Denali Photos

These are the photos from this years Denali trip. This was my third trip to Denali and one of my most successful. After a one day delay flying onto the glacier everything else went perfect. We summited on day 13. This was certainly the strongest team I have had on Denali, and a fun group of people to spend two weeks with.

This photo was shot on my first trip to the Alaska Range on a climb of Mt. Foraker. This is also the photo that I have sold the most copies of thanks in part to Denali Images Gallery in Talkeetna who have sold a lot of these for me. You can have your very own copy by ordering from here. That one won't have the route drawn all over it.

Crevasses from the plane.
Vaibhav on the flight in.
Kahiltan base camp and the ski equiped Otter that landed us there.
Ray.
Richard and Mary's rope teams just behind us.
A couple guys dragging sleds.
A snow sluff caused by warm temperatures.
A rope team ahead of us.
Two climbers on the lower Kahiltna Glacier.
AAI guide Mary Harlan.
Ascending Ski Hill.
7800 ft camp from the top of Ski Hill.
Camp at 7800 ft.
Richard at 7800ft.
Avalanche.
Ski hill

Pat taking a break.
Two climbers at Kahiltna Pass
Icefall below 11 camp.


Moving toward camp at 11,200 just above Kahiltna Pass.
Almost there.
The final few steps into camp at 11,200ft.
My good friend Ray.
Camp at 11,200ft.
Clouds signaling unstable weather while at 11 camp.
Two skier descend toward Kahiltna Pass.
Tony and Pat enjoy the beautiful weather.
Brian at the top of Motorcycle hill in high winds.
A cup of coffee and a sunset at 11 camp.
Richard and Mary enjoy the evening.
Richard and Mary enjoy the evening.
Seracs near 11 camp.
A campsite at 11,200ft.
Late evening light on Mt. Foraker and Kahiltna Dome.
Nearing the top of Motorcycle Hill.
Starting the climb out of 11,200ft camp with Kahiltna Dome, Mt. Crosson and Mt. Foraker in the background.
A very windy carry day.
Clouds spill over Kahiltna Pass from the north side of the range.
Richard and his rope team on Motorcycle Hill
Richard at the top of Motorcycle Hill.
Another team moving through Windy Corner in perfect weather.
AC Sherpa
Brian
Vaibhav, Brian, and AC Sherpa below 14 camp.
Angela
AAI Guides Angela and Mike.
Pat and Tony at the Edge of the World.
14,200ft camp with Mt. Hunter in the background.
Same as above.
14,200ft camp shot from half way up the fixed lines.
Park service helicopter at 14,200ft.
Vaibhav, Juan, and AC Sherpa on the ridge below me.
Vaibhav, Juan, and AC Sherpa on the ridge below me.
Richard on the ridge.
Tony on the ridge.
Richard leading on the ridge.
Juan and Vaibhav on the ridge.
AC Sherpa at the top of the fixed lines.
On the ridge near 17 camp.
What is unusual about this photo? Helicopters apparently can fly at over 17,000ft.
Richard in the tent.
Me.
Juan
Mt. Foraker from 17 camp.
17 camp.
17 camp.
Me calling in the dispatches, or talking to my lovely wife.
Me.
Two climbers taking in the view of Mt. Hunter.
Mt. Foraker from 17 camp.
Solo climber above Washburn's Thumb.
Climbers and Washburn's Thumb
Killing time at 17,000ft.
Juan

Seracs.
Clouds at Windy Corner.
Climbers on the ridge above Washburn's thumb.
Climbers on the ridge below 17 camp.

Richard at 17 camp.
Richard.... Looking a little wasted.
Sun shining through snow wall protecting the camp.
The team returning to 17 camp from the summit.
Clouds over Mt. Foraker.
The team coming down from the summit.
Decsending the Autobahn.

The team just below 14 camp on the way down.

A rope team above Kahiltna Base. Ash from the Mt. Spur eruption is clearly visible on the glacier in this photo. Crevasses on the flight out.

An Alaska Road Trip.

Susan and I drove to the Arctic Circle yesterday.

Denali National Park.
Denali State Park. Just south of the Alaska Range.

The Arctic Circle. A really long drive north.

Other sites along the way...

