Denise and Emily are Alaskan mountaineers, bonded by their love of adventure. At ten, Emily dreams of being the youngest Alaskan woman to summit Denali. So, while Denise is away, summitting Denali herself, Emily trains, scaling the smaller hills and mountains surrounding her home. All the while, the duo exchanges letters, documenting their journeys. How will they compare? (You just might be surprised!)

About the Author

Denise Saigh has lived and travelled throughout Alaska as a fishery botanist, ecologist, and environmental scientist. A woman of many talents and hobbies, she is involved in mushing, skijoring, telemarketing, cross country and downhill skiing, mountain, rock, and ice climbing, sea kayaking, fishing, scuba diving, biking, canoeing, hiking, and flying. She has been involved with Women’s 99’s Flying, AK Mountain Rescues, X-C Ski Patrol, mushing clubs, bird treatment centers, and science and environmental boards. She has taught skiing and camping to children and adults.

Denise has taught biology, chemistry, and art classes at the University of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University for 15 years. She has had Samoyeds for 35 years, and for the past 25 years, she has taken them to senior homes as pet therapy dogs.