ACTIVITIES
Mount Edgecumbe ( L ’ ux )
EDGECUMBE SITKA ’ S ANCIENT NEIGHBOR
The regal Mount Edgecumbe , known as L ’ ux in Tlingít , stands about 15 miles west of town and can be seen from almost anywhere in Sitka .
Its often snow-covered crater gives it away as a volcano , and though it ’ s been considered dormant until recently , its past eruptions are likely the reason why Sitka ’ s lands are now inhabited .
Daanax . ils ’ eik ( Chuck Miller ), the Culture and Community Liaison at Sitka Tribe of Alaska , tells how when the clans wanted to move their homeland , they migrated to what is now Baranof Island , Shee in Tlingít . Over 10,000 years ago they paddled through icy channels and could see a flashing in the distance . As they drew closer , a sparking mountain came into view , and they knew then that the flashing was the eruption of a volcano . L ’ ux , the Tlingít word for the volcano , means “ to flash or blink ,” a fitting term for its discovery . Chuck Miller goes on to explain , “ Because the ash and wind left the trees stunted inland , the clans first settled on the northeast side of Kruzof Island and then slowly moved to Sheet ’ ká .”
THE LIFE OF MOUNT EDGECUMBE
> 10,000 years ago
Edgecumbe has only erupted 3 times over the last 10,000 years , excluding a local ' s April Fool ' s prank that simulated one .
7620 BC 3810 BC ~ 2220 BC 1974 April , 2022
Clans arrive at Shee ( Baranof Island ) Eruption Eruption Eruption Hoax Eruption Earthquake Activity
18 | VISIT SITKA MAGAZINE