Kahiltna Queen is a mountain summit in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Description Kahiltna Queen is located 140 miles (225 km) north of Anchorage in Denali National Park and the Alaska Range. It is situated east of the Denali Base Camp for mountaineers attempting to climb Denali, Mount Foraker, or Mount Hunter. Kahiltna Queen is set south of Denali's summit, south of Kahiltna Peaks, and northeast of Hunter. Access to the area is via air taxi from Talkeetna. The peak has the shape of a steep glacial horn sculpted by three glaciers as it rises above the heads of West Fork Ruth Glacier, Southeast Fork Kahiltna Glacier, and the Tokositna Glacier. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Tokositna Glacier in one-half mile (0.8 km). The peak ranks as the 54th-highest summit in Alaska.Highest Alaskan summits, National Park Service, nps.gov, Retrieved 2023-11-12. The first ascent of the summit was made in April 1977 by Alan Kearney, Mai Ulrich, and Chuck Sink who christened it "Humble Peak."North America, United States, Alaska, Denali National Park, Peak 12,380' (Kahiltna Queen), South Face Couloir and Distant Lights, 2004, American Alpine Journal, americanalpineclub.orgWest Face, Kahiltna Queen, Supertopo, supertopo.com, Retrieved 2023-11-12.
Etymology The mountain's toponym commemorates Frances Randall (1925–1984), the first Denali Base Camp manager for nine climbing seasons (1974–1983).NPS 1984 Annual Report She was planning a tenth season, but cancer claimed her life.Frances D Randall americanalpineclub.org Her expertise was instrumental in coordinating many rescues that saved lives and earned her the nicknames Kahiltna Queen and Guardian Angel of McKinley.To the Top of Denali: Climbing Adventures on North America's Highest Peak, Bill Sherwonit author, Third Edition (2012), Alaska Northwest Books. She was a member of the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, often playing the violin at base camp over the CB radio. In 1964 she became the sixth woman to reach the summit of Denali. "Kahiltna" is a Athabaskan word meaning "from the source."Sandy Nestor, Indian Placenames in America, Volume 1, McFarland, 2015, , p. 15.
Climate Based on the Köppen climate classification, Kahiltna Queen is located in a Tundra climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers. Weather systems are forced upwards by the Alaska Range (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °F with wind chill factors below −30 °F. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for viewing and climbing.Denali FAQ, American Alpine Institute, alpineinstitute.com, Retrieved 2024-01-08.
Gallery
See also Mount Frances Mountain peaks of Alaska Geography of Alaska
References
External links Weather forecast: Kahiltna Queen Kahiltna Queen (photo): Flickr Kahiltna Queen (photo): Flickr