Flourmill Volcanoes
Encyclopedia
The Flourmill Volcanoes, also known as The Flourmills, are a small volcano range near the west boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park
in east-central British Columbia
, Canada
. Located north of Mahood Lake
and west of the Clearwater River
, they form part of the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field
.
s form the range, namely Flourmill Cone and Spanish Lake Centre. During volcanic activity 3000 years ago, the craters
of both cones were breached, so lava flowed out the south side into the pass between Spanish Creek and Flourmill Creek. The lava then dammed Spanish Creek, creating Spanish Lake, and engulfed about 10 km (6.2 mi) of the Spanish valley to the southwest. This lava flow averages 10 m (33 ft) thick.
The first recorded visit by non-natives to the Flourmill Volcanoes was on May 21, 1874, by the Canadian Pacific Survey
or Joseph Hunter
and three assistants. His diary describes their journey over the Flourmill lava flow:
The Flourmill Volcanoes became a political scandal in 1963. Clearwater Timber Products, the major employer in Clearwater, wanted logging rights in Wells Gray Park. Rebuffed in several direct attempts, the company instead purchased a beach estate on Vancouver Island
from the Rath family for $186,000, then offered it to the provincial government in exchange for permission to log in Wells Gray Park. The government created Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
from this arrangement, today one of British Columbia's most popular parks, and gave Clearwater Timber logging rights on 137 sq km around The Flourmills. The company built a road along the west bank of the Clearwater River to access this forest tract and during the next six years removed 6.8 million cubic feet of timber, valued at $1.6 million. The deal was cancelled by the New Democratic Party government after it was elected in 1972. Later, the bridge at the Mahood River
was removed, preventing access to The Flourmills from the east.
Wells Gray Provincial Park
Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...
in east-central 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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Located north of Mahood Lake
Mahood Lake
Mahood Lake is a lake in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is drained by the Mahood River, a tributary of the Clearwater River which has cut a deep canyon into Cambrian rocks and Pleistocene glacial moraines...
and west of the Clearwater River
Clearwater River (British Columbia)
The Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the North Thompson River, joining it at the community of Clearwater, British Columbia. The Clearwater rises from glaciers in the Cariboo Mountains and flows in a mostly southerly direction for to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the...
, they form part of the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field
Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field
The Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field, also called the Clearwater Cone Group, is a potentially active monogenetic volcanic field in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located approximately north of Kamloops. It is situated in the Cariboo Mountains of the Columbia Mountains and on the...
.
Geography
Two cinder coneCinder cone
According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...
s form the range, namely Flourmill Cone and Spanish Lake Centre. During volcanic activity 3000 years ago, the craters
Volcanic crater
A volcanic crater is a circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a basin, circular in form within which occurs a vent from which magma erupts as gases, lava, and ejecta. A crater can be of large dimensions, and sometimes of great depth...
of both cones were breached, so lava flowed out the south side into the pass between Spanish Creek and Flourmill Creek. The lava then dammed Spanish Creek, creating Spanish Lake, and engulfed about 10 km (6.2 mi) of the Spanish valley to the southwest. This lava flow averages 10 m (33 ft) thick.
Human history
The unusual name 'Flourmill' dates to a land survey in 1921 along the Clearwater River. Flourmill Creek, which flows southeast from the volcanic area, was found to enter the Clearwater River exactly four miles (6.5 km) due north of the Mahood confluence. With great logic, the surveyors named it Four Mile Creek. When map-makers in the Department of Lands were about to place this designation on the official map, they realized that there were already several Four Mile Creeks in British Columbia and wisely decided that a less trite name was needed. So they fiddled with the letters and produced Flourmill Creek instead. The creek was named first and the name was extended to the volcanoes in the 1974 edition of the book, Exploring Wells Gray Park.The first recorded visit by non-natives to the Flourmill Volcanoes was on May 21, 1874, by the Canadian Pacific Survey
Canadian Pacific Survey
The Canadian Pacific Survey or Canadian Pacific Railway Survey consisted of a large number of distinct geographical surveys conducted during the 1870s and 1880s designed to determine the ideal route of the Canadian Pacific Railway...
or Joseph Hunter
Joseph Hunter (Canadian politician)
Joseph Hunter was a Scottish-born surveyor, civil engineer and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Cariboo from 1871 to 1875 and from 1900 to 1904 and Comox from 1890 to 1898 in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.He was born in Aberdeen and educated there, concluding his...
and three assistants. His diary describes their journey over the Flourmill lava flow:
- "I had to send the pack train back...on account of the absence of feed and the rough nature of the valley, which from here to the summit is covered with volcanic rocks, somewhat similar to the formation near the summit on the Howe Sound Route. In this instance, the surface is not quite so rough and irregular, the rocks are smaller in size, and the volcanic action seems to have been more intense. The centre of the valley here is higher than at the sides by about 100 feet...On the 21st we had travelled about two miles when we came to the end of the volcanic formation, and noticed the water running eastward."
The Flourmill Volcanoes became a political scandal in 1963. Clearwater Timber Products, the major employer in Clearwater, wanted logging rights in Wells Gray Park. Rebuffed in several direct attempts, the company instead purchased a beach estate on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
from the Rath family for $186,000, then offered it to the provincial government in exchange for permission to log in Wells Gray Park. The government created Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada.-Rathtrevor Beach Nature House:Rathtrevor Beach Nature House is a nature centre located in the park and operated by RLC Enterprize...
from this arrangement, today one of British Columbia's most popular parks, and gave Clearwater Timber logging rights on 137 sq km around The Flourmills. The company built a road along the west bank of the Clearwater River to access this forest tract and during the next six years removed 6.8 million cubic feet of timber, valued at $1.6 million. The deal was cancelled by the New Democratic Party government after it was elected in 1972. Later, the bridge at the Mahood River
Mahood River
The Mahood River is a river in the northern Shuswap Highland of the Central Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River...
was removed, preventing access to The Flourmills from the east.
Access
Access to the Flourmill Volcanoes is by a rough road from 100 Mile House on Highway 97. It has numerous unsigned forks and directions such as those found in Exploring Wells Gray Park are essential. The road ends at Spanish Creek and a trail leads 3.1 km (1.9 mi) to the base of the south cone then to the top of it. A cross-country route continues into the lava flow.See also
- List of volcanoes in Canada
- Volcanism of Canada
- Volcanism of Western CanadaVolcanism of Western CanadaVolcanism of Western Canada produces lava flows, lava plateaus, lava domes, cinder cones, stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, submarine volcanoes, calderas, diatremes and maars, along with examples of more less common volcanic forms such as tuyas and subglacial mounds.-Volcanic belts:*Anahim...