seven Mile Lake and summon assistance from his companion at a nearby cabin. On Friday morning, his companion contacted authorities, requesting medical assistance. A ranger-medic and pilot responded in the park's contract helicopter and met V.C. and his companion at a small airstrip adjacent to the lake. He was stabilized and flown to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment. Seven Mile Lake is located approximately seven miles east of the Parks Highway at Mile 280. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
A Cessna 185 went down in the park on Wednesday while its occupants were engaged in an effort to find and study wolf packs. The passenger, 67-year-old biologist G.H., an independent biologist who for decades has studied Denali's wolves, was killed in the crash, but the pilot, 35-year-old D.M., was able to walk out despite suffering significant burns. D.M. and G.H. departed from a private airstrip outside the park on Wednesday for a day flight, but failed to return at dark. The Alaska State Troopers were notified that the plane was overdue around midnight; troopers then advised the park. An initial overflight of the area was made yesterday morning by a Hercules HC-130 dispatched through the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage, but the crew was unable to pick up an ELT signal. An aerial search ensued that involved seven aircraft from the park and several other organizations. The search focused on the north side of the park in areas that wolf packs are known to habituate. Searchers found the missing plane around 3 p.m. on a steep slope west of the East Fork of the Toklat River, about seven miles north of the Denali Park Road. A search plane was able to land later in the afternoon on a river bar approximately a half mile below the crash site, and a trooper hiked to the scene to investigate. The aircraft was substantially damaged by the impact and the post crash fire, but the trooper was able to determine the presence of human remains before increasing darkness prevented his further investigation. Although it at first appeared that both G.H. and D.M. might have been killed in the crash, D.M., despite his injuries, had in fact walked out of the backcountry, covering about 20 miles before contacting two campers at the Igloo Creek campground. They drove him to his home just outside of the park, where he first called his family to let them know he was alive, then contacted troopers. He was evaluated and stabilized by medics from the park and the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department, then taken to a burn center in Seattle. D.M. has confirmed that the remains found at the site are those of G.H.. Rangers remained at the scene overnight and will be joined today by National Transportation Safety Board investigators. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
On September 16, 2008, park pilot Colin Milone and ranger John Leonard were conducting a poaching patrol in a park airplane on the south side of the Alaska Range near the confluence of the Kanikula and Tokositna Rivers - a location that is over two miles inside the park boundary. They spotted a Piper Supercub airplane parked on an unimproved gravel bar and an empty raft pulled up on the opposite shore of the Tokositna. Deteriorating weather conditions forced them to return to the airport in Talkeetna. Suspecting that illegal hunting activity was taking place, Leonard requested the park's contract helicopter, which is stationed in the park's North District. The helicopter flew to Talkeetna with rangers Dan Fangen-Gritis and Scott Pariseau, picked up Leonard, and subsequently landed adjacent to the parked Supercub. The rangers soon contacted two hunters in the field, 56-year-old D.T.H. and 29-year-old J.P.B., both of Anchorage. Each was in possession of a hunting rifle and handgun, but had not yet taken an animal. In taped confessions in the field, both men admitted that they were there hunting moose, but denied knowing they were in the park. The US Attorney's Office in Anchorage filed an information last fall charging D.T.H. and J.P.B. with illegal hunting under 36 CFR. On January 21st, pursuant to a plea agreement, D.T.H. pled guilty in federal court. He was fined $1,000, payable to the park's wildlife protection fund, placed on a year's probation, and lost his hunting privileges for a year. Arraignment for J.P.B. is pending. AUSA Steven Skrocki prosecuted the case on behalf of the NPS. [Peter Armington, Chief Ranger]
During hunting season in the fall of 2007, Denali rangers began using helicopters more frequently in conjunction with airplanes to detect illegal hunting activities. In many areas along the park's vast boundary, airplanes can't land to investigate suspicious activity. On September 20th, ranger John Leonard was on a joint patrol with an Alaska State Wildlife trooper in the northeast corner of the park. From their helicopter, Leonard spotted two all-terrain vehicles and three individuals with rifles more than two miles inside the park boundary. The three had illegally driven their ATV's to within a quarter mile of an unusual congregation of 26 moose that were visible to them on the ground. After landing nearby, Leonard contacted A.M.K., 41, and her 37-year-old brother-in-law, W.J.K., both from the local community of Healy. A.K. was the co-owner of Healy-based C.R.O. and a state licensed assistant hunting guide. They admitted their intent to target a specific 60-inch bull for their male client from Florida, who had paid $9,000 for the guided moose hunt. During the ensuing investigation, rangers executed a search warrant and recovered additional evidence at the office/residence of the guide service. The US Attorney's Office in Fairbanks subsequently charged A.K. with five violations of federal law. Pursuant to a plea agreement, she pled guilty on March 18th to three charges and was fined $7,000 - $2,000 for illegal hunting in the park, $2,000 for off-road vehicle travel, and $3,000 for operating a business within the park without a permit. She was placed on three years' probation, lost her guiding privileges for three years, and lost her hunting privileges for two years. The client, who was unaware of the illegal nature of the hunt, cooperated fully with the investigation and was not charged; charges are still pending against BJ Keith. [Pete Armington, Chief Ranger]
A French mountaineer fell to his death while climbing Mt. McKinley on Sunday, May 16th. P.F., 51, and his partner were approaching a feature at the top of Motorcycle Hill known as 'Lunch Rocks" near 12,000 feet on the West Buttress when P.F. lost control of his sled. In an attempt to stop it from sliding over the ridge, both the climber and his sled tumbled towards the Peters Glacier. P.F., who was unroped at the time, was unable to self-arrest and ultimately fell over 1,000 feet to a steep, crevassed section of the Peters Glacier. A nearby climbing team witnessed the fall and made a radio distress call to rangers shortly after 3:00 p.m. At the time of the notification, the park's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter was at the 14,200-foot camp on a resupply flight. Within five minutes, the helicopter flew to the accident site with two mountaineering rangers on board as spotters. They saw several pieces of fallen gear, then followed the fall line down to what appeared to be the climber lying in a crevasse at approximately 10,200 feet. As the steep terrain at the fall site offered no feasible landing areas, the helicopter and crew flew back to the Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,200 feet. After a two-man communications team was inserted at the top of the Peters Glacier, the helicopter returned to the crevasse site with NPS mountaineering ranger Kevin Wright on the end of a short-haul line, i.e. hanging beneath the helicopter at the end of a 120-foot rope. Helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky lowered Wright into the crevasse a distance of approximately 20 feet. Wright could not safely reach the climber, who was lying an additional 20 feet down in the crevasse, but readily determined that the climber had not survived the long fall. Hermansky and Wright returned to the Kahiltna Basecamp. NPS rangers will return to the site for further reconnaissance and to determine if a body recovery is an option. P.F.'s accident represents the park's first known fatality in this area of the route. The terrain where the fall started features smooth, compact snow and a slope of roughly 20 degrees, but it quickly drops to a crevasse-ridden, 40- to 50-degree slope. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
Two climbers were killed in an avalanche in Ruth Gorge on the afternoon of Saturday, May 29th. Canadian A.H., 39, and I.A.M., 42, both current residents of Toronto, Ontario, were descending a steep snow and ice gully wedged between Werewolf Tower and London Tower on the southeast side of the Gorge when the avalanche occurred. Another climbing party in the gorge witnessed the avalanche. Aware that a team had been climbing in the vicinity and had not returned to their camp, they skied closer to investigate and observed what appeared to be two climbers and gear in the avalanche debris. The witnessing party used a satellite phone to call National Park Service mountaineering rangers at 9 p.m. Saturday night. The Talkeetna-based NPS helicopter with two rangers on board flew to Ruth Gorge and picked up one of the witnesses, who directed them to the debris site. Shortly before 11 p.m., rangers confirmed that the two men had died in the fall. Due to the late hour, the helicopter and crew returned to Talkeetna. Both bodies were recovered on Sunday morning. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
Two backpackers, a man and woman, encountered a grizzly bear last Friday evening while hiking in the dense brush along the edge of Tattler Creek, which is at the west end of Igloo Canyon, approximately 35 miles from park headquarters. The man, who was in the lead, drew a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol when they heard a noise coming from the brush. When the bear emerged from the thicket and ran toward the other hiker, he fired approximately nine rounds in its general direction. The bear stopped, turned, and walked back into the brush, where it quickly disappeared from view. The backpackers ran and hiked approximately a mile and a half back to the road, where they encountered a National Park Service employee who called in the incident to the park's communication center and transported them to the Toklat Road Camp. A ranger there did a short preliminary interview with them around 10 p.m. Because of the concern that a wounded bear was in the area, four backcountry units were immediately closed and bus drivers were instructed to not drop off day hikers in Igloo Canyon on Saturday. Early Saturday morning, rangers and wildlife technicians flew to Toklat via helicopter to conduct a secondary interview with the two backpackers. Afterwards they flew over Tattler Creek and all of side tributaries, very low at times, to determine if there was an active, wounded bear. No bears were seen during the overflight. Late in the afternoon, three rangers hiked into the site and found the bear dead in a willow thicket approximately 100 feet from the pistol casings. The bear's body was transported via helicopter to a landing site on the park road and brought back to headquarters on Sunday, where park wildlife biologists are assisting with the investigation of the bear carcass. The backcountry units have been reopened. The case is still under investigation, and the names of the backpackers are not being released at this time. Park wildlife biologists and rangers are trying to determine if there was a justification for shooting the animal. It is legal to carry a firearm in the former Mt. McKinley National Park portion of the park, but it is not legal to discharge it. This is the first known instance of a grizzly bear being shot by a visitor in the wilderness portion of the park. The estimated grizzly bear population in the park north of the Alaska Range north is 300 to 350 animals. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
A Canadian climber was evacuated from the West Rib route of Mt. McKinley on the afternoon of Thursday, May 27th. L.B., 40, of Montreal, reportedly fell 1,000 feet while solo climbing the technically challenging West Rib route the evening of May 26th. Unable to safely ascend or descend from his elevation at 14,000 feet due to an injured shoulder and a loss of gear, L.B. radioed for assistance from park mountaineering rangers the following morning. At midday, the park's A-Star B3 helicopter flew to the site with Denali mountaineering ranger Tucker Chenoweth on board. Unable to find a suitable landing zone, helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky performed what is known as a 'toe-in' landing maneuver, a stabilized hover technique in which only the tips of the skids touch down on the snow. L.B. was swiftly evacuated to the Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,200 feet, where he was examined by an NPS volunteer physician, then flown to Talkeetna in a fixed wing aircraft and released from NPS care. Three additional air evacuations occurred earlier in the week. On the night of May 20th, NPS rangers treated a guided client for high altitude pulmonary edema at the 17,200-foot camp. The following day, rangers assisted the man down to the 14,200-foot camp, from where he was evacuated on May 22nd when his condition did not sufficiently improve. On May 24th, a non-ambulatory climber suffering from severe altitude illness was treated and evacuated from the 14,200-foot camp. His symptoms quickly resolved once he reached Talkeetna. Lastly, a climber experiencing acute pain and illness related to a kidney stone was evacuated from the 7,800-foot camp on the West Buttress on the evening of May 26th. The park helicopter transported him back to Talkeetna and transferred him to a ground ambulance for further medical care at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Denali mountaineering operations reached their peak last week. On May 27th, there were 452 mountaineers climbing Mt. McKinley. So far this season, 165 climbers have completed their expeditions, 39% of whom reached the mountain's summit. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
