Fireweed Mountain is a prominent 6,956-foot (2,120 meter) mountain summit located in the
Wrangell Mountains, in the
U.S. state of
Alaska. The peak is situated in
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, immediately west of the terminus of the
Kennicott Glacier, and west-northwest of
McCarthy McCarthy (also spelled MacCarthy or McCarty) may refer to:
* MacCarthy, a Gaelic Irish clan
* McCarthy, Alaska, United States
* McCarty, Missouri, United States
* McCarthy Road, a road in Alaska
* McCarthy (band), an indie pop band
* Château MacC ...
. Precipitation runoff from the eight-mile-long by five-mile-wide mountain drains into tributaries of the
Chitina River, which in turn is part of the
Copper River Copper River may refer to several places:
*Copper River (Alaska), in the United States
* Copper River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (afte ...
drainage basin. The mountain's name was given in the 1920s by Molly Gilmore, a lifelong resident of the McCarthy area, who at age 17, named the mountain for the abundance of
fireweed which grew on the mountain following forest fires.
Although fireweed is the most common and well-known flower in Alaska, it is not commemorated on any other Alaskan mountain. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1966 by the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names. On a clear day the summit of Fireweed Mountain offers views of
Mount Blackburn to the northwest, and
Regal Mountain to the northeast.
Climate
Based on the
Köppen climate classification, Fireweed Mountain is located in a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a 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 an ocean, ge ...
zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers.
Weather systems coming off the
Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Wrangell Mountains (
orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for viewing and climbing.
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of Alaska
*
Geography of Alaska
*
Kennecott, Alaska
References
{{reflist
External links
* Weather forecast
Fireweed Mountain* Fireweed Mountain and Kennecott
YouTube
Mountains of Alaska
Landforms of Copper River Census Area, Alaska
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
North American 2000 m summits