One of the most prominent mountains in the Wrangell St. Elias Range, Mount Sanford. This image was taken from the southernmost stretch of the Tok Cutoff Hwy

Mount Sanford is the third highest volcano in the US.  The south face of the volcano, at the head of the Sanford Glaicer, rises 8,000 feet in one mile (2,400 m in 1,600 m) resulting in one of the steepest gradients in North America.

The mountain was named in 1885 by Lt.  Henry T. Allen of the US Army after the Sanford family (Allen was a descendant of Reuben Sanford). On march 12, 1948, Northwest Airlines Flight 4422 crashed into mount Sanford.  All 24 passengers and 6 crew members were killed.  The wreckage was quickly covered by snow and was not found again until 1999. Ever since the day it was first climbed, Mount Sanford has only been climbed less than 50 times.