A 27-year-old Belgian mountaineer was killed in a fall while climbing Cassin Ridge on Mt. McKinley in the early afternoon of Monday, June 7th. J.V.R. of Borgerhout, Belgium, was leading a highly technical section of the route known as the Japanese Couloir when his anchor appeared to fail and he fell 100 feet in rocky terrain. Van Reeth fell to the approximate elevation of his partner, S.V.B., 24,, who was positioned below him. S.V.B. was not injured and used his satellite phone to call Denali National Park rescue personnel after confirming that his friend had died in the fall. A climbing ranger was flown in the park helicopter to S.V.B.'s location at the 13,000-foot level to assess the terrain for a possible short-haul rescue, but fog and clouds moved in before a rescue could be performed. While on the reconnaissance flight, the ranger saw a second, unrelated team climbing on the route several hundred feet below the Belgian party. According to S.V.B., who called back via satellite phone later that night, two Japanese climbers reached him in the early evening and assisted Van Brempt in lowering J.V.R.'s body down to a safer location just above the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier at 11,500 feet. When weather permits, Denali mountaineering rangers will evacuate both S.V.B. and J.V.R.'s remains. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
Park rescue personnel took advantage of a break in the clouds to evacuate Belgian climber S.V.B. from the base of the Cassin Ridge around midnight on Thursday, June 10th. S.V.B. had been awaiting rescue since Monday, June 7th, the day his partner, Joris Van Reeth, was killed in a climbing fall. A Japanese team passing through on the night of the fatal accident had assisted the Belgian climber in lowering the body of his friend to a less steep elevation on the route. Due to avalanche-prone terrain below, S.V.B. remained camped alone on this 11,500-foot ledge above the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. Although physically uninjured, satellite phone calls to the ranger staff in Talkeetna indicated his emotional state had understandably deteriorated following the accident. A low pressure system moved into the Alaska Range the night of the accident just as the NPS was attempting a helicopter rescue, and clouds and heavy snowfall lingered in the vicinity throughout the week. In addition to an attempt by the park's A-Star B3 helicopter, the Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage dispatched the combined 210th, 211th, and 212th Rescue Squadrons from Elmendorf Air Force Base to attempt an evacuation on both Wednesday and Thursday, but the persistent clouds kept the Pavehawk crews at bay. At approximately 9:30 p.m. Thursday night, two NPS volunteers who had staged at the 9,500-foot level on the Kahiltna Glacier, a comparable elevation relative to S.V.B.'s location, made a radio call to rangers at Basecamp indicating that the skies had cleared above them. The park helicopter launched from Talkeetna around 10:00 p.m. with two rangers on board. At the 9,500-foot staging camp, the rangers hooked up a rescue basket to a shorthaul line under the helicopter, and pilot Andy Hermansky flew to the climber's location above the Northeast Fork. As the ship hovered overhead, S.V.B. climbed in and secured his harness to the basket. The helicopter then flew back to the staging camp, where the rangers and S.V.B. got on board for the flight home to Talkeetna. Plans were to recover the body of Joris Van Reeth on Friday, weather permitting. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
On Tuesday, June 15th, three boaters were rescued from Birch Creek in the far western region of the park by the park's A-Star B3 helicopter. P.R., 50, D.W., 62, and M.P., 63, were dumped in the water when their boat collided with a snag in the stream on Monday afternoon. They were able to reach the east shore, but most of their belongings and all of their food floated away. They used a satellite phone to contact a relative, who then called the Alaska State Troopers. The park was notified of the accident shortly after 7 a.m. on the 15th. The boaters were able to provide their GPS coordinates, and the helicopter flew to the site and extricated them. The three friends left Manley Hot Springs on Monday, June 7th, in a 24-foot river skiff for a trip to Lake Minchumina, which is just outside the western boundary of Denali National Preserve. They planned to travel from the Tanana River to the Kantishna River, enter the preserve, and travel the Muddy River to Lake Minchumina. The boat was equipped with an Evinrude 75 hp motor with an engine lift. None of the three had ever been on the route before. The group traveled up the Kantishna River and then turned into Birch Creek, mistaking it for the Muddy River. Birch Creek is considered to be very difficult to navigate as it is relatively shallow much of the year. The boaters managed to travel approximately 40 miles south into the park before the engine failed. At that point. they realized their mistake and began to float downstream, but had difficulty maneuvering due to the swift current and tight turns. The boat remains completely submerged in moving water at the accident scene pending a possible recovery later in the summer when water levels drop. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
A 25-year-old solo climber from Pennsylvania was evacuated from the 14,200-foot camp on Mt. McKinley on July 7th after his erratic behavior and alarming statements revealed signs of mental illness with a likelihood of causing serious harm to himself or others. Prior to flying to the Kahiltna Basecamp, the solo climber told a Talkeetna resident that he intended to paraglide from the summit, an activity prohibited in Denali by federal regulation. When NPS staff members in Talkeetna were informed of this, rangers confronted the man, who signed an affidavit saying that he would not bring his paragliding equipment on the mountain. After he began his ascent of the West Buttress on June 28th, other climbing parties on the route made numerous reports to rangers that the soloist demonstrated unsafe glacier travel, a lack of appropriate gear, improper disposal of human waste, littering, and unusual inter-personal interactions. When he reached the 14,200-foot camp, Denali mountaineering volunteers and rangers evaluated the climber, who was cold, wet, and in distress. While treating the man for hypothermia, rangers discovered paragliding equipment in his sled. The paraglider was seized, at which time the individual's behavior and language grew increasingly unusual and erratic. Two NPS volunteer medical professionals at the camp consulted over a 24 hour period by telephone with the park's medical director in Anchorage about their patient observations. A determination was made that his behavior and condition presented a potential risk to his life and others. Under provisions of Alaska State law, a 72-hour protective custody order was prepared by the medical director in Anchorage. It was deemed unsafe to transport a mentally unstable person within the small confined cabin of the park's high altitude helicopter. Denali staff therefore requested military assistance through Alaska's Rescue Coordination Center. Two Army Chinook CH 47 helicopters from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade out of Ft. Wainwright responded to Talkeetna on the morning of July 7th and transported two Denali law enforcement rangers to the 14,200-foot camp. NPS personnel at the camp had the man strapped and secured on a backboard when the single Chinook landed early in the afternoon. He was placed in the aircraft and flown directly back to Ft. Wainwright. Alaska State Troopers assisted the park by taking him into custody upon arrival and transporting him to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Specialist]
Tucker Chenoweth, a veteran seasonal mountaineering ranger at Denali National Park and Preserve, recently returned to the park's mountaineering base of operations in Talkeetna following a grueling three week patrol on Mt. McKinley. During the patrol, his team was involved in numerous SAR operations and provided EMS care to multiple climbers at the 14,000-foot Ranger Camp. Following such stints on McKinley, mountaineering rangers staff the Talkeetna Ranger Station, providing orientation and other services to incoming expeditions. On June 28th, Chenoweth was off duty and enjoying a dinner with his fiancé at the Wildflower Cafe in Talkeetna when a 12-year-old boy began showing signs of distress. Chenoweth determined that the boy, who had run out of the restaurant with his mother, was unable to breathe due to a food obstruction. Tucker quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver on the boy, standing behind him and employing five or six progressively stronger thrusts to his abdomen until a large chunk of steak was dislodged. The boy's grateful, yet still-distressed family bought Tucker and his party a few beers for his prompt intervention and life-saving efforts. Names were not exchanged with the vacationing family. Just all in a day's work for Chenoweth. [Pete Armington, Chief Ranger]
A large, multi-engine Fairchild C-123 crashed into the south-facing slope of Mount Healy within a mile of park headquarters and approximately 200 yards north of the Denali Park Road yesterday afternoon. The crash started a wildland fire, which was contained at approximately one acre. As the fire is still active, a thorough investigation of the scene is not yet possible. It appears that all three people reportedly on board died in the crash. The first personnel arrived on scene within minutes, but the wreckage was already engulfed in flames. In addition to National Park Service medics and other emergency responders, the Tri-Valley and McKinley Village volunteer fire departments responded with fire engines and an ambulance. The Tanana Zone of the Alaska Fire Service dropped eight smokejumpers into the scene. The jumpers and Denali wildland firefighters were putting water on hotspots yesterday to fully control and extinguish the fire. They and NPS rangers remained on scene overnight. The Alaska State Troopers also responded and have assisted with the investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been notified. The NTSB investigators will arrive on scene this morning. Denali Park Road is open to traffic, but the Rock Creek and Roadside Trails (which link park headquarters and the Denali Visitor Center) are temporarily closed. There is a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in effect over the crash site until further notice. Pilots using the park airstrip or transiting the Windy Pass area are cautioned to check notices to aircraft (NOTAMs) and be alert for firefighting and official aircraft. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
The individuals onboard the Fairchild C-123 cargo plane that crashed in the park on Sunday, all Alaskans, have been identified as B.M., 61, of Delta Junction, J.E., 52, of Wasilla, and P.Q., 66, also of Wasilla. B.M. was the owner of All West Freight, Inc. and the plane's pilot. The identities were determined through interviews with acquaintances, friends, and relatives familiar with the plane and the intended flight on Sunday. Investigators with the Office of the State Medical Examiner arrived in the park Monday afternoon and will oversee the recovery of the remains of the three men as part of the on-site investigation. Official identification of the deceased will be made by the state medical examiner through forensic examination. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA arrived at the park yesterday morning and have completed an aerial reconnaissance and preliminary ground survey of the site. Those offices will take over the on-scene investigation when the medical examiner's work is completed. Responsibility for overseeing the continued mop up of hot spots within the one-acre area burned by the wildfire resulting from the plane crash has been transferred from the Alaska Fire Service smokejumpers to Denali wildland firefighters. Rangers will continue to provide security for the site until the ground investigation is completed. Denali Park Road is open to traffic, and Rock Creek Trail has reopened. The Roadside Trail will remain closed until the on-site investigation has been completed. The temporary flight restriction (TFR) that was in effect over the crash site was cancelled on Monday. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
An aerial search of routes and trails in the vicinity of the Eielson Visitor Center is underway for missing day hiker J.M., 54, of Jasper, Georgia. On Sunday, August 22nd, J.M. took a park concessioner-operated shuttle bus that departed the Wilderness Access Center at 6:15 a.m., bound for the Eielson Visitor Center, which is located at Mile 66 on the park road. He was seen at the visitor center that morning, heading north up the Alpine Trail towards the Thorofare Ridge. The Alaska State Troopers notified the park on Monday that J.M. had not arrived at a Fairbanks hotel on Sunday as he had planned and had not appeared for a meeting on Monday. His car was found in the Wilderness Access Center parking lot and an investigation is underway. The air search continued until dark yesterday. Plans are being made to dispatch ground teams to search trails and likely routes near the point last seen. J.M. is in good health, and an experienced hiker. He weighs 150 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone who may have seen him in the park is asked to call the National Park Service emergency dispatch center at 907-683-9555. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
Just after noon yesterday, J.M. of Jasper, Georgia, the object of an intensive multi-day search effort, walked into the Toklat Road Camp with some hikers he had encountered earlier in the day. He was cold and tired, but uninjured. The road camp is located at Mile 53 on the Denali Park Road. It is a seasonal housing facility for approximately 40 people. The employees at the camp warmed him up, got him something to eat, and then transported him to park headquarters. Rangers working on the search will interview J.M. to find out what took place since he left the Eielson Visitor Center Sunday morning. The National Park Service wishes to thank everyone who contributed their efforts to this search. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
An avalanche claimed the life of a climber near Ruth Gorge during the early morning hours of Thursday, April 28th. Two climbing parties were camped overnight on the Root Canal, a glacier landing strip and camping area that lies directly south of the commonly climbed 10,300-foot peak known as the Moose's Tooth. A large serac, or column of ice, at the eastern end of the glacier collapsed at approximately 1 a.m. Thursday, shedding ice and snow onto the camp below. Climber C.L., 39, of Houston, Texas, was injured by the falling ice. The four surviving climbers attended to C.L., who was found unconscious and barely breathing immediately after the ice fall. One of the climbers called 911 via satellite phone and National Park Service rangers were immediately notified. Weather and darkness prevented a nighttime rescue using military aircraft, so the park's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter pilot and two NPS mountaineering rangers launched out of Talkeetna just after daybreak. Upon arrival at the scene, they immediately loaded C.L. into the helicopter for transportation to an Aeromed air ambulance from Anchorage that was staged at Mile 133 on the Parks Highway near Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. During the flight, the ranger/paramedic determined that C.L. had died from his injuries. This was confirmed when the helicopter rendezvoused with the air ambulance. The NPS helicopter flew the climber's remains back to Talkeetna, and then returned to the accident site to evacuate the surviving climbers, all of whom were uninjured but had lost their climbing gear, tents, and a pair of boots in the avalanche. Although the mountaineering season on Mt. McKinley and Mt. Foraker began only recently, now is the height of the spring climbing season in the Ruth Amphitheater and Ruth Gorge. In addition to the five climbers involved in the Root Canal accident, a total of 30 other registered climbers are currently attempting various peaks in this popular backcountry area of the Alaska Range. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
