Selkirk Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range
spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle
, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia
. They begin at Mica Peak
near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
and extend approximately 320 km north (200 miles) from the border. The range is bounded on its west, northeast and at its northern extremity by the Columbia River
. From the Columbia's confluence with the Beaver River, they are bounded on their east by the Purcell Trench, which contains the Beaver River, Duncan River
, Duncan Lake
, Kootenay Lake
and the Kootenay River
. The Selkirks are distinct from, and geologically older than, the Rocky Mountains
. Together with the neighbouring Monashee
and Purcell Mountains
, and sometimes including the Cariboo Mountains
to the northwest, the Selkirks are part of a larger grouping known as the Columbia Mountains
. A scenic highway loop, the International Selkirk Loop
, encircles the southern portions of the mountain range.
The Selkirks were named after Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk
.
, the Selkirks presented a formidable barrier to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
, until A.B. Rogers discovered the mountain pass
that bears his name
in 1881–1882. As a result of the railway's construction via that route, Mount Revelstoke
and Glacier National Park
s (Canada) in the heart of the Selkirks were among the first national parks created in Canada, along with Yoho
, and Banff National Park
s. Until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway
via the Rogers Pass
, automotive traffic between most of British Columbia and the rest of Canada necessarily was forced to follow the path of the Columbia River
via its Big Bend
, around the north end of the Selkirks.
. This area, some of it protected in Washington's Salmo-Priest Wilderness
, is also home to mule deer
and white-tailed deer
, elk
, black bears
, cougars
, bobcats, red fox
, bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey
, great blue heron
, porcupine
, badgers, coyote
, pine martens
, bighorn sheep
, and moose
. Although rarely seen, grizzly bears and gray wolves are also known to roam through this region.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
, eastern Washington, and southeastern 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...
. They begin at Mica Peak
Mica Peak (Idaho)
Mica Peak is a mountain summit in Kootenai County in the state of Idaho, United States. Mica Peak climbs to above sea level in the Selkirk Mountain range. State Line, Idaho is the closest city at 6.9 miles away....
near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
and extend approximately 320 km north (200 miles) from the border. The range is bounded on its west, northeast and at its northern extremity by the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. From the Columbia's confluence with the Beaver River, they are bounded on their east by the Purcell Trench, which contains the Beaver River, Duncan River
Duncan River
The Duncan River is a long river in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in area. It is part of the Columbia River basin, being tributary via Kootenay Lake to the Kootenay River, which is a tributary of the Columbia River...
, Duncan Lake
Duncan Lake (British Columbia)
Duncan Lake is a man-made reservoir lake in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada, formed by Duncan Dam and about 45 km in length. It is fed by the Duncan River, which forms part of the boundary between the Selkirk Mountains to the west and the Purcell Mountains to the east...
, Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
and the Kootenay River
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
. The Selkirks are distinct from, and geologically older than, the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Together with the neighbouring Monashee
Monashee Mountains
The Monashee Mountains are a mountain range mostly in British Columbia, Canada, extending into the U.S. state of Washington. They stretch from north to south and from east to west. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains...
and Purcell Mountains
Purcell Mountains
The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the area of the Columbia Valley, and on...
, and sometimes including the Cariboo Mountains
Cariboo Mountains
The Cariboo Mountains are the northernmost subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which run down into the Spokane, Washington area of the United States and include the Selkirks, Monashees and Purcells. The Cariboo Mountains are entirely within the province of British Columbia, Canada. The range is...
to the northwest, the Selkirks are part of a larger grouping known as the Columbia Mountains
Columbia Mountains
The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges located in southeastern British Columbia, and partially in Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² . The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain Trench on the east, and the Kootenay River on the south; their...
. A scenic highway loop, the International Selkirk Loop
International Selkirk Loop
The International Selkirk Loop is a scenic highway in the U.S. states of Idaho and Washington, as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia. The loop encircles the Selkirk Mountain Range, and offers several side trips aside from the main route. Included on the loop is the Kootenay Lake...
, encircles the southern portions of the mountain range.
The Selkirks were named after Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk
Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk
Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk was a Scottish peer. He was born at Saint Mary's Isle, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. He was noteworthy as a Scottish philanthropist who sponsored immigrant settlements in Canada at the Red River Colony.- Early background :Douglas was the seventh son of Dunbar...
.
