It has been one of those days.
Slow, accomplishing a few things, going a few places.
Glen and I went to a few gift shops late morning. We each chose a souvenir tee-shirt, as if we don't have enough tee-shirts!
At one p.m. we met our group at the Talkeetna Historical Society buildings to listen to a national park ranger. He had a name, but for now is known as "he" or "the ranger". He evidently has spent many years with the national park service. He was exceptionally knowledgeable, was an excellent presenter, all on the subject of climbing Mt. Denali.
The ranger started with preparation--from being experienced, having the correct equipment, having prepared team mates. Presently the cost to be fully equipped is about $7000.
Climbing season is mid-April to mid-July. Climbing later in the summer presents its own set of problems. Yes, the weather will be warmer but that leads to melting surfaces, melting ice, avalanches, leading to dangerous conditions. Pilots don't want to take their planes onto the rougher, rutted surfaces near base camp. Each climber is flown to base camp (7200' elevation).
Right now there are still 14 climbers on the mountain, but they will be back in a few days. Reaching the summit was difficult this year with the harsh winter conditions-- heavy snow, wind, temperatures. The success rate was only 38 percent this season. There are only 1200 climbers allowed on the mountain per season. There was one death this season. Last year the success rate was 67 percent.
Another aspect the ranger spoke of was Respect.....respect for yourself and for the mountain. The motto for the climbers is "pack it in, pack it out." Mt. Denali is designated a "no oxygen" zone, meaning no oxygen bottles are used.. The climbers must acclimate themselves to climb to 20,320'. The average trek is 17-21 days. There is to be no trash left behind. Dangers include frostbite, high altitude sickness, ice crevasses, falling, avalanches.
One of the successful climbers to reach the summit was present during the ranger's presentation. Dave Johnson, his wife, two grandchildren, and his parents were there. He completed the first successful winter ascension of Mt. Denali in 1967. 13 years ago his 11-year old son successfully reached the summit, making him the youngest male to reach the summit. Mr. Johnson is approximately 68-69 years of age and does not have one ounce of body fat on him.
The presentation was a treasure trove of imformation. We might not understand the need to climb to those heights, in those conditions, but we must always respect what they accomplish.
On more mundane matters, I did laundry this afternoon. Isn't that exciting?
Dinner's main course was provided by Evelyn and Gary. Gary grilled brats. Yum! Evelyn prepared strawberry pretzel salad/dessert. Dee made another Jello dish. We provided chips.
There is an afternoon adventure planned for Thursday. Check back.
No comments:
Post a Comment