Cayoosh Range
Encyclopedia
The Cayoosh Range is the northernmost section of the Lillooet Ranges
, which are a subrange of the Pacific Ranges
of the Coast Mountains
in British Columbia
. The range is c. 3770 km² (1455 sq mi) and approximately 65 km (40 mi) SW to NE and about 20 km (12 mi) SE to NW.
In some classification systems the Lillooet Ranges are considered their own group, and not a subdivision of the Pacific Ranges, although the Bendor Range
, north of the Cayoosh Range across Anderson Lake, is classified as part of the Pacific Ranges which would tend to imply that the Cayoosh and Lillooet Ranges are as well.
The Cayoosh Range is defined by the valley of Cayoosh Creek on the south, which is followed by the Duffey Lake Road section of Highway 99, from Pemberton
-Mount Currie
to Lillooet
, which are at the respective western and eastern ends of the range. Cayoosh Pass
, between the head of Duffey Lake and the descent to the Pemberton Valley
at Lillooet Lake
, was first traversed by a non-native by Sapper James Duffey of the Royal Engineers in 1860, who investigated (then dismissed it) as a possible overland alternative to the Douglas Road
. The north flank of the range is the valley of Seton
and Anderson Lakes and the Gates River
's divide via Pemberton Pass
with the lower valley of the Birkenhead River
, which is the far western perimeter of the range.
Named peaks in the range are confined the western end of the range, but the higher summits, all officially unnamed but well-known to climbers and hikers, are in the eastern part of the range. The western part of the range is coastal-alpine in character, with small glaciers and heavy snowfall. The eastern, higher part of the range verges on the semi-arid climate typical of the Fraser Canyon
and the rest of the Interior
and has no permanent snowfields or ice, and is known for its beautiful alpine meadows and stunning vistas of the surrounding ranges to the north, south and east.
The highest summit is an unnamed and largely unseen peak 2855 m (9367 ft) between the head of Seton Lake
and the head of Downton Creek, which is a tributary of Cayoosh Creek. It is the second-highest summit in the Lillooet Ranges
after Skihist Mountain
, which is the Cantilever Range
west of Lytton
.
Other high peaks in the range The second-highest peak in the Cayoosh Range is Mount Marriott 2735 m (8973 ft), due south of D'Arcy (N'quatqua
); it is not named for the hotel-empire family of the same name but for an RCAF officer who was killed in action in World War II
. Other summits include Cayoosh Mountain 2561 m (8402 ft), Mount Oleg 2587 m (8488 ft), Saxifrage Mountain 2501 m (8205 ft), and Mount Rohr 2423 m (7949 ft).
Lillooet Ranges
The Lillooet Ranges are the southeasternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. They are located between the drainage of the Lillooet River and Harrison Lake on the west and the canyon of the Fraser River on the east, and by the lowland coastal valley of...
, which are a subrange of the Pacific Ranges
Pacific Ranges
The Pacific Ranges are the southernmost subdivision of the Coast Mountains portion of the Pacific Cordillera. Located entirely within British Columbia, Canada, they run northwest from the lower stretches of the Fraser River to Bella Coola, north of which are the Kitimat Ranges.The Pacific Ranges...
of the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The range is c. 3770 km² (1455 sq mi) and approximately 65 km (40 mi) SW to NE and about 20 km (12 mi) SE to NW.
In some classification systems the Lillooet Ranges are considered their own group, and not a subdivision of the Pacific Ranges, although the Bendor Range
Bendor Range
The Bendor Range is a small but once-famous subrange of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, about It is approximately 7,000 square kilometres in area and about 40 km long and about 18 km at its widest...
, north of the Cayoosh Range across Anderson Lake, is classified as part of the Pacific Ranges which would tend to imply that the Cayoosh and Lillooet Ranges are as well.
The Cayoosh Range is defined by the valley of Cayoosh Creek on the south, which is followed by the Duffey Lake Road section of Highway 99, from Pemberton
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
-Mount Currie
Mount Currie, British Columbia
Mount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
to Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
, which are at the respective western and eastern ends of the range. Cayoosh Pass
Cayoosh Pass
Cayoosh Pass is a mountain pass in the Lillooet Ranges of the Pacific Ranges of the southern Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada...
