Mount Hubbard is the highest mountain in the Saint Elias Mountains range. Located in southeast Alaska near the coast, this impressive peak rises to a height of 15,016 feet. With its remote location, rugged terrain, and extreme weather, Mount Hubbard holds many mysteries and stories waiting to be uncovered. Let’s explore some of the curious riddles surrounding this Alaskan giant and reveal the fascinating answers.
Riddles about Mount Hubbard’s Geography
Mount Hubbard’s sheer size and elevation lead to some geographical curiosities. Here are some riddles related to the mountain’s location and terrain:
Riddle 1: What massive glacier feeds into Mount Hubbard?
Answer: The Hubbard Glacier is the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska and flows from the mountain into Disenchantment Bay. It is 76 miles long, up to 400 feet thick, and calves icebergs the size of a 10-story building into the ocean.
Riddle 2: What bay does Mount Hubbard overlook?
Answer: Mount Hubbard rises above the majestic Yakutat Bay, which covers over 1,000 square miles and connects to the Gulf of Alaska.
Riddle 3: True or false – At 15,016 feet, Mount Hubbard is the tallest mountain in Alaska.
Answer: False. Despite its impressive height, Mount Hubbard is the eighth tallest peak in Alaska, with Denali being the highest at 20,310 feet.
Riddle 4: What is the name of the other giant mountain that sits alongside Mount Hubbard?
Answer: Mount Logan, at 19,551 feet, is the second highest peak in both Alaska and Canada. It and Mount Hubbard anchor the southwest end of the Saint Elias range.
Riddles about Mount Hubbard’s Climate
Located deep in Alaska’s wilderness, Mount Hubbard has an extremely harsh climate. Test your knowledge with these weather and climate related riddles:
Riddle 5: How cold does it get on Mount Hubbard in winter?
Answer: Winter temperatures can plunge to -25°F to -35°F (-32°C to -37°C) with wind chills down to -75°F (-60°C). The bitter cold is due to both its northern latitude and high elevation.
Riddle 6: What are the average annual snowfall amounts at the mountain’s base and summit?
Answer: The base of the mountain averages 63 inches of snow annually, while the summit can see snow piling up to over 100 inches each year.
Riddle 7: True or false – In summer, temperatures become quite mild on the mountain.
Answer: False. Due to the high elevation, summer average highs are only in the 20s or 30s Fahrenheit (-6 to +2 Celsius), making the mountain inhospitable year-round.
Riddle 8: What weather phenomenon happens frequently on Mount Hubbard, making climbing treacherous?
Answer: Whiteout conditions occur often, where fog and snow completely obscure vision, disorienting hikers and climbers.
Riddles about Mount Hubbard’s Exploration History
For many years, Mount Hubbard remained unclimbed due to its remote location and volatile weather. These riddles cover the mountain’s intriguing exploration history:
Riddle 9: When was the first recorded attempt made to summit Mount Hubbard?
Answer: In 1903, the Duke of Abruzzi expedition made the first attempt but unfortunately failed to reach the top due to storms.
Riddle 10: When was Mount Hubbard finally first successfully summited?
Answer: On July 18, 1954, after multiple failed tries over decades, Fred Beckey, Henry Meybohm, Heinrich Harrer and Markus Schmuck finally completed the first ascent.
Riddle 11: True or false – The standard climbing route up Mount Hubbard is considered extremely challenging and dangerous.
Answer: True. Climbing the peak via the East Ridge involves traversing knife-edge arêtes, steep snow and ice, and challenging rock. It requires expert mountaineering skills.
Riddle 12: How many mountaineering deaths have occurred on the slopes of Mount Hubbard?
Answer: At least 10 climbers have perished on Mount Hubbard’s challenging terrain over the decades since the first ascent.
Riddles about Wildlife near Mount Hubbard
Despite its icy environment, Mount Hubbard is home to some remarkable wildlife. Test your knowledge of the animals that inhabit this region:
Riddle 13: What is the name of the rare subspecies of caribou that lives near Mount Hubbard?
Answer: The Chisana caribou, one of the most endangered caribou populations in North America with only about 1,200 left.
Riddle 14: True or false – Polar bears can be found around Mount Hubbard.
Answer: False. Polar bears live much farther north in the arctic, not in the southern coastal areas by Mount Hubbard.
Riddle 15: What species of seal feeds at the base of Hubbard Glacier near the mountain?
Answer: Harbor seals swim and feed in the waters of Disenchantment Bay where the Hubbard Glacier calves into the ocean.
Riddle 16: Large populations of what type of seabird nest on the cliffs of Mount Hubbard?
Answer: Black-legged kittiwakes and other cliff-nesting seabirds utilize the mountain’s remote rock ledges for their nesting colonies.
Riddles about Local History near Mount Hubbard
For centuries, Native tribes inhabited the coastal regions surrounding Mount Hubbard. These riddles cover some of the rich indigenous history here:
Riddle 17: What Native tribe has long inhabited the Yakutat Bay area near Mount Hubbard?
