Mount Steele Attempt. In July and August, Jeff Elphinston, Kipp Drummond and I attempted the east ridge of Mount Steele (16,644 feet). We spent 14 days walking from the Alaska Highway up the west bank of the Donjek River and the Steele valley to Base Camp below the ridge. From our snow cave at 10,800 feet we headed for the summit but turned back at about 16,400 feet on the summit cone in deteriorating weather conditions. On the trip out we circumvented the worst of the muskeg and quicksand encountered on the approach by fording the Donjek above Arch Creek and following the new mining road to the highway. The trip took 25 days total.

Nathan Forrester, Unaffiliated