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Coordinates: 63°04′10″N 151°00′27″W / 63.0695°N 151.0074°W / 63.0695; -151.0074
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{{short description|North American mountain range}}
{{short description|North American mountain range}}
{{Infobox mountain
{{Infobox mountain
| name=Alaska Range
| name = Alaska Range
| photo=Peaks of the Alaska Range (1).jpg
| photo = Peaks of the Alaska Range (1).jpg
| photo_caption=Mount Hunter, Mount Huntington and other rugged peaks of the Alaska Range near [[Denali]]
| photo_caption = Mount Hunter, Mount Huntington and other rugged peaks of the Alaska Range near [[Denali]]
| etymology=
| etymology =
| country=United States
| country = United States
| state=Alaska
| state = Alaska
| parent = [[American Cordillera]]
| parent = [[American Cordillera]]
| border=Pacific Coast Ranges
| border = [[Pacific Coast Ranges]]
| geology= | period= | orogeny=
| geology =
| period =
| length_mi=| length_orientation=
| orogeny =
⚫
| width_mi= | width_orientation=
| length_mi =
⚫
| highest=[[Denali]]
| length_orientation=
⚫
| elevation_ft=20310
⚫
| width_mi =
⚫
| elevation_ref=<ref name=usgs_hp>{{cite press release | url=https://www.usgs.gov/news/new-elevation-nation%E2%80%99s-highest-peak | publisher=USGS | title= New Elevation for Nation's Highest Peak | first1=Mark|last1=Newell | first2=Blaine|last2=Horner | date=September 2, 2015 |access-date=May 24, 2023}}</ref><ref name=otm>{{cite opentopomap|Denali|63.06909|-151.00626|2023-05-24}}</ref>
| width_orientation =
⚫
| coordinates = {{coord|63.0695|N|151.0074|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
⚫
| highest = [[Denali]]
⚫
| coordinates_ref =<ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis | id = 1414314 | name = Denali| access-date =2023-05-24}}</ref>
⚫
| elevation_ft = 20310
⚫
| listing = [[List of mountain ranges]]
⚫
| elevation_ref = <ref name=usgs_hp>{{cite press release | url=https://www.usgs.gov/news/new-elevation-nation%E2%80%99s-highest-peak | publisher=USGS | title= New Elevation for Nation's Highest Peak | first1=Mark|last1=Newell | first2=Blaine|last2=Horner | date=September 2, 2015 |access-date=May 24, 2023}}</ref><ref name=otm>{{cite opentopomap|Denali|63.06909|-151.00626|2023-05-24}}</ref>
⚫
| map_image=Relief map of Alaska Range.png
⚫
| coordinates = {{coord|63.0695|N|151.0074|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
⚫
| map_caption=
⚫
| coordinates_ref = <ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis | id = 1414314 | name = Denali| access-date =2023-05-24}}</ref>
⚫
| range_coordinates=
⚫
| listing = [[List of mountain ranges]]
⚫
| range_coordinates_ref=
⚫
| map_image = Relief map of Alaska Range.png
⚫
|fetchwikidata=ALL
⚫
| map_caption =
⚫
| range_coordinates =
⚫
| range_coordinates_ref=
⚫
| fetchwikidata = ALL
}}
}}

