The Moose's Tooth
Encyclopedia
The Moose's Tooth is a rock peak on the east side of the Ruth Gorge
in the Central Alaska Range
, 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Mount McKinley
. Despite its relatively low elevation, it is a difficult climb. It is notable for its many large rock faces and its long ice couloir
s, which are famous in mountaineering
circles, and have seen a number of highly technical ascents.
The peak was originally called Mount Hubbard after General Thomas Hamlin Hubbard
— the president of the Peary Arctic Club — by Belmore Browne and Hershel Parker. This name was revoked by the United States Geological Survey
, which named the peak "The Mooses Tooth," a translation of the Athabascan name for the peak. The official USGS name does lack the grammatically correct apostrophe.
The Moose's Tooth is located just to the east of the northern end of the Ruth Gorge, across from Mount Barille and Mount Dickey
. It is the chief in a complex of rock peaks with names such as "Eye Tooth", "Sugar Tooth", and "Broken Tooth." On the east side of this complex lies the head of the Buckskin Glacier
, which provides access to climbs on the particularly large and difficult east face of The Moose's Tooth.
The name of the peak comes from its structure: its summit ridge is a long, low angled ridge running roughly east-west for about a mile, with steep drops to the north and south. This gives the mountain a vague resemblance to a moose's tooth. It also makes climbing to the true (east) summit from the west ridge (the least technical route) very difficult. The summit is more normally reached by steep couloir
s on the southwestern side of the peak.
The first ascent of The Moose's Tooth was in June, 1964, by four Germans, via the Northwest Ridge. In June, 1974, Gary Bocarde, Michael Clark, Charles Porter, and John Svenson climbed the lower Southwest Summit via the Southwest Face, for the second ascent of the massif, though not of the main summit. They found a great quantity of rotten rock. In July, 1975, Jon Krakauer
, Thomas Davies, and Nate Zinsser made the second ascent of the main summit, via a couloir on the south face which they called the "Ham and Eggs Route." This is the most popular route on the mountain today.
Ruth Glacier
Ruth Glacier is a glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its upper reaches are almost three vertical miles below the summit of Mount McKinley. The glacier's "Great Gorge" is one mile wide, and drops almost over ten miles , with crevasses along the surface...
in the Central Alaska Range
Alaska Range
The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 650-km-long mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest end to the White River in Canada's Yukon Territory in the southeast...
, 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley
Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...
. Despite its relatively low elevation, it is a difficult climb. It is notable for its many large rock faces and its long ice couloir
Couloir
A couloir is a narrow gully with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain. A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissure, or vertical crevasse in an otherwise solid mountain mass...
s, which are famous in mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
circles, and have seen a number of highly technical ascents.
The peak was originally called Mount Hubbard after General Thomas Hamlin Hubbard
Thomas Hamlin Hubbard
Thomas Hamlin Hubbard was a Union Army colonel from Maine during the Civil War who was awarded the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general, United States Volunteers, for meritorious service...
— the president of the Peary Arctic Club — by Belmore Browne and Hershel Parker. This name was revoked by the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
, which named the peak "The Mooses Tooth," a translation of the Athabascan name for the peak. The official USGS name does lack the grammatically correct apostrophe.
The Moose's Tooth is located just to the east of the northern end of the Ruth Gorge, across from Mount Barille and Mount Dickey
Mount Dickey
Mount Dickey is a peak on the west side of the Ruth Gorge in the Central Alaska Range of mountains, 12 miles southeast of Mount McKinley and 4 miles southwest of The Moose's Tooth...
. It is the chief in a complex of rock peaks with names such as "Eye Tooth", "Sugar Tooth", and "Broken Tooth." On the east side of this complex lies the head of the Buckskin Glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
, which provides access to climbs on the particularly large and difficult east face of The Moose's Tooth.
The name of the peak comes from its structure: its summit ridge is a long, low angled ridge running roughly east-west for about a mile, with steep drops to the north and south. This gives the mountain a vague resemblance to a moose's tooth. It also makes climbing to the true (east) summit from the west ridge (the least technical route) very difficult. The summit is more normally reached by steep couloir
Glossary of climbing terms
This page describes terms and jargon related to climbing and mountaineering.-A:American death triangle : An anchor which is created by connecting a closed loop of cord or webbing between two points of protection, and then suspending the rope from a carabiner clipped to only one strand of said anchor...
s on the southwestern side of the peak.
The first ascent of The Moose's Tooth was in June, 1964, by four Germans, via the Northwest Ridge. In June, 1974, Gary Bocarde, Michael Clark, Charles Porter, and John Svenson climbed the lower Southwest Summit via the Southwest Face, for the second ascent of the massif, though not of the main summit. They found a great quantity of rotten rock. In July, 1975, Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
, Thomas Davies, and Nate Zinsser made the second ascent of the main summit, via a couloir on the south face which they called the "Ham and Eggs Route." This is the most popular route on the mountain today.
Notable ascents
- 1964 Northwest Ridge to main summit: Welsch, Bierl, Arnold Hasenkopf and Reichegger (all German).
- 1974 Southwest Face to southwest summit: Gary Bocarde, Michael Clark, Charlie Porter and John Svenson (all USA).
- 1975 Ham and Eggs, couloir on the south face: Jon KrakauerJon KrakauerJon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
, Tom Davies and Nate Zinsser to main summit, July 16-18th. - 1981 Dance of the Woo Li Masters, East Face (VI 5.9 WI4+ A4, 1520m) Mugs StumpMugs StumpMugs Stump was a noted American rock climber and mountaineer, active in establishing difficult first ascents in the Alaska Range and the Canadian Rockies...
and Jim BridwellJim BridwellJim Bridwell is a noted American rock climber and mountaineer, active since 1965 especially in Yosemite Valley, but also in Patagonia and Alaska. He is noted for pushing the standards of both free-climbing and big-wall climbing, and later alpine climbing... - 1997 The Toose's Mooth (north face), Alaska Grade 6: FA by Seth 'S.T.' Shaw and Scott Simper, May 1, 1997.
- 2001 The Beast Pillar, direct start to Dance (VII A5 5.10b WI4+ M6, 1500m): Jim BridwellJim BridwellJim Bridwell is a noted American rock climber and mountaineer, active since 1965 especially in Yosemite Valley, but also in Patagonia and Alaska. He is noted for pushing the standards of both free-climbing and big-wall climbing, and later alpine climbing...
and Spencer Pfinsten