Mount Skarland

Mount Skarland
Northeast aspect, centered
(Mt. Geist left and Mt. Balchen far left)
Highest point
Elevation10,375 ft (3,162 m)[1][2]
Prominence1,122 ft (342 m)[2]
Parent peakMount Geist (10,720 ft)[3]
Isolation2.32 mi (3.73 km)[3]
Coordinates63°40′17″N 146°50′27″W / 63.6714285°N 146.8408669°W / 63.6714285; -146.8408669[1]
Naming
EtymologyIvar Skarland
Geography
Mount Skarland is located in Alaska
Mount Skarland
Mount Skarland
Location in Alaska
Map
Interactive map of Mount Skarland
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Census AreaSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area
Parent rangeAlaska Range
Hayes Range[4]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Hayes C-6
Climbing
First ascent1970

Mount Skarland is a 10,375-foot-elevation (3,162-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

Description

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Mount Skarland is a glaciated mountain located in the Hayes Range which is a subrange of the Alaska Range.[4] This remote peak is situated 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northwest of Mount Hayes and 85 miles (137 km) south-southeast of Fairbanks.[1] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Hayes Creek and Whistler Creek which flow north to East Fork Little Delta River → Little Delta River → Tanana River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 4,875 feet (1,486 m) above the Hayes Glacier in two miles (3.2 km). The first ascent of the summit was made on April 19, 1970, by Theodore Nicolai, Ed Johann, Terry Simonitch, and Price Zimmermann via the Northeast Ridge.[5]

Etymology

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The mountain was named by Troy L. Péwé for Dr. Ivar Skarland (1899–1965), head of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Alaska at the time of his death.[6] He did pioneering work in anthropology and archeology in much of Alaska, including the Alaska Range.[1] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1965 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[7] Dr. Skarland worked with Otto W. Geist who also has an adjacent peak named after him (Mt. Geist).[8] Also adjacent is Mt. Giddings, named for J. Louis Giddings, another archaeologist at the University of Alaska who died around the same time.[9] Skarland and Geist were personal friends of Bernt Balchen, who also had a nearby peak (Mt. Balchen) named after him.[10]

Climate

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Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Skarland is located in a tundra climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers.[11] This climate supports the Hayes and Gillam glaciers surrounding this peak. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °F with wind chill factors below −30 °F. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing.[12]

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  • South aspect of Mt. Balchen centered. Mt. Giddings to left, Mt. Skarland to right, and part of Mt. Geist behind Balchen.
    South aspect of Mt. Balchen centered. Mt. Giddings to left, Mt. Skarland to right, and part of Mt. Geist behind Balchen.
  • Mt. Geist (left), and Mt. Skarland (right)
    Mt. Geist (left), and Mt. Skarland (right)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Mount Skarland". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  2. ^ a b "Mount Skarland, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  3. ^ a b "Skarland, Mount - 10,315' Alaska". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  4. ^ a b "Mount Skarland". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  5. ^ Theodore Nicolai, North America, United States, Alaska, Mount Skarland, Hayes Group, Alaska Range, American Alpine Journal, 1971, americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  6. ^ Donald J. Orth, Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967, page 884.
  7. ^ United States Board on Geographic Names, Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States, Decision List No. 6504, (1966), page 5.
  8. ^ "Mount Geist". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  9. ^ "Mount Giddings". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  10. ^ The Norseman, 1974, p. 79.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Denali FAQ, American Alpine Institute, alpineinstitute.com, Retrieved 2024-01-08.
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