Grit and Luck Won the Summit -- Denali Main Visitor Center, Denali NP, AK USA
N 63° 43.882 W 148° 54.919
6V E 405430 N 7068497
This marker commemorates the men that made the first summit of Denali's South Peak.
Waymark Code: WM173E5
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2022
Views: 2
This marker is located in the large circular wildlife exhibit area of the main visitor center at Denali National Park.
The marker reads as follows:
"GRIT AND LUCK WON THE SUMMIT.
Hardy adventurers were the first to reach the top of the continent.
Episcopal Archdeacon Hudson stuck was captivated with Denali and claimed he “would rather climb that mountain the discover the richest gold mine in Alaska.”
In 1913 he recruited dog musher Harry Karstens, future superintendent of the park, to lead an attempt on Denali’s South Peak. Stuck and Karstens teamed up with two young men Robert Tatum, a worker at the Episcopal mission, and Walter Harper, part Athabaskan, who had served as Stuck’s interpreter. None of the four had climbed a mountain before.
The party suffered setbacks: an earthquake had shattered the ridge on the route; storms immobilized them; food and equipment were lost to fire. But their tenacity was rewarded and they succeeded were previous expeditions had failed.
83 days after setting out, Harper was first to summit; others followed."
Marker Name: Grit and Luck Won the Summit
Marker Type: City
Addtional Information:
This marker is located in the large circular wildlife exhibit area of the main visitor center at Denali National Park.
Date Dedicated / Placed: unknown
Marker Number: N/A
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Visit Instructions:
Preferred would be to post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alaska history please include that in your log.