Answer: The Tlingit people have occupied this region for over 10,000 years, fishing and hunting in the bays and forests.
Riddle 18: True or false – There is evidence of ancient glaciers once reaching as far as Yakutat Bay by Mount Hubbard.
Answer: True. Archaeological evidence of ancient shorelines shows the glaciers once extended for hundreds of miles farther during the last ice age.
Riddle 19: What rare geological feature is found along the coastal inlets by Mount Hubbard?
Answer: Blue pools called “naluark” formed from water trapped for centuries under glacial ice contain the brilliant blue glow of ancient minerals.
Riddle 20: The Tlingit people tell colorful legends about Mount Hubbard involving what creature?
Answer: Local legends depict Mount Hubbard as a huge beaver dam built by a giant mythical beaver. The beaver was said to shovel and pile up rocks to block the river.
Riddles about Mount Hubbard’s Name
The origin of Mount Hubbard’s name itself raises some interesting questions. Let’s solve a few riddles about how this peak got its current moniker:
Riddle 21: True or false – Mount Hubbard was named after the first climber to reach its summit.
Answer: False. The mountain was named long before the first ascent in 1954. Its name honors Gardiner Greene Hubbard, founder of the National Geographic Society.
Riddle 22: In what year did Mount Hubbard receive its official name?
Answer: It was officially named in 1890 by famed explorer Israel Russell after Hubbard sponsored his extensive surveys of the Saint Elias mountain range.
Riddle 23: What was Mount Hubbard’s indigenous name given by Native Tlingit people?
Answer: The Tlingit called the mountain “Yanertow” meaning “the mountain behind Yakutat Bay.”
Riddle 24: True or false – Mount Hubbard’s long name honors a famous Alaskan explorer.
Answer: False. As mentioned, it is named after Gardiner Hubbard, who helped finance expeditions but did not explore Alaska himself.
Riddles about Visiting Mount Hubbard
Reaching Mount Hubbard is an ambitious undertaking. Test your knowledge of what it takes to visit this remote peak:
Riddle 25: From what town or city do most expeditions to climb Mount Hubbard begin the journey?
Answer: Most climbing parties fly in small bush planes from Yakutat to reach the mountain’s base.
Riddle 26: True or false – Reaching the summit of Mount Hubbard requires no technical climbing skills.
Answer: False. The East Ridge route involves traversing narrow, exposed arêtes, steep ice and snow slopes, and rocky cliff bands requiring ropes, ice axes, crampons and other mountaineering gear.
Riddle 27: What is the one month each year when most climbers attempt to summit Mount Hubbard?
Answer: July is typically the peak climbing season, when storms are slightly less fierce and snow/ice conditions are more stable.
Riddle 28: How long does it typically take fit climbers to summit and descend Mount Hubbard?
Answer: Most expeditions take around 4 to 6 days round trip, with 10-12 hours of climbing to the summit alone.
Riddles about Mount Hubbard’s Impact
As the crowning peak of its region, Mount Hubbard has always had a profound impact on its surroundings. Let’s unravel a few of these riddles:
Riddle 29: What important watershed’s headwaters are found on Mount Hubbard’s slopes?
Answer: The Alsek River begins high on Mount Hubbard’s glaciers. It flows south, carving through the Saint Elias Mountains.
Riddle 30: What natural phenomenon does the retreating Hubbard Glacier cause, impacting Yakutat Bay?
Answer: As it melts and retreats, the Hubbard Glacier blocks and dams Russell Fjord at times, changing water levels in Yakutat Bay.
Riddle 31: True or false – Mount Hubbard glaciers contribute to rising sea levels as they melt.
Answer: True. Though shrinking, Hubbard still has over 100 square miles of glacial ice that is slowly melting and calving into Disenchantment Bay and the Gulf of Alaska.
Riddle 32: What rare event triggered a tsunami in Disenchantment Bay in 2002?
Answer: In 2002, the Hubbard Glacier surged forward, sheering off part of its face and generating a rare tsunami in the bay.
Riddles about Mount Hubbard’s Future
As climate change accelerates, Mount Hubbard’s environment continues evolving. What does the future hold for this Alaskan giant?
Riddle 33: Experts estimate the Hubbard Glacier will seal off Russell Fjord permanently by what approximate year?
Answer: Estimates vary, but most geologists predict the glacier will fully block Russell Fjord in the next 30-100 years as it continues advancing.
Riddle 34: Is Mount Hubbard’s total glacial ice volume expected to increase or decrease over the coming century?
Answer: While periodic surges may occur, the overall trend shows significant glacial retreat, with up to 45 cubic kilometers of ice loss expected by 2100 as climate change accelerates melt.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed these riddles about the geology, history, exploration, climate, wildlife and future of Alaska’s remote yet magnificent Mount Hubbard. This towering peak holds so many fascinating stories and mysteries waiting to be uncovered. Though its summit is a difficult prize to earn, learning about Mount Hubbard through fun riddles offers us a glimpse into this Alaskan giant without setting foot on its icy slopes.
