Mount Gakona is a mountain summit in Alaska.
Description Mount Gakona is located northeast of Paxson in the Delta Mountains which are a subrange of the Alaska Range. The heavily glaciated mountain ranks as the fourth-highest peak in the Delta Mountains. Precipitation runoff and glacial meltwater from the mountain's north slope drains to Johnson Glacier → Johnson River → Tanana River, whereas the south slope drains to the Gakona Glacier → Gakona River → Copper River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises above the Johnson Glacier in 1.3 mile (2.1 km). The first ascent of the summit was made on March 24, 1980, by Daniel Osborne, Steve O'Brien, Mark Hottman, and Toby Wheeler.Daniel Osborne, North America, United States, Alaska, Mount Gakona, Eastern Alaska Range, 1971, publications.americanalpineclub.org, Retrieved 2023-12-22. The climbers reported that the mountain has two peaks separated one mile apart by a knife-edged ridge. The word "Gakona" (Ggax Kuna' in Ahtna language) means "rabbit" or "rabbit river."University of Alaska Fairbanks: Alaska Native Place Names, Retrieved 2023-12-22.Sandy Nestor, Indian Placenames in America, Volume 1, McFarland, 2015, , p. 11. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.Donald J. Orth, Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967, page 358.
Climate According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mount Gakona is located in a tundra climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and cool summers. Weather systems are forced upwards by the Delta Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −10 °F. This climate supports the Johnson Glacier, Gakona Glacier, and smaller unnamed glaciers surrounding the peak.
See also Gakona, Alaska Geography of Alaska
References
External links Mount Gakona: weather forecast Mount Gakona (photo): Flickr