Amulet Peak is a prominent elevation mountain summit located east-northeast of

Palmer Palmer may refer to: People and fictional characters * Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land * Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Palmer (surname), including a list of people and f ...

, in the northern

Chugach Mountains The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about long and wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnag ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. This landmark of the

Matanuska Valley Matanuska-Susitna Valley (; known locally as the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about north of Anchorage, Alaska. It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed ...

is set midway between

Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...

and Glennallen, at mile 94 of the

Glenn Highway The Glenn Highway (part of Alaska Route 1) is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska, extending from Anchorage near Merrill Field to Glennallen on the Richardson Highway. The Tok Cut-Off is often considered part of the Glenn Highway, for a ...

. It is situated west of

Matanuska Glacier Matanuska Glacier is a valley glacier in the US state of Alaska. At long by wide, it is the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States. Its Glacier terminus, terminus feeds the Matanuska River. It lies near the Glenn Highway about n ...

, and northeast of Awesome Peak, its nearest higher neighbor. Established climbing routes on this peak include the east and south ridges, as well as the north face which is the most difficult and dangerous.Michael Wood, Colby Coombs, ''Alaska - A Climbing Guide'', The Mountaineers Books, 2001, page 135. The

first ascent In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...

of this peak was made in 1968 by John Vincent Hoeman, his wife

Grace Hoeman Grace Jansen Hoeman (1921– April 12, 1971) was an American mountaineer and pioneering female mountain climber. A doctor, she made a number of first ascents in Alaska. Hoeman led the first all-female expedition to Denali in 1970. She died in an ...

, and William Babcock, via the south ridge.

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Amulet Peak is located in a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Weather systems coming off the

Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska ( Tlingit: ''Yéil T'ooch’'') is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the ...

are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains (

orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...

), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports small unnamed glaciers and permanent snowfields on its slopes. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Monument and Gravel Creeks, which are tributaries of the

Matanuska River The Matanuska River ( Dena'ina: ''Ch'atanhtnu''; Ahtna: ''Ts'itonhna’'') is a 75-mile (121 km) long river in Southcentral Alaska, United States. The river drains a broad valley south of the Alaska Range eponymously known as the Matanusk ...

Gallery

File:Amulet Peak rising above Matanuska River.jpg, Amulet Peak (left) rising above Matanuska River, with parent Awesome Peak to right of center File:Lion Head, Alaska.jpg, Amulet Peak in background behind Lion Head File:Amulet Peak, Matanuska River.jpg

References

{{reflist

External links

* Weather forecast
National Weather Service
* Amulet Peak with Lion Head
Flickr photo
* Account of first ascent
American Alpine Club
Mountains of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska Two-thousanders of the United States

Climate

Gallery

See also

References

External links