Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The "Mount Everest" of North America

Pat Macpherson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Encyclopaedia Britannica (britannica.com)
Climber Melissa Arnot is being credited for stepping in between upset Sherpas and errant European during dispute on Everest (Whittaker Mountaineering/YouTube).
 
Female American climber broke up brawl between Sherpas and climbers on Mount Everest
(NYDN) Melissa Arnot, who has summited Mt. Everest more times than any other woman, has been credited with breaking up the stone-tossing brawl that broke out among Sherpas and three [errant] European climbers on Mount Everest last week. More
  
 USA: Rising over 20,000 feet (6,000 m), Mount McKinley is the highest peak in N. America.
  
Taking the Mountain by Strategy
Alaska borders USSR
What America needs is Sherpas, Nepalese Tibetan Buddhist mountain people who can navigate trails, read weather, negotiate with Yetis, and scale peaks all without tolerating abuse from Western tourist trekkers. While it might be easier to travel to Nepal, a gloriously Buddhist and mystically Hindu land, lightly walking to heaven from here is our plan. Why try Mt. Shasta or Whitney when there is Everest Jr. on the horizon? It turns out legendary Denali is where, with less foot traffic, we can really test our mettle. Help! Sherpas needed. We have looked and looked and may have found one right under our lunch noses, if only he would consider trekking in these United States instead of taking Team Wisdom Quarterly back to the holy land.
Mount McKinley
Hiker silhouetted against Mt. McKinley (Paul Souders/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images)
  
Also called Denali, it is the highest peak (20,320 feet [6,194 m]) in North America. It is located near the center of the Alaska Range, with two summits rising above the Denali Fault in south-central Alaska [the largest state in the United States]. It lies about 130 miles (210 km) north-northwest of Anchorage and some 170 miles (275 km) southwest of Fairbanks in Denali National Park and Preserve. The mountain is essentially a giant block of granite that was lifted above Earth’s crust during a period of tectonic activity that began about 60 million years ago. More
 

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