The Wedge (Alaska)
Description
The Wedge is located 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Anchorage in the Chugach Mountains and Chugach State Park. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains west into Campbell Creek and east into headwaters of Ship Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises nearly 2,000 feet (550 m) above South Fork Campbell Creek in one mile (1.6 km) and 2,000 feet (550 m) above Ship Lake in 0.75 mi (1.21 km). Access to the mountain is via the Powerline Trail. The Wedge is a popular destination during the months of May through September. The mountain's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Geological Survey.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Camping_on_the_summit_of_the_Wedge._Chugach_State_Park%2C_Alaska_-_Flickr_-_Paxson_Woelber.jpg/290px-Camping_on_the_summit_of_the_Wedge._Chugach_State_Park%2C_Alaska_-_Flickr_-_Paxson_Woelber.jpg)
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, The Wedge is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Winter temperatures can drop below 10 °F with wind chill factors below 0 °F.
See also
References
- ^ "The Wedge, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
- ^ "Wedge, The - 4,660' AK". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
- ^ "The Wedge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
- ^ Explorer's Guides: 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, Lisa Maloney, The Countryman Press, 2010, p. 99.
- ^ Shawn Lyons, Walk About Guide To Alaska: The Front Range and the Anchorage Bowl, Publication Consultants, 2018, ISBN 9781594337543
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
External links
- Weather forecast: The Wedge