Mount Arrowhead
Encyclopedia
Mount Arrowhead or, as it is more commonly referred to, simply Arrowhead, is a mountain just east of Sitka
, Alaska
on Baranof Island
that is, according to USGS
maps, actually named Mount Verstovia
.
, is almost always incorrectly referred to in regular conversation. What is colloquially called Arrowhead is really Mount Verstovia
and the real Mount Arrowhead (referred to as Arrowhead Peak on Wikipedia) lies about a mile and a half to the east on the same ridge out of sight from downtown Sitka. The naming confusion is understandable however, because the real Mount Verstovia (or colloquial Arrowhead) bears an uncanny resemblance to its namesake.
up a ravine for the last two or three hundred feet. It is also possible to access from the eastern ridge although it is easier (and safer) to ascend before descending. Because of this, the primary alternate route is cutting underneath the cliffy northwestern face and meeting up with the eastern ridge and the ascending.
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
The City and Borough of Sitka, originally called New Archangel under Russian Rule, is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean , in the U.S...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
on Baranof Island
Baranof Island
Baranof Island, also sometimes called Baranov Island, Shee or Sitka Island, is an island in the northern Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Alaska. The name Baranof was given in 1805 by Imperial Russian Navy captain U. F. Lisianski to honor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov...
that is, according to USGS
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,...
maps, actually named Mount Verstovia
Mount Verstovia
Mount Verstovia is a colloquially referred to 2,550 foot mountain southwest of downtown Sitka, Alaska on Baranof Island which, according USGS maps, is really an unnamed peak.-History on name:...
.
Name background
Arrowhead, like Mount VerstoviaMount Verstovia
Mount Verstovia is a colloquially referred to 2,550 foot mountain southwest of downtown Sitka, Alaska on Baranof Island which, according USGS maps, is really an unnamed peak.-History on name:...
, is almost always incorrectly referred to in regular conversation. What is colloquially called Arrowhead is really Mount Verstovia
Mount Verstovia
Mount Verstovia is a colloquially referred to 2,550 foot mountain southwest of downtown Sitka, Alaska on Baranof Island which, according USGS maps, is really an unnamed peak.-History on name:...
and the real Mount Arrowhead (referred to as Arrowhead Peak on Wikipedia) lies about a mile and a half to the east on the same ridge out of sight from downtown Sitka. The naming confusion is understandable however, because the real Mount Verstovia (or colloquial Arrowhead) bears an uncanny resemblance to its namesake.
Access
Almost all hikes up Arrowhead begin up the Mount Verstovia trail and continue up Arrowhead's western ridge on an informal trail and then cuts behind to the southern face and continues as a scambleScrambling
Scrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
up a ravine for the last two or three hundred feet. It is also possible to access from the eastern ridge although it is easier (and safer) to ascend before descending. Because of this, the primary alternate route is cutting underneath the cliffy northwestern face and meeting up with the eastern ridge and the ascending.