Chugach Mountains

The mountains across the Matanuska River are part of the Chugach Mountain Range, which extends in an arc for roughly 350 miles, bordering Cook Inlet near Anchorage, Prince William Sound, and on toward Icy Bay where it melds with the coastal ranges. These mountains began forming during the age of the dinosaurs, over 130 million years ago, when great masses of sand and shale were folded out of the ocean. Today, the Chugach Mountains are characterized by heavy precipitation and dense foliage that traps moisture in a thick understory. The Chugach Mountains near Valdez receive more snowfall than anywhere else in North America. The nearest mountain dominating the view to the south is listed on maps as Crag Mountain, though locals know it by various names. The Ahtna Hwt'aene' of the area called the 4,415 foot peak Neltsiiy Ce'e, which means "Big One that [is] Made Like a Face," evoking the profile of a face on top of the mountain looking straight up into the sky.

Lazy Mountain, Alaska · United States