The Chugach Mountains of southern
Alaska are the northernmost of the several
mountain ranges that make up the
Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of
North America. The range is about 250 miles (402 km) long and 60 miles (97 km) wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain Arms of the
Cook Inlet on the west to
Bering Glacier,
Tana Glacier, and the
Tana River on the east. It is bounded on the north by the
Matanuska,
Copper, and
Chitina rivers. The highest point of the Chugach Mountains is
Mount Marcus Baker, at 13,094 feet (3,991 m), but with an average elevation of 4,006 feet (1,221 m), most of its summits are not especially high.[1] Even so, its position along the
Gulf of Alaska ensures more snowfall in the Chugach than anywhere else in the world, an annual average of over 1500 cm (800 in).[2]
On Mount Gordon Lyon, at about the 4,000 feet (1,200 m) level, is a 300 feet (91 m) five-pointed star using around 350 light globes. This faces
Anchorage to be visible from the city at night. It is illuminated to commemorate
Christmas, being lit from
Thanksgiving until
Christmas Day; and, on
9/11. Maintenance is undertaken by the
US Air Force’s
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, although it was established in around 1960 and formerly maintained by the
US Army having been near the former Army (
Nike missileSite Summit) in the mountains.[3]
History
The name "Chugach" comes from
Chugach Sugpiaq "Cuungaaciiq," Alaska Natives inhabiting the
Kenai Peninsula and
Prince William Sound on the south coast of Alaska. The Chugach people are an Alutiiq (Pacific Eskimo) people who speak the Chugach dialect of the Alutiiq language. In 1898
United States Army Captain
William R. Abercrombie spelled the name "Chugatch" and applied it to the mountains.[1] It is possible that the Koniagmiut (Sugpiat or Alutiit of the Kodiak Archipelago and the Alaska Peninsula) may also have called these northern Sugpiat "Cuungaaciirmiut" in ancient times but it is also possible that this was a
neologism during
Russian times.
Mountains
The twelve highest peaks in the Chugach Mountains are listed below: