Mount Gakona

Last updated
Mount Gakona
Mount Gakona.jpg
Southwest aspect centered at top
Highest point
Elevation 9,865 ft (3,007 m) [1]
Prominence 2,313 ft (705 m) [1]
Parent peak Mount Kimball (10,300 ft) [2]
Isolation 7.73 mi (12.44 km) [2]
Coordinates 63°19′21″N145°10′51″W / 63.3225394°N 145.1807369°W / 63.3225394; -145.1807369 [3]
Geography
Relief map of USA Alaska.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Mount Gakona
Location in Alaska
Mount Gakona
Interactive map of Mount Gakona
CountryUnited States
State Alaska
Census Area Southeast Fairbanks [3]
Parent range Alaska Range
Delta Mountains [4]
Topo map USGS Mount Hayes B-3
Climbing
First ascent 1970 [5]

Mount Gakona is a 9,865-foot-elevation (3,007-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

Contents

Description

Mount Gakona is located 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Paxson in the Delta Mountains which are a subrange of the Alaska Range. [3] The heavily glaciated mountain ranks as the fourth-highest peak in the Delta Mountains. [4] Precipitation runoff and glacial meltwater from the mountain's north slope drains to Johnson Glacier → Johnson River → Tanana River, whereas the south slope drains to the Gakona Glacier → Gakona River → Copper River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4,865 feet (1,483 meters) above the Johnson Glacier in 1.3 mile (2.1 km). The first ascent of the summit was made on March 24, 1980, by Daniel Osborne, Steve O'Brien, Mark Hottman, and Toby Wheeler. [6] The climbers reported that the mountain has two peaks separated one mile apart by a knife-edged ridge. The word "Gakona" /ɡəˈkoʊnə/ (Ggax Kuna' in Ahtna language) means "rabbit" or "rabbit river." [7] [8] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. [9]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Gakona is located in a tundra climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool summers. [10] Weather systems are forced upwards by the Delta Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −10 °F. This climate supports the Johnson Glacier, Gakona Glacier, and smaller unnamed glaciers surrounding the peak.

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Mount Merriam is a prominent 5,083-foot (1,549-meter) 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 75 mi (121 km) northwest of Juneau, 3.1 mi (5 km) south of Mount Wordie, 3.5 mi (6 km) north of Black Cap Mountain, and 13.4 mi (22 km) southeast of Mount Abdallah which is the nearest higher peak. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant as the mountain rises up from tidewater in less than three miles, and it ranks 85th in prominence for all peaks in Alaska. The mountain was named by members of a 1941 Glacier Bay expedition for Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam (1855-1942), Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Biological Survey. Merriam was a zoologist for the 1899 Harriman Alaska expedition which explored Glacier Bay. Weather permitting, Mount Merriam can be seen from Glacier Bay, which is a popular destination for cruise ships. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing the peak.

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

Porphyry Mountain is a prominent 6,375-foot mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, immediately southeast of Kennecott, 4 mi (6 km) northeast of McCarthy, and, 5 mi (8 km) northwest of Sourdough Peak. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Nizina River, which in turn is part of the Copper River drainage basin. The peak is notable for a rock glacier on its north slope. The mountain was so named because it is largely composed of porphyry, which is a very hard igneous rock. The mountain's local name was reported in 1908 by the U.S. Geological Survey. On a clear day the summit of Porphyry Mountain offers views of Donoho Peak, Kennicott Glacier, and Mount Blackburn to the northwest, and Fireweed Mountain to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pagoda Mountain</span> Mountain in the United States

Pagoda Mountain is a 13,497-foot-elevation (4,114-meter) mountain summit in Boulder County, Colorado, United States.

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

Mount Shouplina is an 8,531-foot-elevation (2,600-meter) mountain summit located 18 miles (29 km) north-northwest of Valdez in the U.S. state of Alaska. This remote glaciated mountain is set in the Chugach Mountains on land managed by Chugach National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains south to Prince William Sound and north to Tazlina Lake → Tazlina River → Copper River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,100 feet (640 m) above the East Branch Columbia Glacier in 0.4 mile (0.64 km). The first ascent of the summit was made in 1985 by John Weiland, Matt Kinney, and Bob Shelton. The mountain was named in 1959 by mountaineer Lawrence E. Nielsen and the toponym was officially adopted in 1965 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The word "Shouplina" is a portmanteau blending the names of the Shoup Glacier and Tazlina Glacier which flow from this mountain's south and north slopes respectively.

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

Tazcol Peak is a 7,850-foot-elevation (2,393-meter) mountain summit located 18 miles (29 km) north-northwest of Valdez in the U.S. state of Alaska. This remote glaciated mountain is set in the Chugach Mountains on land managed by Chugach National Forest. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains south to Prince William Sound and north to Tazlina Lake → Tazlina River → Copper River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4,350 feet (1,326 m) above the East Branch of the Columbia Glacier in 1.4 mile (2.25 km). The peak's name was applied in 1959 by mountaineer and glaciologist Lawrence E. Nielsen (1917–1992), and the toponym was officially adopted in 1965 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The word "Tazcol" is a portmanteau blending the names of the Tazlina Glacier and Columbia Glacier which flow from this mountain's north and south slopes respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icy Peak (Alaska)</span> Summit in Alaska, United States

Icy Peak is a 4,550-foot-elevation (1,390-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

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

Mount Stepo is a 3,828-foot-elevation (1,167-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Telaquana Mountain is an 8,070-foot-elevation (2,460-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Mount Emmerich is a 6,877-foot-elevation (2,096-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Mount Silvertip is a 9,400-foot-elevation (2,865-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Institute Peak is an 8,022-foot-elevation (2,445-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Mount Tlingit Ankawoo is a 7,550-foot-elevation (2,301-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Mount Dech is a 7,475-foot-elevation (2,278-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Mount Yukla is a 7,569-foot (2,307 m) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rowel</span>

The Rowel is a 9,806-foot-elevation (2,989-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Mount Chichantna is a 10,893-foot-elevation (3,320-meter) mountain summit in Alaska.

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

Hearth Mountain is a 6,182-foot-elevation (1,884-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

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

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

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

Glacier King is a 6,500-foot-elevation (1,981-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Mountain (Alaska)</span> Mountain in Alaska, United States

Rainbow Mountain is a 6,841-foot-elevation (2,085-meter) summit in Alaska, United States.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mount Gakona, Peakvisor.com" . Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  2. 1 2 "Gakona, Mount - 9,850' AK". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  3. 1 2 3 "Mount Gakona". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  4. 1 2 "Mount Gakona, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  5. ↑ Franz Mueter, Club History, Alaskaalpineclub.com, Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  6. ↑ Daniel Osborne, North America, United States, Alaska, Mount Gakona, Eastern Alaska Range, 1971, publications.americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  7. ↑ University of Alaska Fairbanks: Alaska Native Place Names, Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  8. ↑ Sandy Nestor, Indian Placenames in America, Volume 1, McFarland, 2015, ISBN   9780786493395, p. 11.
  9. ↑ Donald J. Orth, Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967, page 358.
  10. ↑ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN   1027-5606.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.