Alaska Is Not Colorado

When we landed in Anchorage, our first glimpse of mountains was mind-blowing. So many! So tall!

But the amazing appearance of grandiose heights was deceptive when measured with our Colorado-calibrated eyes. Consider that Alaska's mountains rise abruptly from sea level. Colorado's mountains begin at already impressive elevations.

What looked like 14,000 foot peaks to us were much shorter. But how do you measure mountains? Their height above sea level? Or their "actual" base to peak height?

Who knew this was even a matter for discussion? Not me. Not until my recent trip to Alaska.

There is an argument made that Denali is taller than Mount Everest. Hear me out. Mountains can be measured from their base to their summit. Everest is considered the highest mountain on the planet, but its base begins at 14,000 feet above sea level. Denali's base begins 2,000 feet above sea level.

Denali = 20,310 feet above sea level; 18,000 feet base to summit
Everest =  29,029 feet above sea level; 12,000 feet base to summit (open to debate)

Another difference between Alaska mountains and our Colorado mountains is that tree line is actually lower in Alaska due to being at a farther north latitude. In Colorado, we guestimate mountain heights by what rises above tree line.

Tree line = limit beyond which trees cannot grow. The farther north you go, the colder the temperatures, the less hospitable the mountainsides.

Pikes Peak is 14,001 feet (actual base to peak ~ 8,000 feet). Trees stop growing at around 11,000 feet, more or less. So that bare, rocky peak rises 3,000 feet above where trees stop growing.

Compare that to Alaska, where tree line is 2,500 to 3,500 feet. The Chugach Mountains near Anchorage average only 4,000 feet, but rise from sea level, with tree line capping half their peaks.

A mountain is a mountain, still beautiful and inspiring no matter how you measure it.

My Alaska trip will provide background for book three in The Tapestry Tales YA science fiction series, coming in 2026. Books one and two are available now in e-book and paperback. Audiobooks are currently in production!
Broken Strands: book two
​Frayed Dreams: book one

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