Field Trip: The Fairweather Range

Story and Photo by Alan Sanders

Southeast Alaska is not known for its great weather, and on many of my trips to that area, starting in 1978, I’ve seen my share of rain. But occasionally, the weather gods have smiled upon me. One such occasion was a recent trip to Glacier Bay, when the ubiquitous clouds parted, affording spectacular views of the monumental Fairweather Range. This great northern range is part of the St. Elias Mountains, stretching from British Columbia into Alaska. Mt. Fairweather (15,266 feet), which straddles the Alaska-B.C. border, is the tallest mountain in B.C.

Native tradition says that Mt. Fairweather and Mt. St. Elias (18,008 feet, located on the Alaska-Yukon border) used to stand next to each other. Apparently, they got into an argument and separated at some point, and the mountains that crowd the horizon in between—including those shown here—are their children. I found myself entranced by the clouds dancing across the peaks, casting ever-shifting shadows on the icy vastness, a scene of unspeakable grandeur.