, between the head of Duffey Lake and the descent to the Pemberton Valley
Pemberton, British Columbia
Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2,192. Until the 1960s the village could be accessed only by train but that changed when Highway 99 was built through Whistler and Pemberton.-Climate:The climate of Pemberton is...
at Lillooet Lake
Lillooet Lake
Lillooet Lake is a lake in British Columbia, Canada about 25 km in length and about 33.5 square kilometres in area. It is about 95 km downstream from the source of the Lillooet River, which resumes its course after leaving Little Lillooet Lake, aka Tenas Lake...
, was first traversed by a non-native by Sapper James Duffey of the Royal Engineers in 1860, who investigated (then dismissed it) as a possible overland alternative to the Douglas Road
Douglas Road
The Douglas Road, aka the Lillooet Trail, Harrison Trail or Lakes Route, was a goldrush-era transportation route from the British Columbia Coast to the Interior...
. The north flank of the range is the valley of Seton
Seton Lake
Seton Lake is a freshwater fjord draining east via the Seton River into the Fraser River at the town of Lillooet, British Columbia, about 22 km long and 243 m in elevation and 26.2 square kilometres in area...
and Anderson Lakes and the Gates River
Gates River
The Gates River is a short river in the Lillooet Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Approximately 14.5 km in length, it flows generally northeast from the outlet of Birken Lake to its mouth at the head of Anderson Lake...
's divide via Pemberton Pass
Pemberton Pass
Pemberton Pass, , also formerly known as Mosquito Pass, is the lowest point on the divide between the Lillooet and Fraser River drainages, located at Birken, British Columbia, Canada, in the principal valley connecting and between Pemberton and Lillooet...
with the lower valley of the Birkenhead River
Birkenhead River
The Birkenhead River, formerly known as the Portage River, the Pole River and the Mosquito River, is a major tributary of the Lillooet River, which via Harrison Lake and the Harrison River is one of the major tributaries of the lower Fraser River...
, which is the far western perimeter of the range.
Named peaks in the range are confined the western end of the range, but the higher summits, all officially unnamed but well-known to climbers and hikers, are in the eastern part of the range. The western part of the range is coastal-alpine in character, with small glaciers and heavy snowfall. The eastern, higher part of the range verges on the semi-arid climate typical of the Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
and the rest of the Interior
Interior Plateau
The Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east, and the Hazelton Mountains, Coast Mountains and Cascade Range on the west. The continuation of the plateau into the United States is known there as the...
and has no permanent snowfields or ice, and is known for its beautiful alpine meadows and stunning vistas of the surrounding ranges to the north, south and east.
The highest summit is an unnamed and largely unseen peak 2855 m (9367 ft) between the head of Seton Lake
Seton Lake
Seton Lake is a freshwater fjord draining east via the Seton River into the Fraser River at the town of Lillooet, British Columbia, about 22 km long and 243 m in elevation and 26.2 square kilometres in area...
and the head of Downton Creek, which is a tributary of Cayoosh Creek. It is the second-highest summit in the Lillooet Ranges
Lillooet Ranges
The Lillooet Ranges are the southeasternmost subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. They are located between the drainage of the Lillooet River and Harrison Lake on the west and the canyon of the Fraser River on the east, and by the lowland coastal valley of...
after Skihist Mountain
Skihist Mountain
Skihist Mountain is the highest mountain in the Cantilever Range and in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southern boundary of Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park, about west of Lytton....
, which is the Cantilever Range
Cantilever Range
The Cantilever Range is a subrange of the Lillooet Ranges subgrouping of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains. About 1100 km² in area and about 50 km E-W and 35 km N-S, it is located southwest of Lytton between the valleys of the Stein River and Kwoiek Creek .The Cantilever...
west of Lytton
Lytton, British Columbia
Lytton in British Columbia, Canada, sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser. The location has been inhabited by the Nlaka'pamux people for over 10,000 years, and is one of the earliest locations settled by non-natives in the Southern Interior of...
.
Other high peaks in the range The second-highest peak in the Cayoosh Range is Mount Marriott 2735 m (8973 ft), due south of D'Arcy (N'quatqua
N'quatqua
N'Quatqua, variously spelled Nequatque, N'quat'qua, is the proper historic name in the St'at'imcets language for the First Nations village of the Stl'atl'imx people of the community of D'Arcy, which is at the upper end of Anderson Lake about 35 miles southeast of Lillooet and about the same...
); it is not named for the hotel-empire family of the same name but for an RCAF officer who was killed in action in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Other summits include Cayoosh Mountain 2561 m (8402 ft), Mount Oleg 2587 m (8488 ft), Saxifrage Mountain 2501 m (8205 ft), and Mount Rohr 2423 m (7949 ft).