MOUNTAINEERING -- A massive avalanche and the potential for more of the same forced to Idaho climbers to call for a helicopter rescue this week as they aborted their attempt to climb and Alaska mountain. Following is the story from the Fairbanks News-Miner:
Idaho climbers rescued after avalanche in Denali National Park and PreserveFAIRBANKS—Two mountain climbers were evacuated safely by helicopter Monday evening after triggering an avalanche on Mount Dickey in Denali National Park and Preserve.
Mount Dickey is a technical climb about 15 miles southeast of the Mount McKinley base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier.
Climbers Michael Wachs, 24, and Saxon Spellman, 27, both of Idaho, were 7,500 feet up the west face of the 9,545-foot mountain on Monday when they triggered, but were not caught in, an avalanche, according to a news release from the National Park Service. Neither climber was injured, but the slide cut off safe routes down the mountain.
The two waved their hands and caught the attention of an air taxi pilot. They had stamped the letters "SOS," which represent a distress call, in the snow. The two also activated SPOT satellite tracking beacons to call for help.
At about 6:30 p.m., the Talkeetna-based National Park Service's mountaineering rangers responded by sending the high altitude A-Star B3e helicopter, which landed on a flat section of the peak near the stranded climbers. The helicopter crew picked up the climbers and was back in Talkeetna within two hours, Talkeetna-based Park Service spokeswoman Maureen Gualtieri said.
Several feet of snow fell over the weekend in the Alaska Range and high winds swept through the area. Park Service rangers spotted widespread avalanches in the Ruth and Kahiltna glacier areas in the last few days. Mountaineering rangers are reporting daily updates on conditions online at nps.gov/dena/mountainblog.htm .
No other climbers were seen on Mount Dickey on Monday. There were 134 climbers on Mount McKinley on Monday, according to the Park Service blog.
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