The '''Alaska Range''' is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950&nbsp;km) [[mountain range]] in the [[Southcentral Alaska|southcentral region]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]], from [[Lake Clark]] at its southwest end<ref name="sw_end">Sources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. The [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html Board on Geographic Names] entry is inconsistent; part of it designates [[Iliamna Lake]] as the southwestern end, and part of the entry has the range ending at the Telaquana and Neacola Rivers. Other sources identify Lake Clark, in between those two, as the endpoint. This also means that the status of the [[Neacola Mountains]] is unclear: it is usually identified as the northernmost subrange of the [[Aleutian Range]], but it could also be considered the southernmost part of the Alaska Range.</ref> to the [[White River (Yukon)|White River]] in [[Canada]]'s [[Yukon Territory]] in the southeast. [[Denali]], the highest mountain in [[North America]], is in the Alaska Range. The range is part of the [[American Cordillera]].
The '''Alaska Range''' is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950&nbsp;km) [[mountain range]] in the [[Southcentral Alaska|southcentral region]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]], from [[Lake Clark]] at its southwest end<ref name="sw_end">Sources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. The [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html Board on Geographic Names] entry is inconsistent; part of it designates [[Iliamna Lake]] as the southwestern end, and part of the entry has the range ending at the Telaquana and Neacola Rivers. Other sources identify Lake Clark, in between those two, as the endpoint. This also means that the status of the [[Neacola Mountains]] is unclear: it is usually identified as the northernmost subrange of the [[Aleutian Range]], but it could also be considered the southernmost part of the Alaska Range.</ref> to the [[White River (Yukon)|White River]] in [[Canada]]'s [[Yukon Territory]] in the southeast. [[Denali]], the highest mountain in [[North America]], is in the Alaska Range. The range is part of the [[American Cordillera]].


The Alaska range is one of the higher ranges in the world after the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Andes]].
The Alaska Range is one of the higher ranges in the world after the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Andes]].


==Description and history==
==Description==
[[File:Mt. Hayes and the eastern Alaska Range mountains.jpg|thumb|left|Mt. Hayes and the eastern Alaska Range mountains]]
[[File:Mt. Hayes and the eastern Alaska Range mountains.jpg|thumb|left|Mt. Hayes and the eastern Alaska Range mountains]]
[[File:Alaska range.jpg|thumb|right|alt=View of Alaska Range from Denali State Park| View from Denali State Park]]
[[File:Alaska range.jpg|thumb|right|alt=View of Alaska Range from Denali State Park| View from Denali State Park]]
The range forms a generally east–west arc with its northernmost part in the center, and from there trending southwest towards the [[Alaska Peninsula]] and the [[Aleutian Islands]], and trending southeast into [[British Columbia]] and the [[Pacific Coast Ranges]]. The mountains act as a high barrier to the flow of moist air from the [[Gulf of Alaska]] northwards, and thus have some of the harshest weather in the world. The heavy snowfall also contributes to a number of large [[glacier]]s, including the [[Cantwell Glacier|Cantwell]], [[Castner Glacier|Castner]], Black Rapids, [[Susitna Glacier|Susitna]], [[Yanert]], [[Muldrow Glacier|Muldrow]], [[Eldridge Glacier|Eldridge]], [[Ruth Glacier|Ruth]], [[Tokositna Glacier|Tokositna]], and [[Kahiltna Glacier|Kahiltna]] Glaciers. Four major rivers cross the Alaska Range, including the [[Delta River|Delta]] and [[Nenana River]]s in the center of the range and the [[Nabesna River|Nabesna]] and [[Chisana River]]s to the east.
The range forms a generally east–west arc with its northernmost part in the center, and from there trending southwest towards the [[Alaska Peninsula]] and the [[Aleutian Islands]], and trending southeast into [[British Columbia]] and the [[Pacific Coast Ranges]]. The mountains act as a high barrier to the flow of moist air from the [[Gulf of Alaska]] northwards, and thus have some of the harshest weather in the world. The heavy snowfall also contributes to a number of large [[glacier]]s, including the [[Cantwell Glacier|Cantwell]], [[Castner Glacier|Castner]], Black Rapids, [[Susitna Glacier|Susitna]], [[Yanert]], [[Muldrow Glacier|Muldrow]], [[Eldridge Glacier|Eldridge]], [[Ruth Glacier|Ruth]], [[Tokositna Glacier|Tokositna]], and [[Kahiltna Glacier|Kahiltna]] Glaciers. Four major rivers cross the Alaska Range, including the [[Delta River|Delta]] and [[Nenana River]]s in the center of the range and the [[Nabesna River|Nabesna]] and [[Chisana River]]s to the east.


