Mount Logan () is the highest

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and the second-highest peak in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

after

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 thir ...

. The mountain was named after Sir

William Edmond Logan Sir William Edmond Logan, FRSE FRS FGS (20 April 1798 – 22 June 1875), was a Canadian-born geologist and the founder and first director of the Geological Survey of Canada. Life William Edmond Logan was born into a well-to-do Montreal family ...

, a Canadian

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

and founder of the

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; french: Commission géologique du Canada (CGC)) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country, developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the e ...

(GSC). Mount Logan is located within Kluane National Park Reserve in southwestern

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, less than north of the Yukon–

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., ...

border. Mount Logan is the source of the

Hubbard Hubbard may refer to: Places Canada *Hubbard, Saskatchewan *Hubbards, Nova Scotia Canada/United States * Mount Hubbard, a mountain on the Alaska/Yukon border *Hubbard Glacier, a large freshwater glacier in Alaska and Yukon Greenland *Hubbard Gla ...

and Logan

glaciers A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

. Although many

shield volcano A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a warrior's shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more v ...

es are much larger in size and mass, Mount Logan is believed to have the largest base circumference of any non-volcanic mountain on Earth, including a

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

with eleven peaks over . Due to active tectonic uplifting, Mount Logan is still rising in height (approximately 0.35 mm per year). Before 1992, the exact elevation of Mount Logan was unknown and measurements ranged from . In May 1992, a GSC expedition climbed Mount Logan and fixed the current height of using

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

. Temperatures are extremely low on and near Mount Logan. On the plateau, air temperature hovers around in the winter and reaches near freezing in summer with the median temperature for the year around . Minimal snow melt leads to a significant ice cap, almost thick in certain spots.

Peaks of the massif

The Mount Logan

is considered to contain all the surrounding peaks with less than of

prominence In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...

, as listed below:

Discovery and naming

Mount Logan is not readily visible from the surrounding lowlands or the coast, due to its position in the heart of the

Saint Elias Mountains The Saint Elias Mountains (french: Chaîne Saint-Élie) are a subgroup of the Pacific Coast Ranges, located in southeastern Alaska in the United States, Southwestern Yukon and the very far northwestern part of British Columbia in Canada. The range ...

, although it can be seen from out to sea. Its first reported sighting was in 1890 by Israel C. Russell, during an expedition to nearby

Mount Saint Elias Mount Saint Elias (also designated Boundary Peak 186), the second-highest mountain in both Canada and the United States, stands on the Yukon and Alaska border about southwest of Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada. The Canadian side of ...

, from the crest of the Pinnacle Pass Hills (). He wrote: "The clouds parting toward the northeast revealed several giant peaks not before seen... One stranger, rising in three white domes far above the clouds, was especially magnificent". Russell gave the mountain its present name. In 1894 Mount Logan's elevation was determined to be about , making it the highest known peak in North America at the time. In 1898, Denali was determined to be higher.

Ascent attempts

First ascent

In 1922, a geologist approached the

Alpine Club of Canada The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) is an amateur athletic association with its national office in Canmore, Alberta that has been a focal point for Canadian mountaineering since its founding in 1906. The club was co-founded by Arthur Oliver Wheeler ...

with the suggestion that the club send a team to the mountain to reach the summit for the first time. An international team of Canadian, British and American climbers was assembled the following year, initially planning an attempt in 1924 but forced by funding and preparation delays to postpone the trip until 1925. The international team of climbers began their journey in early May, crossing the mainland from the Pacific coast by train. They then walked the remaining to within of the Logan Glacier where they established base camp. In the early evening of June 23, 1925, Albert H. MacCarthy (leader), H.F. Lambart, Allen Carpé, W.W. Foster, Norman H. Read and Andy Taylor stood on top for the first time. It had taken them 65 days to approach the mountain from the nearest town ( McCarthy across the border in Alaska), reach the summit, and return, with all climbers intact, although some of them suffered severe frostbite.Sherman pp. 1–38

Subsequent notable ascents and attempts

* 1957 ''East Ridge''. Don Monk, Gil Roberts and three others (US) reached the East Peak on July 19 after a 24-day climb.Selters pp. 170–171 *1959 ''East Ridge'', second ascent and first alpine-style ascent,

Hans Gmoser Johann Wolfgang "Hans" Gmoser, CM (July 7, 1932 – July 5, 2006) was a founder of modern mountaineering in Canada. Born in Austria in 1932, he came to Canada in 1951, and since then has been a major driving force behind the growing populari ...

and five others (Canada). Starting from

Kluane Lake Kluane Lake is located in the southwest area of the Yukon. It is the largest lake contained entirely within Yukon at approximately , and long. Kluane Lake is located approximately northwest of Haines Junction. The Alaska Highway follows most of ...

, they hiked and skied to reach the base of the mountain. They climbed the ridge in six days and summited the East Peak on June 12. * 1965 ''Hummingbird Ridge'' (South Ridge). Dick Long,

Allen Steck Allen Steck (born 1926) is an American mountaineer and rock climber. He is a native of Oakland, California. Mountaineering Steck started climbing with his brother George. In 1940 when Allen was 14, the two completed the first ascent of the nor ...

