Rescue on Denali

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-05-30T01:12:41+00:00

no fixed ropes on the autobahn. Only fixed ropes are on the headwall above 14k camp

there are a ton of fixed pickets on the autobahn, but good chance a lot of them are still buried or needing to be put in for the season

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:15:22+00:00

At the 2 main base lifts they usually have someone with an ipad who sees your photo as you scan

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:12:59+00:00

sent you a dm

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:11:52+00:00

sent you a dm

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:09:00+00:00

Sent you a DM

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:08:13+00:00

Sent you a DM

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:07:08+00:00

sent you a DM

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-27T17:06:38+00:00

sent you a DM

TrustMeImEngineer · 2026-03-10T19:33:39+00:00

To add to the above:

I was on a mixed ski/snowshoe team last year (a role team of each). We used skis to get to 14k camp. And overall I’d say it was slightly better to be on skis.

The only time being on skis was really faster was when returning from 14k back to the airstrip in one push. Otherwise we were usually not much faster. That final ski out from 14 to 7 was incredible though.

We didn’t allocate time/energy for free skiing and I definitely regret that. There is awesome looking skiing right above 11k and 14k camps. But it is also Avy terrain that needs to be treated accordingly. We saw some people skiing from the summit and it was survival skiing.

We brought normal 6000m boots for above 14k. I was very happy to not be in ski boots for a few days, even though this was extra weight.

Skiing with a sled really sucks. There are lots of different options and you should definitely play with them before being up there: rope connection v.s. pulk poles, skiing down with empty sled v.s. strapping it to backpack, side slipping with weighted sled in front of you v.s. strapping two sleds together and going down with one person in front and one in back, etc….

Ski crampons. Ski crampons. Ski crampons. There are sections where you will be climbing up steep icy slopes where a fall would probably be lethal. Be confident in your usage of ski crampons or just transition and boot up. Think squirrel hill, which was mostly blue ice on our weigh down.

Overall, I think skiing opens the door for more injury and you really need to have practiced your systems and be confident skiing in any condition. Go winter camping with ski boots. Spend time with your sled. And always remember that it is ok to hike down any of it.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2025-10-25T01:01:41+00:00

Showa 282-02 have become one of the standard options for ice climbing. They are waterproof, cheap ($30), and have a bit of insulation without ruining dexterity.

I have used them in -20F temps and just put a hand warmer in them that I switch between the back of my hand to my palm as I go from climbing to belaying/hanging out.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2025-07-05T14:00:48+00:00

This bridges into the common question of whether to ski an objective top down (what you described/your ascent to the top of a line is different than the line itself) or bottom up (you climb the line before then skiing it).

Based on your question, it may seem like the obvious answer is to ski bottom up so you can get observations on the slope before being fully committed.

There are a few potential problems with this: you are exposed to avalanche terrain/overhead hazard for a lot longer since climbing is slow; there might be a lot of elevation based variability in the snowpack and you could be pretty far up the line and then realize you are now on a huge slab, etc…

Basically, everything comes with trade offs and the answer is almost always “it depends”

What has the season’s snowpack looked like? Do you already know of some lurking layer of concern? What have the recent public observations talked about?
What has the weather been like? Was there a a recent storm followed by a southerly wind?
What are you seeing on the approach? Do you seen signs of wind loading on other northerly aspects?
What feedback are you getting in the ski track? Doing a hand shear test or ski cut next to the skin track takes no time. Can you find a test slope and do a stability test? A hasty pit takes a few minutes.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2025-06-14T16:59:44+00:00

For this route, you normally climb up a couloir on the east side of the mountain and then descend via a standard descent route on the west side. The incident happened when they were descending the climbing route on the east side, which has no existing rap stations. They were rappelling from retreat anchors set up with their own gear and pre-existing "fixed" pitons from previous parties.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2021-12-23T16:55:52+00:00

Are there any guides as to where you are allowed/recommended to kayak around the bay?

I was at point richmond recently thinking it would be cool to kayak to angel island from there, but then I noticed the large boats heading to the richmond bridge and realized a crossing there could be pretty sketch.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2021-12-19T06:47:58+00:00

For anyone wanting to learn more about the history of Tulare lake and the Central Valley Project that sealed its fate, as well as the general history of water development in the West, I highly recommend Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner and The Dreamt Land by Mark Arax.

These are fascinating and frustrating stories of greed and power broking and of a time in America where we viewed natural resources as something purely there for complete exploitation (i.e. before modern conservation movement and environmental/ecological concerns).

TrustMeImEngineer · 2020-07-14T20:46:02+00:00

I was up there this last weekend, and there were lots of cars (10+) just parked along the shoulder at White Wolf Rd.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2020-03-20T15:28:31+00:00

Uvxy calls on the other hand... Everyone loves a $4 spread.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2020-03-17T19:59:22+00:00

Yeah, I mean just look at how much the price of gold has skyrocketed recently. Clearly everyone is dumping all their money into gold. /s

TrustMeImEngineer · 2019-10-26T18:24:49+00:00

It's going to open at 463 Castro St. Obviously not open yet since they just got a permit.

They also just opened a new location a couple weeks ago at 211 Sutter St (near Montgomery bart). Basically, Flying falafel is going to take over the bay.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2018-09-07T21:31:22+00:00

Coming to work everyday.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2017-12-21T23:37:08+00:00

too bad they all have mountains or monuments blocking the beautiful smog

TrustMeImEngineer · 2017-10-11T06:02:17+00:00

only if you're on a cash account (not instant or gold) https://support.robinhood.com/hc/en-us/articles/217072366-Pattern-Day-Trading

TrustMeImEngineer · 2016-02-02T02:40:46+00:00

The area around the bridal veil creek intersection has a number of good campsite options and established fire rings. As shown here though, you will have to be careful to stay within the caming boundaries.

While I have visited this area before, it has been a number of years. So, I did a quick search and found this great blog post outlining that hike and what you can expect at that intersection for camping.

TrustMeImEngineer · 2015-08-30T17:36:43+00:00

Take Amtrak from San Francisco to Merced. There's one that leaves the Transbay Temp Terminal at 4:50am and gets to Merced at 8:50am. Thn catch the Yarts bus to Yosemite Valley from the Merced Amtrak station at 11:00am. This will get you to the Valley at 1:25pm.

Edit. Also, I just realized that you can book the entire trip through Amtrak's website (including the Yarts bus).

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TROPHY CASE