Denali: Search for overdue hikers

My thoughts have turned towards Denali because of Team Dom and I came across this...

Search for overdue hikers on Denali

Still searching.

http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/417148.html

http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/417926.html

That Cassein Ridge is a very difficult route. Hope they turn up soon.

Maddy said:

http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/417926.html

That Cassein Ridge is a very difficult route. Hope they turn up soon.

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Interesting note in that article:

"McLaughlin said each climber pays a $200 fee to the park service. Some of the money is used to educate climbers about the mountain, and some helps pay for ranger support on the mountain. The Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., pays for searches and rescues in national parks, she said."

Cassin Route

In June 2004, a few days before Frodo, Ben Baranko, and John Christiana summited the West Butt, Sue Nott and Karen McNeil were two to three days overdue on their first all women's ascent of the Cassin. They made it, but disappeared two years later on Mount Foraker.


http://climb.mountainzone.com/2005/story/cassin/

Tom Rankin said:

Interesting note in that article:

"McLaughlin said each climber pays a $200 fee to the park service. Some of the money is used to educate climbers about the mountain, and some helps pay for ranger support on the mountain. The Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., pays for searches and rescues in national parks, she said."

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I think thats the climbing permit cost - both arm and jeff were telling me that was they paid for the cost of the permit.

Dr. D - intense article about the women climbers. I remember hearing about them being lost on Foraker- forever

Fee

The fee is mostly political cover. After a few deadly years on Denali there was a public outcry that taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for these dare-devils. Logic like the comparison to what is spent on hikers, hunters and fishermen went unheard. Somehow climbers were seen as courting death.

Arguments from core climbers who said - pull back and make Denali less-hospitable, there-fore less inviting for neophytes also went unheard. Comparisons to more deadly mountains in Alaska like St. Elias, Devil's Thumb and even Hunter and Foraker also went unheard.

In the end, the fee was purely political and a compromise. Fair enough. If you want a wilderness experience, you can go elsewhere for free. If you want to tag the summit of North America with some margin of safety, you can pay the fee and have the fun. Ive done both and both have their place.

The cost comparisons of rescues for climbers and other outdoor recreation types is amazing. From memory, climbers are less than 1%.

On the main topic - I think these poor guys are unlikely to show up. It has been a very long time out in the elements.

Jeff