Park rescue personnel were able to save the life of an injured climber at 19,500 feet on Mt. McKinley the night of Thursday, May 12th, but a teammate from the same guided expedition was found dead at 18,000 feet. The guided client rescued from 19,500 feet had broken a leg when the four-person rope team fell near the summit ridge very late on Wednesday or early on Thursday. After the fall, the team's guide secured the injured climber in a bivy sack at the 'Football Field' while the other two clients descended. By morning, the guide and one of the two uninjured clients had separately descended to the 17,200-foot high camp, where they were treated by another team for frostbite to the hands and feet. The third client never returned to high camp. At the request of the National Park Service, the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard launched an HC-130 aircraft from the 211th Rescue Squadron on Thursday morning in an effort to spot the injured and missing climbers. Pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron on board the HC-130 spotted the client with the broken leg at 19,500 feet, though they were unable to definitively verify the location of the other client. Winds gusted to 70 mph throughout the day on Thursday, and the park's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter was unable to safely fly above 14,200 feet. The winds subsided by 5 p.m., though, and both the HC-130 aircraft and the NPS helicopter were able to make a reconnaissance flight up high on the mountain. The helicopter pilot and an NPS ranger verified the location and status of the injured climber at 19,500 feet, and for the first time rescue personnel were able to confirm the location of the second climber above 18,000 feet. With a rescue basket secured to the end of a 125-foot-long rope, A-Star B3 helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky returned to the climber at 19,500 feet. The injured client was able to climb into the basket as the helicopter hovered overhead. Once the patient was secure in the basket, the helicopter flew down to the Kahiltna Basecamp to an awaiting LifeMed air ambulance for transport to Anchorage. The A-Star B3 helicopter then returned to the site of the climber near 18,000 feet, this time with NPS mountaineering ranger Kevin Wright on the end of the 125-foot shorthaul line. Hermansky hovered while Wright set down adjacent to the climber and buckled him into a canvas sling known as a 'screamer suit'. The climber, who showed no obvious signs of life, was flown on the end of the shorthaul line to the Kahiltna Basecamp. He was transferred to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 52nd Aviation Regiment out of Fort Wainwright for a more thorough medical assessment. Two NPS ranger medics, also on board the CH-47, confirmed that the climber had died. The cause of death is unknown at this time. The guide and the client, both of whom suffer from frostbite, currently remain at the 17,200-foot camp. The names of all climbers involved in the incident are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
One climber died and three others were injured when a four-person team fell near the summit of Mount McKinley last week. One of the injured climbers - J.O., 40, of Ballinhasig, Ireland - and the climber who died - B.N., 38, of St. Gallen, Switzerland - were extricated from the mountain on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, the two remaining injured climbers - guide D.S., 56, of Wasilla, Alaska, and climber L.C., 45, of Croton-on-Hudson, New York - were evacuated from the 17,200-foot high camp. D.S. and L.C. suffered from frostbite on their hands and feet after a night spent at high elevation in cold temperatures and gusty winds. D.S. also reportedly sustained a broken rib. The men were individually short-hauled from the 17,200-foot camp to the 14,200-foot camp by NPS ranger John Loomis and B3 helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky. From there, the helicopter flew them down to the Kahiltna Basecamp for a fixed wing flight back to Talkeetna. The cause of B.N.'s death remains unknown. As of the morning of May 14th, there were 282 climbers attempting Mt. McKinley. Eight summits have been recorded thus far. A total of 1,029 climbers are registered to climb during the 2011 season. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
Mountaineers at the 17,200-foot high camp on Mt. McKinley witnessed a climber falling from Denali Pass near 18,000 feet around 10 a.m. yesterday morning. NPS mountaineering ranger Matt Hendrickson and three patrol members responded and confirmed that L.C., 67, of Mandello, Italy, had died of traumatic injuries sustained in the 1,000-foot fall. At the time he fell, L.C. was beginning the traverse from Denali Pass to the 17,200-foot camp along a 45-degree slope of hard, windblown snowpack. He was travelling ahead of his two teammates and was unroped at the time of the fall. Weather at the time of the accident was clear, with relatively calm winds. This accident marks the second fatality near Denali Pass within the past week. On Thursday, May 12th, a Swiss climber was found dead at 18,000 feet. The cause of his death is not yet known, but appears not to have been caused by trauma. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
Two overdue climbers on Mt. Frances were confirmed dead after Denali National Park mountaineering rangers located their remains in avalanche debris near the base of the 10,450-foot Mt. Frances. J.K., 33, of Canmore, Alberta, Canada, and J.S., 28, of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, were attempting a new route on the west face of Mt. Frances, a commonly climbed technical peak just north of the 7,200-foot Kahiltna Basecamp, when the avalanche occurred. The two men were last seen at the Kahiltna Basecamp on May 21st. When they had not returned to their campsite by May 23rd, rangers skied to the western face with a spotting scope, but could not spot the two climbers. On the morning of Tuesday, May 24th, mountaineering rangers on board the park's contracted A-Star B3 helicopter conducted an aerial search of the peak and identified one body lying in avalanche debris, with a partially buried rope attached. Rangers flew back to the debris zone early Wednesday morning when the colder morning temperatures created safer condition for a recovery operation. Rangers were able to locate and recover the bodies of both men using helicopter short-haul technique. J.K. and J.S. had flown into the Alaska Range on April 27th with original plans of climbing the Cassin Ridge of Denali. The accident occurred following their successful ascent of Denali's West Buttress route. According to park records, these are the first two fatalities to occur on Mt. Frances. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
A fatal climbing fall at Denali Pass on Mt. McKinley took the lives of two mountaineers late Wednesday night. Two other members of the climbing team were flown to area hospitals with critical injuries early yesterday morning. Mountaineers at the 17,200-foot high camp reportedly witnessed the four-person rope team fall from Denali Pass near 18,000 feet around 11 p.m. Wednesday night. An expedition of Air National Guard pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron responded and confirmed that two of the four had died in the fall. The other two patients were placed in rescue litters and lowered to the 17,200-foot high camp for emergency medical treatment - one was responsive and in stable condition with a broken leg and head injury but the other was non-responsive and suffering from labored breathing. The Air National Guard medics at high camp worked throughout the night to maintain his airway. Early yesterday morning, the park's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter evacuated each climber separately. They were flown to the 7,200-foot Kahiltna Basecamp to two awaiting LifeMed air ambulances. Details on the cause of the fall are unknown. Weather at the time of the accident was clear with relatively calm winds. The four-person rope team was beginning the traverse from Denali Pass to the 17,200-foot camp along a 45-degree slope of very hard, windblown snowpack. This fall occurred in the same vicinity as the fatal fall of an unroped Italian climber on May 16th. Names of the climbers involved in the fatal accident are being withheld pending notification of family and friends. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
The two climbers injured in the accident in which two other climbers were killed last week were rescued from the mountain last Thursday. All four were members of an Alpine Ascents International guided climb. The two who died in the unwitnessed accident last Wednesday night have been identified as lead guide S.A., 34, of Seattle, Washington, and client P.B., 45, of Shanghai, China. The two injured clients were placed in rescue litters and lowered to the 17,200-foot high camp for emergency medical treatment. G.B., 31, of Dallas, Texas, was responsive and in stable condition with a broken leg and head injury; J.M., 30, of Camp Pendleton, California, was non-responsive with labored breathing, and medics at the high camp had to work through the night to maintain his airway. At 4:15 a.m. on Thursday morning, the park's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter flew to the 17,200-foot high camp and evacuated each man separately. They were flown to the 7,200-foot Kahiltna Basecamp to two awaiting LifeMed air ambulances. Details on the cause of the fall remain unknown. Similar to a fatal fall that occurred on May 16th, the four-person team was beginning the traverse from Denali Pass to the 17,200-foot camp along a 45-degree slope on a very hard and windblown snowpack. Climbers returning from the upper elevations of the mountain report more difficult conditions than average due to the lack of new snow and an icy, wind-scoured trail. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
Three separate climbers, each of whom was suffering from severe altitude-related illness, were rescued using helicopter short-haul technique from approximately 19,000 feet on Mt. McKinley on Monday night. Ranger Tucker Chenoweth and four patrol volunteers were descending from a summit of Mt. McKinley on Monday evening when they encountered an HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataxia" ataxic solo climber at 19,300 feet. As the patrol approached, 27-year-old Serbian climber Z.D. was staggering and then collapsed due to altitude-related illness. The NPS patrol attempted to walk the climber down, but he was too ill to safely descend. At the time, the park's A-Star B3 helicopter was at the Kahiltna Basecamp, having just completed flights related to a resource management project. After a high altitude reconnaissance flight, pilot Andy Hermansky flew to the sick climber and Chenoweth secured him to the end of the short-haul rope using a 'screamer suit' or fabric harness, for the flight to the 14,200-foot camp. While this rescue was in progress, a second individual, 22-year-old S.T. of Japan, approached the NPS patrol and similarly collapsed due to altitude sickness. S.T., who was travelling solo, was also non-ambulatory. The A-Star B3 helicopter returned to 19,300 feet and short-hauled him to the 14,200-foot camp using the screamer suit. Once at the camp, the helicopter landed and internally loaded the two patients for evacuation to the Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,200 feet. Meanwhile, Chenoweth and his patrol members had continued their descent, only to encounter a third non-ambulatory, semi-conscious climber at 18,700 feet. Masaaki Kobayasi, 20, also from Japan, was a member of the same original expedition as S.T., though was travelling solo when found. After a rapid medical assessment, it was again determined that a helicopter rescue was necessary. Hermansky returned to 18,700 feet for the third rescue at about 10:40 p.m., then short-hauled the patient to 14,200 feet, internally loaded him, and then flew him to the Kahiltna Basecamp. Chenoweth's cold and tired patrol descended to the 17,200-foot camp without further incident. Two of the three patients were transported to an area hospital via LifeMed air ambulance. Z.D. refused further medical treatment and was released from care at Basecamp. As of Tuesday, 556 climbers were attempting Mt. McKinley. A total of 251 climbers had completed their ascents, 54% of whom reached the summit. Due to warming temperatures and some modest snowfall, the climbing conditions at high elevations have improved since four climbers died as a result of falls in mid- to late May. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
A climber died of apparent cardiac arrest at the 17,200-foot high camp on Mt. McKinley on the morning of Friday, June 10th. According to his tent mates, B.Y., 52, of Kodiak, Alaska, came into the tent to go to sleep after an arduous 20-hour summit day and suddenly stopped breathing. The tent mates immediately notified the NPS mountaineering patrol stationed at high camp who began CPR. B.Y. did not regain a pulse and was pronounced dead by an NPS volunteer physician's assistant at high camp. B.Y.'s body will be recovered from high camp when weather permits. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]
