Peril Peak is a mountain
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 ...
in
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., ...
, United States.
Description
Peril Peak is located east of
Anchorage
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 ...
in the western
Chugach Mountains
The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about long and wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain ...
.
It ranks as the 14th-highest summit within
Chugach State Park. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to
Knik Arm
Knik Arm ( Dena'ina: ''Nuti'') is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches of Cook Inlet, the other being Turnagain Arm. Knik Glacier empties into the Knik Arm. The Port of Anchorage is loc ...
via the
Eklutna River. Although modest in elevation,
topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2,500 feet (762 m) above the
Eklutna Glacier
Eklutna Glacier is a land terminating glacier in Chugach State Park and the Chugach Mountains near Anchorage, Alaska. Runoff from Eklutna Glacier contributes to Eklutna Lake, the main source of drinking water for the Anchorage community as well a ...
in .
History
The peak was so named in 1963 by the members of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska because of the danger and difficulty involved in climbing it.
[Donald J. Orth, ''Dictionary of Alaska Place Names'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967, page 749.] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1964 by the
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...
.
[United States Board on Geographic Names, ''Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States'', Decision List No. 6403, 1965, page 4.] "Jane Russell Peaks" and "Marilyns Twins" were names rejected by the board, as the landform appears to have twin summits when viewed from the north.
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 on May 23, 1964, by Gregg Erickson, Helga Bading, Jim Frazer, and Hans Van der Laan, from the south.
J. Vincent Hoeman, ''The Western Chugach Range, Alaska''
1966, American Alpine Journal, publications.americanalpineclub.org
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 ...
, Peril Peak 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.
See also
* List of mountain peaks of Alaska
* Geography of Alaska
References
External links
* Peril Peak
weather forecast
{{Portal bar, Mountains, Geography, Alaska
Mountains of Alaska
North American 2000 m summits
Mountains of Anchorage, Alaska