A guided team took a significant crevasse fall near 13,600 feet on the Emmons last week. No one was "seriously injured." however, one climber reportedly fell 50 feet and broke a few teeth (ouch!) The team self rescued and descended the mountain under their own power. The crevasse opened up somewhat out of nowhere. One climber commented that "Of all the crevasse crossings on the route, this one seemed more solid than others."
And today, another climber struck his head while successfully dodging rockfall on the Disappointment Cleaver. He too was able to walk off the mountain with some help from other climbers. A few close calls, yes, but the fact remains that there have been no major rescues or injuries this year. Some would prefer that I "whisper" this fact, or "knock on wood" when stating it... but I'd prefer to remind everyone how well the season is going, and to thank those who have climbed for making this year safe "so far."
It reached 74 degrees at Paradise today. We've had close to 7,800 climbers attempt the summit this year; the success rate is hovering around 64%.
