The wind chill factor of 50 degrees below zero at the summit of Mount Vinson in Antarctica dictated that the subdued celebration would last only a few minutes, creating such a brief experience that Michael Hannan would wonder, “Was I really there?”
The Cottonwood Heights resident’s stories of worldwide climbs evoke all kinds of other questions: How? Why? And, how old are you, again?
The answers are both simple and complex, stemming from losing his job as an airline pilot due to a heart condition and becoming motivated to keep moving forward. That’s how in January, shortly before turning 75, Hannan became the oldest climber to reach Mount Vinson’s 16,050-foot summit.