Ann "Cricket" Mackovjak

Born in Maine in 1948, Ann Bourassa Mackovjak, known as "Cricket" to her family and friends, grew up on a dairy and potato farm where she loved being outside and helped with many of the farm activities, including driving the tractor and caring for the lifestock and chickens. From 1966 to 1970, Annie attended St. Joseph's College in Maine where she earned a degree in English and history, and obtained a teaching certificate. In 1970, she married Marc Bourassa who was in the Air Force and they moved to Anchorage, Alaska. They divorced in 1974. In 1975, Annie met mountaineering guide, Ray Genet, and went to work for him helping plan expeditions onto Denali and later as an assistant guide. She summited Denali in May 1976. In 1976, Annie married Jim Mackovjak, who had been a fisherman in Southeastern Alaska. They have done a lot of climbing, backpacking, rafting, and dogmushing together, and when Ann was interviewed in 1992, she and Jim had three children and were operating a small fish processing business on their land north of Gustavus, Alaska. They were very self-sufficient people who carved out a solid niche for themselves. For more about, Ann Mackovjak, see the blog entries: "Intrepid Annie Mackovjak: Teacher, Hiker, Mountain Climber;" "Vivacious and Intrepid Annie Mackovjak: Part II;" and "The Peddler's Pitch: Climbing Questions for Annie Mackovjak."