Kathy Sullivan was interviewed on February 28, 1992 by Bill Brown at Kathy's office in the National Park Service Ranger Station and District Office in Talkeetna, Alaska. In this interview, Kathy talks about climbing and guiding in the Denali area, management of climbers on the mountain, and her connections to Denali. At the time of the interview, some particularly convoluted fiscal, personnel, and procurement needs of the District caused her to reflect on high adventures of the past. Also, her love and pride for her two sons comes forth in the interview.
Digital Asset Information
Project: Denali Mountaineering
Date of Interview: Feb 28, 1992
Narrator(s): Kathy Sullivan
Interviewer(s): Bill Brown
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Sections
1) Kathy Sullivan talks to Bill Brown about her personal background.
2) Boom in climbing after 1976.
3) Guide Organization, procedure.
4) Mount McKinley as symbol of Alaska.
5) Flying into Denali.
6) Traffic and numbers of people on the mountain.
7) Kathy's personal depths in relation to the mountain.
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Transcript
Section 1: ski instructor -- Vermont\ Canada\ work experience\ Chief Flying Cloud\ Genet, Ray\ Talkeetna\ Guiding -- 1977\ guiding -- German climbing party\ Pirate Lake\ Mackovjak, Ann\ Genet expedition -- Aconcagua, Andes\ Gustavus, AK|
Section 2: climbing parties\ regulation -- NPS\ climb -- organization\ Petersville Road\ Geeting, Doug\ Talkeetna\ weather -- window\ Kahiltna airstrip\ equipment -- early\ climbing -- evolution\ radio -- contact\ flying -- regulations|
Section 3: guiding -- regulations\ climbing parties\ Genet, Ray\ climbing parties -- composition\ 7,200' airstrip\ climbing -- descent\ guiding -- evolution\ NPS -- historical influence\ South Side\ Gravel, Senator\ South Side -- tourism\ Talkeetna\ equipment -- change\ fuel consumption\ garbage\ access -- numbers\ airplanes -- C-130's, F-15's\ Kahiltna Glacier\ Russian camp\ Northeast Fork|
Section 4: South Side -- development\ Mount McKinley -- spirituality|
Section 5: flying -- early days\ Geeting, Doug\ Genet, Taras\ Pirate Lake\ Kahiltna\ Okonek, Jim\ Hudson, Cliff\ Thomas, Jr., Lowell|
Section 6: access -- traffic\ garbage\ access -- regulations\ Ruth Glacier\ Alder Creek\ Tokositna\ access -- balance\ controls -- air|
Section 7: rock falls\ ice caves\ mountain -- opinion\ mountain -- power|