North America, United States, Alaska, Huntington, East Ridge, Rooster Comb, P 11,300, Dickey, Moose's Tooth

Publication Year: 1981.

Huntington, East Ridge, Rooster Comb, P 11,300, Dickey, Moose’s Tooth. Our team of ten from the Portland, Oregon area began skiing in on March 29 from Mile 279 on the Alaska Railroad. Our approach route was the Hidden River and Buckskin Glacier. We covered the distance in eight days despite deep snow and cornices on Window Pass. From Base Camp below Huntington’s north face on the west fork of the Ruth Glacier, we made up ropes of two and took advantage of excellent weather. Scott Woolums and I made the second ascent of the east ridge of Huntington in five days, from April 7 to 11. The route was in good condition and we fourth-classed all but the eight pitches of the crux ice flutings and rock band. Leigh Anderson and Keith Royster made the first ascent of the northwest face of the Rooster Comb to P 10,170 during the same period. The climb took two days and consisted of 3200 feet of ice and mixed climbing up to 80°. Their descent was slowed by a two-day storm during which they bivouacked in a crevasse on the Huntington-Rooster Comb col. Anderson sustained minor frostbite to his toes and was immediately evacuated by Cliff Hudson. Royster, Woolums, Jim Olson and I made the third ascent and first American one of the southwest ridge of P 11,300. north of Huntington. We climbed as ropes of two and completed the route in four days, from April 25 to 28, on one of which we were stormbound. Woolums and Scott Shuey did a major variation to the southeast ridge route of P 11,300 by climbing the southern cwm to gain the ridge at 9000 feet. This took two days. Shuey and Olson made a ski ascent of Mount Dickey via the Backside Glacier, and Olson and Jim Moehl climbed the west ridge of the Moose’s Tooth to the western summit. After a successful month on the Ruth, we crossed to the Kahiltna Glacier and spent another 20 days before skiing out to the highway via Little Switzerland. Woolums and Moehl climbed Denali by the west buttress. In all we were out for 78 days and covered 350 miles on light crosscountry gear.

Jay Kerr, Unaffiliated