, Jim Wilson, John Evans, Franklin Coale Sr. and Paul Bacon (US) over 30 days, mid-July to Mid-August.

Fred Beckey Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as Fred Beckey, was an American rock climber, mountaineer and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of first ascents of the tallest peaks and best ro ...

remarked: "When they got back we just couldn't believe that they had climbed that thing. We didn't think they had a chance".Selters pp. 179-182 Featured in ''

Fifty Classic Climbs of North America ''Fifty Classic Climbs of North America'' is a climbing guidebook and history written by Steve Roper and Allen Steck. It is considered a classic piece of climbing literature, known to many climbers as simply "The Book", and has served as an inspi ...

''. As of 2022 the climb remains unrepeated. * 1967, August, the first ski descent of the mountain was made in two stages by Daniel C. Taylor main summit to the Kluane glacier * 1977 ''Warbler Ridge''. Dave Jones, Frank Baumann, Fred Thiessen, Jay Page (all from Canada) and Rene Bucher (Swiss) in 22 days.Scott pp. 319–320 * 1978 '' West Ridge''. Steve Davis (WA), Jon Waterman, George Sievewright, Roger Hurt (NH). Climbed ridge in 27 days "capsule-style". * 1979 ''Northwest Ridge'' Michael Down (CA), Paul Kindree, John Howe, Reid Carter and John Wittmayer climbed to the summit over 22 days, topping out on June 19. * 1979 ''South-Southwest Ridge''. Raymond Jotterand (CA), Alan Burgess, Jim Elzinga and John Lauchlan reached the summit after 15 days of climbing on June 30 and July 1. * 1986 First winter ascent by Todd Frankiewicz, Willy Hersman, Steve Koslow, George Rooney,

Vernon Tejas Vernon "Vern" Tejas is an American mountain climber and mountain guide. He is the current world record holder in the amount of time taken to summit all of the Seven Summits consecutively, having also previously held the same record. He was also t ...

and John Bauman via the ''King’s Trench Route'' on March 16. * 1987 David Cheesmond and Catherine Freer disappeared while attempting to repeat the ''Hummingbird Ridge''. * 1992 June 6, an expedition sponsored by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society confirmed the height of Mount Logan using GPS. The leader was Michael Schmidt, with Lisel Currie, Leo Nadeay, Charlie Roots, J-C. Lavergne, Roger Laurilla, Patrick Morrow, Karl Nagy, Sue Gould, Alan Björn, Lloyd Freese, Kevin McLaughlin and Rick Staley. * 2005 late May. Three climbers from the

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

-based

North Shore Rescue North Shore Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to wilderness search and rescue around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It consists of a team of approximately 40 volunteers who perform an average of 79 search and rescue operations e ...

team became stranded on the mountain. A joint operation by Canadian and American forces rescued the three climbers and took them to

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

for treatment of

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the han ...

. * 2017 May 23. 15-year-old Naomi Prohaska reached the summit, the youngest person to do so. She was part of a team led by her father. * 2018 June 14. The first all US veteran team reached the summit. The six-person team was unguided and part of the US non-profit organization Veterans Expeditions. Mount Logan 3D version 1

Climbing Rules

In January 2020, due to the expensive cost of search and rescue operations in recent years,

Parks Canada Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...

announced new rules for climbing Mt. Logan: * No solo expeditions * No winter expeditions (which also includes all of Kluane National Park) * Climbers must have insurance to cover the cost of search and rescue. There have been eight rescue missions in the past seven years in Kluane National Park. Each mission typically costs between $60,000 to $100,000 CAD which is paid for by Canadian taxpayers. A Parks Canada spokesperson said the new rules are to help reduce the financial burden to taxpayers.

Proposed renaming

Following the death of former

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada The prime mini ...

in 2000, then Prime Minister

Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. Born and raised in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Chrétien is a law graduate from Uni ...

, a close friend of Trudeau, proposed renaming the mountain Mount Trudeau. However opposition from

ers, mountaineers,

s, Trudeau's political critics, and many other Canadians forced the plan to be dropped. A mountain in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Premier Range The Premier Range is a group of mountains within the Cariboo Mountains of east-central British Columbia, Canada. The range (also known as the Premier Group) is bounded by the Raush River and Kiwa Creek to the north, the North Thompson River on th ...

was named Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau instead.

References

Bibliography

* he_climbing_history_up_to_1939_of_Mount_Logan,_Snowdon,_Ben_Nevis.html" ;"title="Snowdon.html" ;"title="he climbing history up to 1939 of Mount Logan, Snowdon">he climbing history up to 1939 of Mount Logan, Snowdon, Ben Nevis">Snowdon.html" ;"title="he climbing history up to 1939 of Mount Logan, Snowdon">he climbing history up to 1939 of Mount Logan, Snowdon, Ben Nevis, Ushba, Mount Everest, Everest, Nanga Parbat, Kangchenjunga, Kanchenjunga, the Matterhorn, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mont Blanc.] * * * *

External links

*
2009 Trip Report

Mount Logan Canadian Titan - Virtual Museum of Canada
{{DEFAULTSORT:Logan, Mount Five-thousanders of Yukon Saint Elias Mountains Lists of coordinates Kluane National Park and Reserve Seven Second Summits Highest points of countries