Overcast day at the Ruth Gorge. Picture taken

3/27/10

Conditions of the Alaska Range in the Ruth, Tokositna, and Kahiltna areas:
A dry winter with relatively low snow accumulations especially from ten thousand on up. Most of the glaciers have six to eight feet of snow over the fall neve much if this coming from the wind releasing it from the higher peaks. There have been a few major events both in Junary and March from the north and easterly directions. The range saw cold conditions in November but have been relatively mild(-20F to 20F ) At the moment most of the snow is either packed wind blown snow or dry sugar and some pockets of powder. The only climb completed as of late March is Ham and Eggs and was reported in fair condition for March. The freeze thaw cycle on Ham and Eggs and Shaken has begun but the route is still more snow than ice.

Paul Roderick/TAT

mooses tooth

Current Mooses Tooth photo

By Talkeetna Air Taxi

Glacier conditions update on the Tok

A group just returned from the Tokositna glacier today.
They reported that the snow conditions were good to great on the glacier heading up to the West Face Couloir of Mt. Huntington.

Stay Tuned for up to date conditions in the Alaska Range

2010 Iditarod

Tokotna Checkpoint, the dogs are raring to go.















McGrath checkpoint where some dogs can bed down in some nice hay.


























Lance Mackey heading into Nome to win his 4th Iditarod!!

Neal does the Moose Tooth in March 2010

Root Canal Report: Per Neal Spradlin March 22, 2010: There was a lot of snow on the route at first, packed it down as I went. The Steep ice sections have great ice. Lower portions are a mixture of snow and ice, more specifically, crust on top of rotten snow on top of brittle ice... Lot's of sunshine. pictures to come soon

VOTED BEST DRESSED DOG TEAM ! Is it Coco Channel ?

Dee Dee Jonroe and her well dressed dog team.

Flying and Climbing Mt McKinley is for the old and the young

Pilot-in-Training (India flying IFR)









India skiing the Iditarod Trail...












Tatum heading out to climb Denali. Who needs an air service?

Kichatna Spires

Februaury 3rd....an incredible day to wind our way through the Kichatna Spires! After completing a fuel drop for the Iron Dog in both Rainy Pass and Rohn we were rewarded for our efforts with amazing lighting in the Alaska Range.

Photo by Paul Roderick

Alpenglow Mt. McKinley and Japanese Adventurers

Masatoshi Kuriaki points out his next objective: Mt. Hunter. He plans to stay out as long as March 2nd... wow.

Norio is with Masa in this photo, Talkeetna Air Taxi dropped him off at the Ruth Glacier where he plans to stay until March 4th to capture Northern Lights photo's with Denali as the background. We flew aerials before he went to the glacier and he captured this lovely image of Mt. McKinley with a blue moon behind...