Mile High Peak is a 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 ...
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 ...
.
Description
Mile High Peak is located northeast of
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 ...
in the western
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 ...
and within
Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park covers 495,204 acres (2,004 square kilometers) covering a hilly region immediately east of Anchorage, in south-central Alaska.
Established by legislation signed into law on August 6, 1970, by Alaska Governor Keith Harvey Mi ...
.
[ Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to ]Knik Arm
Knik Arm ( Dena'ina: ''Nuti'') is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches of Cook Inlet, the other being Turnagain Arm. Knik Glacier empties into the Knik Arm. The Port of Anchorage is ...
via Peters Creek and Eagle River. Although modest in elevation, relief
Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
is significant as the summit rises approximately 3,700 feet (1,128 m) above Peters Creek in and 4,900 feet (1,493 m) above Eagle River in . The mountain's toponym has not been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names. In 1953, Mrs. Ollie A. Trower of Anchorage proposed that this mountain be named "Mt. Magnificent," however confusion led to a smaller peak two miles west being officially adopted as Mount Magnificent.''Mount Magnificent''
Chosslore.com, Published 2022-12-27, Retrieved 2023-12-28.
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 ...
, Mile High 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. Winter temperatures can drop below −10 °F with wind chill factors below −20 °F.
Gallery
File:Anchorage from Earthquake Park.jpg, Anchorage, with Vista Peak in upper left, and Mile High Peak centered at top
File:Anchorage Downtown.jpg, Mile High Peak and Anchorage
File:Northwest 747 Freighters Ted Stevens International Airport.jpg, Vista Peak centered at top, and Mile High Peak in upper right
File:Anchorage at sunset.jpg, Mile High Peak and downtown Anchorage at sunset
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 ...
References
{{Portal bar, Mountains, Geography, Alaska
One-thousanders of the United States
Mountains of Anchorage, Alaska