Gallery of Jim Blilie's Photos:

Mt. McKinley, May 1987

 

All images are copyright © James W. Blilie, 1987 through 2009, All rights reserved

 

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For the slide show:  Click on the first picture on the black photo

album page and then click the "play" button at the upper right

of the view panel to start the slide show.  Enjoy.

 

In May 1987, Eric Wetzel, Jeff Stonebraker, Mike Froebe, Bryan Kriewald, and I attempted to

climb the West Buttress route on Mt. McKinley.  We were on the mountain for about two weeks.  After

about 5 days of perfect weather, storms settled on the mountain and we never got above 14,000 feet.

Only one party of 4 (who all became frost-bitten during a nighttime ascent from 17,000 feet) made the

summit while we were on the mountain.

 

Me at 14,000 feet on Mt. McKinley, May 1987

 

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010 McKinley Training 1987 Top of Mt Si.jpg (98031 bytes) 011a McKinley 1987 Mt Rainier Winter Training.jpg (89797 bytes) 011b McKinley Traing 1987 Snow Cave Muir Snowfield.jpg (79683 bytes) 012 McKinley Training 1987 Food Packing.jpg (131087 bytes) 013 Mt McKinley May 1987 All my Gear Laid Out.jpg (210517 bytes)
Training climb:  Top of Mt. Si, near Seattle Mt. Rainier training in winter Snow cave we dug on Mt. Rainier Packing up the food All my gear, spread out
014 Mt McKinley May 1987 SEA-TAC Airport.jpg (155462 bytes) 015 Mt McKinley May 1987 Alaska Airlines.jpg (95953 bytes) 016 Mt McKinley May 1987 Bus to Talkeetna.jpg (103863 bytes) 017 Mt McKinley May 1987 Bus to Talkeetna.jpg (160793 bytes) 018 Mt McKinley May 1987 Alaska Range from Hwy.jpg (93837 bytes)
Sea-Tac Airport On Alaska Airlines (Eric took this photos) On the BIG Taxi to Talkeetna (Eric took this photos) The BIG Yellow Taxi to Talkeetna The Alaska Range from the Hwy to Talkeetna
019 Mt McKinley May 1987 Talkeetna.jpg (186359 bytes) 020 Mt McKinley May 1987 Talkeetna Airport.jpg (252501 bytes) 021 McKinley May 1987 Eric Talkeetna.jpg (99840 bytes) 022 Mt McKinley May 1987 K2 Aviation.jpg (158320 bytes) 023 Mt McKinley May 1987 K2 Aviation.jpg (146351 bytes)
Talkeetna Alaska Talkeetna airport Eric at the Talkeetna airport Talkeetna airport Talkeetna airport
024 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight to Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (114470 bytes) 025 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight to Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (148772 bytes) 026 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight to Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (156079 bytes) 027 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight to Kahiltna Glacier - Denali.jpg (150232 bytes) 028 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight to Kahiltna Glacier - Denali.jpg (87707 bytes)
The flight in to the Glacier The flight in to the Glacier The flight in to the Glacier The flight in to the Glacier (the summit id visible top right) The flight in to the Glacier, the summit through the windshield
029 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight to Kahiltna Glacier - In For Landing.jpg (110070 bytes) 030 Mt McKinley May 1987 Kahiltna Glacier Airport.jpg (159724 bytes) 031 McKinley May 1987 Mt Hunter.jpg (149390 bytes) 032 Mt McKinley May 1987 Denali from Airport.jpg (200555 bytes) 033 Mt McKinley May 1987 Perfectly Good Airplane Leaving Us.jpg (131688 bytes)
Coming in for a landing at the Kahiltna Glacier airport (!!!) Kahiltna Glacier airport Mt. Hunter from Kahiltna Glacier airport Summit from the Kahiltna Glacier airport Perfectly good airplane leaving us in the icebox (a weird feeling)
034 Mt McKinley May 1987 Mt Foraker and Airplane.jpg (155457 bytes) 035 Mt McKinley May 1987 Getting Our Stuff Loaded Up.jpg (172264 bytes) 036 Mt McKinley May 1987 Heading Down Heartbreak Hill Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (139511 bytes) 037 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me on the Glacier.jpg (91375 bytes) 038 Mt McKinley May 1987 Hauling Away from Mt Hunter.jpg (146484 bytes)
Mt. Foraker with airplane flying away (bottom, center) Getting our act together Going down Heartbreak Hill from the Kahiltna Glacier airport Me, Kahiltna Glacier Hauling away from Mt Hunter
039 McKinley May 1987 Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (173128 bytes) 040 Mt McKinley May 1987 Mt Hunter Detail.jpg (202735 bytes) 041 McKinley May 1987 Me Glacier Camp.jpg (76125 bytes) 043 Mt McKinley May 1987 Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (130686 bytes) 044 Mt McKinley May 1987 Glacier Camp 1.jpg (148545 bytes)
Kahiltna Glacier (note 3 climbers lower LH corner) Mt Hunter detail (note climbers in lower RH corner, in the shadow) ME, Kahiltna Glacier I think Bryan took this one Glacier Camp1
045 McKinley May 1987.jpg (175636 bytes) 046 Mt McKinley May 1987 Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (130629 bytes) 047 Mt McKinley May 1987 Looking Up an Arm of K Glacier to Summit.jpg (447577 bytes) 048 Mt McKinley May 1987 Glacier Camp 2.jpg (116435 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_573.jpg (456127 bytes) 049 Mt McKinley May 1987 Eric - Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (96248 bytes)
Kahiltna Glacier View to summit from the Kahiltna Glacier Kahiltna Glacier Camp Eric, Kahiltna Glacier
050 Mt McKinley May 1987 Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (73374 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_566.jpg (287854 bytes)