[[Image:Alaska Range Glacier.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|Alaska Range Glacier]]
[[File:Alaska Range Glacier.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|Alaska Range Glacier]]
The range is part of the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]], and the [[Denali Fault]] that runs along its southern edge is responsible for many major [[earthquake]]s. [[Mount Spurr]] is a [[stratovolcano]] located at the northeastern end of the [[Aleutian Arc|Aleutian Volcanic Arc]] which has two vents, the summit and nearby Crater Peak.
The range is part of the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]], and the [[Denali Fault]] that runs along its southern edge is responsible for many major [[earthquake]]s. [[Mount Spurr]] is a [[stratovolcano]] located at the northeastern end of the [[Aleutian Arc|Aleutian Volcanic Arc]] which has two vents, the summit and nearby Crater Peak.


Parts of the Alaska Range are protected within [[Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve]], [[Denali National Park and Preserve]], and [[Lake Clark National Park and Preserve]]. The [[George Parks Highway]] from [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] to [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]], the [[Richardson Highway]] from [[Valdez, Alaska|Valdez]] to Fairbanks, and the [[Tok Cut-Off]] from Gulkana Junction to [[Tok, Alaska]] pass through low parts of the range. The [[Alaska Pipeline]] parallels the [[Richardson Highway]].
Parts of the Alaska Range are protected within [[Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve]], [[Denali National Park and Preserve]], and [[Lake Clark National Park and Preserve]]. Several highways cross through the passes of the range: the [[George Parks Highway]] from [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] to [[Fairbanks, Alaska|Fairbanks]] via [[Broad Pass, Alaska |Broad Pass]], the [[Richardson Highway]] from [[Valdez, Alaska|Valdez]] to Fairbanks via [[Isabel Pass]], and the [[Tok Cut-Off]] from Gulkana Junction to [[Tok, Alaska]] via [[Mentasta Pass]]. The [[Alaska Pipeline]] parallels the [[Richardson Highway]]. A part of the [[Alaska Highway]] is situated on the northern slopes of the eastern section of the range.

==History==
⚫
The name "Alaskan Range" appears to have been first applied to these mountains in 1869 by naturalist [[W. H. Dall]]. The name eventually became "Alaska Range" through local use. In 1849 {{interlanguage link|Constantin Grewingk|de}} applied the name "Tschigmit" to this mountain range. A map made by the [[United States General Land Office]] in 1869 calls the southwestern part of the Alaska Range the "Chigmit Mountains" and the northeastern part the "Beaver Mountains".<ref name="name_from_bgn">Name history from the [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html Board on Geographic Names] entry for the Alaska Range.</ref> However, the [[Chigmit Mountains]] are now considered part of the [[Aleutian Range]].


Starting in the mid 1880s to early 1900s, early non-native explorers traversed various sections of the Alaska Range. The first recorded expedition was in the Eastern Alaska Range led by [[Henry Tureman Allen| H. T. Allen]] in 1885. His team went from Suslota Lake to Tetlin Lake and unto the [[Tanana River]] via Miles Pass.<ref name= moffit>{{cite report |author= Fred H. Moffit |date= 1954 |title= Geology of the eastern part of the Alaska Range and adjacent area|url= https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0989d/report.pdf |publisher= US Department of the Interior, Geological Survey |access-date= 17 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="Yukon">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z-WsBum6UckC&q=Henry+Tureman+Allen+Yukon:+The+Last+Frontier&pg=PA106|title=Yukon: The Last Frontier|author=Webb, Melody|pages=106–109|publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]]|year=1993|isbn=0-7748-0441-6}}</ref> Six years later, [[Frederick Schwatka]] and Charles W. Hayes crossed the extreme eastern end of the range via the [[White River (Yukon)|White River]] and into the [[Copper River (Alaska)|Copper River]] basin through Skolai Pass in what is now called [[St. Elias Mountains]]. In 1898, [[Walter Curran Mendenhall| W. C. Mendenhall]] and [[Edwin Forbes Glenn| E. F. Glenn]] traversed Isabel Pass and were within 15-20 miles of the Tanana River before turning around.<ref name=moffit/> Separately, that same year, [[Robert Muldrow]] and George Homans Eldridge crossed Broad Pass into the [[Nenana River]] valley.<ref name=broad>{{cite report |author= Fred H. Moffit |date= 1916 |title = Broad Pass Region, Alaska |url= https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0608/report.pdf| publisher=United States Geological Survey}}</ref>
===Naming history===
⚫
The name "Alaskan Range" appears to have been first applied to these mountains in 1869 by naturalist [[W. H. Dall]]. The name eventually became "Alaska Range" through local use. In 1849 [[Constantin Grewingk]] applied the name "Tschigmit" to this mountain range. A map made by the [[General Land Office]] in 1869 calls the southwestern part of the Alaska Range the "Chigmit Mountains" and the northeastern part the "Beaver Mountains".<ref name="name_from_bgn">Name history from the [http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/index.html Board on Geographic Names] entry for the Alaska Range.</ref> However, the [[Chigmit Mountains]] are now considered part of the [[Aleutian Range]].
{{clear}}


