Team Mount Denison ’07, looking much fresher than
they would after reaching the summit: Nissi, Dickey, Soaper, and McClenahan.
By now, most Denisonians know the first three chapters of the Mount Denison story. Cowboy geologist Kirtley Mather ’09 first caught sight of the highest peak in Alaska’s Aleutian mountain range when he was mapping the area for the U.S. Geological Survey in 1923 and he abruptly named it for his alma mater. It wasn’t until August 1977 that—as far as we know—anyone tried to reach its 7,600-foot peak. But the brave band of students and professors were unsuccessful against nature’s unrelenting forces. Several of them returned the following May and this time fought their way through rain, ice, and fog to the summit…only to realize as the clouds parted that it was the wrong one. So they trudged back down that hill and triumphantly planted their flag atop Mount Denison the next day.
The latest chapter unfolded last August amid kinder weather and a better sense of direction. Fourth-generation Denisonian Chris Dickey ’03 served as the expedition’s driving force. His team included the hardy likes of Taylor Nissi ’08; Dick McClenahan ’76, a member of the ’77 team; and Richard Soaper ’78, who made both previous treks. They were supported on the ground by political science professors Emmett Buell, who helped them plan the trip, and Paul Djupe, who was sidelined by injury.
You can read the narrative of their climb and see plenty of astounding photos at mtdenison.blogspot.com, which Dickey opens with an eloquent reflection that we can’t resist sharing here: “The conquest of Mount Denison is meaningful only in the context of the Denison community: friends, family, alumni, faculty and staff. It represents a physical link between generations of Denisonians, many of whom will never meet, but nonetheless share a common yearning for discovery, exploration, and connection beyond our hill. And as we celebrate the past and present achievements, Mount Denison is ultimately a living history, each generation contributing a chapter to a magnificent novel yet to be completed.”