Two hikers who were the focus of an air and ground search in the rugged terrain surrounding Mt. Healy were located yesterday afternoon by an Air National Guard Pavehawk helicopter that was assisting in the search effort. S.S., 22, of Newberry, South Carolina, and L.W., 22, of Bellingham, Washington, were both tired but uninjured. Had they not been spotted from the air, they were close to a "containment" point staffed by the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department. This was one of five points where it was determined that the two women would most likely come out if they descended the mountain. The women, both seasonal employees at the McKinley Chalets Resort in the Nenana Canyon located outside Denali National Park, were last seen at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21st, at the Bison Gulch trailhead on the Parks Highway. They had told friends that they intended to hike to the Mt. Healy summit and possibly continue further along the ridge to the Savage River. They had not planned to camp during their hike, but were carrying some overnight equipment, including a sleeping bag and stove. Their plans went awry when they became disoriented above the tree line due to low clouds and rain early on Wednesday. The National Park Service was notified at 8:30 a.m. when the women used a cell phone to call 911. The park's communication center and search managers had intermittent cell phone contact with them until about 10 a.m., when the battery on their cell phone died. Prior to that, they had been instructed to stay where they were and make themselves visible to searchers. Search efforts were underway by early afternoon. S.S. and L.W. remained at their ridge location for hours and saw aircraft flying overheard. They tried to make themselves more visible by spreading their gear on the ground and using metal pans to signal, but they weren't spotted by the aerial searchers. At approximately 6 p.m. the two women began making their way down one of the drainages on the north side of Mt. Healy leading into Dry Creek. They had hiked approximately five miles through difficult terrain and dense vegetation when they were spotted from the air. Approximately 35 to 40 people were involved in the total search effort, including ground teams, the pilots and crew of two helicopters and a plane, and support personnel. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
The park began an aerial and ground search yesterday for an overdue solo climber on Mt. McKinley. J.K., 41, of Koetschach-Mauthen, Austria, was last seen at 8 p.m. on Monday while ascending to Denali Pass at 18,000 feet on the West Buttress route. When J.K. had not returned to his tent at the 17,200-foot high camp by the following evening, a guided team alerted NPS rangers at the 14,200-foot camp. J.K., a mountaineering guide in the Alps, was last seen on skis and told other climbers he intended to ski from the summit via the standard West Buttress route. It is unknown how much survival gear and supplies J.K. was carrying, although he was wearing warm clothing and was believed to be carrying a satellite phone. Weather conditions at the time of his disappearance included low to moderate winds, some cloud cover, and temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. In the two days prior to his disappearance, rangers at high camp recorded several feet of new snow. On Wednesday morning, rangers began ground investigations and searching with a spotting scope, while several guided and independent climbing teams headed towards the summit were on alert for clues to J.K.'s whereabouts. On Wednesday afternoon, Denali's A-Star B3 helicopter and a Pilatus PC-12 airplane from BLM's aviation branch joined the search. They searched upper elevations and the West Buttress route for six hours, but found no sign of the Austrian mountaineer. Hundreds of high resolution photos were taken, though, and are currently being examined for clues. The aerial, ground, and photographic search resumed early yesterday morning and was expected to continue as weather permits. [Maureen McLaughlin, Information Officer]
On the afternoon of Friday, May 18th, mountaineering rangers were notified that a member of a three-person climbing team had fallen from 16,200 feet on Mt. McKinley's West Buttress route. The un-roped team had just reached the top of the 'headwall' or 'fixed lines' section of the West Buttress route when one climber fell 1,100 feet down the north face of the buttress to the Peters Glacier. A witness said that the climber fell while attempting to recover a backpack that had started to slide downhill. At the time of the fall, an NPS mountaineering patrol was ascending the fixed lines shortly behind the three-member team. They soon arrived at the fall site, contacted fellow NPS rangers via radio, and asked that a helicopter be dispatched to the scene. The park's A-Star B3 helicopter launched from Talkeetna in clear, calm weather conditions with two ranger-paramedics on board. They confirmed that the climber had died of injuries sustained in the fall. The body was recovered and flown back to Talkeetna. There are currently 336 mountaineers attempting routes on Mt. McKinley. Four climbers have reached the summit this season. This fatal fall is the first serious incident on Mt. McKinley of the 2012 mountaineering season. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
An avalanche on Mt. McKinley's West Buttress during the early morning hours of June 14th is presumed to have claimed the lives of four Japanese climbers. The five-member Miyagi Workers Alpine Federation (MWAF) expedition was descending Motorcycle Hill near 11,800 feet at 2 a.m. last Thursday morning when an avalanche swept them all downhill. The five were travelling as one rope team, although the rope broke during the avalanche. One team member survived the event. H.O., 69 of Miyagi Prefecture, was swept into a crevasse and subsequently climbed out with minor injuries. H.O. was unable to locate his teammates in the avalanche debris. Throughout the day, he descended solo to the Kahiltna base camp at 7,200 feet, where he reported the accident shortly after 4 p.m. That evening, two rangers flew to the avalanche path in the park's A-Star B3 helicopter to conduct an aerial hasty search. There was no sign of the missing climbers or their gear in the avalanche debris. In light of the time elapsed, it is presumed that the four perished in the accident. Rangers and volunteers began probing the debris zone on Friday to look for signs of the climbers. The four missing climbers are Y.K., 64, Ma.S., 50, Mi.S., 56, and T.S., 63. All are from Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of June 16th, there were 395 mountaineers attempting routes on Mt. McKinley, the majority on the West Buttress route. Out of the 630 climbers who have already returned from expeditions this season, 234 reported reaching the summit, equating to a 37% summit rate. Substantial snowfall and windy conditions in recent weeks have kept most climbers from reaching the top. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
A two-day ground search of the debris path from a fatal avalanche on Mt. McKinley has been suspended after clues were found confirming the likely location of four deceased climbers. Y.K., Ma.S., Mi.s., and T.S. of the Miyagi Workers Alpine Federation (MWAF) expedition are presumed to have died in the avalanche, while one team member, H.O., survived the event with a minor hand injury. The fatal avalanche happened at approximately 11,800-feet on the West Buttress and was originally believed to have occurred early on the morning of June 14th. However, NPS rangers have since confirmed with both H.O. and multiple teams on the mountain that the slide occurred during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 13th. H.O. first reported the event to NPS rangers when he arrived at the Kahiltna Base Camp Thursday afternoon. An aerial hasty search took place on Thursday, followed by an initial four-member NPS ground search on Friday. On Saturday, an expanded 10-person ground crew consisting of NPS rangers, volunteer patrol members, a dog handler, and a trained search and rescue dog probed and further investigated the debris zone. During the search, NPS mountaineering ranger Tucker Chenoweth descended into the same crevasse that the survivor Hitoshi H.O. had fallen into during the avalanche. While probing through the debris roughly 30 meters below the glacier surface, Chenoweth found a broken rope end that matched the MWAF team's rope. He began to dig further, but encountered heavily compacted ice and snow debris. Due to the danger of ice fall within the crevasse, it was decided to permanently suspend the recovery efforts. There have been six climbing fatalities on Mt. McKinley this season. Since 1932, a total of 120 climbers have perished on the mountain, 12 due to avalanches. The four avalanche fatalities that occurred this week were the first to occur on the popular West Buttress route. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]
Three mountaineers were evacuated from the 17,200-foot high camp on Denali's West Buttress climbing route by the park's contract A-Star B3 helicopter on Thursday, July 26th. Two had sustained leg injuries in an avalanche and were unable to walk. Danish mountaineers M.P., 26, M.K., 30, and N.B.S., 26, had set out from the high camp on Sunday, July 22nd, for a summit attempt via a non-standard route up the Autobahn, the slope leading from high camp to Denali Pass. They had scouted the route variation the previous day because they were concerned about the high avalanche danger on the standard route. While approaching their intended route up the Autobahn, they triggered an avalanche at approximately 1 p.m. The avalanche swept them from the 17,600 foot elevation several hundred feet down the slope to a point approximately 200 meters from their campsite. M.P., who was relatively uninjured, was able to drag his two companions back to their campsite, where they waited for two days, hoping the injuries would respond to rest and treatment. On Wednesday, July 25th, after determining M.K. and N.B.S. would not be able to walk, the trio called for assistance on an aviation radio, hoping to make contact with an aircraft providing scenic overflights of the mountain. The pilot of a Talkeetna Air Taxi plane heard the call and notified the National Park Service at 11:30 a.m. The park's A-Star B3 helicopter, which was on assignment in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, returned to Talkeetna and reconfigured for a reconnaissance flight to high camp. After the initial reconnaissance, mountaineering ranger Kevin Wright dropped a bag from the helicopter containing communication devices, food, fuel, and a stove to the group. After establishing two-way communication with the party, rangers confirmed that all three were in stable condition, and that two would not be able to climb out under their own power. Pilot Andy Hermansky flew to high camp site at 9 a.m. on Thursday and retrieved the climbers in three trips. M.K. and N.B.S. were evacuated via a rescue basket on the end of a 125-foot-long line and the uninjured M.P. was loaded into the helicopter for the trips to Base Camp. The two injured climbers were met by LifeMed helicopters at Base Camp and flown to Mat Su Regional Hospital for treatment. All registered climbers are now off the mountain. A total of 1,223 attempted the mountain this year and 498 made it to the summit for a summit success percentage of 40.7%. This is the second lowest summit rate in the last 25 years. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
R.W., 49, of San Diego, was killed by a grizzly bear on Friday while on a solo backpacking trip in the park. R.W. had been in the Denali backcountry for three nights when he was killed. He may have recently hiked in other areas of Alaska prior to coming to the park, but it is not known at this time if he had previous backcountry experience in Denali. On Saturday afternoon, state troopers assisting rangers and park wildlife biologists shot and killed a bear that was defending the kill site along the Toklat River as the recovery team attempted to reach R.W.'s remains. The bear killed was a large male bear. After determining the area was safe, a team of five rangers moved in to complete the field investigation. R.W.'s remains were removed Saturday evening and will be sent to the medical examiner in Anchorage. The body of the dead bear was necropsied Saturday evening. The results of the necropsy, combined with the photographs taken by the victim prior to the attack, confirm that this was the animal that killed R.W. On Friday afternoon, three day hikers discovered an abandoned backpack and evidence of a violent struggle along the Toklat River approximately three miles south of the Toklat River rest area and immediately notified the park. Rangers launched a helicopter and an airplane from park headquarters that evening. At least one grizzly bear was still at the site, although there may have been multiple bears. The bear(s) moved away when the helicopter approached and landed. Two rangers on board the helicopter got out and confirmed the location of the victim's remains. After a short time a bear returned to the cache site while the rangers were investigating the scene, forcing the rangers to retreat to the gravel bar. The bear then began to circle around them. Rangers fired two rifle shots at it, but the bear was not hit. The rangers were able to leave by helicopter as darkness was setting in. Evidence indicates that the attack occurred near the river's open braided gravel bar and that the bear subsequently dragged the remains to a more secluded, brushy cache site. An emergency closure has been put in place prohibiting all backcountry hiking and camping in that backcountry unit and those adjacent to it until further notice. Although no park visitors were sighted or known to be in the immediate vicinity of the incident, park staff contacted three parties in adjacent areas and flew them via helicopter to the Toklat River rest area. This incident is the first known bear mauling fatality recorded in Denali. All backpackers in the park receive mandatory 'Bear Aware' training prior to receiving a backcountry permit, including a 30-minute safety video and a safety briefing from the backcountry ranger staff. Backpackers are also required to carry a HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bearsafety.htm" bear resistant food container. More details on this fatal incident will be released as the investigation continues. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
Following two days of rain and poor weather conditions, rangers were able to return to the site of the fatal bear attack on Tuesday to continue the investigation of the incident. They were able to determine where R.W. of San Diego had taken the images that were found in his digital camera. The initial photos of the bear were shot at a distance of 75 yards from the bear, which at that time had its head down in the vegetation, browsing on berries. Other images, including the last five where the bear's head was up, looking at and moving toward the backpacker, were taken at a distance of 60 yards. Most of the backcountry units that were closed as a result of the incident are now open. Unit 10, where the attack took place, will remain closed for the next few days for continued monitoring and investigation. The unit encompasses an area of almost 50 square miles. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
