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Waterman's High Alaska, Coombs/Woods' Alaska: A Climbing Guide and Puryear's Alaska Climbing all have extensive documentation on this route and the approach.

By mid June there will be a well traveled trail up the Valley of Death - but that doesn't mean it's the right way to go. Be smart in your route choice and move fast as hell.

All the books are about the same in terms of description... and I'd say Puryear's description is the best. It's a glacier route - thus the route will change every year and throughout the season so "annotated route photos" for the approach are worthless.

Shane Rathbun wrote:Has anyone gone up the NE Fork of the Kahiltna in mid-June?

Yes, we did, to approach the West Rib. The end of June to be exact. We started up NE fork around 1am and got to the safe West Rib camp at ~11K around 10am. The route is obvious - follow the middle of the glacier, then find the best way through the icefall. Don't go after snowfall, try to catch stable and cold conditions. Snow was deep so snowshoes were absolutely essential. There was no boot track or any traces of prior human passage. If you could follow a boot track that would help but don't count on it. Things there change with every snowfall and every avalanche so there is really no permanent route for all conditions.

Get the Washburn map - it shows things in great detail. I have pictures and scanned maps with the route shown so PM me if you want it.