Tazlina Tower

Tazlina Tower is an 8,350-foot (2,545 m) elevation glaciated summit located 26 mi (42 km) northwest of Valdez in the Chugach Mountains of the U.S. state of Alaska. This remote mountain is situated 5.5 mi (9 km) southeast of Mount Powder Top, and 5.7 mi (9 km) northeast of Pilot Peak, near the head of Tazlina Glacier, on land managed by Chugach National Forest. Tazlina Tower was named in association with the glacier, in 1959, by Lawrence E. Nielsen of the Chugach Mountains Expedition, which was sponsored by the Arctic Institute of North America.[2] In turn, the glacier, Tazlina Lake, and Tazlina River are traced to the Ahtna language, "tezlina", meaning "swift river."[3][4] The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1965 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[2]

Tazlina Tower
Aerial view from the west
Highest point
Elevation	8,350 ft (2,550 m) [1]
Prominence	1,700 ft (520 m) [1]
Parent peak	Mount Powder Top
Isolation	5.2 mi (8.4 km) [1]
Coordinates	61°23′17″N 146°45′45″W [2]
Geography
Tazlina Tower Location of Tazlina Tower in Alaska
Location	Chugach National Forest Valdez-Cordova Borough Alaska, United States
Parent range	Chugach Mountains
Topo map	USGS Valdez B-8
Climbing
Easiest route	Mountaineering

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Tazlina Tower is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[5] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains (orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Tazlina Glacier and the immense Columbia Glacier surrounding this mountain. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing.

See also

• List of mountain peaks of Alaska
• Geography of Alaska

References

1. "Tazlina Tower - 8,350' Alaska". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
2. "Tazlina Tower". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
3. "Tazlina Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
4. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, Donald J. Orth author, United States Government Printing Office (1967), page 952.
5. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11. ISSN 1027-5606.

Tazlina Tower in upper right (see file annotations)

External links

• Weather: Tazlina Tower