On the evening of Thursday, June 6th, the park received a report that a visitor had shot and injured a cow moose near the Denali Visitor Center. The visitor, a 26-year-old man from Eagle River, Alaska, said that he and four other people, including two small children, encountered the moose at close range when they rounded a corner on a trail. They attempted to hide behind a tree, but the moose continued to charge. As she approached, the man shot her in the head at close range. He said afterwards that he did it because he was concerned for the safety of the children and felt he had no other recourse. The man was visibly upset when he reported the incident to the responding rangers, who had to destroy the mortally injured moose. After investigation of the statements of the party and a review of applicable law, the National Park Service has determined that no prosecution will be recommended to the Office of the United States Attorney. Although the discharge of a firearm and taking of wildlife in the park are both violations of CFR, investigators found nothing to contradict the man's statement that he shot the moose in self defense. While there is not a "defense of life" provision in the federal laws governing national parks, under Alaska state law this incident would be deemed a justifiable defense of life and not be charged as an offense. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
In May, park law enforcement rangers were made aware that other park employees suspected that J.D., a special projects supervisor for Denali, was taking government gasoline from the park gas pumps for personal use. An investigation began immediately, including video surveillance and a review of gasoline logs. It confirmed the suspicious nature of J.D.'s activity and the case developed slowly. By December, sufficient evidence had been gathered that showed J.D. took numerous gallons of gasoline on several different occasions. He subsequently confessed to the theft. The Assistant US Attorney's Office in Fairbanks accepted the case and took the charges forward. On March 7th, charges were filed in United States District Court against J.D. for three counts of theft of government property. On June 28th, J.D. pled guilty to one of the counts in an agreement whereby the other two counts were dismissed. He was fined $250 and ordered to pay $500 restitution to the park, which will go toward replacing the gasoline. Throughout the criminal and administrative proceedings, the park began several measures to improve security and accountability within the gasoline dispensing systems which are now in place throughout the park. [Pete Webster, Chief Ranger]
On Wednesday, October 23rd, park staff discovered a massive landslide blocking the Denali Park Road at approximately Mile 37. This site is west of Tattler Creek, on the section of road going up to Sable Pass. The slide, which consists of an estimated 30,000 yards of rock and soil, covers approximately 200 feet of the road in depths of up to 35 feet. The material was released from a point 500 feet above the road and flowed south below the road. It did not reach Igloo Creek. Park staff, including the park geologist, made a thorough assessment of the slide, and a road crew began clearing it away shortly thereafter. Crews are working seven days a week in order to accomplish as much as possible while the unseasonably mild weather conditions last. Work will continue in the spring as needed. The Denali Park Road is currently open to Mile 30 (Teklanika Rest Area). The Murie Science and Learning Center is open daily from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm for park information and backcountry permits. Additional park information can be obtained by calling 907-683-9532 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Stay connected with "DenaliNPS" on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and iTunes - links to these social media sites are available at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/dena". [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
The Denali Park Road, closed by a HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents&id=6840" major landslide on October 23rd, reopened on the evening of Monday, October 28th. The park's road crew was credited for the rapid clearance and reopening of the road just 48 hours after the slide occurred, a project that entailed the removal of over 30,000 cubic yards of frozen slide material. The success was attributed to crew members' expertise in operating heavy equipment in less than ideal conditions. Although some mini mudslides and rock falls are likely from the newly exposed and thawing permafrost at the top of the escarpment, the park expects the road to be ready for its spring reopening. [Tim Taylor, East District Road Maintenance Manager]
One member of a two-person climbing team perished last week in an early season climbing fall on Mt. McKinley. The fatal fall likely occurred on May 5th after the two climbers became separated during a descent from Denali Pass in stormy weather. M.F., 34, of Berlin, Germany, and S.M., 39, of Tacoma, Washington, began their ascent of the Muldrow Glacier route on April 15th. They reached Denali Pass at 18,200 feet on May 3rd, where they encountered strong winds that forced them to camp for two nights. At 11 a.m. on Monday, May 5th, M.F. contacted rangers at the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station via satellite phone from the 17,200-foot High Camp on the West Buttress. He reported that the two had gotten separated as they descended from Denali Pass to the 17,200-foot camp. They were not roped together, nor did they have radio communications with one another. M.F. said they'd both been weakened by the several nights spent at Denali Pass, and that each possessed only partial survival gear. In addition to his personal gear, M.F. had their satellite phone and camp stove, while S.M. had the tent, limited food, and her personal gear. Due to limited visibility and high winds estimated between 40 to 60 mph, M.F. took shelter in an NPS rescue cache, a metal storage locker for emergency supplies and equipment at 17,200 feet. He phoned back the following morning and asked for a rescue for both himself and S.M., who he hoped was camped at Denali Pass. The weather that day remained windy with low visibility and an NPS helicopter rescue was not feasible. Furthermore, a ground rescue was not possible, as M.F. and S.M. were two of the earliest Denali climbers of the 2014 season and at the time were the only climbers above 14,200 feet on the mountain. The only NPS ranger patrol on the mountain was camped at 7,800-feet. On Wednesday morning, M.F. called and reported slightly calmer winds and clear skies at 17,200 feet. He also reported that he had still not seen his climbing partner descending Denali Pass. Clouds and poor visibility below his altitude hampered a rescue that day, though a Hercules C-130 from the 210th Rescue Squadron was launched at noon by the Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage to provide aerial reconnaissance and weather reports. The C-130 crew reported no sighting of S.M. near Denali Pass. Taking advantage of a clearing trend Wednesday evening, a mountaineering ranger and pilot flew to the pas in Denali's high altitude A-Star B3 helicopter, with the C-130 flying as a cover aircraft. After several passes of the area, the helicopter crew spotted S.M.'s body 800 to 1,000 feet below the Denali Pass traverse on the Peters Glacier. M.F. was observed by the flight crew standing near his camp at 17,200 feet. The NPS helicopter returned to the Kahiltna Basecamp at 7,200-feet to drop off the mountaineering ranger. Pilot Andy Hermansky then flew back to the 17,200-foot camp to evacuate M.F. using a rescue basket attached to a shorthaul line under the helicopter. M.F. was flown to the Kahiltna Basecamp for a medical assessment, then evacuated to Talkeetna State Airport and released. S.M.'s body will be recovered when an NPS ground team reaches the 17,200 foot camp. [Maureen Gualtieri]
Torrential rains Wednesday night caused what are usually small streams to become raging torrents along and across the Denali Park Road. At 4:30 a.m. on Thursday the park road was closed beyond Wonder Lake due to flooding in the Kantishna area at Eureka and Friday Creeks (which normally flow at very low levels across the park road) and at the north end of Wonder Lake. Around 8:45 a.m. park managers closed the road beyond the Eielson Visitor Center due to significant rockfall at the Eielson Bluffs, approximately one to two miles west of the visitor center. Over 100 guests and employees at private lodges in Kantishna and more than a dozen park employees were marooned at the western end of the park road, but all were safe and accounted for. The Denali Backcountry Lodge, which is located at the end of the road near the airstrip, evacuated its guests and staff to higher ground near another lodge Thursday morning as water began encroaching into buildings. Lodge guests and employees were subsequently evacuated without incident. They were ferried by the park's two contract helicopters to buses staged at the Wonder Lake Ranger Station or by fixed-wing aircraft to airstrips near or at the east end of the park. Park employees in that area were also evacuated. Guests at other lodges did not have to evacuate and will be able to leave via the road today as temporary repairs have been made to the causeway section of road at the north end of Wonder Lake. Four mountaineers who had traversed Mt. McKinley were airlifted from the south side of the McKinley River to the Eielson Visitor Center. They had been trying for days to cross the river, but had been unsuccessful due to the high water and were out of food. The river is notoriously difficult to cross, especially after heavy rain. A Denali Backcountry Lodge employee who had been stranded on what became an island in the housing area was able to get across the swollen Moose Creek with assistance from other employees and a rope. Road crews will coordinate plans for repairing the damaged sections of the park road at Eureka and Friday Creeks with the Alaska Department of Transportation, which has the jurisdictional responsibility for that portion of the road. Road repairs may take several days. Park concessioner-operated buses will operate on their regular schedule as far as Wonder Lake beginning today. Click on the link below for a related Anchorage Daily News story with images of the flooding. HYPERLINK "http://www.adn.com/2014/06/26/3535950/flooding-in-denali-national-park.html?sp=/99/188/" [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
The park continues to recover from the serious flooding caused by torrential rains last Wednesday night. Park staff are working to repair flood damage with personnel from the Alaska Department of Transportation, which has jurisdictional responsibility for major repairs on the affected section of the Denali Park Road. Erosion by the raging Friday and Eureka Creeks at the far western end of the 92-mile-long road has left approximately a half mile of damaged road. Park managers and DOT staff flew over the impacted sections last Friday morning to assess the damage and began to formulate plans for the equipment and materials needed for the repair. Park road crews will focus on clearing debris from the portion of the road open to bus traffic and improve repairs made on Thursday. Alaska DOT was planning to begin moving heavy equipment into the park over the weekend, but major repair work will not begin until the road dries out. It is estimated that it may be up to two weeks before normal operations can resume at the end of the road. Park concessioner buses are operating on their regular schedule as far as Wonder Lake. Buses that would have continued on to Kantishna can now travel as far as the north end of Wonder Lake before turning around. [Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer]
On the morning of Monday, December 22nd, the park was notified of a fire stemming from a vehicle collision on the George Parks Highway at Milepost 236. Rangers arriving on scene found two vehicles fully in flames and blocking all traffic. The head-on collision involved an SUV and pickup truck travelling in opposite directions. The drivers and sole occupants of the each of the vehicles perished in the collision and fire. A multi-agency response was needed to extinguish the fires, investigate the accident scene, extricate the drivers, and reopen the highway. Assisting agencies included McKinley Village Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-Valley Fire and Rescue, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Department of Transportation, Wasilla Police Department, Anchorage Police Department and Dispatch, NPS Alaska Regional Communication Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks Police and Fire Dispatch, and South Central Alaska Public Safety Dispatch. An investigation into the accident is underway. [J. Dan Abbe, Backcountry District Ranger & Wilderness Coordinator]
Two climbers from Idaho were rescued from 7,500 feet on Mount Dickey after triggering a slab avalanche the evening of Monday, May 12th. Luckily, S.S., 27, and M.W., 24, were not caught in the slide and were not injured. The two men attempted to self-evacuate from the mountain, but found no safe exit routes. The stranded climbers were observed by an air taxi pilot waving their arms above an 'SOS' stomped out in the snow on the west shoulder of Mount Dickey. Once NPS ranger staff was notified of the distress call, Denali's high altitude A-Star B3e helicopter and two mountaineering rangers flew to Ruth Gorge. Rangers made a positive identification of the two climbers, who had just activated their SPOT device. Pilot Andy Hermansky was able to land the helicopter on a flat section of the peak and evacuated S.S. and M.W. without further incident. Mount Dickey is a 9,545-foot technical peak located in Denali National Park and Preserve's Ruth Gorge area. No other climbers besides S.S. and M.W. were observed climbing Mount Dickey that day. Following several new feet of snow coupled with windy conditions in the Alaska Range, NPS rangers have observed widespread avalanche activity in the Ruth and Kahiltna Glacier areas. Following the one near miss on Mount Dickey which took place several days after the storm, the avalanche conditions appear to be lingering. The conditions are widespread, occurring on many aspects of the peaks and spanning a broad range of elevations. Climbers have been advised to exercise caution due to the persistent nature of the avalanche hazard. For ongoing condition reports, climbers are directed to HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/dena/mountainblog.htm". [Maureen Gualtieri]