1987-05_Mt_McKinley_569.jpg (378601 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_571_Jeff_Light_Snow.jpg (197294 bytes)

 052 Mt McKinley May 1987 Glacier Camp 3.jpg (127159 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_572.jpg (360628 bytes)

1987-05_Mt_McKinley_574.jpg (271656 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_578.jpg (402651 bytes)

 053 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me Glacier Camp 3.jpg (118325 bytes) 054 Mt McKinley May 1987 Butter Bar.jpg (146491 bytes) 055 Mt McKinley May 1987 Looking Back Down the Kahiltna.jpg (109458 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_584.jpg (333190 bytes)

1987-05_Mt_McKinley_591.jpg (372515 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_586.jpg (433488 bytes)
Kahiltna Glacier

Jeff in falling snow

 Glacier Camp 2 Me, Glacier Camp 2 (Eric took this photo) Eric having a butter stick sandwich (at -30°F, it tastes GOOD!) Looking back down the Kahiltna Glacier
056 Mt McKinley May 1987 K Glacier.jpg (91623 bytes)1987-05_Mt_McKinley_587.jpg (284649 bytes) 057 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me Kahiltna Glacier.jpg (103036 bytes) 1987-05_Mt_McKinley_580.jpg (244349 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_582.jpg (236809 bytes) 058 Mt McKinley May 1987 Glacier Camp 3.jpg (131479 bytes) 059a Mt McKinley May 1987 Approaching 11000.jpg (55386 bytes)  059b Mt McKinley May 1987 Approaching 11K.jpg (79070 bytes)
Kahiltna Glacier Me Jeff and Mike Glacier Camp 3 K Glacier
060 Mt McKinley May 1987 11000-ft Camp.jpg (117373 bytes)  1987-05_Mt_McKinley_585.jpg (352446 bytes)

1987-05_Mt_McKinley_590.jpg (443479 bytes)

