Mount Fairweather

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Mount Fairweather
Fairweather from Glacier Bay, Sept. 2004
Elevation	4,663 metres (15,300 feet)
Location	Alaska-British Columbia
Range	Fairweather Range
Prominence	3,955 m
Coordinates	58°54′26″N, 137°31′36″W
Topo map	NTS 114I/13
First ascent	June 8, 1931 by Allen Carpé and Terris Moore
Easiest route	glacier/snow/ice climb

Mount Fairweather (officially known as Fairweather Mountain in Canada but referred to also as Mount Fairweather nonetheless) is a mountain located 20 km (14 mi) east of the Pacific Ocean in Glacier Bay National Park of the United States. While the majority of the mountain lies within the City and Borough of Yakutat, Alaska, the actual summit is in Tatshenshini-Alsek Park in British Columbia, making it the highest point in that province. The mountain was named on May 3, 1778 by Captain James Cook,^[1] apparently for the good weather encountered at the time.

Fairweather was first climbed in 1931 by Allen Carpé and Terris Moore.

[edit] Geography

Mount Fairweather is located right above Glacier Bay in the Fairweather Range of the Saint Elias Mountains. Mount Fairweather also marks the top of the Alaska Panhandle.

Like many large mountains in the St. Elias Range, Mount Fairweather has great vertical relief due to its dramatic rise from Glacier Bay, however its summit remains obscured much of the time due to poor weather conditions the area experiences.

[edit] Weather

Despite its name, Mount Fairweather has generally harsh weather conditions. It receives over 100 inches (254 cm) of precipitation each year (mostly snow) and sees temperatures of around -50°F (-46°C).

Dixon Harbor with Mt. Fairweather in the centre, 1925

[edit] See also

List of highest points of Canadian provinces and territories

[edit] Reference

^ Terris Moore, "Mount Fairweather, Correction", American Alpine Journal 1982, p. 139. He cites Cook and King Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Volume II, Admiralty, London, 1784, p. 345.