The body of an Argentinian solo climber was discovered at the 17,200-foot high camp of Mount McKinley just before midnight on Sunday, May 10th. H.J.C., 39, of General Roca, Argentina, appears to have died of unknown medical issues. H.J.C. began his ascent of the West Buttress route on May 1st. According to other climbing parties at the 14,200-foot camp, he headed up to the 17,200-foot high camp on May 6th. No other parties were camped at 17,200 feet between May 6th and May 10th, the date when the climber's remains were found by a two-person team upon their arrival at high camp. H.J.C. was found lying in the snow in the middle of the camp plateau with no visible signs of trauma. That night, the reporting team used HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service" FRS radio to report the event to HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pararescue" pararescuemen from the Alaska Air National Guard's 212th Rescue Squadron who were camped at 14,200 feet. The pararescuemen then relayed the discovery to NPS mountaineering rangers in Talkeetna via satellite phone. Due to delays in direct communication with the original reporting team, and with no NPS ranger staff positioned at the 17,200-foot high camp this early in the season, it took several days to make a positive determination of the man's identity. NPS staff worked with the Argentine consulate to notify H.J.C.'s next of kin on Wednesday, May 13th. H.J.C.'s remains will be recovered from the 17,200-foot camp when NPS mountaineering rangers are safely acclimatized for the recovery effort and when weather conditions allow. The remains will then be transferred to the State of Alaska medical examiner. [Maureen Gualtieri]
Rangers responded to two concurrent mountaineering incidents starting in the early morning hours of Monday, June 5th. In addition to a routine medical evacuation, mountaineering rangers and guides rescued a critically injured climber in a labor-intensive, 14-hour crevasse rescue. In the first incident, ranger Dan Corn and five mountaineering VIPs were descending to the Kahiltna Basecamp around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday when they encountered a sick solo climber at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill at 7,000 feet. VIP medic Elizabeth Keane performed a physical assessment and determined that M.M., 23, of Carnation, Washington, was suffering from an acute abdominal illness. The team provided pain medication and then assisted M.M. to the Kahiltna Basecamp. Meanwhile, around 1:30 a.m., rangers were notified via radio that an un-roped climber had fallen 40 feet into a crevasse at 7,800 feet on the West Buttress route. The fall was witnessed and reported by Mountain Trip guide and co-owner B.A., along with assistant guides J.K.W. and E.L. The three guides established that the fallen climber, 38-year-old M.T. of Trmava, Slovakia, was alive and responsive. They then attempted to rescue him from the narrow crevasse, but extraction proved difficult. Due to the force of the fall, M.T. and his gear had wedged tightly into the ice in a contorted position with minimal room to excavate in the confined space. Mountaineering rangers Chris Erickson and Frank Preston were flown from Talkeetna directly to the accident site at 4 a.m. by helicopter pilot Andy Hermansky. The pilot then flew to the Kahiltna Basecamp to shuttle Corn and VIPs Justin Fraser and Stefan Beattie back to the accident site. The five NPS rescuers then began taking individual turns down in the crevasse, slowly chipping away at the ice in order to first secure, and then free, the trapped climber. While the crevasse extraction work continued at 7,800 feet, Hermansky evacuated M.M. and attendant VIP Keane back to the Talkeetna State Airport, where M.M. was transferred to a ground ambulance. Bad weather initially kept the helicopter grounded. When flight conditions improved in the early afternoon, Hermansky returned to the crevasse at 7,800 feet along with ranger Mik Shain, VIP Thad Stavn, and VIP medic Jaime Anderson. The relief rescue crew brought a range of power tools to help in the ice extraction, including a pneumatic hammer-chisel on loan from the Talkeetna Volunteer Fire Department. Around 3:30 p.m., M.T. was finally freed from the ice and then raised out of the crevasse. The severely hypothermic and critically injured climber was immediately loaded into the park helicopter and flown to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. This was the second major crevasse rescue of the 2017 mountaineering season involving an un-roped climber. A low winter snow pack on the lower glacier resulted in numerous open crevasses that have often been difficult to detect. Climbers are being advised to always travel roped and with adequate flotation, such as snowshoes or skis. As of this past Monday, there were 1,084 mountaineers registered to climb Denali in 2017, with 527 currently on the mountain. Out of the 386 climbers who have completed their expeditions, 122 reached the summit, equating to a summit percentage rate of 32%. For more information on the 2017 season, including statistics, weather observations, climbing conditions, and other news from the Alaska Range, read Denali Dispatches at www.nps.gov/dena/blogs/mountainblog.htm. Source: Press Release, Maureen Gualtieri, Denali NP&P.
A ranger patrol on Denali responded to a request for help at 17,500 feet on the West Buttress route around 1 a.m. on June 16th. An independent party of three had been descending from Denali Pass when one of the teammates — S.P., 28, of Kathmandu, Nepal — collapsed due to an unknown illness. By the time the initial team of two NPS mountaineering volunteers reached the scene, S.P. was unresponsive. Despite emergency medical interventions, he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead. S.P.'s remains will be recovered from the 17,200-foot high camp when weather conditions allow. Source: News Release, Maureen Gualtieri, Denali NP&P.
Rangers conducted two separate mountain rescues during the next-to-last week of May. The two rescues were the third and fourth of the season. In the first rescue on May 20th, a party of two climbers was hit by falling rock and ice debris while rappelling the Mini-Moonflower climbing route on a sub-peak of Mount Hunter. The climbers used an InReach device to alert rangers. Even though one of the climbers had a broken arm and significant cuts, the two were able to get to the base of the route on their own, where the injured climber was evacuated by helicopter. That same day, a separate party of two fell off the narrow ridge near 16,500 feet on the West Buttress Route. The climbers were roped together but were not using snow anchors. Other climbers saw the fall and reported it to the park. The two fell about 1,000 feet into a crevasse on the Peters Glacier, where they were not visible from the ridge above. The two were able to activate a personal locator beacon. When a park ranger responded to the site of the fall, though, visibility deteriorated and the flight had to turn back. Before sunrise on May 21st, as a rescue team was prepared to leave camp, one of the fallen climbers arrived at the camp with an injured knee. The man reported that his climbing partner was injured and unable to make it to camp but that she was alert and stable on the glacier. The rescue crew made it to the woman; she was evacuated by helicopter to Talkeetna after rangers determined that a short-haul to base camp was too risky as the weather closed in. Ranger say that it was because of the climbers' communication capabilities and self-sufficiency that such a happy outcome was possible. Source: KTUU News.
Five people are believed to have died in the crash of a flightseeing plane near Denali on August 4th, the deadliest crash of an air taxi in the Alaska Range in decades. A ranger found four bodies in the wreckage during a search on August 6th that had to be terminated after just minutes due to deteriorating weather. The fifth person aboard the K2 Aviation de Havilland Beaver was not found but is presumed dead. The wreckage was located almost 11,000 feet up a remote mountain near North America's tallest peak and came to rest perched on a steep glacier. The pilot was able to make two calls by satellite phone in the hour after the crash and reported injuries before communication with the plane ended. It wasn't immediately clear how many people survived the initial crash. The plane was equipped with an emergency survival kit, including sleeping bags, a stove and pot to boil water, food and a first-aid kit. The plane crashed near the summit of what's known locally as Thunder Mountain, a feature roughly 14 miles southwest of the summit of Denali in extremely technical terrain on a hanging glacier. The ranger who got to the plane Monday said it appeared highly unlikely people had moved around after the crash. He found that the plane had crashed in steep terrain in a crevasse on the side of a mountain. He found the bodies of four of the five people and detected no signs of life. It's possible that the fifth person was inside, but the ranger just couldn't see that person because the incoming weather limited his time in the nose of the aircraft. No footprints or disturbances led away from the site and there were no other signs to indicate any of the occupants made it out of the plane. Source: Anchorage Daily News.
A landslide on October 18th has led to the closure of the Denali National Park Road to bikers and pedestrians near an area near mile 38 where a major slide occurred in 2013. The slide is beyond the Teklanika River at mile 30, where private vehicles aren't allowed to travel this time of year anyway. But the closure means bikers and pedestrians are prohibited from traveling beyond mile 34 until further notice. The park doesn't plow snow on most of the 92-mile road during the winter season. The road gets little traffic after the tour bus season ends in early September and after the road lottery days when the road is opened to private vehicles picked in a random drawing. This slide is much smaller than the October 2013 landslide at mile 37, which covered 200 feet of the road, some of it to a depth of 35 feet. Source: Fairbanks News-Miner.
Mountaineering rangers, assisted by the park's helicopter, performed a short-haul rescue of an injured climber from Windy Corner on Denali's West Buttress route on the night of Sunday, May 12th. One member of a two-person climbing team had suffered traumatic injuries in a snowboarding fall while descending Windy Corner on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 8th. The teammates were equipped with an InReach device and a satellite phone and were able to immediately report the incident and their location to the park communication center. Extreme pain and concern for internal injuries required the two climbers to set up a camp at Windy Corner, a feature at 13,500 feet on Denali named for its high winds and known for rock fall hazards. An NPS ranger patrol camped at 11,000 feet attempted to reach the party that evening, but high winds and poor visibility forced them to turn around. On Thursday, although weather improved lower on the mountain, high winds prevailed at Windy Corner. The park's high altitude helicopter was able to fly over the incident site, but sustained winds over 30 mph precluded a rescue. A storm settled on the mountain on Friday and Saturday, with cloud cover and strong winds. Rangers learned via satellite phone that the injured climber was stable and that the pair had adequate food and fuel to ride out the storm for several days. On Saturday, a ranger and volunteer nurse from the NPS patrol at 11,000 feet reached the party, performed a medical assessment, and provided them with supplies in the event the storm continued much longer. The weather finally improved on Sunday afternoon. The NPS ranger patrol from 11,000-foot camp reached Windy Corner and splinted and prepared the injured climber for an air evacuation. The two climbers, each with an attending ranger, were short-hauled off the mountain and flown back to Talkeetna for further care. The 2019 Denali mountaineering season is in its early stages, with only 166 climbers currently on the mountain. The first NPS ranger patrol of the season reached the 14,200-foot camp late Sunday night, shortly after assisting with the short-haul evacuation at Windy Corner. No mountaineers have reported reaching the summits of either Denali or Mount Foraker. Source: Maureen Gualtieri, Denali NP&P.
E.M., 26, was killed while climbing with a partner in a rocky drainage off Igloo Canyon last Tuesday evening. The canyon is near Mile 37 of the park road. As E.M. rappelled down the rock face, an anchor system set up by the climbers failed and he fell about 70 feet. His partner climbed down and sought emergency assistance. Rangers received word of the fall around 11:20 p.m. and reached the accident site at 1:15 a.m. Rangers pronounced E.M. dead at the scene. Rescue personnel carried his body out. Source: KTVA News.
A man who pitched a tent in the park near the Alaska Railroad tracks killed himself last Sunday. Rangers approached the tent around 5:45 p.m. because it wasn't in a campground and was close to the tracks. As they approached, they briefly saw the man through the tent screen before they heard a single gunshot. The man did not respond to calls and couldn't be seen after the gun was fired. Alaska State Troopers, rangers and negotiators from the FBI set up a perimeter and approached the tent with an armored vehicle. At 9:46 p.m. the man was reached and found dead. It was determined that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The railroad delayed a train coming to the depot by about three-and-a-half hours, a railroad spokesman said. Twelve buses waiting to take passengers to lodges were also held up at the depot. Source: Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News.
About 300 tourists were stranded in the park when heavy rains triggered a mudslide and runoff damaged the park road last Friday. By Saturday afternoon, road crews had cleared one lane of the road and buses returned all of the visitors to the park entrance. "Our team did an outstanding job responding to multiple debris slides along a pretty remote section of road," said Erika Jostad, Denali's chief ranger. "The geohazard team monitored conditions while the road crew was clearing debris. It was a great example of teamwork." Earlier on Friday, the park's superintendent closed the road to all traffic at mile 30. Similar debris flows led to daylong traffic restrictions last week. Continued heavy rains since kept the road and surrounding tundra saturated with water. Source: Associated Press.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Denali NP&P — According to a National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Factual Report released in late October, the pilot of a K2 Aviation flightseeing plane that crashed in the park last year, killing five people, was alive and calling his company's Talkeetna office on a satellite phone minutes after the crash, reporting that they'd flown into the side of a mountain in the Alaska Range. He was able to call for help before succumbing to his injuries. None of his passengers survived. The cause of the accident remains unknown. Both the wreckage and the bodies of the five occupants were subsequently buried by a glacial slide. The hanging glacier on which the plane rested separated from the mountain last fall or winter, shedding 4,000 to 6,000 tons of rock, ice and snow to the slopes below. Photos with the article show the incredibly precarious location of the aircraft when it first crashed. Source: Zar Hollander, Anchorage Daily News.
