Kahiltna Queen is a mountain summit in the U.S. state of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

Description

Kahiltna Queen is located 140 miles (225 km) north of Anchorage in

Denali National Park Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is an American national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve ...

and the

Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950 km) mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoar ...

. It is situated east of the Denali Base Camp for mountaineers attempting to climb

Denali Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the th ...

Mount Foraker Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

, or Mount Hunter. Kahiltna Queen is set south of Denali's summit, south of Kahiltna Peaks, and northeast of Hunter. Access to the area is via air taxi from

Talkeetna Talkeetna ( Dena'ina: ''K'dalkitnu'') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 1,055, up from 876 in 2010. Geography Talkeetna is located at the confluence o ...

. The peak has the shape of a steep

glacial horn A pyramidal peak, sometimes called a glacial horn in extreme cases, is an angular, sharply pointed mountain peak which results from the cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from a central point. Pyramidal peaks are often examples o ...

sculpted by three glaciers as it rises above the heads of West Fork

Ruth Glacier Ruth Glacier is a glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its upper reaches are approximately 3 vertical miles below the summit of Denali. The glacier's "Great Gorge" is one mile wide, and drops almost 2,000 feet o ...

, Southeast Fork

Kahiltna Glacier Kahiltna Glacier is the longest glacier of the Alaska Range in the U.S. state of Alaska. It starts on the southwest slope of Denali near Kahiltna Pass (elevation ). Its main channel runs almost due south between Mount Foraker to the west and M ...

, and the

Tokositna Glacier Tokositna Glacier is a glacier in the Alaska Range of Denali National Park and Preserve in the U.S. state of Alaska. The glacier originates in two major arms on the east side of Mount Hunter, moving east until the main arms join, then turning so ...

Topographic relief Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin w ...

is significant as the summit rises above the Tokositna Glacier in one-half mile (0.8 km). The peak ranks as the 54th-highest summit in Alaska.''Highest Alaskan summits''
National Park Service, nps.gov, Retrieved 2023-11-12. The

first ascent In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...

of the summit was made in April of 1977 by Alan Kearney, Mai Ulrich, and Chuck Sink who christened it "Humble Peak."

Etymology

The mountain's toponym commemorates Frances Randall (1925-1984), the first Denali Base Camp manager for nine climbing seasons (1974-1983). She was planning a tenth season, but cancer claimed her life. Her expertise was instrumental in coordinating many rescues that saved lives and earned her the nicknames ''Kahiltna Queen'' and ''Guardian Angel of McKinley''. She was a member of the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, often playing the violin at base camp over the CB radio. In 1964 she became the sixth woman to reach the summit of

Mount McKinley Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thir ...

. "Kahiltna" is a Athabaskan word meaning "from the source."

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, Kahiltna Queen is located in a

Tundra climate The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. undra climate https://www.britannica.com/science/tundra-climateThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019 It is classified as ET according to Köppen ...

zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers. Weather systems are forced upwards by the Alaska Range (

orographic lift Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...

), causing heavy precipitation in the form of snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °F with wind chill factors below −30 °F. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for viewing and climbing.''Denali FAQ'', American Alpine Institute
alpineinstitute.com, Retrieved 2024-01-08.

Gallery

File:Kahiltna Queen, west aspect.jpg, West aspect File:Kahiltna Queen.jpg, West aspect File:Kahiltna Queen to right.jpg, Kahiltna Queen at upper right, viewed from north slope of Mount Hunter.
Head of Southeast Fork Kahiltna Glacier below. File:Alaska - Mt. McKinley - NARA - 23940923.jpg, Kahiltna Queen in lower right with Mt. Hunter (left), Mt. Foraker (top), and Mt. Crosson (upper right) in 1940s

References

External links

* Weather forecast
Kahiltna Queen
* Kahiltna Queen (photo)
Flickr
* Kahiltna Queen (photo)
Flickr
{{Geographic Location 2 , Center = Kahiltna Queen , North = Kahiltna Peaks , Northeast = West Fork

, East = Mount Huntington , Southeast = Tokositna Glacier , South =

, Southwest = Mount Hunter , WSW = Radio Control Tower , West =

, Northwest =