Compile: Mintina
Alaska Mountains
Photo courtesy of Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock
Alaska has the highest rate of disappearance in the United States. Since 1988, more than 16,000 people have disappeared from the state's wilderness areas. Such disappearances have led the state to investigate and search for answers, and in addition, (inevitably) have sparked conspiracy theories. From alien invasions to a vortex of mysterious powers. But why do so many people disappear in the Alaska Mountains?
High-profile disappearances
It wasn't until the 1970s that the disappearance of the Alaska Mountains began to gain attention, with the first important event occurring in January 1950. A U.S. Air Force plane carrying 44 passengers traveled from the Anchorage area to Minnesota and lost contact two hours after takeoff. To this day, there is still no trace of the aircraft here.
In October 1972, House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and Alaska lawmakers traveled by private jet from Anchorage to June. The duo, along with the pilot and assistants, never appeared again at their fund-raising activities. In the 39th, about 90 aircraft, both military and civilian, searched an area of 83,000 square kilometers. Eventually, the government pronounced them dead.
Hale Boggs, 1969
Photo courtesy of: U.S. government
In 1990, another plane disappeared, this time with 340 passengers on board. In short, the plane could easily disappear in such a vast area – falling into deep canyons, dense jungles, the bottom of lakes.
In addition to those well-known accidents, there are more searches for missing people on the ground: residents, tourists, hikers, climbers and hunters are frequently missing in the Alaskan mountains.
From 1960 to 2004, in the remote, sparsely populated town of Nome, 24 people disappeared. The FBI/FBI launched an investigation over rumors related to serial killers. Eventually, the FBI found that alcoholism and the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness were to blame. But that hasn't quelled speculation about murder.
Alaska Triangle
Most of the disappearances appear to have occurred at a site nicknamed the Alaska Triangle. Not surprisingly, this corresponds to Bermuda. The area connects the towns of Anchorage, Barrow and Juneau and includes a huge wild area.
McKinley/Denali National Park
Photo courtesy of Vicky L. Miller/Shutterstock
Why did the disappearance of most of the people in the Alaska Mountains happen at this location? There are a few factors to consider. First, the Alaska mountains account for 30 percent of the remaining wild area of the United States: 230,000 square kilometers/23 million hectares of national parks, glaciers, volcanoes, fjords, lakes, coastlines, mud pools, forests, and permafrost. The Triangle includes four major national parks: Denali/McKinley Peak, Gates of the Arctic, Chugach and Glacier Bay. Despite the picturesque scenery, this is a dangerous place.
Possible causes
The state is home to more than 30,000 brown bears, in addition to black and polar bears. Aggressive encounters, while rare, do occur. In short, bear attacks are only the least of these.
The most serious problem in Alaska's mountains is exposure. The weather can change within minutes, and lost hikers can quickly lose their temperature. Alaska snowfalls 164 centimeters a year. This amount of snow may bury any traces within a few hours.
A pond formed by melting glaciers
Photo courtesy of DCrane/Shutterstock
The second cause of death for travelers is a factor that is difficult in all mountain environmental areas: gravity. It's very easy to slide along a ridge or fall into one of the 5,000 glaciers in the Alaska Mountains. Climbers usually go to Denali/McKinley Peak, but not everyone returns. Today, 35 bodies remain on the mountain. From 1903 to 2006, 98 climbers were killed at the peak.
The third cause of death is drowning. The Alaska Mountains have more than 3 million lakes and 3,000 rivers. Icy water draws heat from us 25 times faster than cold air.
In the face of these real difficulties, one does not need to mention alien invasions or energy vortexes.
One of 5,000 glaciers in the Mountains of Alaska
Photo courtesy of Elmar Langle/Shutterstock
Source: Kristine De Abreu