The recent article of your climb of Mt. McKinley was very good, Unintentionally you have stepped into a long history of doing it “our” way.

In 1962 Anore Bucknell (OHS class of 59) stood on the summit. Family issues prevented her from graduating with her class. However, in an interesting parallel she was thought to be the first woman to ever climb Mt McKinley until in a record review for publication it was found that she was second after another woman who enjoyed going along with her husband. He was the person who discovered the route you took and during the first ascent of it became the first woman to summit, unintentionally.

Also during that era, Dr Schaller, a much loved local physician was on Orcas. He often took “vacations” but that was how he was. In 1997 it came to light that he was a CIA operative and had been doing solo climbs of Nanga Devi and Nanga Cor placing covert listening devices along the China border. Some of his training missions were on Denali in 64-65. This was only revealed when he, out of concern for the potential pollution created by the devices causing injury to the people of the region, started to launch attempts to go recover them.

In 1979 another parallel occurred. That was a time when if you didn’t stand on the summit it didn’t count. After weeks of being tent bound my summit attempt was turned back near what was called Priests thumb at the time (approximately 400 feet below the summit).

Now you, with only six weeks of training and no prior experience, step up again and do it Orcas style. Props to you, we need to get together and do the Talkeetna tip in honor of Denali adventures. Way to represent.

Mark O’Neill

Orcas Island