Shishaldin Volcano

Mount Shishaldin is the highest mountain in the Aleutian Islands. It is a moderately active volcano on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands chain of Alaska. The most symmetrical cone-shaped glacier-clad large mountain on earth, the volcano's topographic contour lines are nearly perfect circles above 6,500 feet. The lower north and south slopes are somewhat steeper than the lower eastern and western slopes. The volcano is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes along an east–west line in the eastern half of Unimak Island. The upper 6,000 feet is almost entirely covered by glacial snow and ice. In all, Shishaldin's glacial shield cover about 35 square miles. A very steady steam plume rises from its small summit crater which is about 500 feet across and slightly breached along the north rim. An Alaska Grade 1 climb with snow up to a 40 degree slope, Shishaldin is a popular ski descent (6,000 feet) for local climbers. Shishaldin is not often climbed by outsiders due to its remoteness.