==Major peaks==
==Major peaks==
[[File:Cordillera de Alaska desde Tok, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-29, DD 01-08 PAN.jpg|thumb|right|Alaska Range from [[Tok, Alaska|Tok]]]]
[[File:Cordillera de Alaska desde Tok, Alaska, Estados Unidos, 2017-08-29, DD 01-08 PAN.jpg|thumb|right|Alaska Range from [[Tok, Alaska|Tok]]]]


{| class="wikitable sortable"
* [[Denali]] (20,310&nbsp;ft/ 6,190.5 m)
|+
* [[Mount Foraker]] (17,400&nbsp;ft/ 5,304 m)
!Name !!colspan=2|Elevation (ft/m)
* [[Mount Hunter (Alaska)|Mount Hunter]] (14,573&nbsp;ft/ 4,442 m)
|-
* [[Mount Hayes]] (13,832&nbsp;ft/ 4,216 m)
|[[Denali]] || {{elevation_cells|20310|ft}}
⚫
* [[Mount Silverthrone (Alaska)|Mount Silverthrone]] (13,218&nbsp;ft/ 4,029 m)
|-
* [[Mount Moffit]] (13,020&nbsp;ft/ 3,970 m)
* [[Mount Deborah]] (12,339&nbsp;ft/ 3,761 m)
|[[Mount Foraker]] || {{elevation_cells|17400|ft}}
|-
⚫
* [[Mount Huntington (Alaska)|Mount Huntington]] (12,240&nbsp;ft/ 3,730 m)
* [[Mount Brooks (Alaska)|Mount Brooks]] (11,890&nbsp;ft/ 3,624 m)
|[[Mount Hunter (Alaska)|Mount Hunter]] || {{elevation_cells|14,573|ft}}
|-
⚫
* [[Mount Russell (Alaska)|Mount Russell]] (11,670&nbsp;ft/ 3,557 m)
|[[Mount Hayes]] || {{elevation_cells|13,832|ft}}
|-
⚫
|[[Mount Silverthrone (Alaska)|Mount Silverthrone]] || {{elevation_cells|13,218|ft}}
|-
|[[Mount Moffit]] || {{elevation_cells|13,020|ft}}
|-
|[[Mount Deborah]] || {{elevation_cells|12,339|ft}}
|-
⚫
|[[Mount Huntington (Alaska)|Mount Huntington]] || {{elevation_cells|12,240|ft}}
|-
|[[Mount Brooks (Alaska)|Mount Brooks]] || {{elevation_cells|11,890|ft}}
|-
⚫
|[[Mount Russell (Alaska)|Mount Russell]] || {{elevation_cells|11,670|ft}}
|}


