Mount Steele Attempt. In July and August, Jeff Elphinston, Kipp ...

M o u n t Steele A ttem p t. In July and August, Jeff Elphinston, K ipp D rum m ond and I attem pted the east ridge of M ount Steele (16,644 feet). W e spent 14 days walking from the A laska H ighway up the west bank of the D onjek River and the Steele valley to Base Cam p below the ridge. F rom our snow cave at 10,800 feet we headed for the sum m it but turned back at about 16,400 feet on the sum m it cone in deteriorating w eather conditions. On the trip out we circum vented the worst of the muskeg and quicksand encountered on the approach by fording the D onjek above A rch Creek and following the new mining road to the highway. The trip took 25 days total. N a t h a n F o r r e s t e r , Unaffiliated