Bonanza Peak (Alaska)

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Coordinates: 61°31′14″N 142°50′06″W / 61.5205763°N 142.8350518°W / 61.5205763; -142.8350518
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Bonanza Peak
South aspect of Bonanza Peak
Highest point
Elevation6,983 ft (2,128 m)[1]
Prominence1,583 ft (482 m)[1]
Parent peakPeak 12454
Isolation4.94 mi (7.95 km)[2]
Coordinates61°31′14″N 142°50′06″W / 61.5205763°N 142.8350518°W / 61.5205763; -142.8350518[3]
Geography
Bonanza Peak is located in Alaska
Bonanza Peak
Bonanza Peak
Location of Bonanza Peak in Alaska
Location
Valdez-Cordova Borough
Alaska, United States
Parent rangeWrangell Mountains
Topo mapUSGS McCarthy C-5
Geology
Type of rockLimestone, Greenstone

Bonanza Peak is a 6,983-foot (2,128 meter) mountain summit located in the

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, immediately northeast of Kennecott, 7 mi (11 km) northeast of McCarthy, 3.46 mi (6 km) north of Porphyry Mountain, and 5.2 mi (8 km) southeast of Donoho Peak. The confluence of the Kennicott and Root Glaciers lies below the mountain's west slope. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Nizina River, which in turn is part of the Copper River drainage basin. The mountain's local name was reported in 1914 by the U.S. Geological Survey. On a clear day the summit of Bonanza Peak offers views of Sourdough Peak, Mount Blackburn, and Fireweed Mountain
.

History

Bonanza Peak hosted five mines: Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Erie, and Glacier. The Bonanza ore body was discovered August 1900 by

net profit greater than $100 million.[6]

Present-day visitors may hike to the abandoned Bonanza, Jumbo, and Erie mines, all of which are strenuous full-day hikes, with Erie Mine being a somewhat terrifying scramble along cliffs overlooking the Stairway Icefall.

Geology

Bonanza Peak is part of the

fault planes, fractures and joints. Minerals include chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite, with associated malachite, azurite, and cuprite. Native copper can also be found in the greenstone.[4]
: 77  The deposits were mined for their spectacularly high-grade copper ore which exceeded 70 percent.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Bonanza Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and cool summers.[8] Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Wrangell 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. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for viewing and climbing.

Gallery

  • Kennecott Mill site with Bonanza Peak
    Kennecott Mill site with Bonanza Peak
  • Bonanza Peak and Kennecott
    Bonanza Peak and Kennecott
  • West aspect of Bonanza across Root Glacier
    West aspect of Bonanza across Root Glacier
  • Jumbo Mine ruins in bullseye, summit in upper right.
    Jumbo Mine ruins in bullseye, summit in upper right.
  • Erie Mine ruins in bullseye at contact line of limestone overlaying greenstone
    Erie Mine ruins in bullseye at contact line of limestone overlaying greenstone
  • Erie Mine ruins
    Erie Mine ruins
  • Old route to the Bonanza Mine
    Old route to the Bonanza Mine

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Bonanza Peak, Alaska". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  2. ^ Bonanza Peak, listsofjohn.com
  3. ^ a b "Bonanza Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
  4. ^ a b Fred H. Moffit; Stephen R. Capps (1911). Geology and Mineral Resources of the Nizina District, Alaska, USGS Bulletin 448. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 76.
  5. ^ a b Charles Caldwell Hawley (2014). A Kennecott Story. The University of Utah Press.
  6. ^ Alfredo O. Quinn (1995). Iron Rails to Alaskan Copper. D'Aloguin Publishing Co. p. 175.
  7. ^ Geologic Studies in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1995. Robert P. Eppinger,Stephen J. Sutley, and John B. McHugh. Page 19-22.
  8. ISSN 1027-5606
    .

External links
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