Mount Saint Elias
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| Mount Saint Elias | |
|---|---|
 Mount St. Elias from Icy Bay, Alaska |
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| Elevation | 18,009 feet (5,489 m)[1] |
| Location | Alaska-Yukon, North America |
| Range | Saint Elias Mountains |
| Prominence | 11,312 ft (3,448 m) |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Topo map | USGS Mt. Saint Elias |
| First ascent | 1897 by Duke of the Abruzzi |
| Easiest route | glacier/snow/ice climb |
Mount Saint Elias is the second highest mountain in both the United States and Canada, being situated on the Alaska and Yukon border. The U.S. side of the mountain is located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, while the Canadian side is part of Kluane National Park. It lies about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada.
Its name in Tlingit is Yaas'éit'aa Shaa, meaning "mountain behind Icy Bay", and is occasionally called Shaa Tléin "Big Mountain" by the Yakutat Tlingit. It is one of the most important crests of the Kwaashk'khwáan clan since they used it as a guide during their journey down the Copper River.[1]
The mountain was first sighted by European explorers on July 16, 1741 by Vitus Bering of Russia. While some historians contend that the mountain was named by Bering, others believe that eighteenth century mapmakers named it after Cape Saint Elias, when it was left unnamed by Bering.[2]
Mount Saint Elias is notable for being the highest peak in the world that is so close to tidewater; its summit rises only 10 miles (16 km) from the head of Taan Fjord, off of Icy Bay. This gives the peak immense vertical relief, comparable to that of Mount McKinley (Denali) or peaks in the Himalaya.
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[edit] Climbing history
Mt. St. Elias was first climbed on July 31, 1897 by an expedition led by famed explorer Prince Luigi Amadeo di Savoia, (who also reconnoitered the current standard route on K2) and including noted mountain photographer Vittorio Sella.
The second ascent was not until 1946, when a group from the Harvard Mountaineering Club including noted mountain historian Dee Molenaar climbed the Southwest Ridge route. The summit party comprised Molenaar, his brother Cornelius, Andrew and Betty Kauffman, Maynard Miller, William Latady, and Benjamin Ferris. (This expedition was somewhat unusual for the era in including a female member.) William Putnam was a member of the expedition but did not make the summit. They used eleven camps, eight of which were on the approach from Icy Bay, and three of which were on the mountain. They were supported by multiple air drops of food.[3]
Mount Saint Elias is infrequently climbed today, despite its height, due to the typically terrible weather conditions engendered by its proximity to the ocean.
[edit] See also
- Mountain peaks of Alaska
- Mountain peaks of Canada
- Mountain peaks of North America
- Mountain peaks of the United States
[edit] References
- ^ a b Mt. Saint Elias on Bivouac
- ^ USGS GNIS: Mount Saint Elias
- ^ Maynard Malcolm Miller, "Yahtsétesha", American Alpine Journal, 1947, pp. 257-268.
- Michael Wood and Colby Coombs, Alaska: a climbing guide, The Mountaineers, 2001.
[edit] External links
- Mt. St. Elias on Peakware
- Mt. St. Elias on SummitPost
- A peak list by local relief and steepness showing Mount Saint Elias as the world #10