==Subranges (from west to east)==
==Subranges (from west to east)==
Line 70: Line 90:
==Documented wilderness traverses of Alaska Range==
==Documented wilderness traverses of Alaska Range==
[[File:Craggyakrange.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Denali Highway]] passes through the Alaska Range and offers travelers a close up-look at some of the lower peaks]]
[[File:Craggyakrange.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Denali Highway]] passes through the Alaska Range and offers travelers a close up-look at some of the lower peaks]]
* [[Mentasta Lake, Alaska|Mentasta Lake]] to Kitchatna Mountains (1981): Scott Woolums, George Beilstein, Steve Eck, and Larry Coxen by [[Skiing|skis]]: first traverse. {{convert|375|mi|km}} in 45 days.<ref name=aaj1982>{{cite journal|title=Ski Traverse of the Whole Alaska Range|url=http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198213702|journal=American Alpine Journal|year=1982|volume=24|pages=137-138|access-date=2023-05-24}}</ref>
* [[Mentasta Lake, Alaska|Mentasta Lake]] to Kitchatna Mountains (1981): Scott Woolums, George Beilstein, Steve Eck, and Larry Coxen by [[Skiing|skis]]: first traverse. {{convert|375|mi|km}} in 45 days.<ref name=aaj1982>{{cite journal|title=Ski Traverse of the Whole Alaska Range|url=http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198213702|journal=American Alpine Journal|year=1982|volume=24|pages=137–138|access-date=2023-05-24}}</ref>
* Canada to [[Lake Clark (Alaska)|Lake Clark]] (1996): Roman Dial, Carl Tobin, and Paul Adkins by [[mountain bike]] and [[packraft]]: first full-length traverse. {{convert|775|mi|km}} in 42 days.<ref>"A Wild Ride," National Geographic Magazine (1997), Vol. 191. Pages 118-131</ref>
* Canada to [[Lake Clark (Alaska)|Lake Clark]] (1996): Roman Dial, Carl Tobin, and Paul Adkins by [[mountain bike]] and [[packraft]]: first full-length traverse. {{convert|775|mi|km}} in 42 days.<ref name=ng1997>{{cite magazine|title=A Wild Ride|magazine= National Geographic Magazine|year=1997|volume=191|pages=118–131}}</ref>
* Tok to Lake Clark (1996): Kevin Armstrong, Doug Woody, and Jeff Ottmers by snowshoe, foot, and packraft: first foot traverse. {{convert|620|mi|km}} in 90 days.<ref name=aaj1997>{{cite journal|title=Alaska Range Traverse|journal=American Alpine Journal|year=1997|volume=39|pages=169-170|url=http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199716900|access-date=2023-05-24}}</ref>
* Tok to Lake Clark (1996): Kevin Armstrong, Doug Woody, and Jeff Ottmers by snowshoe, foot, and packraft: first foot traverse. {{convert|620|mi|km}} in 90 days.<ref name=aaj1997>{{cite journal|title=Alaska Range Traverse|journal=American Alpine Journal|year=1997|volume=39|pages=169–170|url=http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199716900|access-date=2023-05-24}}</ref>
*Lake Clark to Mentasta Lake (2016): [[Gavin McClurg]] by [[Paragliding|paraglider]] and foot: first vol-biv (fly/camp) traverse. {{convert|466|mi|km}} in 37 days.<ref>Cross Country Magazine, Vol 171. Pages 52-52. Red Bull Media House Films "Under the Midnight Sun"</ref>
*Lake Clark to Mentasta Lake (2016): [[Gavin McClurg]] by [[Paragliding|paraglider]] and foot: first vol-biv (fly/camp) traverse. {{convert|466|mi|km}} in 37 days.<ref>Cross Country Magazine, Vol 171. Pages 52-52. Red Bull Media House Films "Under the Midnight Sun"</ref>
*[[Cantwell, Alaska|Cantwell]]/[[Yakutat, Alaska|Yakutat]] to [[Unimak Island]] (2020): Quoc Nguyen and Dan Binde by foot and packraft. 2,500 miles (4,023 km) in 120 days.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=Hikers Cover 2,500 Miles to Reach Southernmost Portion on Unimak Island|work=|url=https://www.aleutianseast.org/vertical/sites/%7BEBDABE05-9D39-4ED4-98D4-908383A7714A%7D/uploads/In_the_Loop_-_11-6-20.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531134521/https://www.aleutianseast.org/vertical/sites/%7BEBDABE05-9D39-4ED4-98D4-908383A7714A%7D/uploads/In_the_Loop_-_11-6-20.pdf|archive-date=2022-05-31}}</ref>
*[[Cantwell, Alaska|Cantwell]]/[[Yakutat, Alaska|Yakutat]] to [[Unimak Island]] (2020): Quoc Nguyen and Dan Binde by foot and packraft. {{convert|2,500|mi|km}} in 120 days.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=Hikers Cover 2,500 Miles to Reach Southernmost Portion on Unimak Island|work=|url=https://www.aleutianseast.org/vertical/sites/%7BEBDABE05-9D39-4ED4-98D4-908383A7714A%7D/uploads/In_the_Loop_-_11-6-20.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531134521/https://www.aleutianseast.org/vertical/sites/%7BEBDABE05-9D39-4ED4-98D4-908383A7714A%7D/uploads/In_the_Loop_-_11-6-20.pdf|archive-date=2022-05-31}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 13:08, 22 June 2024

