Dike Mountain is a glaciated
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
located in the
Boundary Ranges
The Boundary Ranges, also known in the singular and as the Alaska Boundary Range, are the largest and most northerly subrange of the Coast Mountains. They begin at the Nass River, near the southern end of the Alaska Panhandle in the Canadian p ...
of the
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains (french: La chaîne Côtière) are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia ...
, in the U.S. state of
Alaska.
It is situated north-northwest of
Juneau along the western side of the
Juneau Icefield, on land managed by
Tongass National Forest.
Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,150 feet (350 m) above the Eagle Glacier in . Neighbors include
Mustang Peak to the south, and
Snowpatch Crag
Snowpatch Crag is a elevation glaciated mountain summit located in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. Snowpatch Crag is a nunatak surrounded by the Taku Glacier, and is situated near the west side of the Jun ...
is to the east. Dike Mountain was named by members of the Juneau Icefield Research Project in 1964, and the toponym was officially adopted in 1965 by the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
[United States Board on Geographic Names, ''Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States'', Decision List No. 6502, (1965), page 3.]
Climate
Based on the
Köppen climate classification, Dike Mountain is located in a subpolar
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
zone, with long, cold, wet winters, and cool summers.
Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (
orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Coast Mountains experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −10 °F. This climate supports the
West Branch Taku Glacier and Eagle Glacier surrounding the peak. The months May and June offer the most favorable weather for viewing this peak.
See also
*
Geospatial summary of the High Peaks/Summits of the Juneau Icefield
*
Geography of Alaska
References
External links
* Dike Mountain
weather forecast
{{Coast Mountains
Mountains of Alaska
Mountains of Juneau, Alaska
Boundary Ranges
Coast Mountains
North American 2000 m summits