• Wrangell Mountain Range

    Wrangell - St Elias

    National Park & Preserve Alaska

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • Shamrock Mining Plan of Operations and Environmental Assessment Released for Public Review/Comment

    The Park has released for public review the Shamrock Mining Plan of Operations and Environmental Assessment. The EA is available for public review and comment for one month. All comments must be submitted by July 3, 2013. More »

  • Chisana River Fire Grows, Impacts the Copper River Valley

    Smoke from the Chisana River Fire impacted the Copper River basin on the evening of July 18. Because the fire continues to grow anticipate varying levels of smoke impacting the area. The fire grew from 7,718 acres on June 17 to 25,566 acres. More »

Mount Blackburn (16,390')

Mount Blackburn
Mount Blackburn dominates the skyline.
N. Hannan
 

Maps:
USGS Quadrangle Maps - McCarthy (C-7), (D-7) 1:63,360 scale; McCarthy 1:250,000 scale

American Alpine Journal Articles (Year: page #):

1931: 250, 1959: 213, 237-242, 1965: 406-407, 1966: 121-122, 1968: 127-128, 1973:410, 1975: 120, 1976: 438, 1977: 167-68, 1978: 519, 1979:175-76, 1983: 98-101, 1988: 120, 121, 1990: 130, 1994:123-5, 1996: 185, 188; photographs 1995: 15, 1996: 186, 1997: 185, 2001: 218

POTENTIAL ROUTES:

North Ridge
Access the 7,200' level of the Nabesna Glacier via local air taxi service. Climb to pass at 9,880' level and ascend North Ridge to summit. Deep snow is common at 9,800' level and hard packed conditions exist above 11,500' level. Severe weather, avalanches, crevasses, and serac fall are dangers. This is currently the most used route, and has an elevation gain of approximately 9,190'.

East Ridge via Rime Peak
Access the 7,200' level of the Nabesna Glacier via local air taxi service. Ascend the north face of Rime Peak (12,741') and descend onto the East Ridge of Mt. Blackburn. Traverse and ascend the East Ridge to the summit. NOTE: The East Ridge between Rime Peak and Blackburn is a knife-edged, cornice ridge which demands prime conditions and a high level of concentration. Very few ascents have been made via this route. Severe weather, avalanches, crevasses unstable cornices, and serac fall are dangers. Elevation gain is 9,190'.

Southeast Ridge
Access from Nugget Creek or Kennicott via surface or air travel. Ascend the Kuskulana or Kennicott Glacier to the 9,000' level of the Southeast Ridge. Ascend ridge to the summit. NOTE: First summit is false summit. The first ascent of Mt. Blackburn was done by Dora Keen in 1912. She made her ascent via a direct route on the Kennicott Glacier. Elevation gain via these routes is approximately 13,690'.

South and Southwest Ridges
Attempts have been made via the southwesterly ridges and glaciers, but none to date have been recorded as successful as far as we know. Severe weather, crevasses, avalanches, difficult snow and rock conditions, and impossible route situations have been problems for parties attempting these areas.

Did You Know?

Arctic Ground Squirrel

Arctic Ground Squirrels have the most unusual hibernation among mammals. During winter hibernation their body temperature plummets to negative 3 degrees Celsius and then every two to three weeks they shiver to warm themselves back up to normal mammalian temperature (37 degrees Celsius).