Sunday, June 15, 2014

Day 38 – Not so fast, Mount Everest: Meet Mount McKinley!

Although Mount Everest is the highest spot on earth, making it the highest mountain, it is not the tallest mountain. That honor goes to Mount McKinley, which measures about 18,000 feet from base to peak, making it the largest mountain above sea level. Mount McKinley is also the highest mountain peak in North America. It is part of the Alaska Range and is in Denali National Park and Preserve. The Native name for Mount McKinley is Denali, which means “High One” or “Great One.”

Mount McKinley is not as infamous as Mount Everest, and is regularly climbed today. However, it has still claimed the lives of over 100 mountaineers. The climb is also not quick: it takes roughly two to four weeks to reach the top! These mountains are no joke, people!

For those not brave enough to want to climb Mount McKinley and in search of a tamer way to experience its beauty, Denali National Park has a road cutting across the park which offers views of Mount McKinley. The road is 92 miles long, and although private vehicles are only allowed up to mile 15, bus rides are available beyond that. I love visiting national parks (I can hardly wait for our national park vacation, which starts later this week!!!), so viewing Mount McKinley by visiting Denali is something I would definitely like to do someday. In the meantime, here are few photos I found of the Mountain. (Bonus: one photo has a moose in it!)






Xoxo,

Diana

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