Valdez Place Names – Mt Dimond

Mt Dimond gets spelled wrong as often as it is skied.  From movie credits to ski industry advertising they just can’t seem to get it right.  But it’s a simple mistake as with other editing errors in Alaska’s rich ski mountaineering history which bares some humor and correction.

Donald Orth’s Dictionary of Alaska Place Names is the epitome of books on the subject.  Published in 1971, the book list an amazing number of Valdez places that will keep you scanning the pages.  It is within these pages along with a local topo map, one begins to unravel the rich history of exploration of the Valdez Chugach.  The book has long been out of print and not surprisingly as a recent search for buying the book for my collection showed a cost of over $3000.  Luckily the rather large pdf file can be downloaded at the link provided above.

Judge Anthony Dimond has a rich history in Valdez and traveled by horse many times by Stuart Creek and Thompson Pass dispatching justice during territorial days but he obviously lived the traditional Alaska lifestyle at the time.  He was an iconic figure in Alaska History, so much so a prominent peak was named after him.