Higher Spire is a

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 ...

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 ...

, United States.

Description

Higher Spire is located north of

Palmer, Alaska Palmer is a city in and the county seat, borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States, located northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Matanuska Valley. It is the List of cities in A ...

, in the

Talkeetna Mountains The Talkeetna Mountains (''Dghelaay tahwt’aene'' in Ahtna) () are a mountain range in Alaska. The Matanuska and Susitna River valleys, with towns such as Trapper Creek, Talkeetna, Wasilla, Palmer, Sutton, and Chickaloon, roughly bound th ...

and in the Hatcher Pass Management Area of the state park system. Precipitation runoff from this peak drains south to the Little Susitna River via Reed Creek, whereas the north side drains to Bartholf Creek which is a tributary of the Kashwitna River.

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 Lower Reed Lake in . The nearest higher neighbor is

Lynx Peak Lynx Peak is a summit in Alaska, United States. Description Lynx Peak is located north of Palmer, Alaska, in the Talkeetna Mountains and in the Hatcher Pass Management Area of the state park system. Precipitation runoff from this mountain's so ...

to the east. The Snowbird Hut on the northern edge of the

Snowbird Glacier __NOTOC__ Snowbird Glacier is a hanging alpine glacier in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. Location and terrain Snowbird Glacier is located near the southwestern corner of the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. It sits in a high alpine bowl surrou ...

provides shelter and access for climbing Higher Spire and Lower Spire. This peak's toponym has been featured in publications since at least 1969,''Scree''
Nick Parker, Mountaineering Club of Alaska, August 1969, p. 4. but it has not been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.

Lower Spire

Lower Spire is set southwest of Higher Spire. It reaches an elevation of and has a

topographical prominence In topography, prominence or relative height (also referred to as autonomous height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling ...

of . It is also set above the Snowbird Glacier.

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 ...

, Higher Spire 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 short cool summers. Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −10 °F. This climate supports the

on the west slope of the peak. The months of May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing.''Denali FAQ'', American Alpine Institute
alpineinstitute.com, Retrieved 2024-01-08.

Gallery

File:Nordic skating on Upper Reed Lake.jpg, East aspect of Higher Spire centered above Upper Reed Lake File:Higher Spire.jpg, North aspect File:Snowbird Glacier Hut and spires.jpg, Snowbird Hut with Higher Spire (upper left) and Lower Spire (center, top) File:Backcountry skiing in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska.jpg, Southeast aspect of Lower Spire

References

External links

* Hatcher Pass Management Area
dnr.alaska.gov
{{Portal bar, Mountains, Geography, Geology, Alaska One-thousanders of the United States Mountains of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska