McGinnis Peak (Alaska Range)

McGinnis Peak is an 11,400 ft (3,470 m) elevation glaciated summit located at the head of McGinnis Glacier in the eastern Alaska Range, in Alaska, United States.[5][6] It is the eighth-highest peak in the Hayes Range, a subset of the Alaska Range.[1] This remote peak is situated 14 mi (23 km) southeast of Mount Hayes, and 95 mi (153 km) southeast of Fairbanks. Mount Moffit, the nearest higher neighbor, is set 3.33 mi (5 km) to the northwest, and Mount Shand is positioned 4.5 mi (7 km) to the west. The Richardson Highway is 15 mi (24 km) to the east, with Hayes, McGinnis, and Moffit dominating the landscape along the drive south.

McGinnis Peak
South aspect from Black Rapids Glacier
Highest point
Elevation11,400 ft (3,500 m) [1]
Prominence1,600 ft (490 m) [1]
Parent peakMount Shand (12,660 ft)[2][3]
Isolation2.81 mi (4.52 km) [1]
Coordinates63°32′41″N 146°18′14″W [1]
Geography
McGinnis Peak
Location of McGinnis Peak in Alaska
LocationSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area
Alaska, United States
Parent rangeAlaska Range
Hayes Range
Topo mapUSGS Mount Hayes C-5
Climbing
First ascent1964, L. Muir, T. Knott[4]
Easiest routeNortheast Ridge, technical climb

Enormous rockslides fell from McGinnis Peak during the 2002 Denali earthquake, which had an epicenter 35 miles to the west.[7][3] The slides released a significant volume of deposits.[8]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, McGinnis Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[9] This climate supports the Trident, Black Rapids, and McGinnis Glaciers surrounding this peak. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Tanana River drainage basin.

Climbing

All established climbing routes are technical, and include the Northeast Ridge (WI3), The Southeast Ridge, and the Cut-throat Couloir (WI5). The first ascent of this peak was made August 5, 1964, by Larry Muir and Tom Knott via the West Ridge.[10] The second ascent was made June 21, 1976, by John Garson and James Brady via the knife-edge Northeast Ridge.[11] The first ascent via the Southeast Ridge was made May 5, 1980 by Walter Palkovitch and Dan Gray.[12] The first ascent via Cut-throat Couloir was made in March 1985 by Roman Dial and Chuck Comstock.[13] The standard descent route is the Northeast Ridge.

See also
  • McGinnis Peak from southeast
  • McGinnis Peak (left), Mt. Moffit (right), from the Richardson Highway
  • Mt. Shand (left), Moffit (center), McGinnis Peak (right) from south

References
  1. "McGinnis Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  2. "McGinnis Peak - 11,400' Alaska". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  3. "McGinnis Peak". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  4. Mount McGinnis Peakware.com
  5. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, Donald J. Orth author, United States Government Printing Office (1967), page 609.
  6. "McGinnis Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  7. Ned Rozell, McGinnis Glacier surges in Alaska Range
  8. "Geotechnical Reconnaissance of the 2002 Denali Fault, Alaska, Earthquake". doi:10.1193/1.1778389. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. 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.
  10. Michael Wood and Colby Coombs, Alaska: A Climbing Guide, The Mountaineers Books, 2001, page 118.
  11. McGinnis Peak, Northeast Ridge American Alpine Club
  12. McGinnis Peak, Southeast Ridge American Alpine Club
  13. McGinnis Peak, rockclimbing.com
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