Wolf

Caribou





Momma Bear

Babies

Willow Ptarmigan

Rainer Crevase Fall a Few Years Ago

I have told several people about this accident I had on Mt. Rainier a few years ago and I don't believe the story can be told correctly without the photos shot by one of the people on my rope team. There are before and after photos of the crevasse that I fell into. The first photo shows another rope team ahead of us on the glacier. The location of the highest climber is about where I was when the collapse happened.
This second photo is the same shot a few seconds later.
The next three photos are of immediately after the collapse. I was standing just about where the guy in red at the top of the crevasse is. I was pulled backwards into the hole and hit the bottom of the crevasse. It was about 50ft from where you can see to the bottom.


rI walked away relatively ok. A few broken ribs, and a few broken teeth. I hope to not have this experience again.

Obviously these are not my photos. They were shot by one of my clients. Unfortunately I can not credit him because I don't have his contact info any more.

Summer in Seattle.

To celebrate the return of summer (and fat people carried by cruise ships) to Seattle I decided to post a couple of pictures of cruise ships in our ports. If only they would stop pumping their shit into the ocean I would have no problem with them.

Climbing at Index

Yesterday was one of those days when I truly love living in Seattle. An early morning start, a few pitches of climbing on some of the best rock anywhere, and back to the city by 3 to do some work in the yard. To cap it all off we had some margaritas in the evening. Photos from yesterday...

Fishermans Terminal

An evening at Fishermans Terminal.

Long Lost Photo

I was just revisiting some photos I shot in December and I found this one. A quick run through Photoshop and this is the result.

Photos from the Malyszek climbing trip.

A Month in Red Rocks.

I just got back to Seattle after spending five weeks in Red Rocks. One might ask what a person does for five weeks in Red Rocks. Well, I spent last night compiling a list....

Multipitch stuff:
Levitation 29
Cloud Tower
Birdland
Dark Shadows
Running Amuck
Unimpeachable Groping
Cat in the Hat
Wholesome Fullback
Frogland
Our Father
Epinephrine
Challenger
Slot Machine to Lost Shadows to Edge Dressing
The Gobbler
Sour Mash
Risky Business to Dark Shadows
1/2 of Resolution Arete

Sport and single pitch:
Burros Might Fly 5.10c
Burros Dont Gamble 5.10b
757 2x4
Choad Warrior 5.12a
Fionacci Wall 5.11d
Giuoco Piano 5.11c
Caustic 5.11b
Baseboy Direct 5.11a
Save the Heart to Eat Later 5.12a
Baseboy 5.10d
Glitter Gulch 5.11a
Slave to the Grind 5.11b

In addition I spend a day hiking up Mt. Wilson the easy way.

I am still sorting through photos but I should have a bunch more up soon.

Yesterday was an amazing day. I usually don't enjoy spending all day in the car, but I had to get from Boise to Las Vegas. What should be a 8 hour drive turned into a 11 hour drive. I shot many photos along the way and saw an amazing amount of birds along the way. I spoke to several people last week who all claimed that the drive on Highway 93 was boring. I have never found it boring. Although somewhat desolate, it is anything but boring. Even the small towns have some charm (in kind of a you should get the hell out of here before someone murders you sort of way). My goal for yesterday was to get everything I could out of an 8 hour drive on a "boring" road. With a couple of good photos, a lot of interesting birds, and having to have my car tugged out of a muddy ditch by a local rancher, I think I accomplished my goal. Yesterday was a reminder to avoid the interstate system in this country at all costs.

Some Black and whites

We spent a little time today driving around Boise. Too bad Boise was kind of boring. So we went to the art museum. Yes that's right I went to an art museum. It sucked. I guess I am not cultured enough to understand art. The only saving grace was the Ansel Adams Early Years exhibit. It was pretty inspiring. With all the new inspiration we left the museum to shoot some photos. Unfortunately the museum was surrounded by crazy people blaming Obama for the current financial crisis, and complaining about national debt. I guess they don't remember the money spent on wars in the last few years, or that the financial crisis was started a long time before Obama entered office. Luckily a thousand dipshits surrounding my car provided me with some photo oportunities, and did not prevent me from shooting photos of real subjects just outside of Boise a little later in the day.

Anytime I see this after leaving a building it makes me a little nervous. Although the first thought was run, I decided to play it cool and just keep walking.

Ha! and there I was thinking the cops were scary.


