The High One

The High One

Mount McKinley or Denali “The Great One” in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America, at a height of approximately 20,320 feet (6,194 m).[1] It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park.

The local Athabaskan name for the mountain, the one used by the Native Americans with access to the flanks of the mountain, is Dinale or Denali (“the Great One” or “the High On”) Depending on what reading source you find as to it’s translation in the Athabaskan language.

Denali (The High One) is the Native (Athabascan) American word for North America’s highest peak, Denali was renamed Mount McKinley for William McKinley, a nominee for president, by the Princeton graduate and gold prospector, William Dickey. Dickey was one of the hundreds of prospectors seeking gold in the 1896 Cook Inlet stampede. He had written an article for the New York Sun where he described the mountain as the highest in North America at over 20,000 feet.

“When later asked why he named the mountain after McKinley, Dickey replied that the verbal bludgeoning he had received from free silver partisans had inspired him to retaliate with the name of the gold-standard champion. “
Mt. McKinley: The Pioneer Climbs
by Terris Moore

Since the turn of the 19th century, the official name of this great mountain has not rested in peace. In 1914, following his historic first ascent of the mountain in 1913, Hudson Stuck wrote in the preface of his book, The Ascent of Denali: “Forefront in this book, because forefront in the author’s heart and desire, must stand a plea for the restoration to the greatest mountain in North America of its immemorial native name.”

In 1980, the name Mount McKinley National Park was officially changed to Denali National Park and Preserve. The State of Alaska Board of Geographic Names has also officially changed the mountain’s name back to Denali. Negotiations continue today to officially return the original native name to this magnificent mountain. (from the Denali park website)

Those are Trees in the foreground and that is a mountain in front of Denali, just to give you a sense of how big it is.. It is about 40 to 50 miles away from where I took this image

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