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The
Brooks Mountain Range in northern Alaska is the northernmost section
of the Rocky Mountains and the highest mountain range in the Arctic
Circle. The Brooks Range, which takes its name from Alfred Brooks (a
noted geologist), runs east to west across the state approximately 200
miles south of the Arctic Ocean.
Although its 2 highest peaks hardly exceed 9000 feet, by every other
measure the range is gargantuan, extending for 700 miles from the Yukon
border to the Chukchi Sea on Alaska's west coast. In most places this
Alaska mountains range is between 80 and 110 miles wide. So great is
its horizontal extent that it delineates 2 of Alaska's major climatic
zones, namely the interior and the North Slope.
The scenery in the Brooks Range is jaw dropping. The floors of its labyrinthine
canyons are filled with rivers, lakes and meadows. The divides between
the canyons run the gambit from sheer stone, walls and smooth, undulating
ridges. 95% of the range's area is accessible only via airplane. The
Dalton Highway the only road access into the Brooks Range, and only
a narrow corridor is within hiking distance of the road. |
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