Henry Peter Karstens

Henry Peter Karstens (1878 – November 28, 1955), known as Harry, was the first superintendent of Mount McKinley National Park (now known as Denali National Park), from 1921 to 1928. He was the guide and climbing leader of the first complete ascent of Mount McKinley in 1913, with expedition members Hudson Stuck, Walter Harper, and Robert Tatum.

Harry Karstens was born in Chicago and went north during the Klondike gold rush in 1897. As a packer, he hauled miner's supplies over the Chilkoot Pass on his back. Unsuccessful as a miner, he started a freight business, hauling freight with dog teams. As a contract mail carrier he was paid $75 per month. With freighter and mail carrier Charles McGonagall he pioneered portions of the Valdez to Fairbanks mail route. In addition to dog teams, he also ran riverboats.

In 1907, Karstens accompanied hunter, conservationist, and naturalist Charles Sheldon, on hunting trips into the Toklat River region. Sheldon, the chairman of the Boone and Crockett Club, then successfully campaigned to have the area set aside as a national park.

References

* "American Alpine Journal", 1956, pp.112-113.
* "Alaska", 2007, pp.42-45, 84. Article by Tom Walker, excerpted from his book, "Kantishna: Miners, Mushers, Mountaineers"