Saying Goodbye to Bill

Here are the words I prepared for Bill's Memorial Service last week:

My name is Russ McKnight, and I had the privilege of spending the last 10 days of Bill’s life with him. I thought the best gift I could give to everyone today would be a brief glimpse at that time we shared together.

TUESDAY – APRIL 28th
Bill and I hooked up in Minneapolis for the direct flight to Anchorage, Alaska. We both were excited and a little nervous. Climbing Denali represented a very important part of Bill’s goal to summit the highest points in every state. As you know, Denali, at 20,350 feet, is not only the highest mountain in Alaska, but in North America as well. Bill liked to dream big.

WEDNESDAY – APRIL 29th
Today we explored the city, and Bill immediately loved Anchorage - its broad streets and wildness, with bear and moose sharing the downtown bike trails. Anchorage was just feeling the first days of spring, and the winter cleanup – plus the additional cleanup requirement from the recent Redoubt volcanic eruption – were underway at full speed. The good weather put a smile on every face, including Bill’s.

THURSDAY – APRIL 30th
We rented bikes and circled the city on excellent bike paths. We were warned of bear maulings, but naturally Bill hoped we would have an encounter. No bears, but we were treated to a moose grazing by the path.

FRIDAY – MAY 1st
Bill had worked hard planning and preparing for the expedition, and was very eager to meet our guides and fellow trekkers. The introductions were followed by a detailed “gear check.” Many of Bill’s items were declared redundant, and if you know this about Bill, was both and bane and blessing to him. We culled a few items and added some more – we were ready to begin!

SATURDAY – MAY 2nd
We were packed and picked up at 6 a.m. The long drive north went quickly with views of Denali getting closer. Our excitement continued to grow as we reached the Talkeetna airport, where we weighed all of our gear and prepared the aircraft for departure to the Base Camp on the Kahiltna Glacier. Bill enjoyed the flight immensely as the plane flew daringly close to peaks and ridges before landing safely on the southeast fork of the glacier.

SUNDAY – MAY 3rd
We packed our personal gear, plus tents, food, stove, and other team gear into our packs and sleds. It was a fairly hard day – only 5 miles, but uphill with about 100 pounds each. Bill was annoyed at having misplaced his glacial sunglasses, but his great sense of humor served him well as he donned a substitute pair I fashioned out of a regular pair of sunglasses and every climbers’ favorite staple, duct tape.
MONDAY – MAY 4th
Bill loved the act of climbing itself, and the short but steep ascent to Camp 2 was his best day. He seemed to be adjusting to the altitude, and we were beginning to learn the routine of life on the glacier.

TUESDAY – MAY 5th
The climb to Camp 3 was very difficult. Bill rested that afternoon and did some soul-searching about the situation. The rest of our group were in their 30’s, and Bill wondered, as did I, if he would be a drag on the team.

WEDNESDAY – MAY 6th
We were buoyed by a full day of rest on Wednesday after 3 tough days. We also realized that all of our next climbs would be shorter and not full carries, meaning that we would stage – or cache – our gear with rest days at each new camp.

THURSDAY – MAY 7th
We began Bill’s last climb. He was strong during the first two legs, but found the final ascent into the famous “Windy Corner” to be difficult. When reaching the crest, his spirits rose and he took many photographs. This reminded me to get my camera out, at which time I took the photo of Bill that many of us now treasure. Moments later, near the very end of our objective for the day, Bill suddenly collapsed.

Bill carried an unopened birthday card, and looked forward to spending his 62nd birthday on Denali, which was Monday, May 11th. I took the liberty of opening the card, and left it with him on the mountain.

Bill touched all of us profoundly, a “communitizer” to the end. I bring you these 3 comments from his teammates who are still on the mountain:

From Kevin Woolsey, a fireman in Anchorage, Alaska:
To Bill: “I only hope I have half the energy and passion you have at 62. You will never know if you never try. God Bless, keep smiling, and enjoy the view.”

From our Lead Guide, Dave Ahrens:
“To a person who loved the mountains and had a passion for life. Many people at age 62 would be afraid to break out of their comfort zone. Not Bill. He was the most positive of the group from day one, and his smile was contagious. As a guide, this was the hardest day of my life. I take comfort knowing Bill died in an amazing place doing what he loved to do. My heart goes out to his family and all his friends. God bless.

And finally, from Giles Corbally, Wimbledon, England, who I think speaks for us all:
“…he brought an infectious enthusiasm for everything, even when the going got rough…I feel honored to have shared the adventure. Denali will always be Bill’s mountain.”


Epilogue: As it has been for all of you, saying goodbye to Bill has been difficult. Before I left him, I knelt down and told him where we were, and why we had come to this beautiful place, this mountain that had called him home. Then I kissed him three times - once for his family, once for his friends, and once for me. Bill seemed totally at peace.

Russ McKnight