Wrangell Mountains
The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they i ...
, in 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 ...
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 ...
Mount Blackburn
Mount Blackburn (Ahtna: ''K’ats’i Tl’aadi'') is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska in the United States. It is the fifth-highest peak in the United States and the twelfth-highest peak in North America. The mountain is a ...
on the south margin of the
Kuskulana Glacier
The Kuskulana Glacier is a glacier in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska.
The Kuskulana Glacier trends southwest from Mount Blackburn to its terminus at the head of Kuskulana River, northwest of McCarthy in the Wrangell Mountains.
Kuskulana i ...
valley. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into
Kuskulana River
Kuskulana River is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located in the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Geography
The stream has its source in Kuskulana Glacier at an elevation of about 2,200 feet. It flows southwe ...
and Lakina River which are both tributaries of the
Chitina River
The Chitina River ( Ahtna Athabascan Tsedi Na’ < ''tsedi'' "
. The peak's descriptive name was used by early prospectors as reported in 1901 by the
US Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
.
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 ...
, Castle 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 cool summers. Winds 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 Wrangell 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 precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. 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 viewing and climbing.
Gallery
File:Castle Peak north aspect.jpg, Castle Peak, north aspect
File:Castle Peak wide.jpg, Castle Peak, south aspect
File:Wrangell Mountain Range, Alaska, 1924 (AL+CA 4895).jpg, Castle Peak (right), with Kuskulana Glacier. 1924
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of Alaska
This article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Alaska.
The summit of a mountain or hill may be measured in three principal ways:
#The topographic elevation of a summit measures the height of the summi ...
*
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 ...