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"The Tale End by Tailend…"
Scree, 8/59
''About a fortnight ago, while on a recent world tour, we had the opportunity of visiting the new 49th state Alaska. The hospitality of the city of Anchorage was unexcelled. In the business of mountaineering, keeping in shape is important, and it was with great pleasure that I joined an excursion Into the country with the Mountaineering Club of Alaska. They had mountains that are mountains and scenery that is unexcelled. Lots of these mountains haven't been climbed, at least not by the mountaineer type people who leave records on the top in pretty orange cans for wandering sheep hunters and other mountaineers. Yes sir, Alaska builds them, mountains great in number and size and people to match her mountains. When glaciers covered the land and receded, they hewed out jagged peaks to form the mighty Chugach range, an area rich to all who enter it, the hunter, fisherman, prospector, mountaineer and photographer.
"This mountaineering group had just the proper combination of foot gear, food, clothing, camping equipment, transportation and people working together to achieve the goal. On just this perfect day, the ground was dry, the sun was shining brightly, and with all the gear ready, the climb began. The mountains were sharp and rugged against a clear blue sky. The route took us through fields, over fences, and up to our armpits in alderbushes. A tired group made the first camp and the weather remained clear. The next day was spent on long, long grassy slopes, the Alaskan type, very steep. After resting at the base of the rocks, our route took us up ragged ridges of rotten rock where each step was threatened by a steep drop. The final assault was made the following day by all the teams and to the climbers a rewarding view of the valley below, the rivers, and the glaciers and the mountains all around. Need they ask why we climb?
"So to us, who dream and make our dreams come true, the conquest of the Bodenburg Butte may equal that of Everest."
Sir Hohn Jillary
Sherpa Tailend (Lois Willard)
Scree 3/80
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