The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley): A Narrative of the First Complete Ascent of the Highest; Peak in North America — John Shaqi
The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley): A Narrative of the First Complete Ascent of the Highest; Peak in North AmericaStuck, Hudson
History
The Ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley): A Narrative of the First Complete Ascent of the Highest; Peak in North America
Stuck, Hudson
McKinley, Mount (Alaska); Mountaineering -- Alaska -- McKinley, Mount; Stuck, Hudson, 1863-1920 -- Travel -- Alaska -- McKinley, Mount
"overflow" ice, upon the surface of swift streams that freeze solidly
over their riffles and shallows and thus deny passage under the ice to
the water of fountains and springs that never ceases flowing. So it
bursts forth and flows _over_ the ice with a continually renewing
surface of the smoothest texture. Carrying a mercurial barometer that
one dare not intrust to a sled on one's back over such footing is a
somewhat precarious proceeding, but there was no alternative, and many
miles were thus passed. Up the Toklat, then up its Clearwater Fork, then
up its tributary, Myrtle Creek, to its head, and so over a little divide
and down Willow Creek, we went, and from that divide and the upper
reaches of the last-named creek had fine, clear views not only of Denali
but of Denali's Wife as well, now come much nearer and looming much
larger.
[Illustration: One of the abandoned mining towns in the Kantishna.]
[Sidenote: The Faces of the Mountain]
But here it may be stated once for all that the view which this face of
the mountains presents is never a satisfying one. The same is true in
even greater degree of the southern face, all photographs agreeing with
all travellers as to its tameness. There is only one face of the Denali
group that is completely satisfying, that is adequate to the full
picturesque potentiality of a twenty-thousand-foot elevation. The writer
has seen no other view, no other aspect of it, comparable to that of the
northwest face from Lake Minchumina. There the two mountains rise side
by side, sheer, precipitous, pointed rocks, utterly inaccessible,
savage, and superb. The rounded shoulders, the receding slopes and
ridges of the other faces detract from the uplift and from the dignity,
but the northwestern face is stark.
One more run, of much the same character as the previous day, and we
were at Eureka, in the heart of the Kantishna country, on Friday, 21st
March, being Good Friday.
We arrived there at noon and "called it a day," and spent the rest of it
in the devotions of that august anniversary. Easter eve took us to
Glacier City, and we lay there over the feast, gathering three or four
men who were operating a prospecting-drill in that neighborhood for the
first public worship ever conducted in the Kantishna camp. Ten miles
more brought us to Diamond City, on the Bearpaw, where we found our
cache of food in good condition save that the field-mice, despite all
precautions, had made access to the cereals and had eaten all the rolled
oats.
Amongst the Kantishna miners, who were most kindly and generous in their
assistance, we were able to pick up enough large-sized moccasins to
serve the members of the party, and we wore nothing else at all on the
mountain.
[Illustration: Denali from the McKinley fork of the Kantishna River.
Showing the two peaks of the mountain, the one in the rear and to the
left (the South Peak) is the higher.]
[Sidenote: Timber-Line]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account