Andy Simons Mountain

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Andy Simons Mountain is a prominent 6,407-foot (1,953 m) peak in the Kenai Mountains of Alaska, and the fourth-highest on the Kenai Peninsula. The mountain has a true summit about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) west of a subsidiary east peak that rises above 5,300 feet.

Location and access
The mountain sits in Chugach National Forest, about 7.2 miles (12 km) east of Mount Adair and 17 miles (27 km) north of Seward. The Seward Highway and the Alaska Railroad run along its western base. Precipitation drains into Kenai Lake.

First ascent and naming
The first ascent was on May 18, 1963, by a Mountaineering Club of Alaska party led by Dave Johnston. They left a summit register that read “Big Bad Wolf Peak.” Later that year, the Seward Chamber of Commerce suggested naming the mountain after Andrew Adrian Simons (1882–1962), an early Alaska settler and renowned hunting guide. Simons lived near a Lakeview homestead nearby and was the first registered hunting guide in Alaska in 1910. The name Andy Simons Mountain was officially adopted by the USGS in 1963.

Climate and landscape
Andy Simons Mountain lies in a subarctic climate with long, cold winters and mild summers. Weather from the Gulf of Alaska is lifted by the Kenai Mountains, bringing heavy rain and snow. Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F, with wind chills well below −10 °F. The lower slopes are covered by spruce and hemlock forests.

Easiest route
The simplest way up is exposed scrambling.