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Coordinates: 58°54′23″N 137°31′36″W / 58.90639°N 137.52667°W / 58.90639; -137.52667
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| photo_caption = Mount Fairweather (left) with [[Mount Quincy Adams (Fairweather Range)|Mount Quincy Adams]] (right) from the [[Pacific Ocean]], 2001.
| photo_caption = Mount Fairweather (left) with [[Mount Quincy Adams (Fairweather Range)|Mount Quincy Adams]] (right) from the [[Pacific Ocean]], 2001.
| elevation_system = NAVD88
| elevation_system = NAVD88
| elevation = 4671 m (15,325 ft)
| elevation_m = 4671
| elevation_ref = <ref name=peakbagger/>
| elevation_ref = <ref name=peakbagger/>
| prominence = 3946 m (12,995 ft)
| prominence = 3946 m (12,995 ft)
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| location = [[Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve]], [[Alaska]] / [[Stikine Region, British Columbia]]
| location = [[Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve]], [[Alaska]] / [[Stikine Region, British Columbia]]
| range = [[Saint Elias Mountains|Fairweather Range]]
| range = [[Saint Elias Mountains|Fairweather Range]]
| map = USA Alaska#Canada British Columbia
| map = Alaska#British Columbia
| map_caption = Location on Alaska/B.C. border
| map_caption = Location in Alaska##Location in British Columbia
| label_position = left#right
| label_position = left#right
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 8
| mapframe-caption = Interactive map of Mount Fairweather
| coordinates = {{coord|58|54|23|N|137|31|36|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|58|54|23|N|137|31|36|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = <ref name=bcgnis>{{cite bcgnis|id=38638|title=Fairweather Mountain|access-date=2010-07-13}}</ref>
| coordinates_ref = <ref name=bcgnis>{{cite bcgnis|id=38638|title=Fairweather Mountain|access-date=2010-07-13}}</ref>
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==Weather==
==Weather==
Despite its name, Mount Fairweather has generally harsh weather conditions. It receives over 100&nbsp;inches (254&nbsp;cm) of [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] each year (mostly snow) and sees temperatures of around {{convert|-50|F|C}}.On Mount Fairweather, the winter months of December through February are harsh and merciless. With typical lows ranging from -10°C to -20°C (14°F to -4°F) or even lower at higher rises, temperatures plunge well below freezing.<ref>https://www.worldmountains.info/2024/04/conquering-elements-navigating-mount.html</ref>.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Donna |title=Conquering the Elements: Navigating Mount Fairweather's Weather Challenges |url=https://www.worldmountains.info/2024/04/conquering-elements-navigating-mount.html |website=World Mountains |access-date=2 April 2024 |language=en |date=2 April 2024}}</ref>
Despite its name, Mount Fairweather has generally harsh weather conditions. It receives over 100&nbsp;inches (254&nbsp;cm) of [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] each year (mostly snow) and sees temperatures of around {{convert|-50|F|C}}.{{citation needed|date=July 2010}}


==Climbing history==
==Climbing history==
⚫
[[File:Mount Fairweather mountaineering.jpg|thumb|right|290px|The north face of Mt. Fairweather centered]]
No documented attempt at climbing the mountain had been successful until 1931.
No documented attempt at climbing the mountain had been successful until 1931.
* 1926 [[Allen Carpé|Allen Carpe]], Andy Taylor and W.S. Ladd reached {{convert|2890|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} on the West Ridge, but were forced back due to a steep notch in the ridge that made ferrying supplies very difficult.<ref name=Scott2000/>
* 1926 [[Allen Carpé|Allen Carpe]], Andy Taylor and W.S. Ladd reached {{convert|2890|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} on the West Ridge, but were forced back due to a steep notch in the ridge that made ferrying supplies very difficult.<ref name=Scott2000/>
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* 1973 ''Southwest Ridge'', Peter Metcalf, Henry Florschutz, Toby O'Brien and Lincoln Stoller. Summit reached on July 10, 1973.<ref name=AAJ1974/>
* 1973 ''Southwest Ridge'', Peter Metcalf, Henry Florschutz, Toby O'Brien and Lincoln Stoller. Summit reached on July 10, 1973.<ref name=AAJ1974/>
* 1981 ''Southeast Ridge from the ocean'', Gary Clark, Kim Grandfield, David Lunn. 19 days from Sea Otter Beach and back, Summit reached on May 31, bivouac in crevasse under summit.<ref name=AAJ1974/>
* 1981 ''Southeast Ridge from the ocean'', Gary Clark, Kim Grandfield, David Lunn. 19 days from Sea Otter Beach and back, Summit reached on May 31, bivouac in crevasse under summit.<ref name=AAJ1974/>



