PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
March 2016
175
A N I N T E R V I E W
Blaine Horner is Accounts Executive for
CompassData, Inc. Prior to moving into this
role in 2015 Blaine performed field survey
and managed survey projects around the
world. Career highlights include mapping
projects in Greece, Japan, Turkey, Western
Europe, Northern Alaska, Haiti, the Carribean
and Denali. These projects were for a mix of
ortho and lidar. Mr. Horner prides himself
on knowledge of industry standards and
requirements, tailoring and managing survey
projects to match current industry standards.
BLAINE HORNER
Why Denali and why now?
Denali is the highest mountain in North America and one
of the Seven Summits (the highest mountains on each
continent). This gives it a value to Americans, as we are
the stewards of the highest point in North America, and it
gives it a value to the World, as one of the Seven Summits.
The timing for the survey came as a result of the current
U.S. Geological Survey Statewide mapping project going
on in Alaska. This project has put the lack of elevation data
in Alaska on the forefront of many influential thinkers in
the Federal government. Huge areas of Alaska are being
mapped for the first time and it was just good timing to
include Denali on this list.
Why does it matter how high the mountain is?
This question can be answered many ways. In my
opinion as a country we owe it to ourselves to know the
elevation of our highest point. People travel from all over
the world every year to test their endurance and cold
weather survival skills on Denali. It’s fitting that there is
an accurate value for these individuals to marry to their
success or failure.
From a scientific point of view, there is power in
knowledge itself. The last official survey was done in
1953 by Bradford Washburn. The survey world has gone
through several full technological revelations since then
and it is fitting to update the data. Furthermore, having
an accurate baseline value provides the ability to measure
changes moving forward. Our survey was performed on
the highest point on the mountain, which in Denali’s case
is the snow surface. In several years it will be interesting
to re-measure the snow surface and see what kind of
changes the mountain has gone through.
Is this something that just anybody could do, or did you
require special skills and experience that the average
person would not have. If so, what?
Climbing Denali requires both special skills and special
character traits. It is one of the coldest and stormiest
places on the planet, so having the ability to protect and
manage health in sub-zero temperatures and maintain
equipment in harsh conditions is key.
For example, white gas stoves to melt snow and ice into
water can become problematic after substantial use or
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 82, No. 3, March 2016, pp. 175–178.
0099-1112/16/175–178
© 2016 American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.82.3.175
