Latest news with #TheNationalParkService
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Body of a Ski Mountaineer Who Fell 3,000 Feet on Denali Has Been Recovered
The body of a ski mountaineer who has been recovered. According to a statement from The National Park Service, 41-year-old Alex Chiu of Seattle, Washington, fell from a point on the mountain's West Buttress route called Squirrel Point. Chiu was on an expedition with two others to the Peters Glacier when the accident occurred. He was apparently un-roped at the time of the fall. After Chiu fell down the exposed cliff face, his partners attempted to find him, but weren't able to do so, despite lowering themselves over the edge as far as possible. Rescuers were deterred by high winds and snow until early Wednesday morning. 'Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body,' the Park Service wrote. Chiu's body has been moved to the local medical examiner's office. According to the Park Service, this is the second death that has occurred at the same location. The first was an un-roped French mountaineer in 2010 whose body was never recovered.
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Mt. McKinley climber's body found after plunging 3,000 feet
June 5 (UPI) -- Climber Alex Chiu's body was found Wednesday after he plunged 3,000 feet from Mt. McKinley's Squirrel Point on the mountain's West Buttress route. That point on the Alaska mountain, also known as Denali, is roughly 12,000 feet above sea level. Chiu fell Monday en route to Peters Glacier amid snow and high winds and was unroped when he fell. Others in his party saw him fall. "After witnessing the fall, the reporting party lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear Chiu," The National Park Service said. Snow and wind conditions delayed the discovery of Chiu's body. "Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search was unable to access the accident site until the early morning hours of June 4.," the NPS said in a statement. "Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body." Chiu's body was taken to the state medical examiner. In 2010, a French mountaineer who was also climbing without safety ropes fell to his death near the same location but his body was never found. NPS said 500 climbers are currently on Mt. McKinley. It is 20,000 feet high, the tallest mountain in North America. The mountain's name was Denali for generations, which means "the tall one" in the Native American Athbascan language. The name was designated McKinley in 1917, became Denali again in 2015 during the Obama administration and was changed back to McKinley by the Trump administration. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mt. McKinley climber's body found after plunging 3,000 feet
June 5 (UPI) -- Climber Alex Chiu's body was found Wednesday after he plunged 3,000 feet from Mt. McKinley's Squirrel Point on the mountain's West Buttress route. That point on the Alaska mountain, also known as Denali, is roughly 12,000 feet above sea level. Chiu fell Monday en route to Peters Glacier amid snow and high winds and was unroped when he fell. Others in his party saw him fall. "After witnessing the fall, the reporting party lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear Chiu," The National Park Service said. Snow and wind conditions delayed the discovery of Chiu's body. "Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search was unable to access the accident site until the early morning hours of June 4.," the NPS said in a statement. "Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body." Chiu's body was taken to the state medical examiner. In 2010, a French mountaineer who was also climbing without safety ropes fell to his death near the same location but his body was never found. NPS said 500 climbers are currently on Mt. McKinley. It is 20,000 feet high, the tallest mountain in North America. The mountain's name was Denali for generations, which means "the tall one" in the Native American Athbascan language. The name was designated McKinley in 1917, became Denali again in 2015 during the Obama administration and was changed back to McKinley by the Trump administration.
UPI
05-06-2025
- General
- UPI
Mt. McKinley climber's body found after plunging 3,000 feet
June 5 (UPI) -- Climber Alex Chiu's body was found Wednesday after he plunged 3,000 feet from Mt. McKinley's Squirrel Point on the mountain's West Buttress route. That point on the Alaska mountain, also known as Denali, is roughly 12,000 feet above sea level. Chiu fell Monday en route to Peters Glacier amid snow and high winds and was unroped when he fell. Others in his party saw him fall. "After witnessing the fall, the reporting party lowered over the edge as far as possible but was unable to see or hear Chiu," The National Park Service said. Snow and wind conditions delayed the discovery of Chiu's body. "Due to high winds and snow, ground and air search was unable to access the accident site until the early morning hours of June 4.," the NPS said in a statement. "Clearing weather on the north side of the Alaska Range provided the opportunity for two mountaineering rangers to depart Talkeetna for an aerial helicopter search to locate and recover the body." Chiu's body was taken to the state medical examiner. In 2010, a French mountaineer who was also climbing without safety ropes fell to his death near the same location but his body was never found. NPS said 500 climbers are currently on Mt. McKinley. It is 20,000 feet high, the tallest mountain in North America. The mountain's name was Denali for generations, which means "the tall one" in the Native American Athbascan language. The name was designated McKinley in 1917, became Denali again in 2015 during the Obama administration and was changed back to McKinley by the Trump administration.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Trail Ridge Road will not be open for Memorial Day weekend: National Park Service
DENVER (KDVR) — While Independence Pass is opening at its earliest date in six years, Rocky Mountain National Park announced Thursday that Trail Ridge Road will likely not reopen in time for Memorial Day weekend. For many, a trip up into the high country and particularly on Trail Ridge Road, marks a successful visit to Colorado during Memorial Day. But having the road closed on the holiday is also far from unheard of: Last year, the roadway reopened after the winter on May 31. The year before, it was May 27. Is your vehicle legal to drive on I-70 this winter? Here's what to check The National Park Service said that road-clearing crews have faced setbacks from previous progress. 'Wind has been the main challenge since last week, causing low visibility, snow drifting back over cleared areas, and a thick ice layer beneath drifted snow,' the Rocky Mountain National Park Service posted to Facebook. 'Snow and overnight freezing temperatures are forecast above 10,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park over the weekend.' The 11-mile road is located above 11,500 feet, making it the highest continuous paved road in the U.S., cresting at 12,183 feet above sea level, according to the park, with few guardrails and no shoulders. 'Trail Ridge Road historically opens in late May, weather permitting,' the park service says on the Rocky Mountain National Park website. According to the park website, RMNP staff will update the road's recorded phone line, 970-586-1222, when the road status changes. There are also other scenic roads at RMNP, including Bear Lake Road and Endovalley Road. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