 061a Mt McKinley May 1987 11000-ft Camp.jpg (95103 bytes) 061b Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp Windy.jpg (98176 bytes) 062 Mt McKinley May 1987.jpg (60375 bytes) 064 Mt McKinley May 1987 Loading up for M Hill.jpg (140110 bytes)
11,000-foot camp below Motorcycle Hill 11,000-foot camp below Motorcycle Hill 11,000-foot camp below Motorcycle Hill View from 11K Loading up at 11K
065 Mt McKinley May 1987 Top of M Hill.jpg (119425 bytes) 066 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me Top of M Hill about 12000 ft.jpg (81979 bytes) 067 Mt McKinley May 1987 Camp Below Windy Corner.jpg (93273 bytes) 068 Mt McKinley May 1987 Camp Below Windy Corner.jpg (87224 bytes) 069 Mt McKinley May 1987 Camp Below Windy Corner.jpg (80898 bytes)
Top of Motorcycle Hill Me, top of Motorcycle Hill Camp below Windy Corner Camp below Windy Corner Camp below Windy Corner
070 Mt McKinley May 1987 Camp Below Windy Corner.jpg (74340 bytes) 071 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me Camp Below Windy Corner.jpg (65586 bytes) 072 Mt McKinley May 1987 Going to Windy Corner.jpg (117794 bytes) 073 Mt McKinley May 1987 Windy Corner.jpg (81968 bytes) 074 Mt McKinley May 1987 Windy Corner.jpg (97763 bytes)
Me, camp below Windy Corner (Eric took this picture) Me, camp below Windy Corner (Eric took this picture) Turning Windy Corner Turning Windy Corner Turning Windy Corner
078 Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp.jpg (114529 bytes) 079a Mt McKinley May 1987 Me at 14K Camp.jpg (107787 bytes) 079b Mt McKinley May 1987 Stool With A View at 14K.jpg (62797 bytes) 080 Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp.jpg (112947 bytes) 081 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me at 14K Camp.jpg (108325 bytes)
Camp at 14,000 feet Me at 14,000 ft camp The outhouse with a view, Camp at 14,000 feet Camp at 14,000 feet Me, Camp at 14,000 feet
082 Mt McKinley May 1987.jpg (189198 bytes) 083 McKinley May 1987 Eric Wetzel at 14K Camp.jpg (125800 bytes) 084 Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp.jpg (104692 bytes) 085 Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp.jpg (169458 bytes) 086 Mt McKinley May 1987 Climbers Descending the Headwall.jpg (115879 bytes)
Camp at 14,000 feet Camp at 14,000 feet Camp at 14,000 feet Camp at 14,000 feet Camp at 14,000 feet
087 Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp 2am.jpg (94941 bytes) 089 Mt McKinley May 1987 14K Camp - Windy.jpg (55661 bytes) 090 Mt McKinley May 1987 Me at 14K Camp.jpg (91359 bytes) 091 Mt McKinley May 1987 Descending in Storm.jpg (75690 bytes) 092 Mt McKinley May 1987 Back at the K Glacier Airport.jpg (82828 bytes)
Camp at 14,000 feet, 2 am Camp at 14,000 feet, wind clouds Me, Camp at 14,000 feet Descending in storm Back at Kahiltna Glacier airport
093 Mt McKinley May 1987 Back at the K Glacier Airport.jpg (112063 bytes) 094 Mt McKinley May 1987 K Glacier Airport.jpg (98757 bytes) 095 Mt McKinley May 1987 K Glacier Airport.jpg (112491 bytes) 096 Mt McKinley May 1987 Unusual Maneuvers.jpg (103351 bytes) 097 Mt McKinley May 1987 Unusual Maneuvers.jpg (77446 bytes)
Back at Kahiltna Glacier airport Kahiltna Glacier airport Kahiltna Glacier airport Kahiltna Glacier airport:  Me and Jeff helping an airplane get going (!!) Kahiltna Glacier airport:  Me and Jeff helping an airplane get going (!!)
098 Mt McKinley May 1987 Flight Out.jpg (82311 bytes) 099 Mt McKinley May 1987 Back in Talkeetna.jpg (81058 bytes) 100 Mt McKinley May 1987 Back in Talkeetna.jpg (86321 bytes) 101 Mt McKinley May 1987 Back in Seattle.jpg (136333 bytes)
The Flight out Back in Talkeetna (Jeff took this picture) Back in Talkeetna Back in Seattle

 

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Background image is Face of Mt. Hunter with climbers, May-1987

 

Last updated:  26-Sep-2009