Dam!Oooooooohhhhhh, Alasdair does abstract art.

A power house outside of Boise.

Climbing Photos from Red Rocks.

Here are some random photos of the last several weeks here in Red Rocks. Its been great so far.

Hiking the Red Rocks canyons.

These are photos from a hike up Oak Creek Canyon in Red Rocks with Sarah, Connan, and Sanja.

Sarah likes working for Starbucks so much she is checking work email even while camping in the desert.

Connan hiking some polished rocks.

It was very warm so Sarah decided to fall in the creek.

Sanja.

Connan

Sanja resting by Sarah's "swimming pool".

Sanja on the "trail".

Connan hiking.
Sarah hiking.
Those are some white legs. Are you guys from Seattle?

Using Your Camera in Cold Weather and Extreme Environments.

This is an article I wrote a few months ago for AAI's newsletter. I figured I should probably put it on my own blog also.


As a guide who always carries a camera, I am often asked about cameras on climbing trips and whether it is a good idea. My answer to that is always YES! Bring along your camera! The results are often amazing.

Four climbers and a crow fighting heavy winds below the summit of Mt. Baker. I almost
left my camera in the tent the day I shot this and ducked back in and got it at the last minute.

There is a wealth of information on outdoor camera use already available on the internet, but much of it does not apply to taking cameras up mountains where conditions are considerably more severe than what the internet articles are presuming. The information in this article is my personal opinion. It's a description of what has worked for me over the last twenty years of shooting outdoor photographs, including six climbing trips to Alaska in which I have never had a camera failure.

Point and Shoot vs SLR

A point and shoot camera is lightweight and easy to carry and cheaper; a single lense reflex (SLR) is bulky and heavy and expensive. Most people I know use point and shoot cameras, and for most people they are the best option. I carry a Nikon SLR with a multi purpose zoom lens (and sometimes a tripod), because it allows me more freedom to shoot the exact photo I want. The debate here goes on forever all across cyberspace. For more information on this subject, you can just Google it.

Denali as seen from the flight into base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier.

How to Carry Your Camera

Carrying is easy with a point and shoot type camera, because it fits nicely in a pocket; however, I recommend a small camera case that fits on the shoulder strap of a backpack. This keeps the camera close by for quick use and outside clothing so there are no potential moisture issues.

For a large SLR I sometimes will keep the camera in my pack to protect it, but most of the time my camera hangs on the hip belt of my backpack. This allows me to get to the camera quickly, but can be a bit annoying when I am on more technical terrain. Another option that I have seen with SLR cameras is to hang it between the shoulder straps so it is right in front of you. From a comfort perspective this is not my favorite option, but you should try several different things to see what works best for you.

Cold Weather Camera Use

One of the most common myths I hear about camera use in the mountains is that the new digital cameras don't work in the cold. I have never seen a camera that does not work in the cold. The working temperature range for most electronics is well below the temperatures you are likely to encounter in the mountains. So your camera will still work. There are however some parts of your camera that could be less likely to work in very cold weather, so if you are going to Denali, keep reading; if not, you can skip to the next section.

Very cold temperatures do effect some non essential parts of a camera directly and other parts indirectly. One example is the LCD screen on the back of a camera. These can freeze at low temperatures, or just not work quite right, so you can't depend on that. Get yourself a camera with a view finder so you can see what you are shooting photos of. In VERY cold and dry conditions, even an eyepiece viewfinder can be a problem. On one trip I did to the Alaska Range, every time I held my camera up to my eye, my viewfinder fogged from the moisture near my body. These were the coldest temperatures I have ever encountered, and it is not likely that you will see these types of conditions. To put it simply, your camera is actually better suited to working in the cold than it is in extreme heat. On hot sunny days, don't leave your camera in the car. The batteries are another story that we will discuss next.

This photo shot from the summit of Mt. Crosson was shot in temperatures close to -40 degrees.

The problems most people encounter with their camera in cold weather are only indirectly related to the cold weather and can be avoided by a few simple rules. This brings us to the second most common myth of cameras in the cold. I often hear people say they keep their camera in their jacket so it stays warm. This works great with water bottles, but is not a good thing to do with a camera. Picture a man with glasses walking into a warm room after having been outside in cold weather. Glasses fog, and so will a camera the second you put it back in your warm jacket. As long as it is dry outside, keep it outside. Cold is not your cameras enemy, changes in temperature are. This moisture problem applies to the inside of your tent as well. Tents can be very moist. I keep my camera in my backpack out of the tent at night and hanging on the outside of my backpack when I am moving during the day.

