Mountain Trip lead guide Sean McManamy called in with an update on the June 15 Denali West Buttress expedition, currently camped at 11,200′. The team awoke to about six inches of fresh snow outside of their tent and fairly cloudy weather. 11-Camp typically receives a good amount of snow as it is positioned right in the cloud layer, and near where low-pressure systems move over Kahiltna Pass into the Alaska Range from the North.
Sean said that the team would spend the day making their cache at around 10,500′, at the top of Squirrel Hill and Motorcycle Hill, around Windy Corner. Caching their additional supplies, by burying them beneath the snow and marking them. Items that they frequently cache include food for the descent, extra clothing and books that they’ve already read during prior weather days.
Weather permitting, the team will soon make the move up to 14,200′, Camp 3. The team will take at least one day at 14,000′ to rest, acclimate to the higher elevation and prepare to head up the fixed lines to High Camp.
Here’s Sean with the update: