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Mount Saint Elias
Photo by Mr. David Sinson, NOAA, Office of Coast Survey
| Elevation (feet): | 18008 |
|---|---|
| Elevation (meters): | 5489 |
| Continent: | North America |
| Country: | United States |
| Range/Region: | Alaska/Yukon Ranges |
| SubRange: | Saint Elias Mountains |
| State: | Alaska |
| Latitude: | 60.2933 |
| Longitude: | -140.929 |
| Difficulty: | Major Mountain Expedition |
| Best months for climbing: | June, July, August |
| Year first climbed: | 1897 |
| First successful climber(s): | Duke of the Abruzzi, Vittorio Sella, and party |
| Convenient Center: | Yakutat, Alaska , (bush pilots hired here) |
| Nearest major airport: | Anchorage, Alaska |
Description
Mount Saint Elias is a huge, beautiful pyramid, located just 35 miles from sea. It is the second highest peak in the United States, behind Mount McKinley (20,322 ft.). It was the first of the giant Alaskan mountains to be discovered, and the first to be climbed (after eight attempts), and was long believed to be the highest mountain in North America. In actuality it is nearly 2000 feet smaller than is near neighbor to the north, Yukon's Mount Logan (19,550 ft.), and is also smaller in stature. When seen from the south, however, Mount Saint Elias is a truly spectacular mountain with awesome vertical relief. It also produces the largest single icefield in Alaska, called the Malaspina. Ice spreads from the mountain over 1,500 square miles on its seaward base, and eventually spills into the Gulf of Alaska.
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