American Summitor (occasionally)American Pass(Hän:Häk'aww) is a 3,420 feet (1,042 m)-high mountain pass through the high ground of theFortymile Riverdistrict of east-centralAlaska.[1]Today, American Summit is traversed by theTaylor Highway,which connects the town ofEagle, Alaskato theAlaska Highwayand theTop of the World Highway.[2]Before the construction of the Taylor Highway in 1953,[3]theValdez-Eagle Trailpassed over American Summit, providing the first overland route between theGulf of Alaskaand the gold fields of central Alaska.[4]
| American Summit | |
|---|---|
| Häk'aww | |
| Elevation | 3,652 ft (1,113 m) |
| Traversed by | Taylor Highway, Valdez-Eagle Trail(defunct) |
| Location | Southwest ofCentral, Alaska,Southeast Fairbanks Census Area |
| Range | Mertie Mountains |
| Coordinates | 64°35′56″N141°18′00″W/ 64.599°N 141.300°W |
American Summit has been used for thousands of years byAthabascannatives, who saw its utility as the lowest point in theWhite Mountains,which lie between the coast of Alaska and the Yukon River. In 1886 and again in 1896, gold was discovered in central Alaska, sparking aseries of gold rushesthat attracted thousands of miners to theYukon Riverarea of Alaska.[4]In 1897, to protect the growing population of the region, the U.S. Army began to establish a series of forts along the Yukon River in order to help maintain order. One of these wasFort Egbert,built in the town of Eagle. Because of its isolated location, supplies for the fort and town had to either travel along the width of Alaska via the Yukon River or through previously established transportation routes in Canada. Seeking a quick all-American route, the U.S. government ordered the construction of a road fromValdezon the Gulf of Alaska to Fort Egbert.[4]
American Summit, as the lowest point in the mountains separating the two locations, was a natural site for the road, which was completed by 1901.[4]To supply even faster communications, the U.S. military began the construction ofWashington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System,of which Eagle would be the northernmost point. Telegraph lines were strung over American Summit in 1902, and an undersea cable connected Valdez to Seattle in 1904.[4]After 1909, when a radio link was established, the telegraph line was abandoned. The road remained and was improved so that by the 1920s, the first automobiles climbed American Summit.[4]In World War II, construction of the Alaska Highway also spurred work on that highway's side roads, and a project to improve the trail was begun in 1945. By 1953, the result was the Taylor Highway, a seasonal route that still connects Eagle to the outside world over American Summit.[4]
During the2004 Alaska fire season,the worst in recorded history, American Summit was the site of a 10,000-acre (40 km2) wildfire,[5]one of several hundred that ultimately consumed 6,600,000 acres (27,000 km2) in Alaska that year.
Today, Eagle is an alcohol-free town, and American Summit is notable as the location of the liquor store nearest to Eagle. The store has been called one of the most remote liquor stores in the world.[3]TheYukon Quest1,000-mile (1,600 km) sled dog race crosses Eagle Summit every February on its route betweenFairbanks, Alaska,andWhitehorse, Yukon.[1]
Notes
edit- ^abYukon Quest International."Yukon Quest Trail Map/Trail elevations"Archived2014-01-07 at theWayback Machine,Yukonquest.com. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- ^Spitzer, Aaron and DuFresne, Jim.Alaska.Eighth Edition. Lonely Planet, 2006. p. 336.
- ^abRipley, Kate.Best Places Alaska: The Locals' Guide to the Best Lodgings, Outdoor Adventures, Sights, Shopping, and Restaurants.Third edition. Sasquatch Books, 2003. pp. 100–101.
- ^abcdefgBureau of Land Management."The Eagle-Valdez Trail (Northern Portion)"Archived2009-03-18 at theWayback Machine(PDF), BLM.gov. Accessed March 13, 2009.
- ^The Associated Press.Acres/4$31915 "Alaskan Fires Blacken More Than 80,000 Acres"[permanent dead link],cms.firehouse.com. June 22, 2004. Accessed March 13, 2009.
