Mount Doonerak

Last updated
Mount Doonerak
Mount Doonerak.jpg
Northeast aspect
Highest point
Elevation 7,457 ft (2,273 m) [1] [2]
Prominence 3,557 ft (1,084 m) [2]
Parent peak Peak 7510 [3]
Isolation 27.19 mi (43.76 km) [3]
Coordinates 67°54′17″N150°37′38″W / 67.9045920°N 150.6272381°W / 67.9045920; -150.6272381 [4]
Geography
Relief map of USA Alaska.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Mount Doonerak
Location in Alaska
CountryUnited States
State Alaska
Census Area Yukon–Koyukuk
Protected area Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve [5]
Parent range Endicott Mountains [2]
Brooks Range
Topo map USGS Wiseman D-2
Geology
Age of rock Paleozoic
Type of rock Metavolcanic rock and argillite [6]
Climbing
First ascent 1952 [7]
Easiest route Southeast Ridge [1] class 4 [3]

Mount Doonerak is a 7,457-foot-elevation (2,273-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

Contents

Description

Mount Doonerak is the third-highest point in the Endicott Mountains which are a subrange of the Brooks Range. [2] It is set 32 miles (51 km) southeast of Anaktuvuk Pass in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. [4] It ranks as the fourth-highest summit within the park, [5] and is one of the most popular climbing areas in the park. [8] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north into the North Fork Koyukuk River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises approximately 5,457 feet (1,663 meters) above the North Fork Koyukuk in two miles (3.2 km). The nearest city is Fairbanks, 225 miles (362 km) to the south-southeast.

History

The mountain was discovered and named in 1929 by Bob Marshall who called it "Matterhorn of the Koyukuk." [4] [9] Later, he renamed it Doonerak after miscalculating the elevation as more than 10,000 feet and believing it was the tallest peak in the Arctic of Alaska. [10] Marshall described the mountain as, a "towering, black, unscalable-looking giant, the highest peak in this section of the Brooks Range." [11] The name Doonerak is taken from an Iñupiat word which means "a spirit" or "a devil." [4] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1932 by the United States Board on Geographic Names.

The first ascent of the summit was made on June 30, 1952, by George W. Beadle, Alfred Tissières and Gunnar Bergman via the Southeast Ridge. [1] [4]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Doonerak is located in a tundra climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool summers. [12] Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °F with wind chill factors below −30 °F. This climate supports a small glacial remnant on the peak's north slope.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooks Range</span> Mountain range in Alaska, United States

The Brooks Range is a mountain range in far northern North America stretching some 700 miles (1,100 km) from west to east across northern Alaska into Canada's Yukon Territory. Reaching a peak elevation of 8,976 feet (2,736 m) on Mount Isto, the range is believed to be approximately 126 million years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Fork Koyukuk River</span> River

The North Fork of the Koyukuk River is one of the principal forks of the Koyukuk River, approximately 105 mi (160 km) long, in northern Alaska in the United States. It has a watershed area of 1,850 square miles (4,800 km2). It rises on the south slopes of the Continental Divide in the Brooks Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Foresta</span> Mountain in Alaska, United States of America

Mount Foresta is an 11,000+ ft multi-peak massif located in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, in the Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska in the United States. Rising high above the lower western margin of the Hubbard Glacier, the summit of Mount Foresta is just over nine miles (14 km) from tidewater at Disenchantment Bay, 12 mi (19 km) northwest of Mount Seattle, 14.5 mi (23 km) southeast of Mount Vancouver, and 46 mi (74 km) north of Yakutat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Williwaw</span>

Mount Williwaw is a prominent 5,446-foot (1,660 m) mountain summit located in the Chugach Mountains, in Anchorage Municipality in the U.S. state of Alaska. Mount Williwaw, the highest peak of the Chugach Front Range, is situated in Chugach State Park, 12 mi (19 km) southeast of downtown Anchorage, and 1.4 mi (2 km) northeast of The Ramp. The Williwaw Lakes lie below the north and west slopes of the mountain and provide pleasant campsites for climbers not wanting to climb the mountain in one arduous day. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1964 by the United States Geological Survey based on a recommendation by the Mountaineering Club of Alaska because an infantry company from nearby Fort Richardson was caught in a williwaw near this mountain in May 1962. Three men died of exhaustion before the group was rescued. The first ascent of this peak was made June 11, 1965, by David Judd, M. Judd, Myers, and Parker via the South Ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Abbe</span> Mountain in Alaska, United States

