Mount Edison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Edison
Aerial view from northwest
Highest point
Elevation	11,450 ft (3,490 m)
Prominence	400 ft (120 m)
Isolation	0.79 mi (1.27 km)
Parent peak	Mount Witherspoon (12,012 ft)
Geography
Mount Edison Location in Alaska
Location	Chugach National Forest Valdez-Cordova Borough Alaska, United States
Parent range	Chugach Mountains
Topo map	USGS Anchorage B-1

Mount Edison is a tall mountain in Alaska, standing at about 11,450-foot (3,490 m) high. It's a "glaciated summit," which means its top is covered in ice and snow, forming glaciers. You can find this remote peak about 36 mi (58 km) northwest of Valdez. It's part of the Chugach Mountains and is located within the Chugach National Forest.

Mount Edison is also close to Mount Einstein, about 4.7 mi (8 km) northwest of it. It's part of a mountain chain called the Dora Keen Range. This range is about 25 miles long and separates two large glaciers: Harvard Glacier and Yale Glacier. The mountain was named in 1955 by explorers from the Chugach Mountains Expedition. Later, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially approved the name to honor Thomas Edison (1847–1931). He was a famous American inventor, known for creating things like the light bulb and the phonograph.

Climate Around Mount Edison

Mount Edison is in a subarctic climate zone. This means it has very long, cold, and snowy winters. The summers are usually cool.

The weather here is heavily influenced by the Gulf of Alaska. When air from the Gulf moves towards the Chugach Mountains, the mountains force it to rise. This process, called orographic lift, causes a lot of rain and snow to fall on the mountains. Temperatures can get extremely cold, sometimes dropping below −20 °C (which feels even colder with wind!). This chilly climate helps keep the large glaciers around the mountain, like the Harvard, Yale, and Columbia Glaciers, frozen and active. If you wanted to climb Mount Edison, the best time to visit for good weather is usually from May through June.

Images for kids

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  Mts. Edison and Witherspoon, with Einstein upper right corner

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  Aerial view looking west with Mt. Elusive centered, Mt. Edison upper left, and Mt. Gilbert Lewis in upper right

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  Thomas Edison circa 1922