A helicopter transporting guests from a mountain chalet crashed on Ruth Glacier on Thursday, February 20th. Neither the two guests nor the pilot were injured in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. Around 3 p.m. on Thursday, the Robinson R44 helicopter operated by Talkeetna Air Taxi took off from the Sheldon Chalet, a small luxury hotel located on a private inholding within the park. The helicopter crashed on the glacier, near the chalet, shortly after taking off. Chalet staff who saw the crash happen activated an emergency transponder and park personnel were notified of the crash around 3:20 p.m.. The request for help was canceled after chalet staff confirmed that no one on board was injured. The damaged helicopter will be removed from the area this week if weather permits. Source: Anchorage Daily News.
Five Italian hikers were rescued last month from the Stampede Trail as they were returning from a visit to the abandoned bus made famous by the book and film Into the Wild. The International Emergency Response Coordination Center first received an alert about a medical emergency on the morning of February 22nd. Searchers from Tri-Valley Fire Department and Alaska State Troopers responded on snow machines and located the group approximately 13 miles in from the Stampede Road trailhead. One of the hikers was treated for severe frostbite to his feet. The nearly 20-mile trail leading up to the abandoned Fairbanks Bus 142, known as the "Magic Bus," has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for hikers ever since Jon Krakauer's book Into the Wild was published in 1996. A movie based on the book was released in 2007. The nonfiction book chronicles the life of Christopher McCandless, who hitchhiked to Alaska in 1992, where a man dropped him off at the head of the Stampede Trail. A few days later, he came upon the abandoned bus and lived there for about three months before deciding to head back to civilization. As he attempted to make his way back, he arrived at a crossing of the Teklanika River. But because the river was running fast and high from the rain and snowmelt from glaciers, he was unable to make his way across. Defeated, he turned around and headed back toward the bus, where he survived for about a month before he died in August 1992. Hikers from around the world attempt to retrace McCandless' steps every year, but many fail and have to be rescued. Some even die. Last year, a 24-year-old woman from Belarus died while trying to reach the bus. And in 2010, a Swiss hiker drowned while trying to cross the same river McCandless failed to cross. Source: Alicia Lee and Pierre Meilhan, CNN Travel.
A small airplane made an emergency landing in the park and the two people inside the plane were rescued shortly thereafter. The Cessna 180 landed about 11 a.m. last Thursday near the Eielson Visitor Center, located at mile 66 of Denali Park Road. Park employees airlifted the two people in the plane to McKinley National Park Airport, near the entrance of the park, where they were met by emergency medical services personnel from the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department. Neither person was injured. Source: San Francisco Chronicle.
On September 10, 2019, law enforcement rangers conducted a vehicle stop in the park for excessive speed. They identified the driver as a convicted felon on probation. They conducted a search of the vehicle and found ammunition and a firearm, which is unlawful for a convicted felon. This week, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Source: Denali National Park
On August 24, the park announced that they would be closing the park road at Polychrome Pass (mile 42) due to a fast-moving landslide caused by unusually fast thawing of frozen ground at Pretty Rocks. The park typically closes the road to vehicle traffic at mile 30 in mid-September. The park is allowing administrative traffic to close down western park operations and evacuate visitors who are in the closed area. Source: Denali National Park
On August 23, a 55-year-old was attacked by a grizzly bear while hiking alone on Thoroughfare Pass. The bear was with two cubs and there was dense fog in the area. The bear attacked from about 100 feet away. The visitor was able to use bear spray after being knocked to the ground. The bear left quickly and the visitor hiked 1.5 miles to the Eilson Visitor Center, where he was taken by park bus and an ambulance to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. He suffered puncture wounds to his calf, left ribs, and left shoulder. The park does not intend to locate the bear because the attack was defensive in nature due to the presence of cubs. Some backcountry areas near the attack site have been closed for a week. Source: ABC News
On May 24, a party of two climbers attempted to summit Denali from a 14,200-foot camp they had established. One of them experienced altitude sickness before tumbling close to 1,000 feet off Denali Pass. The other member of the party requested emergency support via a Garmin inReach texting device and the victim who fell was able to be rescued by helicopter within 30 minutes. He was subsequently transported to an Anchorage hospital, where he was classified in critical condition. An hour later, the individual still on the mountain had met up with another party of two, and sent an emergency request text, saying the group was without equipment and needed evacuation. They were advised by the NPS to start descending and that a helicopter would not be available. The individual then claimed the other climbers had early signs of hypothermia and shock. A helicopter began to fly, but turned around after getting a report that the climbers were starting to descend. The party of two with the individual reported that the individual said the NPS was "obligated" to help them because "we've paid our fee." They also said they did not have hypothermia or shock and that they spent hours trying to convince the individual to descend. On November 9, the individual was charged in federal court with interference with a government employee, violating lawful order, and false report. The detention hearing is scheduled for December 6. Source: Charlotte Observer
In May 2021, a pair of climbers was attempting to summit Denali via the West Buttress route when one of them began experiencing altitude sickness and later fell 1,000 feet. The climber survived and was rescued by NPS rangers. The other climber in the party and two other climbers from a different party spent several hours on the mountain recovering from observing what they assumed had been the fallen climber's death, then decided to descend to safety. The now-solo climber asked via satellite device for a helicopter evacuation for all three, saying they were in shock and experiencing hypothermia. They were told a helicopter couldn't come, and the group began descending. In the meantime, a helicopter was able to launch, but turned back when they heard word that the group was descending back to a base camp. NPS staff later asked the individual to hand over the satellite device, which he declined to do, allegedly to hold onto it for the rest of the planned descent, and rangers also suspected messages were deleted off the device that would incriminate the individual. In a plea deal last month, the individual pleaded guilty to violating a lawful order of a government employee, while charges of interfering with a rescue operations and making a false report were dismissed. The individual received a five-year ban from Denali, and will pay a $5,000 fine and $5,000 in a donation to Denali Rescue Volunteers. Source: Anchorage Daily News
On May 17, a 43-year-old climber fell through a weak ice bridge into a crevasse at the base of Mount Hunter's North Buttress. A teammate of the victim notified mountaineering rangers at the Kahiltna Basecamp, who skied to the site of the accident. One ranger rappelled into the crevasse as deep as possible and found that the ice bridge had filled the narrow crevasse with a large volume of snow and ice about 80 feet below the glacier surface, impeding the ranger from descending further. The climber is presumed dead due to the fall distance and the amount of snow and ice in the crevasse, and NPS staff will investigate whether or not a body recovery is possible. Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Denali National Park June 15, 2022 On June 3, a 48-year-old climber collapsed at 19,700 feet on the plateau known as "the Football Field" during a guided 12-person summit climb. Guides who were with the individual immediately started CPR, but the individual never regained a pulse and was pronounced dead on the scene. The cause of death is unknown, "but consistent with sudden cardiac arrest." The guides assisted in the body recovery, which was completed using a helicopter and short haul basket. It is the third death on the mountain in a month. Source: Denali National Park, USA Today July 13, 2022 On June 12, a member of a climbing party used a satellite communication device to call for help for another individual in the party, who was injured about a half-mile from High Camp. A ranger stabilized the patient. Due to weather created by the East Fork Fire, the NPS requested assistance from the Alaska Air National Guard. The National Guard helicopter was able to guide an NPS helicopter through the weather patterns. An on-scene ranger team was able to utilize a litter and ropes to lower the patient to a landing site, and the NPS helicopter was able to retrieve the patient. The patient was flown to Talkeetna airport, then transferred to a civilian medevac helicopter, which brought the patient to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. Source: Air National Guard July 13, 2022 On July 3, the Yentna Fire was discovered burning south of the terminus of the Yentna Glacier on the east side of the East Fork Yentna River. As of July 6, it was about seven acres. The cause was still undetermined, but suspected to be lightning. It is burning in a "Limited Fire Management Option" area of the park, so it will be monitored unless it is deemed that personnel are needed. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve On July 7, the Starr Fire was discovered burning on the east side of the Muddy River, about 40 miles northwest of Kantishna. As of July 12, it was estimated at 87 acres. It was caused by lightning. Two Fire Boss aircraft and a rotor wing were used to drop buckets, and eight smoke jumpers are on site to suppress the fire and protect allotments in the area. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Wildland Fire Information
Structure protection tasks have been completed for the Starr Fire and fire managers continue to monitor and assess activity by air. As of July 22, it is 205 acres and smoldering with no fire growth. There are six other fires in the region, just outside the park, that are combined with the Starr Fire to be called the Paradise Complex. All of those fires are smoldering and not showing any new growth. Source: Alaska Fire Information
On May 4, a visitor reported to the park's kennels that they had witnessed a skier trigger an avalanche on an unnamed slope south of Jenny Creek and East of Savage River. The skier was observed to be alone. NPS staff responded and found an unoccupied truck at the Mile 11 pullout. A ranger used a spotting scope to look for survivors in the area where the avalanche occurred. Two skis, one vertical, one lying flat on the surface, as well as an orange bag, were observed in a debris field in the avalanche area. Mountaineering rangers were brought to the scene via the park's contracted helicopter. After an aerial reconnaissance, they set up a short-haul for two staff to land at the scene. The skier was found deceased and identified as a member of the Alaska Regional Communications Center (Denali Dispatch). Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
At 5am on May 5, two individuals, ages 32 and 34, sent a message to a friend via satellite device, indicating they were going to climb the West Ridge route of the Moose's Tooth. On May 7, the friend called the park because they had not heard from the party since that initial message. An initial search found the party's tent unattended, with ski tracks leading to the base of the climb. They found the climbers' skis cached at the base where they had switched to crampons for the ascent. Their boot tracks continued up the West Ridge to the site of a recent, small slab avalanche. No other tracks were found. An aerial search on May 8 focused on the highly crevassed runout zone. As of May 9, two ice axes and a helmet were sighted from the air in the fall zone. Ground searches "will be limited due to crevasse danger and overhead hazards." Source: Denali National Park and Preserve (5/8, 5/9)
On May 19, a 24-year-old was climbing the West Buttress route just above a fixed line at 16,200 feet when they took a fall. They fell over 1,000 feet. The individual's climbing partner saw the fall occur, but couldn't see where the individual came to rest. The following day, NPS staff responded and a helicopter transferred the individual to a hospital. Source: Anchorage Daily News On May 21, two climbers got stuck on Peak 11,300 on the West Fork of the Ruth Glacier. They incurred damaged ropes, lost gear, and minor injuries. They utilized a satellite device to request help. Due to inclement weather, rescuers were not able to get to them that evening. The following morning, an NPS helicopter launched, and rescuers were able to conduct a short-haul rescue to rescue both climbers from a steep face and bring them to a staging site for assessment. The two climbers were then flown to Talkeetna. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
The two climbers who recently went missing off Moose's Tooth (see 5/10/23 Coalition Report) are believed to be deceased. Evidence suggested the two individuals had been carried by a small slab avalanche onto a heavily crevassed glacier. Due to the severity of the terrain, sub-freezing temperatures, and duration of time passed, survival is no longer considered a possibility. The individuals' bodies have not been found. The park will continue the aerial search for signs of the two over the coming months. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
