Walter Harper and the Summiting of Denali, Part 2

Dec 17, 2025

Discover the grueling final stages of the expedition to Denali, where Walter Harper faced treacherous glacier hazards and the stress of dwindling supplies. The team's triumph is marred by tragic twists, including a devastating cache fire. Experience the altitude struggles and intense summit day, led by Harper, who also navigated personal challenges and dreams for the future. The story delves into Harper's legacy and the impact of his untimely end, culminating in heartfelt memorials and honors that keep his memory alive.

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ANECDOTE

Harper Led And Lifted The Team

Walter Harper ran stakes and led much of the glacier travel, often ahead of the team due to his strength and morale-boosting presence.
Hudson Stuck praised Harper's "kindliness and invincible amiability" and credited him with keeping the expedition together.

ANECDOTE

Cache Fire From A Careless Match

The team lost a cache to a fire caused by an unextinguished match and silk tents, destroying sugar, milk, and film.
Stuck blamed himself and Karstens for careless smoking that nearly compromised their summit bid.

INSIGHT

Earthquake Transformed The Route

The 1912 earthquake radically reshaped the upper glacier, turning an easy route into a jumbled maze of ice and rocks.
Stuck and Karstens had to carve three miles of steps, showing how environmental change can abruptly alter climbability.

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The final stages of the expedition to summit Denali were grueling for Walter Harper and the rest of the team. And after that accomplishment, Harper's life was tragically short.

Research:

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Denali National Park and Preserve. “Superintendent Harry Karstens.” https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/photosmultimedia/station06a.htm
Ehrlander, Mary. “Walter Harper, Alaska Native Son.” UAF Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning. Via YouTube. 7/7/2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-FrvS3gONg
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Stuck, Hudson. “A winter circuit of our Arctic coast; a narrative of a journey with dog-sleds around the entire Arctic coast of Alaska.” New York. C. Scribner’s Sons. 1920. https://archive.org/details/wintercircuito00stuc/
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Stuck, Hudson. “The ascent of Denali (Mount McKinley) a narrative of the first complete ascent of the highest peak in North America.” New York, C. Scribner's Sons. 1914. https://archive.org/details/ascentofdenalimo01stuc/
Stuck, Hudson. “Voyages on the Yukon and its tributaries: a narrative of summer travel in the interior of Alaska.” New York : Charles Scribner's Sons. 1917. https://archive.org/details/cihm_76545/
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Woodside, Christine. “Who Led the First Ascent of Denali? Hudson Stuck, Archdeacon of the Yukon.” Vol. 63, No., 2 Summer/Fall 2012.

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