Mount Abbe is an 8200+ feet double summit mountain located in the Fairweather Range of the Saint Elias Mountains, in southeast Alaska. The peak is situated near the terminus of the Johns Hopkins Glacier, within Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, 100 mi (161 km) northwest of Juneau, and 8.2 mi (13 km) northeast of Mount Orville. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the mountain rises up from tidewater in less than two miles. Mount Abbe is often seen and photographed with the Johns Hopkins Glacier, which is a popular destination for cruise ships. The mountain was named in 1936 by William Osgood Field and William Skinner Cooper, of the American Geographical Society, for Cleveland Abbe Jr., (1872-1934), an American geographer. Abbe received a Ph.D. in 1898 from Johns Hopkins University. The Gilman Glacier and Clark Glacier on the mountain's slopes were named for Daniel Coit Gilman, the institution's first president, and William Bullock Clark who was a professor of geology at the university. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1937 by the United States Geological Survey. The first ascent of the south summit was made June 11, 1977, by Jim Wickwire and Dusan Jagersky via the Southeast Face. Three days later, Dusan Jagersky was killed while descending an unnamed peak. The first ascent of the north summit was made July 14, 1991, by Walter Gove and William Pilling. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing Mount Abbe, but it's a challenging climb in any conditions, with few attempts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Wordie</span> Mountain in Alaska

Mount Wordie is a 4,700+ foot mountain summit located in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, in the Alsek Ranges of the Saint Elias Mountains, in southeast Alaska. The mountain is situated 80 mi (129 km) northwest of Juneau, 4 mi (6 km) south of Carroll Glacier, and 3.1 mi (5 km) north of Mount Merriam which is the nearest higher peak. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant as the mountain rises up from tidewater in less than two miles. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Glacier Bay Basin. Weather permitting, Mount Wordie can be seen from Queen Inlet and Wachusett Inlet of Glacier Bay, which is a popular destination for cruise ships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukakpak Mountain</span> Mountain in the Brooks Range, Alaska, United States

Sukakpak Mountain is a prominent 4,459-foot mountain summit located in the Philip Smith Mountains of the Brooks Range, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle near milepost 203 on the Dalton Highway, and 200 mi (322 km) north-northwest of Fairbanks, where the Bettles and Dietrich Rivers merge to form Middle Fork Koyukuk River. The peak's Sukakpak name was reported in 1930 by the USGS as an Inupiat word, said to mean "marten deadfall." From the north, the mountain resembles a carefully balanced log used to trap marten. The name was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dillon Mountain</span>

Dillon Mountain is a prominent 4,820-foot mountain summit located in the Philip Smith Mountains of the Brooks Range, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated 93 miles north of the Arctic Circle near milepost 207 on the Dalton Highway, and 200 mi (322 km) north-northwest of Fairbanks, where the Bettles and Dietrich Rivers merge to form Middle Fork Koyukuk River. Sukakpak Mountain rises 3 mi (5 km) to the southwest, and Dietrich Camp of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline lies 3 mi (5 km) to the northwest. The peak was named after John Thomas Dillon (1947-1987), a geologist with the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys who mapped the geology of the southern Brooks Range mineral belt. He died tragically with his father, Stephen Patrick Dillon, in an airplane crash in the Brooks Range while returning home from field work in July 1987. The name was officially adopted in 1990 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. This landmark is notable for its massive west face composed of Skajit limestone rising nearly 3,400 feet above the surrounding valley. 

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poss Mountain</span>

Poss Mountain is a prominent 6,180-foot mountain summit located in the Philip Smith Mountains of the Brooks Range, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle, five miles east of Dalton Highway, 11.3 mi (18 km) south of Sukakpak Mountain, and 190 mi (306 km) north-northwest of Fairbanks. The peak was named about 1930 by wilderness activist Robert Marshall after "Poss" Postlethwaite, an early and old gold prospector in this area around Wiseman. Robert Marshall described the then 78-year-old Postlethwaite as "the oldest man in the Koyukuk," having spent 32 winters in the area. The name was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The Poss Mountain Research Natural Area was designated in 1991 to protect natural mineral licks and lambing habitat for Dall sheep. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Middle and South Forks of Koyukuk River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Huxley (Alaska)</span> Mountain in Alaska

