Mount Balchen (Alaska)

Mount Balchen is an 11,205-foot-elevation (3,415-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

Mount Balchen
Southwest aspect, from Denali Highway
Highest point
Elevation11,205 ft (3,415 m)[1]
Prominence1,990 ft (610 m)[2]
Parent peakMount Hayes (13,832 ft)[2]
Isolation4.28 mi (6.89 km)[2]
Coordinates63°37′25″N 146°51′09″W / 63.6236091°N 146.8524182°W / 63.6236091; -146.8524182[1]
Naming
EtymologyBernt Balchen
Geography
Mount Balchen is located in Alaska
Mount Balchen
Mount Balchen
Location of Mount Balchen in Alaska
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Census AreaSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area
Parent rangeAlaska Range
Hayes Range[3]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Hayes C-6
Climbing
First ascent1974

Description

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Mount Balchen is a glaciated mountain located on the crest of the eastern Alaska Range. It is the ninth-highest peak in the Hayes Range which is a subrange of the Alaska Range.[3] This remote peak is situated 4.4 miles (7.1 km) west of Mount Hayes and 85 miles (137 km) south-southeast of Fairbanks. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains north into tributaries of the Tanana River and south to the Susitna River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 3,700 feet (1,128 m) above the Hayes Glacier in 0.65 mile (1 km). The first ascent of the summit was made on April 30, 1974, by Dusan Jagersky and William Q. Sumner via the east ridge.[4]

Etymology

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The mountain is named for Bernt Balchen (1899–1973), United States Air Force, Arctic explorer and aviator.[1] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1974 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[1] There is a Mount Balchen in Antarctica which is also named after him.

Climate

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Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Balchen is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers.[5] This climate supports the Hayes, Gillam, and Susitna Glaciers surrounding this peak. 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 climbing or viewing.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Mount Balchen". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  2. ^ a b c "Balchen, Mount - 11,140' Alaska". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. ^ a b "Mount Balchen". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  4. ^ Dusan Jagersky, Mounts Balchen and Geist, Alaska Range, American Alpine Journal, 1975, americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  5. ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.
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