Awesome Peak is an mountain
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...
located 35 miles (56 km) 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
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 peak 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, near mile 90 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 15 miles (24 km) 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 southwest of
Amulet Peak.
[ Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Monument and Coal 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 ...
. Topographic relief
Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...
is significant as the summit rises above Coal Creek in 3.75 miles (6 km) and above Monument Creek in 1.9 mile (3 km). This mountain's toponym has not been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names, so it is only marked as "8645" on USGS maps.
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 ...
, Awesome 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.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.
Gallery
File:Awesome Peak.jpg, North aspect of Awesome Peak (center), Alabaster Peak to left in back, Peak 7417 to right
File:Amulet Peak rising above Matanuska River.jpg, Amulet Peak (left), Matanuska River, and Awesome Peak to right of center
File:Matanuska River Bend.jpg, Awesome Peak near center
See also
*Matanuska Formation
The Matanuska Formation consists of more than of Sedimentary rock, sedimentary Stratum, strata exposed in the northern Chugach Mountains, Matanuska Valley, and southern Talkeetna Mountains of south-central Alaska. The Matanuska Formation contain ...
*Geography of Alaska
Alaska occupies the northwestern portion of the North American continent and is bordered only by Canada on the east. It is one of two U.S. states not bordered by another state; Hawaii is the other. Alaska has more ocean coastline than all of the ...
*
References
{{reflist
External links
* Weather forecast
National Weather Service
Mountains of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Two-thousanders of the United States