Mustang Peak (Coast Mountains, Alaska)

Mustang Peak
East aspect of Mustang Peak to left
(Dike Mountain to right)
Highest point
Elevation6,720 ft (2,048 m)[1]
Prominence1,400 ft (427 m)[2]
Parent peakThe Snow Towers[3]
Isolation2.95 mi (4.75 km)[3]
Coordinates58°38′41″N 134°35′28″W / 58.6447780°N 134.5912035°W / 58.6447780; -134.5912035[4]
Geography
Mustang Peak is located in Alaska
Mustang Peak
Mustang Peak
Location of Mustang Peak in Alaska
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
BoroughJuneau
Protected areaTongass National Forest[3]
Parent rangeCoast Mountains
Boundary Ranges
Juneau Icefield[2]
Topo mapUSGS Juneau C-2
Geology
Age of rockLate Cretaceous
Mountain typeNunatak
Type of rockGranitic
Volcanic arc/beltCoast Range Arc

Mustang Peak is a 6,720-foot-elevation (2,048-meter) glaciated mountain summit located in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska.[2] It is situated 25 miles (40 km) north-northwest of Juneau along the western side of the Juneau Icefield, on land managed by Tongass National Forest. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,200 feet (366 m) above the Eagle Glacier in 0.25 mi (0.40 km). Neighbors include Dike Mountain 0.8 mi (1.3 km) to the north, and The Snow Towers are three miles (4.8 km) to the southeast. Mustang Peak was named by members of the Juneau Icefield Research Project in 1964, and the toponym was officially adopted in 1965 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[4][1]

Mustang Peak and Dike Mountain to the left with unnamed nunataks to the right. Viewed from the Juneau Icefield.

Climate[edit]

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mustang Peak is located in a subpolar oceanic climate zone, with long, cold, wet winters, and cool summers.[5] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Coast Mountains experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the West Branch Taku Glacier and Eagle Glacier surrounding the peak. The months May and June offer the most favorable weather for viewing this peak.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b United States Board on Geographic Names, Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States, Decision List No. 6502, (1965), page 5.
  2. ^ a b c "Mustang Peak, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  3. ^ a b c "Mustang Peak - 6,750' Alaska". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  4. ^ a b "Mustang Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  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.

External links[edit]