The North Face of Summer: An Alaskan Novel (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798901557624)

The North Face of Summer: An Alaskan Novel

It's June, 1979, and many Alaskans are furious. President Jimmy Carter has "locked up" 100 million acres of federal lands in the state, severely limiting what can be done on them. The Kantishna Hills just west of Mt. McKinley National Park are now in a national monument, and long-established placer gold mining operations are subject to Park Service rules and oversight. However, the miners are refusing to cooperate and are angrily protesting. Equally determined environmentalists, led by the Sierra Club, are demanding that the Park Service shut down the mining.

Over the summer, tension and threats of violence in the Kantishna community increase. The story unfolds through the eyes of miners, Park Service officials, lodge operators, and visitors who are caught up in the conflict. Several of them are also dealing with personal and family issues. As they interact with each other and react to events occurring around them, they change and grow. However, the controversy over the mining remains stalemated.