Brian Okonek was interviewed by Dave Krupa on May 31 and June 6, 2000, at the bunkhouse of Alaska Denali Guiding in Talkeetna. Brian and his wife, Diane, co-founded the mountaineering guide business in the early 1980s. Brian is the son of the famed K-2 Aviation pilot, Jim Okonek, a fact that gave Brian special opportunities to explore the rugged Alaska Range. Brian went on to become one the area's most expert climbers and guides. Brian exudes great warmth and has a contagious love for Denali, qualities that help him provide a challenging but reasonably safe climbing opportunity for his clients. Having grown up with the Alaska Range as his backyard, Brian tempers his enthusiasm for the mountains with a somber respect for the inherent dangers of alpine environments. In this interview, Brian describes his experiences as a climber and guide, giving a step by step account of a guided climb up Denali's popular West Buttress route.
Tape 1 Tape 2
H2000-17-14
Brian Okonek talks with Dave Krupa in Talkeetna, AK on May 31, 2000. Denali National Park Jukebox Series.
1) Introduction to outdoor activities and involvement in high school mountaineering club.
activities -- outdoor\ parents -- involvement\ hiking\ canoeing\ fishing\ skiing\ Alaska -- Anchorage area\ Alaska -- Southcentral\ high school\ mountaineering club -- formation\ West High\ Hostetler, Charlie -- teacher\ climbing -- instruction\ climbing -- safety\ Seward Highway\ Chugach Mountains
2) Exploring the Talkeetna area, meeting Dave Johnston, and his trip in the Alaska Range.
Talkeetna\ land -- open entry program\ Parks Highway\ Chulitna River\ Ruth Glacier -- terminus\ cabin -- build\ Johnston, Dave -- family\ Denali -- winter ascent\ rescues -- involvement\ Denali Pass\ bivy -- extended\ Davidson, Art\ Genet, Ray\ Rescue Coordination Center\ Elmendorff Air Force Base\ Johnston, Dave -- appreciation\ ski trip -- attempt\ avalanche conditions\ Rowell, Galen\ Gillette, Ned\ Kahiltna Pass\ West Buttress\ Moore, Ted\ Anchorage, AK\ [Menard], George\ Trapper Creek\ [Fesler], Doug\ Alaska Mountain Safety Center\ Freston, Jill\ Ward, Art\ Swanson, Larry\ experience -- learning
3) Relationship with his dad and hopes for a circumnavigation of Denali mountain.
Johnston, Dave\ Alaska Range\ father -- owned K2\ flying\ helicopter pilot -- commercial\ award -- International Helicopter Pilot of the Year\ rescues\ Denali\ air force pilot\ airplane -- Supercub\ glaciers\ circumnavigation\ Kahiltna Pass\ Peters Glacier\ Gunsight Pass\ Muldrow Glacier\ Traleika Glacier\ Traleika Col\ Ruth Glacier -- West Fork\ South Buttress\ Kahiltna Glacier -- East Fork\ Round Robin\ wind\ acclimatize
4) Climbing around Denali with his friends in the 1970's.
group -- meeting\ [Huriski], Joe\ guiding\ climbs\ mountains -- attempts\ Johnston, Dave\ Mt. Foraker\ Denali -- winter ascent\ Sultana Ridge\ Mt. Crosson\ Kahiltna Glacier\ Japanese -- upper NE ridge\ Robinson, Pete\ Trapper Creek\ Robinson, Roger\ Mt. Crosson -- Northeast ridge\ [Coil], Bill\ snowstorm\ Moore, Ted\ McCrudden, Phil\ crevasses\ caverns\ Cowles, Roger\ Anchorage, AK\ Iditarod Trail\ patience\ route\ snowcaves\ climbing
5) Winter ascent of Foraker and the forgotten sleeping bag.
Mt. Foraker -- winter ascent\ climbing -- conditions\ wind\ summit\ climbing\ eating\ Johnston, Dave\ Robinson, Roger\ Okonek, Jim -- father\ Swan Lake\ sleeping bag\ weather\ food\ matches\ Mt. Crosson\ airplane -- Supercub\ glacier\ crevasse field\ will
6) Trips with Roger and Diane.
climbing\ food -- salmon\ food -- dall sheep\ Sultana Ridge\ Mt. Foraker -- route\ mountaineering\ weather -- Alaska\ crevasses\ climbing -- technical\ route -- remote\ weather -- exposure\ risks\ Cowles, Roger\ Okonek, Diane\ Talkeetna, AK\ Okonek, Diane -- friend\ skiing\ cabins\ Alaska Range\ Tokositna Glacier\ Mt. Dickey\ lowlands\ forest\ glaciers\ wind
7) Climbing with Roger Cowles and meeting Roger Robinson.
