by Greg Lincoln
On this day 107 years ago, a man by the name of Walter Harper made the first successful summit of Mount Denali right here in Alaska. Today, we celebrate this day in his honor and the team that he was with. Walter Harper was a Koyukon Alaskan native. He was 21 years old when he made history on the top of the highest peak in North America.
Senate Bill 144 sponsored by Fairbanks Senator Click Bishop, was passed and signed into law on April 29th, establishing June 7th as a day to remember Harper. Thank you Senator Bishop for this great act of recognition. We join you in honoring these great men for this notable accomplishment.
And to our youth, I hope this inspires you to reach for your dreams and to not be afraid to climb your own mountains.
