Lucania and Steele. The Lucania-Steele area was also popular this season. David Mention of Oregon led R.W. Temple, B. Hanlou and C.K. Grouer in a late-April first attempt on Mount Steele’s north ridge. They abandoned their attempt at 14,000 feet when a severe storm destroyed a tent and left three feet of new snow. (For the Lucania-Steele traverse, see the article above.) The Calgary section of the Alpine Club of Canada, led by Tony Daffern and consisting of Herb Kariel, Bruno Striek, Don Chandler, Leon Kubbernus, Dick Roe, Phil Hein, Arnim Haas, Karen Peterson, Duchane Richard and Dave Lahoda, had the worst weather of the season. They originally intended to duplicate the Washburn-Bates traverse route of 1937 to the col between Lucania and Steele and thence to both peaks. After ten days of enforced rest along the Alaska Highway, they flew to the base of Mount Steele and were successful on the east ridge. Part of the group attempted Mount Lucania from the Steele summit but again were forced back by poor weather. A team of Park Wardens, led by W. Pfisterer, also experienced bad weather in late May. Tim Auger, Rick Kunnelius, Darro Stinson, Derik Tilson and Lloyd Freese of the ten-man team reached the summit of Mount Steele via the east ridge on June 6. Poor weather destroyed any hope we had for a traverse to Mount Lucania.

Ronald Frey, Park Warden, Kluane National Park