Cowles, Roger\ Johnston, Dave\ Mt. Foraker\ guiding -- Diane\ Denali trip\ Cowles, Roger -- carpenter\ South Buttress\ Robinson, Roger\ Mt. Huntington\ Petersville Road\ Sultana Ridge\ Johnston, Sally\ Denali\ Oregon State University -- cleanup\ Mt. Hunter\ avalanche -- conditions\ [Coil], Bill\ Kahiltna -- ski\ Little Switzerland\ Sheldon, Don\ Pika Glacier\ Cook, Ken -- Yosemite climber\ Kanikula Glacier\ Tokositna Glacier\ Backside Glacier -- gorge peaks
8) Traveling in the mountains and finding relics and animals.
Glacier Point\ Fake Peak\ Coffee River Valley\ Spink Lake\ Okonek, Jim\ Coffee River\ travel -- cross-country\ Tokositna Glacier\ Ruth Glacier\ cairn -- rusted\ Cook expedition\ Browne's expedition\ Washburn, Bradford\ Carter, H. Adams\ black bears\ ice\ climbing -- long term\ Alaska Range\ Quebec -- couple\ travel -- old style\ Parks Highway\ Kanikula Glacier\ Second Shot Pass\ Kahiltna\ Sultana Ridge\ Mt. Hunter -- west side\ Denali\ Cassin Ridge\ Wonder Lake\ Mt. Foraker
summer -- 1976\ summer -- 1977\ crevasses\ ice bridge\ ice fall\ sun crust\ ropes\ snow\ Ruth Gorge\ rainstorm\ rock slab\ clothes -- dry\ danger -- river crossing\ moraine piles -- danger\ lateral moraines\ medial moraines\ boulders\ alders\ valleys -- boreal
10) Dealing with injuries and the remoteness of climbing.
injuries\ ankles -- sprained\ altitude problems\ helicopters -- rescue\ risk -- manage\ climbing -- Alaska\ apprenticeship -- exposure\ North Cascades\ Sierra Nevada Mountains\ Rocky Mountains\ Alaska -- remote\ glaciers\ peaks\ weather\ camping -- techniques
11) Advantages of winter travel and winter climbing.
climbing -- winter\ climbing -- summer\ transportation\ ski\ moraines\ crevasses\ travel -- winter\ routes -- safer\ rock fall\ temperatures -- cold\ frost -- winter\ frost -- summer\ weather systems\ wind\ camp -- secure\ storms\ tent\ weather -- prediction
12) An expedition on Mt. Deborah.
Mt. Deborah\ Denali\ Bryant, John\ Johnston, Dave\ high school\ Wheeler, Toby\ Canada\ Nepal\ Sultana Ridge\ West Buttress -- descent\ Eldridge Glacier\ airstrip\ Harris, [Shane]\ [Pedigrew], Dave\ Conrad, PC\ [Hotman], Mark\ Stewart, Pat\ Kogl, Dennis\ Reeves, Ford\ dog mush\ Yanert Glacier\ storm
13) The experience on Mt. Deborah.
climbing group\ climb -- ice\ ice screw\ fixed lines\ climbing -- expedition style\ [Pedigrew], Dave\ Mt. Deborah -- South Summit\ gear\ cache\ basecamp\ summit -- middle\ ice fall\ col\ route -- Beckey's\ Mt. Deborah -- South Ridge\ storms\ snowcaves\ food\ summit\ high camp\ glaciers\ spring\ Edgar Creek\ caribou\ Kogl, Dennis\ Revine Creek\ Parks Highway\ ski\ walk
14) Learning from the more experienced climbers and continuing the practices today.
ice -- first time\ Traleika Spur\ Denali\ Wheeler, Toby\ climbers -- learning\ environment -- respect\ pack\ gear -- necessary\ shovel\ stove\ glaciers\ crevasses\ ice bridges\ travel -- roped\ equipment -- proper
15) Learning from experienced climbers and climbing partners.
climbing -- patience\ plan -- flexible\ goals -- changing\ mountains -- enthusiastic\ geese\ Johnston, Dave\ Wheeler, Toby\ [Pedigrew], Dave\ climbing partner\ tent\ dinner\ break trail\ climbing -- summer
16) Exploring Little Switzerland.
