Mount Edgecumbe (Alaska)

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Mount Edgecumbe

Mount Edgecumbe in December 2004.
Elevation 3,201 ft (976 m)
Prominence 3,201 ft (976 m)
Location
Location Kruzof Island, Sitka City and Borough, Alaska, U.S.
Coordinates 57°03′05″N 135°45′31″W / 57.05139°N 135.75861°W / 57.05139; -135.75861Coordinates: 57°03′05″N 135°45′31″W / 57.05139°N 135.75861°W / 57.05139; -135.75861
Topo map USGS Sitka A-6
Geology
Type Dacite stratovolcano
Age of rock < 600,000 yr
Last eruption 2220 BC ±100 years
Climbing
First ascent 1803 by Urey Lisianski
Easiest route Hike
A view toward Mount Edgecumbe
A snow-capped Mount Edgecumbe, with its companion Crater Ridge, as viewed from nearby Baranof Island.

Mount Edgecumbe is the current name of a dormant volcano located at the southern end of Kruzof Island, Alaska, of which it is the highest point. In the Tlingit language it is called L’ux.[1] Mt. Edgecumbe is a local landmark and a tourist attraction.

Naming

Mount Edgecumbe was named by British Captain James Cook in 1778 after a hill overlooking Plymouth Harbor, England, or possibly for George, Earl of Edgcumbe.[2] It had previously been named Montaña de San Jacinto (to La Pérouse "Mount Saint Hyacinth") in 1775 by Spanish explorer Juan de la Bodega to honor the saint whose day it was.[3]

Ascent

Mount Edgecumbe can be ascended in a day hike. The trail and original cabin were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Eruptions

False eruption

On April 1, 1974, a local prankster named Oliver (Porky) Bickar flew in and ignited 100 old tires in the crater, convincing nearby residents of Sitka, Alaska that the volcano was erupting. Round the rim of the volcano someone had spraypainted "April Fool" in 50ft letters. Bickar had been planning the prank for four years.[5]

See also

  • List of volcanoes in the United States of America

References

  1. ↑ Joseph, Charlie; Brady, I.; Makinen, E.; David, R.; Davis, V.; Johnson, A.; Lord, N. (2001). "Sheet’kwaan Aani Aya". Sitka Tribe of Alaska. Retrieved 27 October 2009. 
  2. ↑ Wagner, Henry (1937). The Cartography of the Northwest Coast of America to the Year 1800. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 385. 
  3. ↑ Orth, Donald J. (1967). Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, Geological Survey, Professional Paper 567. Washington: United States Government Printing Office. 
  4. ↑ "Mount Edgecumbe". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1105-04-.
  5. ↑ Lamont, Tom. "The 10 best April fools". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-04-01. 

External links

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