Batteries

Your camera won't have any problems in the cold, but your batteries might. Batteries do not loose their power in cold weather; they are just not able to give quite as much of it up. So as soon as a battery is warmed up, it is good again. Older metal hydride and nickel cadmium batteries are not very good in cold weather. Battery technology is advancing very fast, and this has been a great thing for digital cameras. Most new camera batteries are Lithium ion. They are expensive, but they work well in the cold. If you camera uses over-the-counter AA or AAA, buy the more expensive lithium ion batteries. They will last twice as long and save you money in the long run.

If you don't want your camera to die on summit day, spend some time learning how long your batteries last. I know that given normal temperatures I can shoot all the photos I want with my Nikon SLR and spend a lot of time reviewing them and not run out of battery power for any trip three weeks or less. I carry two extra batteries just in case on Denali, and almost never carry an extra for any other trip. I have never run out of batteries with this system, but cameras vary. You should know about how many photos your camera can shoot on one battery and then subtract 30% to know what you might get in cold weather.

Tree in the snow on Mt. Baker, Washington.

Moisture

The only time I leave my camera at home is in very rainy weather, for example, the Cascades in early spring. Moisture probably won't completely kill your camera, but it might. Keep your camera in a plastic bag if it is raining. Skip the photo sessions, since they probably won't be great photos anyway. I always try to think about where the most moisture is and keep my camera somewhere else. I keep my camera in the tent when I am in wet climates and outside the tent when I am in Alaska.  Remember,  snow is not the same as rain.  It is a lot easier to keep a camera dry in the snow than the rain.  If your camera ever does get wet, immediately take the battery out and do not use it for the rest of the trip. Attempt to dry it out as soon as possible by leaving it in the sun or some other warm (not hot) area. I have heard of some people putting their electronics in an oven to dry them out, but I don't suggest you try this. I just had an amusing email from a fellow guide asking for everyone's phone numbers after cooking his phone in the oven and losing all the data. Heat is one of the primary enemies of electronics.

Camera Use

The most important thing about having a camera in the mountains is using it. The best thing about shooting digital photos is that it does not cost you any more to shoot more photos. You won't automatically get better photos because you shoot more on a given trip, but if you consistently take a good quantity, two things will happen. You'll accelerate your learning of what works and what doesn't work in creating quality images, and if it becomes automatic to be taking photos throughout the day or throughout a climb, you are unlikely to miss great photographic opportunities - many of which are only there briefly. Shoot away!

Red Rocks Storm

There are not many things quite as beautiful as a storm in the desert. I shot this photo last weekend at the Red Rocks Rendezvous just prior to a storm. This storm put a damper on some of the Sunday clinics and classes.

Levitation 29

I have been here in Las Vegas area for almost a week now and today and yesterday were my first days of real climbing. I am at a coffee shop looking at some photos of todays climb of Levitaion 29. None of them are very good, but what the hell I figured I would upload a few anyway.

Blake demonstrating how not to climb the crux by laybacking an 5.11c fist crack.

Blake on 5.11 moves just below the crux.



Blake on Pitch2.

I just spent a few days on a Denali prep course in the Mt. Baker backcountry. We had a few days of amazing weather followed by a day of complete crap weather, but it all made for a great training for Denali.

The full moon made for nice photos of Mount Baker at night.





Forrest was happy to go ski things that had nice light on them so I could shoot some photos of him.


Here Forrest is skiing a nice ridge of crappy wind crust. At least it looks good.


Mt. Shucksan

Mt. Baker

Ice Climbing with Ade.

Climbed today. Here are a few photos.

Snowing in Seattle Again.

In honor of waking up to snow again this morning. I am posting a bunch of photos I should have posted a month ago. These were all shot on the street in front of my house.

Phinney Art Walk

So I entered the Phinney Art Walk again this year. The Phinney Art Walk is an annual event that attracts lots of people from around Seattle. I did this last year and had a really good time. I don't know if I will be in it yet, but here are the five photos I entered. Additional information can be found here.
http://www.greenwoodphinneyartwalk.com/