Sports

Hall of Fame feat: Vern Tejas in 1988 was first to solo Denali in winter, and live

Alone, in freezing temperatures aggravated by malicious winds that intermittently grounded him for days inside his dug-in shelters of snow and ice, Vern Tejas didn't spend much time considering his potential place in mountain-climbing history.

Mostly, he tried to combat the relentless, merciless cold on Denali in February and March, bundled in layers of clothing and footwear and headwear and myriad mittens and sleeping bags. He was always cold, of course — getting warm was the impossible dream — so battling bone-aching conditions to a draw was winning in circumstances where losing meant death.

This was 1988. No one had ever reached the summit of McKinley solo in winter and lived to tell the tale. Japanese climber Naomi Uemura in 1984 was the first solo climber to top North America's highest peak (20,310 feet) in winter, but disappeared on his descent.

Vern Tejas made it up and down, made history, and in matter-of-fact tact unsurprising from a man known for humility and kindness, recounted his adventure modestly.

Tejas' fabulous feat will be honored at the Anchorage Museum on Thursday night, when the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame honors its Class of 2017.

Iditarod icons Jeff King and Martin Buser and Alaska Native Games legend Nicole Johnston will be inducted. The Fur Rendezvous Open Sled Dog World Championship will be recognized as a signature event and UAA volleyball star Morgan Hooe and Mount Marathon record-holder David Norris will receive Pride of Alaska awards. Basketball player Damen Bell-Holter and former NFL player and current community organizer Ma'o Tosi also will be honored.

The nod to Tejas and his winter ascent of Denali will be lauded in the Moment Category.

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When Tejas began his monumental climb, he was a mountain-climbing guide for Genet Expeditions. He had summitted Denali a dozen times, had been part of notable ascents of North American peaks and had two years before made a high-speed ascent of McKinley to save two Korean climbers in peril.

[Guide's 50th summit of McKinley probably a record]

Tejas was strong and fit and young — 35 at the time — and had forged a reputation as a benevolent guide. Still, he had never before soloed a noteworthy mountain. Uemura's winter ascent of McKinley piqued Tejas' climbing curiosity.

"I thought, 'Well, this is in the realm of possibility,' '' Tejas told George Bryson of the Anchorage Daily News after he came off the mountain in 1988.

Tejas planned a 16-day trip. McKinley does not adhere to schedules. He ended up on the mountain nearly twice as long as planned. He was delayed by vicious winds that several times pinned him down in his dug-out shelters and he was occasionally slowed by white-out conditions that put safety at a premium. He negotiated crevasses with the aid of a ladder he hauled. He generally erred on the side of caution, given the conditions, the danger of the mountain and no teammates on whom to rely.

At one point, Tejas cut back to half rations because of his extended climb. Fortuitously, he found a couple of food caches — supplies buried by previous climbers — including one that furnished "a monster cache" of food and fuel. The extra grub allowed Tejas to fuel his body.

When Tejas reached the summit, he posted a flag of Japan to honor Uemura. He also took a few pictures, albeit in extreme fog, to "prove'' he made it, though the thought amused him.

"But the whole thing was funny because I could have taken them in my backyard on a foggy day and nobody would have known the difference,'' Tejas told Bryson.

Tejas had radio gear for both communication and to listen to radio. The day after he reached the top of North American, he radioed pilot Cliff Hudson in Talkeetna to report he had made the summit — that's how news of his feat spread — and expected to be back in base camp in two or three days.

But poor weather again grounded him. Most of a week passed with Tejas making intermittent descents, and one night he was able to listen to public radio, which informed him no one was certain of his whereabouts.

Finally, more than a week after he summitted, he was at base camp. The weather finally cleared and pilot Lowell Thomas Jr. landed at Kahiltna Glacier to pick him up.

They stopped in Talkeetna, where Tejas was greeted by friends and well-wishers. At one point, Tejas was handed a phone and told Renee Montaigne from National Public Radio in Washington, D.C, was on the other end.

"Renee!'' Tejas said. "I've been listening to you for the last month!''

Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Class of 2017 Induction

Thursday, 7-9 p.m., Anchorage Museum (free to public)

Inductees – Martin Buser, Jeff King, Nicole Johnston

Moment Category – Vern Tejas' 1988 solo winter ascent of Denali

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Event Category – Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship Sled Dog Race

Directors' Awards

Female Pride of Alaska (Athletic excellence) – Morgan Hooe, UAA volleyball

Male Pride of Alaska (Athletic excellence) – David Norris, Mount Marathon record-holder

Joe Floyd Award (Significant, lasting contribution) – Ma'o Tosi

Trajan Langdon Award (Leadership, sportsmanship, inspiration) – Damen Bell-Holter

An early version of this story said that Naomi Uemura was the first climber to reach the top of Denali in the winter. He was the first solo climber to do so; in 1967 the team of Ray Genet, Art Davidson and Dave Johnston successful summited McKinley in the winter.

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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