| Summary: | The introduction of the Kink Peak-Yukon Expedition Report states "One objective of the King Peak-Yukon Expedition was to gain information on this particular section of the St. Elias Range that would be helpful to future climbers. This we hope will encourage other groups to organize adventures into this or other regions similar in nature." The report contains sections with information on the group equipment used for the trip, the personal equipment, food and first aid supplies, along with descriptions of the surrounding environment. These lists are further broken down into categories like "Entertainment" under which cribbage sets and small checker sets are listed and "Emergency Kit" which includes items such as a compass and map, twine and wire and "aluminum foil for cooking, signalling, etc. 10'' x 10.''" On June 18, 1952, a group of climbers consisting of Pete Shoening, Dick McGowan, Vic Josendal, Bill Niendorff, Bob Yeasting, Tom Morris, Verl Rogers and David Harrah convened in Yakutat, Alaska. Their first climbing target was Mount Augusta. Because of difficulties landing the plane on the glacier near Mount Augusta as previously planned, the men had to hike to their base camp near the Upper Seward Glacier. At this point, Harrah decided to leave the climb due to difficulties with his feet stemming from the amputation of his toes after a 1950 mountain climb in Peru. The remaining men began their climb of Mount Augusta but were temporarily held back by bad weather, not reaching the summit until July 4. While the other men returned home, Pete Shoening, Bill Niendorff, Dick McGowan and Gibson Reynolds decided to continue the expedition by climbing King Peak which had While the other men returned home, Pete Shoening, Bill Niendorff, Dick McGowan and Gibson Reynolds decided to continue the expedition by climbing King Peak, which had just been summited for the first time that same June as the first party was leaving for Alaska. The climbers in the first ascent had taken the western route up the mountain so Shoening, Niendorff, McGowan and Reynolds decided to take the eastern route. The men successfully reached high camp, located 15,000 feet above King Col. In his article "Expedition to the St. Elias Range" from the December 15, 1952 issue of "Appalacia," (a copy of which is included in the report) Victor Josendal writes, "The assault on the summit, 2,000 feet above, can be described as difficult. They were climbing on very steep snow-covered ice and precipitous rock in temperatures well below freezing, sometimes with strong winds. On the first attempt the party climbed above 16,000 feet, but turned back because of the lateness of the hour. The following day they reached 16,500 feet and explored several routes around a gendarme on the ridge, but retreated when one of the climbers had frostbitten toes. They returned to high camp after 18 hours of climbing. Twenty-four hours later, the group again started from high camp, but Dick McGowan turned back with partially frozen feet, accompanied by Bill Niendorff. Pete Schoening and Gibson Reynolds attained the 17,000 foot summit that day. The following day, July 24, Dick and Bill reached the summit; Pete climbed with them to within 300 feet of the summit." Additional accounts of the expedition also appear in the 1952 edition of "The Mountaineer" (the official journal of the Mountaineers Club), and 1953 edition of the "The American Alpine Club Journal."
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