Mount La Perouse

Mount La Perouse
Mount La Perouse, east aspect
Highest point
Elevation10,728 ft (3,270 m)[1]
Prominence2,778 ft (847 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Crillon (12,726 ft)[2]
Isolation7.07 mi (11.38 km)[2]
Coordinates58°33′46″N 137°04′59″W / 58.56278°N 137.08306°W / 58.56278; -137.08306[1]
Geography
Mount La Perouse is located in Alaska
Mount La Perouse
Mount La Perouse
Location in Alaska
Map
Interactive map of Mount La Perouse
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Census AreaHoonah–Angoon
Protected areaGlacier Bay National Park
Parent rangeFairweather Range
Saint Elias Mountains[1]
Topo mapUSGS Mount Fairweather C-4
Geology
Rock typeGabbro
Climbing
First ascent1953
Easiest routeMountaineering

Mount La Perouse is a 10,728-foot (3,270 meter) glaciated mountain summit located in the Fairweather Range of the Saint Elias Mountains, in southeast Alaska, United States. The peak is situated in Glacier Bay National Park, 4 mi (6 km) southeast of Mount Dagelet, 7.6 mi (12 km) south-southeast of Mount Crillon which is the nearest higher peak, and 28.6 mi (46 km) southeast of Mount Fairweather, which is the highest peak in the Fairweather Range. Topographic relief is significant as the mountain rises up from tidewater in less than nine miles. The mountain was named in 1874 by William Healey Dall of the U.S. Geological Survey, for Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse (1741–1788), a French navigator who explored this coastal area in 1786.[3][4] The first ascent of the peak was made in 1953 by USGS party consisting of James Seitz, Karl Stauffer, Rowland Tabor, Rolland Reid, and Paul Bowen.[5] On February 16, 2014, a colossal 68 million ton landslide broke free from the flanks of Mt. La Perouse and flowed nearly 4.6 miles (7.4 km) from where it originated.[6] The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing and viewing.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount La Perouse has a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[7] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports hanging glaciers on its slopes as well as the immense Brady Glacier to the east, Finger Glacier to the south, and La Perouse Glacier to the north and west. Precipitation runoff and meltwater from its glaciers drains into the Gulf of Alaska.

  • Brady Glacier / Mt. La Perouse
    Brady Glacier / Mt. La Perouse
  • Mt. La Perouse / La Perouse Glacier by Austin Post. 1977
    Mt. La Perouse / La Perouse Glacier by Austin Post. 1977
  • Mount La Perouse with Finger Glacier, from southwest
    Mount La Perouse with Finger Glacier, from southwest
  • Mount La Perouse and Brady Glacier. 1973
    Mount La Perouse and Brady Glacier. 1973

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mount La Perouse, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  2. ^ a b "La Perouse, Mount - 10,728' AK". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  3. ^ "Mount La Perouse". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  4. ^ Mount La Perouse, National Park Service
  5. ^ American Alpine Journal, Ascent of Mount La Perouse, Publication Year: 1953
  6. ^ Anchorage Daily News, 68 million ton landslide in Alaska: Mount La Perouse
  7. ^ 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.