Mount Huxley is a 12,216-foot glaciated mountain summit located in the Saint Elias Mountains of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The remote peak is situated 75 mi (121 km) northwest of Yakutat, and 8.7 mi (14 km) west-northwest of Mount Saint Elias. The peak rises above the Columbus Glacier and Bagley Icefield to its north, the Tyndall Glacier to the south, and the Yahtse Glacier to the west. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into the Gulf of Alaska. The mountain was named in 1886 by English mountaineer Harold Ward Topham for Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), an English biologist. The mountain was officially named Huxley Peak in 1917, but the name was officially changed to Mount Huxley in 1968 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The first ascent of the peak was made June 9, 1996 by Paul Claus who landed his plane at 11,500 feet elevation on the western flank and climbed the remaining distance to the summit. The second ascent of Mt. Huxley, and first complete ascent from base to summit, was made in June 2018 by Scott Peters, Andrew Peter, and Ben Iwrey starting from the Columbus Glacier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverine Peak (Alaska)</span>

Wolverine Peak is a 4,491-foot (1,369 m) mountain summit located in the western Chugach Mountains, in Anchorage Municipality, in the U.S. state of Alaska. Wolverine Peak is situated in Chugach State Park, 10 mi (16 km) southeast of downtown Anchorage, and 2.6 mi (4 km) northwest of O'Malley Peak. It is a prominent mountain on the Anchorage skyline. This geographic feature was so-named in 1963 by members of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska who found wolverine tracks in the snow near the summit. The name was officially adopted in 1964 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. A popular hike on a five-mile trail leads to the summit with views of Mount Williwaw, Denali, Mount Foraker, Cook Inlet, and Anchorage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Goode (California)</span> Mountain in the American state of Colorado

Mount Goode is a 13,085-foot-elevation mountain summit located on the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California, United States. It is situated on the shared boundary of Kings Canyon National Park with John Muir Wilderness, and along the common border of Fresno County with Inyo County. It is also approximately one mile west-northwest of Bishop Pass, one mile east-southeast of Mount Johnson, 1.23 miles (1.98 km) south of Hurd Peak, and 16 miles (26 km) west of the community of Big Pine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cathedral (Summit County, Utah)</span> Mountain in the American state of Utah

The Cathedral is a 12,224-foot elevation (3,726 m) mountain summit located in Summit County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasatch Peak</span> Mountain in the American state of Utah

Wasatch Peak is a 13,156-foot elevation (4,010 m) mountain summit located in Summit County, Utah, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easley Peak</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

Easley Peak is an 11,108-foot elevation (3,386 m) mountain summit located on the common border that Blaine County shares with Custer County, in Idaho, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henrys Fork Peak</span>

Henrys Fork Peak is a 13,260-foot elevation (4,042 m) mountain summit located on the common border that Duchesne County shares with Summit County in the U.S. state of Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahiltna Queen</span>

Kahiltna Queen is a 12,380-foot-elevation (3,773-meter) mountain summit in the U.S. state of Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Burkett</span>

Mount Burkett is a 9,730-foot-elevation (2,966-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Ada</span>

Mount Ada is a 4,528-foot-elevation (1,380-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Geist</span>

Mount Geist is a 10,716-foot-elevation (3,266-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Michael Wood and Colby Coombs, Alaska: A Climbing Guide, The Mountaineers Books, 2002, page 40.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Mount Doonerak, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  3. 1 2 3 "Doonerak, Mount - 7,457' AK". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mount Doonerak". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  5. 1 2 "Mount Doonerak, Peakvisor.com" . Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  6. Mason L. Hill, Cordilleran Section of the Geological Society of America, Geological Society of America, 1987, p. 471.
  7. Donald J. Orth, Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967, page 280–281.
  8. Climbing, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, nps.gov, Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  9. Robert Hedin, Alaska: Reflections on Land and Spirit, University of Arizona Press, 1994, p. 142.
  10. Bill Sherwonit, Changing Paths: Travels and Meditations in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness, University of Alaska Press, 2010, ISBN   9781602231061, p. 157.
  11. Marshall, Robert (1956). Marshall, George (ed.). Arctic Wilderness. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 22.
  12. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . ISSN   1027-5606.