===First Documented Ascent===
===First Documented Ascent===
⚫
[[File:Mount Fairweather mountaineering.jpg|thumb|right|290px|The north face of Mt. Fairweather centered]]
After failing to reach the summit in 1926 due to terrain difficulty on their chosen route, Allen Carpe, W.S. Ladd, Andy Taylor returned in 1931 along with a new member Terris Moore. In early April the group began their approach by boat but stormy weather delayed them rounding Cape Fairweather until April 17. They reached Lituya Bay and unloaded their supplies on the beach. Backtracking {{convert|21|km|mi|0}} along the coast, they made their way to the Fairweather Glacier. From base camp in a spot they called Paradise Valley, they decided to attempt the mountain from the south rather than via the west ridge. Due to deep snow, they realized that skis and snowshoes would be of great help so Carpe and Moore made the {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} round trip to fetch them from Lituya Bay.<ref name=Scott2000/>
After failing to reach the summit in 1926 due to terrain difficulty on their chosen route, Allen Carpe, W.S. Ladd, Andy Taylor returned in 1931 along with a new member Terris Moore. In early April the group began their approach by boat but stormy weather delayed them rounding Cape Fairweather until April 17. They reached Lituya Bay and unloaded their supplies on the beach. Backtracking {{convert|21|km|mi|0}} along the coast, they made their way to the Fairweather Glacier. From base camp in a spot they called Paradise Valley, they decided to attempt the mountain from the south rather than via the west ridge. Due to deep snow, they realized that skis and snowshoes would be of great help so Carpe and Moore made the {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} round trip to fetch them from Lituya Bay.<ref name=Scott2000/>


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{{NA highest}}{{NA prominent}}{{NA isolated}}
{{NA highest}}{{NA prominent}}{{NA isolated}}
{{Alaska}}{{Topics on British Columbia}}
{{Alaska}}{{Topics on British Columbia}}
{{Authority control}}{{Highest points of Canadian Provinces & Territories}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairweather, Mount}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairweather, Mount}}
[[Category:Landforms of Hoonah–Angoon Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Landforms of Hoonah–Angoon Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Four-thousanders of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Four-thousanders of British Columbia]]
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[[Category:Canada–United States border]]
[[Category:Canada–United States border]]
[[Category:International mountains of North America]]
[[Category:International mountains of North America]]
[[Category:North American 4000 m summits|Mount Fairweather]]
[[Category:Four-thousanders of the United States|Fairweather]]
[[Category:Mountains of Unorganized Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Mountains of Unorganized Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Cassiar Land District]]
[[Category:Cassiar Land District]]

Revision as of 00:03, 8 December 2024

For the mountain in Antarctica, see Mount Fairweather (Antarctica).
Mount Fairweather
Tsalxhaan
Mount Fairweather (left) with Mount Quincy Adams (right) from the Pacific Ocean, 2001.
Highest point
Elevation4,671 m (15,325 ft)[1]
NAVD88
Prominence3946 m (12,995 ft)[1]
Isolation200 km (124.4 mi)[1]
Listing
Coordinates58°54′23″N 137°31′36″W / 58.90639°N 137.52667°W / 58.90639; -137.52667[2]
Geography
Mount Fairweather is located in Alaska
Mount Fairweather
Mount Fairweather
Location in Alaska
Mount Fairweather is located in British Columbia
Mount Fairweather
Mount Fairweather
Location in British Columbia
Map
Interactive map of Mount Fairweather
LocationGlacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska / Stikine Region, British Columbia
Parent rangeFairweather Range
Topo mapNTS 114I13
Climbing
First ascentJune 8, 1931 by Allen Carpé and Terris Moore
Easiest routeglacier/snow/ice climb

Mount Fairweather (or Tsalxaan in the Tlingit language[3]) is 20 km (12 mi) east of the Pacific Ocean on the Canada–United States border between Alaska and western British Columbia and has an elevation of 4,653 metres (15,266 ft). Most of the mountain lies within Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in the City and Borough of Yakutat, Alaska, though the summit borders Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, British Columbia. Tsalxaan is officially gazetted as Fairweather Mountain in Canada[2] but referred to as Mount Fairweather, and is the highest mountain in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also designated as Boundary Peak 164 or as US/Canada Boundary Point #164.[1][4]

It is said this mountain and Yaas'éit'aa Shaa (Mt. St. Elias) were originally next to each other but had an argument and separated. Their children, the mountains in between the two peaks, are called Tsalxaan Yatx'i (Children of Tsalxaan.)[citation needed]

The colonial name for the mountain came from Captain James Cook,[5] on May 3, 1778 apparently for the unusually good weather encountered at the time. The name has been translated into many languages. It was called "Mt. Beautemps" by La Perouse (1786, atlas), "Mte. Buen-tiempo" by Galiano (1802, map 3), "Gor[a]-Khoroshy-pogody" on Russian Hydrographic Dept. Chart 1378 in 1847, and "G[ora] Fayerveder" by Captain Tebenkov (1852, map 7), Imperial Russian Navy. It was called "Schönwetterberg" by Constantin Grewingk in 1850 and "Schönwetter Berg" by Justus Perthes in 1882.[6]

Fairweather was first climbed in 1931 by Allen Carpé and Terris Moore.[7][6]

Geography

Mount Fairweather is located right above Glacier Bay in the Fairweather Range of the Saint Elias Mountains. Mount Fairweather also marks the northwest extremity of the Alaska Panhandle.