On August 9, a Piper PA-18 Super Cub aircraft that was transporting hunters in the park was reported overdue. The National Guard's Rescue Coordination Center initiated a search based on locator beacon coordinates, but the search aircraft had to turn around due to bad weather. That evening, a crew with the 176th Wing of the Alaska National Guard located the wreckage "in a narrow ravine" in the southwest preserve area of the park. They were unable to land at the accident site due to the steep terrain, but they observed that "survivability of the crash was unlikely." A flight the following morning (Aug 10) confirmed the wreckage belonged to that aircraft and searched for survivors (none were found). That afternoon (Aug 10), two NPS mountaineering rangers were flown to the site to assess the conditions for the use of a short-haul technique, which was deemed too hazardous. While the assessment was in progress, Alaska State Troopers received word that a hunter was stranded at a remote airstrip outside the southern border of the preserve because their pilot had failed to arrive to pick them up. The hunter communicated to friends utilizing satellite device. The stranded hunter was picked up and provided further details about the crash: the pilot had been transporting another hunter in their party to Dillinger River airstrip and was supposed to return to pick them up, but never arrived. Based on investigation, it appears the plane never reached Dillinger airstrip. On August 11, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator and NPS staff landed on a tundra plateau above the crash site ravine. The NTSB investigator utilized a drone to collect imagery of the wreckage and further assess the terrain. Upon review of the imagery, several overflights, and testing experimental procedures, the NPS, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center have determined that a recovery of the individuals' bodies and aircraft is too high of a risk for responders at this time. In the future, when the river's volume is lower or frozen, allowing the site to be accessed on foot, a recovery may be possible. Source: Anchorage Daily News, Denali National Park and Preserve (8/12, 8/21)
On August 5, the Clear Creek Fire (#277) was identified. As of August 16, the fire was 52,966 acres. Approximately 1,000 acres are within the northern boundary of Denali, along the Toklat River and the rocky ridges to its west. Based on weather and current fire behavior, the fire is not expected to grow. The fire is currently in "monitor status." Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Interagency Coordination Center
On August 5, the Clear Creek Fire (#277) was identified. As of August 16, the fire was 52,966 acres. Approximately 1,000 acres are within the northern boundary of Denali, along the Toklat River and the rocky ridges to its west. Based on weather and current fire behavior, the fire is not expected to grow. The fire is currently in "monitor status." Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Interagency Coordination Center
On August 28, the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the plane crash that killed two people on August 9 (see 8/23/23 Coalition Report). No new significant details have been released since the last Coalition Report. The full preliminary report can be found here. Source: Alaska News Source
On February 21, a federal judge accepted a plea agreement from two individuals for a misdemeanor count of unlawful transport of illegally taken wildlife, related to an incident in Denali in September 2021. The two individuals, both now 42-years-old, were hunting in the Dry Creek area when one shot and killed a bull moose inside the park boundary. It is prohibited in the national park part of Denali and allowed in the preserve areas. The individuals salvaged some of the meat and took the skull outside the park boundary to prepare it for a mount. Three other groups of hunters reported the illegal kill to park officials. Park staff instructed the individuals to pack the moose out, as required by law, but they did not comply. They stated that they attempted to, but were confronted by another hunter and then decided to leave when they found that bears had disturbed the carcass. The two individuals were sentenced with a four-year global ban on hunting, four years of probation, and a total of $20,000 fines and park restitution fees. Source: Anchorage Daily News
On April 25, two individuals, aged 52 and 30, were climbing on-rope up Mt. Johnson, a route of mixed rock, ice, and snow. The pair fell about 1,000 feet. Another climbing party on the peak witnessed the fall and notified park staff. The party then descended to the fallen climbers and found the 52-year-old deceased. The party tended to the injuries of the other individual and kept them warm through the night. The following morning, the park's high altitude helicopter and two mountaineering rangers utilized a short-haul rescue to extract the individual. They were taken to Talkeetna, then flown to an Anchorage hospital for advanced medical care. Deteriorating weather prevented recovery of the deceased individual the same day. The following morning, April 27, the helicopter and rangers were able to return to recover the deceased individual. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
On May 16, an individual in their "mid-40s" was climbing solo on the West Buttress Route when they took a fall on the Denali Pass traverse. On May 19, a concerned family member contacted the park to let them know they had not heard from the climber for several days. They previously had been regularly checking in by a satellite device. Mountaineering rangers located the climber's empty tent at the top of the 16,200-foot-ridge. They also interviewed other climbing parties, who had witnessed the individual traversing from "the 17,200 feet plateau" to Denali Pass on May 15. Other park staff were able to collect location data from the individual's satellite data, which showed that their location at 17,000 feet had not changed since May 16. On May 20, as weather cleared, NPS staff located the individual while using a spotting scope to search the area of the probable fall location. They then traveled to the site, where they confirmed that the individual was deceased. They secured the individual in-place and returned to High Camp. Later that day, a helicopter was able to recover the individual's body by utilizing a long line short-haul on a helicopter. The individual's body was transferred to the State Medical Examiner. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve (5/20, 5/21)
On May 20, a three-member rope team took a fall just below the feature known as Zebra Rocks, located at about 18,600 feet on the West Buttress. One of the team members incurred a lower leg injury. Park staff were notified, and the injured individual was short-hauled in a rescue basket on a helicopter to the 7,200-foot basecamp. The individual was eventually transferred to Talkeetna, then to a ground ambulance. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
A report that the park superintendent banned the flying of the American flag by contractors at a construction site within the park went viral the week of May 19. On May 24, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan sent a letter to NPS Director Chuck Sams, demanding an investigation. On May 26, the park made an official statement that they "at no time" sought to ban the American flag from the project site or associated vehicles, and that the reports are false. The press release stated that the NPS is not administering the contract, nor do they have the authority to enforce terms or policies related to the contract or contractors performing the work. It also stated that the American flag is flown in many places in the park, including park facilities, on public and private vehicles, and at employee residences. Source: CBS News, Denali National Park and Preserve
Leading up to May 28, NPS mountaineering rangers treated two individuals for frostbite injuries at the medical tent at the 14,200-foot camp for multiple days. On the 28th, the NPS helicopter was able to reach camp and evacuate the two individuals to Talkeetna. The individual with more severe injuries was transferred to a LifeMed ambulance for advanced care. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
On May 28 at 1 AM, a team of three mountaineers, ages 36, 47, and 48, sent an emergency message via satellite that indicated they were hypothermic and unable to descend from their location on the 20,310-foot summit of Denali. Rangers communicated with them until about 3:30 AM, at which point the team stated their plan to descend to "the Football Field," a flat area at 19,600 feet. After that transmission, the rangers did not hear back from the group and noted that the location of the satellite device did not change. Later that morning, variable weather prevented the park's helicopter from flying, so the park requested assistance from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. The Alaska Air National Guard launched a helicopter and spotted two of the three climbers between 19,000 and 20,000 feet shortly before noon. The third climber was located by a climbing guide near Zebra Rocks at 18,600 feet. They were suffering from severe frostbite and hypothermia. The guide and their party helped get the individual to the 17,200-foot camp and transferred care to an NPS ground team that had climbed from the 14,200-foot camp. Difficult conditions prevented safe access by helicopter throughout the day, but at 10:15 PM, the climber at 17,200-foot camp was extracted by a park helicopter, flown to Talkeetna, then transferred to a LifeMed helicopter. A private guide was able to divert "significant time" to assist and provide care for the other two individuals at the Football Field. The individuals were non-ambulatory, and the guide returned to the 17,200-foot camp that evening for his safety and the safety of his team. The two distressed individuals bivvied in a snow cave. Clouds and high winds prevented reaching the two individuals by ground or air on May 29 and 30. The night of May 30, the park helicopter was able to drop a duffle bag of survival gear near the snow cave. One of the climbers was able to wave at the helicopter, but high winds prevented rescue. The morning of May 31, the park helicopter was able to complete a short-haul line rescue for one of the individuals. They reported that the other individual had passed away two days prior. The surviving patient was flown to the 7,200-foot Kahiltna Basecamp, evacuated to the Talkeetna State Airport, then transferred to a LifeMed air ambulance for advanced care. That evening, the deceased individual's body was recovered via short-haul with support from a ground team of mountaineering rangers. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve (5/29, 5/30, 5/31, 6/1)
On May 29, the Federal Highway Administration released a statement about the flag-flying incident that went viral the week of May 19 (see 5/29/24 Coalition Report). The statement said that the NPS had relayed a visitor complaint about the noise a bridge worker's vehicle-mounted flag was making while driving on Park Road. The FHWA asked the bridge contractor, Granite Construction, to remove the vehicle's flag on May 16, in alignment with the project's goals of preserving the park's natural elements and keeping a low profile in the eyes of visitors. On June 3, the NPS released a statement that a park employee had notified staff at the FHWA without authorization and without the superintendent's knowledge. The statement iterates that the park has taken "corrective actions to ensure future park and project communications follow proper procedures." Source: Alaska Public Media (5/30, 6/3)
On June 21, the Foraker Fire was discovered burning near the Foraker River drainage on the south side of the Alaska Range. It was believed to have started with a lightning strike. On June 22, the fire entered park boundaries. As of June 24, the fire was five acres. The fire is being monitored. There currently are no "identified values" designated for protection. Source: Alaska News Source, Alaska Wildland Fire Information
On June 21, the Foraker Fire was discovered burning near the Foraker River drainage on the south side of the Alaska Range. It was believed to have started with a lightning strike. On June 22, the fire entered park boundaries. As of June 24, the fire was five acres. The fire is being monitored. There currently are no "identified values" designated for protection. Source: Alaska News Source, Alaska Wildland Fire Information On June 27, the Grizzly Fire and East Toklat Fire were discovered, both believed to be lightning-caused. The Grizzly Fire was estimated at 1,158 acres and the East Toklat Fire at 20 acres. Both fires are being monitored with support from the Bureau of Land Management - Alaska Fire Service. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve On June 30, the Riley Fire started one mile north of the park's entrance. The park closed that afternoon and visitors and park staff were evacuated. As of July 8, the fire was 31% contained at 432 acres. On July 6, residents of the Campus Housing area of the park were allowed to return to their homes. The park was expected to reopen on July 10. Riley Creek Campground and Day Use Area and the Horseshoe Lake Trail remained closed due to firefighting activities. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Anchorage Daily News
On July 12, a flightseeing tour lost power and was forced to make a landing adjacent to the Tokositna Glacier. The plane had nine people on board, including the pilot. No injuries were reported. It landed in an area of "thick alder bushes" near the toe of the glacier, near Mt. Goldie. An NPS helicopter was able to land nearby and shuttle the pilot and passengers to a flat area on a gravel bar at the base of the glacier. An HH-60 helicopter from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, an R44 helicopter from Talkeetna Air Taxi, and the park's A-Star helicopter were able to transport the group to Talkeetna, Alaska. Emergency medical personnel met the group in Talkeetna, and all declined medical treatment. The park is working with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate and remove the airplane from the site. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve
On June 21, the Foraker Fire was discovered burning near the Foraker River drainage on the south side of the Alaska Range. It was believed to have started with a lightning strike. On June 22, the fire entered park boundaries. As of July 8, the fire was estimated at 5,873 acres. The fire is being monitored. There currently are no "identified values" designated for protection. Source: Alaska News Source, Alaska Wildland Fire Information On June 27, the Grizzly Fire was discovered, believed to be lightning-caused. As of July 11, the Grizzly Fire was believed to be 32,196 acres. The fire is being monitored with support from the Bureau of Land Management - Alaska Fire Service. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Wildland Fire Information On June 30, the Riley Fire started one mile north of the park's entrance. The park closed that afternoon and visitors and park staff were evacuated. On July 6, residents of the Campus Housing area of the park were allowed to return to their homes. On July 10, the park reopened. As of July 14, it was 436 acres and 100% contained. The Horseshoe Lake Trail and Mount Healy Overlook Trail reopened on July 14, while the Riley Creek Campground and Day Use Area reopened on July 15. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Anchorage Daily News
On June 21, the Foraker Fire was discovered burning near the Foraker River drainage on the south side of the Alaska Range. It was believed to have started with a lightning strike. On June 22, the fire entered park boundaries. As of July 20, the fire was estimated at 5,905 acres. The fire is being monitored. There currently are no "identified values" designated for protection. Source: Alaska News Source, Alaska Wildland Fire Information On June 27, the Grizzly Fire was discovered, believed to be lightning-caused. As of July 31, the Grizzly Fire was believed to be 38,265 acres. The fire is being monitored with support from the Bureau of Land Management - Alaska Fire Service. Source: Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska Wildland Fire Information | |