Denali Mountain Talks
Lisa Roderick
For 23 years, I have had the privilege to work in one of the most spectacular natural environments in the world. During my long tenure as the Denali Basecamp Manager at 7,200 feet on the Kahiltna Glacier, I have strived to keep order and look after a camp which sees as many as 1,500 climbers, and significantly more scenic flight passengers, pass through it each year between April and July. At the same time, I’ve been charged with providing weather observations for incoming pilots and maintaining a runway on a glacier, a job that instills me with strong sense of responsibility for the safety of pilots and their passengers.
I am also proud to have been honored by the National Park Service as the recipient of the 2015 Mislow-Swanson Denali Pro Award. From the NPS website:
“The program honors members of the Denali climbing community who exhibit the highest standards in the sport for safety, self-sufficiency, Leave No Trace ethics, and assisting fellow mountaineers. Throughout each climbing season, Denali mountaineering rangers recognize climbers with a Denali Pro lapel pin for exemplary expedition behavior, such as protecting the mountain environment, assisting fellow climbers, and using good judgment to limit or eliminate injury.
At the end of each season, mountaineering rangers collectively select a Mislow-Swanson Denali Pro Award winner from the pin recipients. The name of the annual winner, or winners in the event a team is selected, is added to the award plaque on display near the front desk of the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station.“
For the majority of climbers on Denali, the expedition begins and ends with Lisa Roderick. Lisa has gone well beyond her duties as flight coordinator for the Kahiltna Basecamp. She is the familiar voice on the radio, the steward of the Kahiltna, and sometimes the first to respond to emergencies. The Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station staff would like to recognize Lisa Roderick as the 2015 Mislow-Swanson Denali Pro Award recipient.
Lisa has been a fixture at basecamp. Maintaining a safe runway, coordinating flights on and off the glacier, and calling in weather reports to pilots have without a doubt made travel to and from the mountains safer. But perhaps she is best known for her willingness and good attitude toward helping climbers. Due to her dedication to keep tabs on climbers through her radio, Lisa has been the first alerted to accidents or any communications of parties needing help. Her influence on these visitors is far reaching and helps contribute to a positive and safe mountaineering ethic that is shared by all. In the 15 years at basecamp, Lisa has gone the extra mile keeping it clean. With the positive rapport that Lisa has with visitors, she has been able to instill those same values.
The Denali mountaineering rangers greatly value her contributions and would like to recognize her efforts with the 2015 Mislow-Swanson Denali Pro Award. Although it is a small token of our appreciation relative to the tremendous job she does, her name will have a place among the best.
A Place Among Giants
Contact us
Denali Mountain Talks
Lisa Roderick
Talkeetna, Alaska
+1 907-841-8424
alaskasunflower@gmail.com