Eagle Peak (Alaska)
Encyclopedia
Eagle Peak is a 6955 feet (2,120 m) mountain
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
, located in Chugach State Park
in Anchorage Municipality.
or eagle
.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, located in Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park is a 495,204-acre state park in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located in the Chugach Mountains just east of the Anchorage Bowl, it is a very popular recreation destination...
in Anchorage Municipality.
Location
The peak is situated at the head of South Fork Eagle River Valley, east of downtown Anchorage, and stands out as the highest summit along a long ridgeline that includes Flute Peak (6610 ft.) and Hurdygurdy Mountain (5965 ft.) Towering above Eagle Lake, Flute Glacier, and Eagle River Valley, Eagle Peak is one of several imposing peaks in the immediate area over 6000 feet.Topography
Starting from a base elevation on the Eastern side of approximately 700 ft., Eagle Peak climbs dramatically [citation?] to its 6955 ft. summit in little more than a mile and a half. Aerially it resembles a three-sided pyramid, with ridges connecting from the Northwest and South. All sides feature extensive cliff banding, with a particularly prominent series of cliffs on the Northern face that climb nearly 3000 vertical feet.Terrain
Beginning at approximately 1000 ft., Eagle Peak becomes a predominantly alpine zone, characterized by extremely scant vegetation, a variety of lichens, snow pack (including year-round snowfields), and a large amount of bare, and often loose, rock.Wildlife
Like many Alaskan mountains, Eagle Peak may be frequented by ptarmigan, Dahl sheep, mountain goats, and other alpine animals. Despite the lack of vegetation, a variety of insects thrive at high elevations throughout Alaska. Overhead, one may spot a hawkHawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
or eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
.