Alaska Range
Mount Hunter, Mount Huntington and other rugged peaks of the Alaska Range near Denali
Highest point
PeakDenali
Elevation20,310 ft (6,190 m)[1][2]
ListingList of mountain ranges
Coordinates63°04′10″N 151°00′27″W / 63.0695°N 151.0074°W / 63.0695; -151.0074[3]
Geography
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Parent rangeAmerican Cordillera
Borders onPacific Coast Ranges

The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950 km) mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end[4] to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast. Denali, the highest mountain in North America, is in the Alaska Range. The range is part of the American Cordillera.

The Alaska Range is one of the higher ranges in the world after the Himalayas and the Andes.

Description

Mt. Hayes and the eastern Alaska Range mountains
View of Alaska Range from Denali State Park
View from Denali State Park

The range forms a generally east–west arc with its northernmost part in the center, and from there trending southwest towards the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, and trending southeast into British Columbia and the Pacific Coast Ranges. The mountains act as a high barrier to the flow of moist air from the Gulf of Alaska northwards, and thus have some of the harshest weather in the world. The heavy snowfall also contributes to a number of large glaciers, including the Cantwell, Castner, Black Rapids, Susitna, Yanert, Muldrow, Eldridge, Ruth, Tokositna, and Kahiltna Glaciers. Four major rivers cross the Alaska Range, including the Delta and Nenana Rivers in the center of the range and the Nabesna and Chisana Rivers to the east.

Alaska Range Glacier

The range is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the Denali Fault that runs along its southern edge is responsible for many major earthquakes. Mount Spurr is a stratovolcano located at the northeastern end of the Aleutian Volcanic Arc which has two vents, the summit and nearby Crater Peak.

Parts of the Alaska Range are protected within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Denali National Park and Preserve, and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Several highways cross through the passes of the range: the George Parks Highway from Anchorage to Fairbanks via Broad Pass, the Richardson Highway from Valdez to Fairbanks via Isabel Pass, and the Tok Cut-Off from Gulkana Junction to Tok, Alaska via Mentasta Pass. The Alaska Pipeline parallels the Richardson Highway. A part of the Alaska Highway is situated on the northern slopes of the eastern section of the range.

History

The name "Alaskan Range" appears to have been first applied to these mountains in 1869 by naturalist W. H. Dall. The name eventually became "Alaska Range" through local use. In 1849 Constantin Grewingk [de] applied the name "Tschigmit" to this mountain range. A map made by the United States General Land Office in 1869 calls the southwestern part of the Alaska Range the "Chigmit Mountains" and the northeastern part the "Beaver Mountains".[5] However, the Chigmit Mountains are now considered part of the Aleutian Range.

Starting in the mid 1880s to early 1900s, early non-native explorers traversed various sections of the Alaska Range. The first recorded expedition was in the Eastern Alaska Range led by H. T. Allen in 1885. His team went from Suslota Lake to Tetlin Lake and unto the Tanana River via Miles Pass.[6][7] Six years later, Frederick Schwatka and Charles W. Hayes crossed the extreme eastern end of the range via the White River and into the Copper River basin through Skolai Pass in what is now called St. Elias Mountains. In 1898, W. C. Mendenhall and E. F. Glenn traversed Isabel Pass and were within 15-20 miles of the Tanana River before turning around.[6] Separately, that same year, Robert Muldrow and George Homans Eldridge crossed Broad Pass into the Nenana River valley.[8]

Major peaks

Alaska Range from Tok
Name Elevation (ft/m)
Denali 20,310 6,190
Mount Foraker 17,400 5,300
Mount Hunter 14,573 4,442
Mount Hayes 13,832 4,216
Mount Silverthrone 13,218 4,029
Mount Moffit 13,020 3,970
Mount Deborah 12,339 3,761
Mount Huntington 12,240 3,730
Mount Brooks 11,890 3,620
Mount Russell 11,670 3,560

Subranges (from west to east)

Alaska Range Mountain Peaks

Documented wilderness traverses of Alaska Range

The Denali Highway passes through the Alaska Range and offers travelers a close up-look at some of the lower peaks
  • Mentasta Lake to Kitchatna Mountains (1981): Scott Woolums, George Beilstein, Steve Eck, and Larry Coxen by skis: first traverse. 375 miles (604 km) in 45 days.[9]
  • Canada to Lake Clark (1996): Roman Dial, Carl Tobin, and Paul Adkins by mountain bike and packraft: first full-length traverse. 775 miles (1,247 km) in 42 days.[10]
  • Tok to Lake Clark (1996): Kevin Armstrong, Doug Woody, and Jeff Ottmers by snowshoe, foot, and packraft: first foot traverse. 620 miles (1,000 km) in 90 days.[11]
  • Lake Clark to Mentasta Lake (2016): Gavin McClurg by paraglider and foot: first vol-biv (fly/camp) traverse. 466 miles (750 km) in 37 days.[12]
  • Cantwell/Yakutat to Unimak Island (2020): Quoc Nguyen and Dan Binde by foot and packraft. 2,500 miles (4,000 km) in 120 days.[13]

See also

References

Gulkana Glacier flows from the ice fields of the Alaska Range
  1. ^ Newell, Mark; Horner, Blaine (September 2, 2015). "New Elevation for Nation's Highest Peak" (Press release). USGS. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  2. ^ "Topographic map of Denali". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  3. ^ "Denali". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  4. ^ a b Sources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. The Board on Geographic Names entry is inconsistent; part of it designates Iliamna Lake as the southwestern end, and part of the entry has the range ending at the Telaquana and Neacola Rivers. Other sources identify Lake Clark, in between those two, as the endpoint. This also means that the status of the Neacola Mountains is unclear: it is usually identified as the northernmost subrange of the Aleutian Range, but it could also be considered the southernmost part of the Alaska Range.
  5. ^ Name history from the Board on Geographic Names entry for the Alaska Range.
  6. ^ a b Fred H. Moffit (1954). Geology of the eastern part of the Alaska Range and adjacent area (PDF) (Report). US Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  7. ^ Webb, Melody (1993). Yukon: The Last Frontier. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 106–109. ISBN 0-7748-0441-6.
  8. ^ Fred H. Moffit (1916). Broad Pass Region, Alaska (PDF) (Report). United States Geological Survey.
  9. ^ "Ski Traverse of the Whole Alaska Range". American Alpine Journal. 24: 137–138. 1982. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  10. ^ "A Wild Ride". National Geographic Magazine. Vol. 191. 1997. pp. 118–131.
  11. ^ "Alaska Range Traverse". American Alpine Journal. 39: 169–170. 1997. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  12. ^ Cross Country Magazine, Vol 171. Pages 52-52. Red Bull Media House Films "Under the Midnight Sun"
  13. ^ "Hikers Cover 2,500 Miles to Reach Southernmost Portion on Unimak Island" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-05-31.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alaska Range.
  • Churkin, M., Jr., and C. Carter. (1996). Stratigraphy, structure, and graptolites of an Ordovician and Silurian sequence in the Terra Cotta Mountains, Alaska Range, Alaska [U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1555]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
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