Denali National Park Climbing Stories

I happened to catch a story on the program called "Weekend America" on NPR today called "The Mount Denali Business Boom". Apparently, this weekend marks the unofficial start to the climbing season on Mt. McKinley (Denali), North America's tallest mountain at 20,320 feet. The story on the NPR webpage includes a couple of audio clips from some rangers in the park, including the lead climbing ranger, Daryl Miller. You'll also find a slide show with three photos of the climbing experience on the mountain.

From the article:

Lead Ranger Daryl Miller says experienced climbers are just as likely to die as those who are less experienced. And up on the mountain, little things can make a big difference. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of accidents. But of course, on Denali, you can't fill up your water bottle at a faucet. Climbers have to spend hours each day melting enough snow to stay hydrated.