Little Switzerland\ Robinson, Roger\ summit -- first time\ conditions\ climbing\ rain -- camp\ Kahiltna Glacier -- Southeast Fork\ Kahiltna Queen\ Kearny, Allan\ [Mannix], Arthur\ Bloomfield, Mark\ West Face\ peak\ Mt. Foraker\ summit -- cornice\ ice climbing\ climb -- mixed\ ice -- steep
17) A horrible experience on Mt. Spur.
Anchorage\ Mt. Spur -- winter ascent\ weather -- bad\ snowstorm\ gear\ expedition -- split up\ [Hickok], Bruce\ pack\ sleeping bag\ clothing -- adequate\ Mt. Spur -- Southeast Ridge\ snow -- wet\ gear -- wet\ floor -- wet\ wind\ snow\ dad -- pickup\ sastrugi\ swamp\ airplane -- Supercub\ airplane -- Belugas
18) His dad being a big part of his climbing career.
[Hickock], Bruce\ [Palky], Dave\ [Gerdine]\ Mantanuska Glacier\ Mt. Marcus Baker -- winter ascent\ Mt. Spur\ temperature -- warm\ weather\ summit\ dad -- drop-off\ high camp\ snowcave -- North Peak\ radios\ Denali\ radio telephones\ Harper Glacier\ Fairbanks\ radio relay
Talkeetna\ Swan Lake\ Johnstons\ Genet, Ray\ Pirate Lake\ land -- federal\ trade manufacture site\ guiding -- interested\ expeditions -- Denali\ guiding -- apprentice\ Genet -- guiding style\ summit\ West Buttress\ high camp\ Reddington, Joe Sr.\ Butcher, Susan\ Stapleton, Rob -- photographer\ sled dogs\ dog sled -- descent\ Denali Pass
20) The death of Ray Genet and the reality of climbing.
Okonek, Diane\ Genet, Ray -- death\ Mt. Everest\ rescues\ Genet, Ray -- wisdom\ mountains -- dangerous\ impact -- family\ death -- high school partner\ avalanches\ climbing -- serious\ Sullivan, Kathy -- work\ Denali -- guiding\ Weber, Sep\ rafting\ hiking\ business -- custom trips\ Genet expeditions -- West Buttress\ Ruth Glacier\ guiding -- infancy
21) Ray Genet's guiding style.
Denali\ Genet -- guiding\ Genet, Ray -- style\ groups -- large\ National Park Service -- disagreement\ incidental business program\ guiding -- concession\ National Parks -- regulations\ safety -- public\ mountains\ altitude
22) The National Park Service institutes measures of control for safety.
screening process\ summit -- attempt\ motto\ safety record\ client -- high altitude mountain sickness\ National Park Service -- policy\ clients -- maximum\ expeditions -- limits\ control\ changes\ safety problems\ people -- increasing
23) Involvement in the High Altitude Medical Research Project.
Okonek, Diane\ High Altitude Medical Research Project\ Denali\ Mills, Dr. William\ Hackett, Peter\ research -- cold weather\ camp managers\ problems -- high altitude\ researchers -- care\ people -- imaginative\ medical lab -- Denali\ facilities\ communications\ rescues\ doctors\ National Park Service Station -- 14,000 ft\ facility -- dependence
24) Aiding in rescues from the medical camp at 14,200 feet.
researchers -- climbers\ basecamp\ army\ drug study\ drug -- Decadron\ placebo\ rescues\ accident -- gully\ West Rib\ Orient Express\ terrain -- unforgiving\ belay\ trouble -- descending parties\ sastrugi\ snow -- drifted\ fall\ helicopters -- unavailable\ rescues -- cable\ toboggans\ basin
25) The rescue of an injured Japanese man.
weather -- conditions\ comatose\ doctors -- stability\ [Randell], Francis -- base camp manager\ climbing party -- Japanese\ West Buttress\ high camp\ Denali Pass\ fall -- icy slope\ injury -- broken leg\ radios -- 17,000 ft\ Waterman, Jonathan -- climbing ranger\ terrain -- steep\ knee -- strained\ pack -- hall
26) Making decisions about rescues.
rescues\ weather -- poor\ attitude -- people\ safety -- priority\ pilots\ climbers