Denali

Denali’s high latitude north of 63° and altitude of 20,310 feet create intensely cold and windy conditions. In 1913, spring offered the best weather for approaching and climbing the mountain, but its remoteness and frigid environment forced the Denali Expedition to haul one and a half tons of food, heating fuel, gear, and supplies, adding firewood and wild game along the way. Above 11,500 feet, they continued without dogs and relayed their outfit upward on their backs. The four members of the ascent team all experienced symptoms of altitude sickness, and because Walter was least affected, Karstens put him in the lead on summit day. The expedition left Fairbanks on March 13, reached Nenana on March 15–16, and then headed toward the Kantishna mining district, while supplies previously stashed at Diamond City helped support the climb. After camping at Timberline Camp on April 4 and spending four weeks reaching base camp at 4,000 feet, the climbers took 60 days to travel from base camp to the 20,310-foot summit on the Muldrow Glacier route, making repeated trips to move supplies and climbing a total of 100,000 feet. Denali, meaning the high one, is the Denaakk'e name for the mountain, and similar names were used by other Dena' groups. In 1896, prospector William Dickey named the mountain for presidential candidate William McKinley, but after Alaska petitioned in 1975 for recognition of Denali, President Barack Obama officially restored the name in 2015. In that same year, a precise measurement announced by the U.S. Geological Survey established the mountain’s height as 20,310 feet rather than the 20,320 feet recorded in 1952.

Farmers Loop, Alaska · United States