Like many peaks in the St. Elias Mountains, Mount Fairweather has great vertical relief due to its dramatic rise from Glacier Bay. However, due to poor weather in the area, this effect is usually obscured with the clouds which often hides the summit from view.

Weather

Despite its name, Mount Fairweather has generally harsh weather conditions. It receives over 100 inches (254 cm) of precipitation each year (mostly snow) and sees temperatures of around −50 °F (−46 °C).[citation needed]

Climbing history

No documented attempt at climbing the mountain had been successful until 1931.

  • 1926 Allen Carpe, Andy Taylor and W.S. Ladd reached 2,890 m (9,480 ft) on the West Ridge, but were forced back due to a steep notch in the ridge that made ferrying supplies very difficult.[7]
  • 1930 Bradford Washburn also made an attempt on the West Ridge but traveling conditions forced a retreat at 2,040 metres (6,690 ft).[7]
  • 1931 Allen Carpe and Terris Moore summited via the Southeast Ridge on June 8, 1931[7][6]
  • 1958 Paddy Sherman and 7 other Canadians reached the summit via the SE Ridge on June 26, 1958.[8]
  • 1968 West Ridge, Loren Adkins, Walter Gove, Paul Myhre, John Neal and Kent Stokes – summit reached June 12, 1968[9]
  • 1973 Southwest Ridge, Peter Metcalf, Henry Florschutz, Toby O'Brien and Lincoln Stoller. Summit reached on July 10, 1973.[8]
  • 1981 Southeast Ridge from the ocean, Gary Clark, Kim Grandfield, David Lunn. 19 days from Sea Otter Beach and back, Summit reached on May 31, bivouac in crevasse under summit.[8]

First Documented Ascent

The north face of Mt. Fairweather centered

After failing to reach the summit in 1926 due to terrain difficulty on their chosen route, Allen Carpe, W.S. Ladd, Andy Taylor returned in 1931 along with a new member Terris Moore. In early April the group began their approach by boat but stormy weather delayed them rounding Cape Fairweather until April 17. They reached Lituya Bay and unloaded their supplies on the beach. Backtracking 21 kilometres (13 mi) along the coast, they made their way to the Fairweather Glacier. From base camp in a spot they called Paradise Valley, they decided to attempt the mountain from the south rather than via the west ridge. Due to deep snow, they realized that skis and snowshoes would be of great help so Carpe and Moore made the 80 km (50 mi) round trip to fetch them from Lituya Bay.[7]

They ascended the glacier from base camp and setup camp at 1,520 m (4,987 ft) on the mountain's south face. On May 25, they established high camp at 2,740 m (8,990 ft) after making significant progress up a ridge on a rare day of good weather. However, the weather turned and they were forced to descend after an overnight coating of snow. After waiting out the snowstorm for six days at lower camp, they made their way back up to high camp on June 2. They left for the summit at 1:30 am on June 3 and having reached the southeast shoulder by mid-morning, they were feeling so confident that they left the willow wands behind. However, higher altitude and the weeks of hard effort slowed their progress and then the weather changed. By 1 pm not far from the summit, they decided to retreat and had to descend without the wands to guide them. They managed to reach the tents by 4 pm. Ladd and Taylor volunteered to descend due to dwindling supplies at high camp with the hope that Carpe and Moore would be able to make another attempt in good weather. The storm raged for four days before it finally cleared in the evening on June 7. At 10 pm, Carpe and Moore set out for the summit and with no further difficulties made it to the top.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mount Fairweather, Alaska-British Columbia". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  2. ^ a b "Fairweather Mountain". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  3. ^ "Tlingit Place Names of the Huna Kaawu". Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. National Park Service. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Mount Fairweather-Northeast Peak, British Columbia". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
  5. ^ Terris Moore, "Mount Fairweather, Correction", American Alpine Journal 1982, p. 139. He cites Cook and King Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Volume II, Admiralty, London, 1784, p. 345.
  6. ^ a b c "Mount Fairweather". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2004-07-09.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Scott, Chic (2000). Pushing the Limits, The Story of Canadian Mountaineering. Calgary, AB, Canada: Rocky Mountain Books. pp. 130–131. ISBN 0-921102-59-3.
  8. ^ a b c Metcalf, Peter (1974). "The Southwest Ridge of Fairweather". American Alpine Journal. 19 (48). New York, NY, USA: American Alpine Club: 19–22. ISBN 978-0-930410-71-1. Retrieved 2018-01-07.
  9. ^ Gove, Walter; Adkins, Loren (1969). "The West Ridge of Mount Fairweather". American Alpine Journal. 16 (43). Philadelphia, PA, USA: American Alpine Club: 390. Retrieved 2019-08-21.

Further reading

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