North America, United States, Alaska, Tokosha Mountains

Publication Year: 1976.

Tokosha Mountains. The Teton-like Tokosha Mountains, named in 1906 by Belmore Browne and meaning “the place where there are no trees” in Tanaina, lie between the termini of the Ruth and Tokositna Glaciers. This granite-cored, compact uplift was a mecca for first ascents during the past year. In mid-winter Dirk Bodnar, Mark Fouts, Brian Okonek and I climbed the following summits in unsettled weather: P 4930, P 4969 and P 4955 on December 30, 1974 and P 5019 on January 1. The three earthquakes we experienced were exciting, but more memorable was the exhausting, 18-mile slog out at —39° F. It was like sunny Chamonix when Okonek and I returned to bag the high peaks in March: mornings on coarse granite peaks, afternoon slaloms through boulder gates on the glacier. We climbed Tokosha Peak (6148 feet), the highpoint of the massif, on March 3. We were joined by Michel Flouret on P 5950 and P 5793 on March 5. Summer found Flouret, Felice Pache and Parry Rich battling the typical Chulitna monsoon, mosquitoes and mazes of alders on the approach to traverse P 4842 from east to west and P 5705 from west to east on July 30.

David Johnston, Mountaineering Club of Alaska