The Moose's Tooth

{{Short description|Mountain in the American state of Alaska}}

{{Redirect|Moose's Tooth|the restaurant named after this mountain|Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox mountain

| photo = Summit of Mooses Tooth.JPG

| name = The Moose's Tooth

| map = Alaska

| map_caption = Location in Alaska

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-zoom = 8

| mapframe-caption = Interactive map of The Moose's Tooth

| elevation_ft = 10,335

| elevation_ref =

| location = Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, US

| range = Central Alaska Range

| coordinates = {{coord|62|58|09|N|150|36|48|W|type:mountain_region:US-AK|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_ref=

| first_ascent = June, 1964 by Welsch, Bierl, Hasenkopf, Reichegger (German)

| easiest_route = Ham and Eggs: rock/snow/ice climb

}}

The Moose's Tooth (or simply Moose's Tooth, Mooses Tooth) is a rock peak on the east side of the Ruth Gorge in the Central Alaska Range, 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Denali. Despite its relatively low elevation, it is a difficult climb. It is notable for its many large rock faces and its long ice couloirs, which are famous in mountaineering circles, and have seen a number of highly technical ascents.

The peak was originally called Mount Hubbard after General Thomas Hamlin Hubbard — the president of the Peary Arctic Club — by Belmore Browne and Herschel Parker.Orth, Donald J. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Rr9RAQAAMAAJ&dq Dictionary of Alaska Place Names], p. 657. Geographical Survey Professional Paper 567. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 1967. Retrieved July 7, 2017. This name was revoked by the United States Geological Survey, which named the peak "The Mooses Tooth," a translation of the Athabascan name for the peak.That "Moose's Tooth" is a native name for the peak is attested by Bradford Washburn in "Mapping McKinley's Southeast Approaches", American Alpine Journal, 1956, p. 49. The official USGS name does lack the grammatically correct apostrophe.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

The Moose's Tooth is located just to the east of the northern end of the Ruth Gorge, across from Mount Barille and Mount Dickey. It is the chief in a complex of rock peaks with names such as "Eye Tooth", "Sugar Tooth", and "Broken Tooth."Bragg, Beth. "[https://www.adn.com/sports/article/anchorage-climber-completes-longtime-alaska-range-goal/2013/06/12/ Anchorage climber completes longtime Alaska Range goal]", Alaska Dispatch News, June 11, 2013, updated September 27, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2017. The Ruth Gorge's major "tooth peaks" are Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth, Eyetooth, Sugar Tooth, and Broken Tooth. Other nearby peaks include Wisdom Tooth and The Incisor. Also see [http://www.summitpost.org/the-great-gorge-of-the-ruth-glacier/738481 "The Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier"].

On the east side of this complex lies the head of the Buckskin Glacier, which provides access to climbs on the particularly large and difficult east face of The Moose's Tooth. Other access is from the Root Canal, a glacial landing strip on the south side.Campbell, Mike. "[https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/article/climber-dies-after-ice-fall-strikes-alaska-range-campsite/2011/04/29/ Climber dies after ice fall strikes Alaska Range campsite]," Alaska Dispatch News, April 28, 2011, updated September 27, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2017.{{cite aaj|last=Puryear|first=Joseph|article_id=12200608600|title=The Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier|year=2006|access-date=July 7, 2017}}

The name of the peak comes from its structure: its summit ridge is a long, low angled ridge running roughly east–west for about a mile, with steep drops to the north and south. This gives the mountain a vague resemblance to a moose's tooth. It also makes climbing to the true (east) summit from the west ridge (the least technical route) very difficult. The summit is more normally reached by steep couloirs on the southwestern side of the peak.

The first ascent of The Moose's Tooth was in June, 1964, by four Germans (Walter Welsch, Klaus Bierl, Arnold Hasenkopf and Alfons Reichegger), via the Northwest Ridge. In June 1974, Gary Bocarde, Michael Clark, Charles Porter, and John Svenson climbed the lower Southwest Summit via the Southwest Face, for the second ascent of the massif, though not of the main summit. They found a great quantity of rotten rock.{{cite aaj | last = Bocarde | first = Gary | title = Moose Antler Ascent: Moose's Tooth | article_id=12197502800 | volume = 20 | issue = 49 | pages = 28–31 | location = New York | year = 1975 | isbn = 0-930410-72-6|links=off|access-date=2025-01-04}}

In July 1975, Jon Krakauer, Thomas Davies, and Nate Zinsser made the second ascent of the main summit, via a couloir on the south face which they called the "Ham and Eggs Route." This is the most popular route on the mountain today.

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