Mount Hayes is the highest mountain in the eastern Alaska Range, in the U.S. state of Alaska. Despite not being a fourteener, it is one of the largest peaks in the United States in terms of rise above local terrain. For example, the Northeast Face rises 8,000 feet (2,440 m) in approximately 2 miles (3.2 km). This large vertical relief contributes to Mount Hayes being the 51st most topographically prominent peak in the world.[3]
| Mount Hayes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 13,832 ft (4,216 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 11,487 ft (3,501 m)[1] |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 63°37′15″N 146°42′55″W / 63.62083°N 146.71528°W |
| Geography | |
  Mount Hayes Location in Alaska | |
| Location | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, U.S. |
| Parent range | Alaska Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Hayes C-6 |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1941 by Bradford Washburn, Barbara Washburn, Benjamin Ferris, Sterling Hendricks, Henry Hall, William Shand[2] |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb (Alaska grade 2+) |
The mountain was named in 1898 by W. J. Peters and A. H. Brooks of the U.S. Geological Survey for Charles Willard Hayes (1858–1916), a geologist with the Survey from 1887 through 1911.[4]
On 29 July 1941 Bradford Washburn, Barbara Washburn,[5] Benjamin Ferris, Sterling Hendricks, Henry Hall, and William Shand reached 12,650 ft. via the North Ridge but a storm was approaching and, with the summit only a little over 1000ft higher and just half a mile away, the party decided that they should descend to safety. On August 1, 1941 the party made another attempt, Hall remained in camp but the others were successful in making the first ascent of Mount Hayes.[6] The route up the North Ridge wasn't repeated until 1975, it "is considered one of the great landmarks of Alaskan mountaineering because of its great technical difficulty at the time".[7]
Today's standard climbing route is the East Ridge (Alaska Grade 2+). Mount Hayes is not frequently climbed due to its remoteness and the resulting access difficulties.[citation needed]
Climate
editBased on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Hayes is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[8] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports glaciers on its slopes including the Hayes Glacier. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Tanana River drainage basin. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Alaska & Hawaii P1500s - the Ultras" Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ^ "Mount Hayes Alaska". bivouac.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ "World Top 100 by Prominence". peakbagger.com. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ "Mount Hayes". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
- ^ Borneman, Walter R. (2003). Alaska : saga of a bold land (1st ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins. p. 323. ISBN 0-06-050306-8.
- ^ Washburn, Bradford (1942). "The Ascent of Mount Hayes". American Alpine Journal. #4 (14): 323–324. ISSN 0065-6925. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "Mount Hayes". Tok Air Services. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ 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.
Sources
editMichael Wood and Colby Coombs, Alaska: A Climbing Guide, The Mountaineers, 2001.
Gallery
edit-
North aspect viewed from Molybdenum Ridge -
Aerial view -
-
Mt. Hayes from the south -
Mt. Hayes and the eastern Alaska Range mountains, as seen from the Denali Highway,
L→R: Mt. Balchen, Mt. Hayes, Moby Dick, Mt. Shand
