Pyramid Island (Alaska)
Pyramid Island is an uninhabited island in the Rat Islands (Qax̂um tanangis) grouping among the Aleutian Islands. It is a caldera of a former volcano that exploded.
Khvostof Island (left) and Pyramid Island (right) | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°57′50″N 178°18′43″E[1] |
| Archipelago | Rat Island |
| Highest elevation | 328 ft (100 m) |
It received its name in 1935 from the crew of the USS Oglala due to its shape.
Doctors Aurel and Arthur Krause, who were in Alaska in 1881-1882 collected at Pyramid Island.[2]
Pyramid Island is a small, triangular island located in the Lynn Canal, just north of Klukwan, Alaska. It is named for its distinctive pyramid-shaped peak, which rises to a height of about 100 feet.
Krause and Krause describe Pyramid Island as a "beautiful" and "picturesque" place. They were particularly impressed by its lush vegetation and its abundance of wildlife. They also noted that the island was a popular fishing spot for the Tlingits. [3]
Here is a more detailed excerpt from their description of Pyramid Island:
Pyramid Island, a small, sharp, conical island, rises like a pyramid from the water, and is covered with a dense forest of fir and spruce trees. On the top of the island are a few small peaks, and on the north side is a deep bay. The island is a favorite fishing-ground for the Tlingits, and they have several fishing-huts on it.
References
- "Pyramid Island - Introduction". avo.alaska.edu. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- Land Mollusca of North America (north of Mexico) Vol. II Part 2 (2nd half)
- Krause, Aurel (1981). Journey to the Tlingits by Aurel and Arthur Krause, 1881/82. Translated by Margot Krause McCaffrey. Haines Centennial Commission.