Hatcher Pass
| Hatcher Pass | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Hatcher Pass |
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| Compass direction | west | east | |
| Pass height | 1148 m | ||
| region | Alaska , United States | ||
| Watershed | Willow Creek | Susitna River | |
| Valley locations | Willow | Fishhook | |
| expansion | Pass road | ||
| Winter closure | September to July | ||
| Mountains | Talkeetna Mountains | ||
| Map (Alaska) | |||
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| Coordinates | 61 ° 46 '11 " N , 149 ° 18' 36" W | ||
The Hatcher Pass is a mountain pass with an altitude of 1148 m in the southwest of the Talkeetna Mountains in the US state of Alaska . The closest localities are Palmer 12 miles south and Willow 26 miles west. The road over the pass, the Hatcher Pass Road , is closed from September to July due to weather conditions.
history
There are no known historical Native American settlements at Hatcher Pass. The Athabaskan Tanaina used the western Talkeetna Mountains for hunting until the 1930s. The first human activity in the area and the construction of the road over the pass are due to the search for gold. The pass is named after Robert Lee Hatcher, a prospector who staked the first claim in the Willow Creek Valley in September 1906 .
Today the region around the pass is a recreational area for Anchorage and the Matanuska - Susitna Valley. A few kilometers south of the pass, in the Independence Valley , is the Independence Mine State Historical Park . The Hatcher Pass State Management manages the land which the State Park includes and the Hatcher Pass and surrounds. Just before the highest point on Hatcher Pass Road is the Summit Lake State Recreation Site .
geography
The southwest Talkeetna Mountains with the Hatcher Pass were heavily glaciated. Steep-walled mountain basins, jagged mountain ridges and steep side valleys that flow into U-shaped valleys formed by glaciers characterize the area. Trees only grow in the lowlands. The mountain slopes are covered by bushes that turn into tundra at higher altitudes .
Mining
Hatcher Pass is in the Willow Creek Mining District, which has produced approximately 14 tons of gold to date. The first claims in the region around the pass were registered in 1906. First, it was only in rivers of gold washed , most profitable, however, was the underground mining, which was operated from 1908 to 1951 and was won by the gold quartz veins. In the 1980s, a mine was briefly back in operation.
Web links
- Independence Mine State Historical Park (English)
- Summit Lake State Recreation Site (English)