The Wrangell sentinel., 1932-05-27
Young MOuntaineerS
Scale Mt. Nc Klnley

Americas highest peak, A. D. Lind
ley and E. Strom, youthful con-
querors of Mt. Mckinley, visited
Juneau Monday afternoon for few
hours on their way back to the
States, reports the Juneau Empire
Lindley, the younger of the pair,
and only 26 years old, bore the
fewest marks. Three fingers on
Strom's right hand and two on his
left hand bear the dark discolor-
atoms of frosted spots, the result
of few minutes exposure ON the
mountains topmost height while
he fought at a frozen camera.
Dangerous Descent
Lindley halls from Minneapolis,
Mimi, and Strom, a Norwegian, re-
sides at Lake Placid N. Y. Both
have had considerable experience
in winter mountain climbing, are
expert skiiers, and are hardy, Wig
orous men. Lindley holds a mem
bership in the Alpine Club of Can
ada, but their expedition was pure
ly a personally-backed affair, made
on their own initiative. They were
jubilant over their success, attri-
buting much of it to Superintendent
Harry Lick of Mt. Mckinley Ma
tional Park, and one of his rangers,
Grant Pierson. And neither of them
just now have any "hankering"
to repeat the feat.
Thirty-eight days were required
to ascend the great pile and return
to its base. The greatest part of
this period was spent in climbing
up to the 1900 foot level. From
there onward it was comparatively
easy going. But the most danger
GUS work was the descent from the
last camp at 1900 feet to the foot
of Muldrow Glacier.
Have Narrow Escape
Below the 1000 foot level, on
the main sheet of the glacier it
self death snatched at the little
band several times. The death of
two members of the Carpe Cosmic
Ray expedition possibly saved the
lives of one or more of the four
in the LindleyStrom party Had
it not been for the rope for which
they returned to camp after they
had found Theodore ,KeFef's body,
Pierson, Lick and Strom might
have gone the way Koven and Carpe
did. All three of them broke
through crevasses and the rope was
all that saved them.
Thirty-three days were spent by
the expedition in climbing to the
1900 foot level where the last
camp was established. 1t took II
hours for the round trip to the
south peak, and the same time for
the north peak. 1t took only 40
hours to backtrack from the last
camp to the bottom, but all the
previous experiences were eclipsed
in that descent.
Ascent Strenuous
On April 4, the expedition got
under way from the park ranger
station nearest the base of Muldrow
glacier. 1t moved it's supplies and
stores by dog team over the glacier
to height of 1900 feet, the mem
bers of the party using skis in
travelling.
At that point the expedition left
the glacier and climbed to the
backbone of Karsten ridge Ice and
snow covered it, and it's ridge in
places was almost knife-narraw.
Particles of snow and ice dislodged
by ones left foot would roll thou
sands of feet onto the glacier, and
separated from the glacier by half
of the mountains bulk.
The ridge rises 5000 feet in it's
little more than one mile of length.
Five days were spent packing sup
plies and camp equipment upon it.
Almost every step had to be hewn
out with axes. They Spelled one
another in cutting and packing.
Once or twice it was necessary to
do the entire days work over. AS
they snatched a few hours rest in
their camp at the foot of the ridge,
storms would fill up their chopped
footholds solidly and they had to be
recut. And the end of the second
days cutting found them only
hundred feet or SO farther advanced
than the preceding day.
The ridge once surmounted, they
debouched onto Harper Glacier that
heads above the great ice-fall
connecting it with Muldrow. Travel
was not difficult here and good
fiyaa 81
storms Finally, IL days after it
had started to work upward from
the 1900 foot level the party
pitched camp 1900 feet above
sea level.
The succeeding day, May 7, was
bright ard clear with little wind.
With their goal in sight. the four