Serendipity Sundays - Denali a.k.a Mount McKinley
On a recent trip to Alaska one of our must sees was the infamous Mount McKinley. The day was in the 80's and the skies were clear, deep blue so we could see the majesty of the mountain at its best. It is the tallest mountain in North America which means it has great appeal to adventurers and mountain climbers across the world. Its official height is 20,237 feet as measured with advanced radar technology and made official in 2013 by Alaska's Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell. It sticks out like a sore thumb in the Alaska Range of mountains and is the highlight of Denali National Park. The park gets over 400,000 visitors every year, most of them from May to September.
Do you wonder what the climate is on the Mount? It is always covered with snow and glaciers, some of those being over 30 miles long. In its extreme cold it can be a minus 75 degrees Farenheit having wind chills to a negative 118 degrees. Why it looks freezing cold in mid-summer from the grassy plains in front of it.
Now to brief you about the nam, the native Athabascans called it Denali, meaning The Great One. In fact there is a movement to get the name changed back to its original name. A gold prospector in 1896 named it after President McKinley who I am sure would want it to return to its original name if he was alive today.
Seeing it up close gives you the awe of just how mighty Denali really is. It was one of the highlights of my Alaska trip.
Here are some interesting facts about those that have ventured up the mountainside to the top according to livesciencecom.
1982: The first woman to complete a solo climb is Dr. Miri Ercolani.
1988: Vernon Tejas is the first solo climber to ascend Mt. McKinley in the winter and survive.
1993: Joan Phelps is the first blind climber to reach the ascent.
1995: Merrick Johnston, 12, is the youngest female to summit.
2001: Galen Johnston, 11, becomes the youngest male to reach the summit, Toshiko Uchida, 70, becomes oldest woman to summit.
2013: Alaska resident Tom Choate, 78, breaks the record as the oldest male to reach the summit.
Serendipity Sundays - Denali a.k.a Mount McKinley
These are thoughts of Clarksville TN Realtor Debbie Reynolds. Contact Debbie Reynolds, Clarksville TN Real Estate Agent.
It is an impressive mountain Debbie, I was impressed in looking at real estate how all the properties boasted about their view of McKinley. 
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