History
During the development of Western CanadaWestern Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
, the Selkirks presented a formidable barrier to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, until A.B. Rogers discovered the mountain pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
that bears his name
Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
in 1881–1882. As a result of the railway's construction via that route, Mount Revelstoke
Mount Revelstoke National Park
Mount Revelstoke National Park is located adjacent to the city of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. The park is relatively small for a national park, covering 260 square kilometres. It is located in the Selkirk Mountains and was founded in 1914...
and Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park (Canada)
Glacier National Park is one of seven national parks in British Columbia, and is part of a system of 43 parks and park reserves across Canada. It protects a portion of the Columbia Mountains. It also contains the Rogers Pass National Historic Site, designated for its importance in the construction...
s (Canada) in the heart of the Selkirks were among the first national parks created in Canada, along with Yoho
Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side...
, and Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
s. Until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
via the Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
, automotive traffic between most of British Columbia and the rest of Canada necessarily was forced to follow the path of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
via its Big Bend
Big Bend Country
Big Bend Country is a term used in the Canadian province of British Columbia to refer to the region around the northernmost bend of the Columbia River, where the river leaves its initial northwestward course along the Rocky Mountain Trench to curve around the northern end of the Selkirk Mountains...
, around the north end of the Selkirks.
Fauna
The southern end of these mountains is home to the only extant woodland caribou population in the contiguous United StatesContiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
. This area, some of it protected in Washington's Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Salmo-Priest Wilderness is a 41,335 acre wilderness area located in the Selkirk Mountains in the northeast corner of Washington state, within the Colville National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest.-Topography:...
, is also home to mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
and white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, cougars
Cougars
Cougars is a Chicago-based rock band signed to the New York-based label Go-Kart Records.The Cougars' music is often compared to that of Rocket from the Crypt...
, bobcats, red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
, bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
, badgers, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, pine martens
Pine Marten
The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
, bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
, and moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
. Although rarely seen, grizzly bears and gray wolves are also known to roam through this region.
Sub-ranges
- Asulkan Range
- Battle RangeBattle RangeThe Battle Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Incomappleux River and Duncan River south of Battle Brook.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Big Bend RangesBig Bend RangesThe Big Bend Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located in Big Bend of the Columbia River north of the Illecillewaet River.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Adamant RangeAdamant RangeThe Adamant Range is a subrange of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on the west side of Columbia Reach, Kinbasket Lake, north of Glacier National Park.-References:...
- Sir Sandford RangeSir Sandford RangeThe Sir Sandford Range is a subrange of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Gold River and Palmer Creek just southwest of the Gold Arm of Kinbasket Lake.-References:...
- Windy RangeWindy RangeThe Windy Range is a subrange of the Big Bend Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on the west side of Columbia Reach, Kinbasket Lake north of Windy Creek.-References:...
- Adamant Range
- Bishops Range
- Bonnington RangeBonnington RangeThe Bonnington Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Salmo River and Columbia River south of Nelson.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Clachnacudainn RangeClachnacudainn RangeThe Clachnacudainn Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located within Mount Revelstoke National Park, just northeast of Revelstoke.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Dawson RangeDawson Range (British Columbia)The Dawson Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Duncan RangesDuncan RangesThe Duncan Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of the Duncan River, southeast of Revelstoke.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Badshot RangeBadshot RangeThe Badshot Range is a subrange of the Duncan Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of Duncan Lake and Westfall River east of Trout Lake.-References:...
- Badshot Range
- Goat Range
- Hermit Range
- Kokanee RangeKokanee RangeThe Kokanee Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located between the valley of the Slocan River and that of Kootenay Lake , and to the north of the Kootenay River and the West Arm of Kootenay Lake...
- Lardeau Range
- Nelson RangeNelson RangeThe Nelson Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the west arm of Kootenay Lake between the Salmo and Kootenay Rivers and also to the west of the south arm of Kootenay Lake...
- Purity Range
- Sir Donald Range
- Valhalla RangesValhalla RangesThe Valhalla Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located between Lower Arrow Lake of the Arrow Lakes and Slocan River.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Ruby RangeRuby Range (Valhalla Ranges)The Ruby Range is a subrange of the Valhalla Ranges of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located west of the northern end of Slocan Lake.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Ruby Range
- Valkyr RangeValkyr RangeThe Valkyr Range is a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on the east side of Lower Arrow Lake west of Nelson.-References:*. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia. Bivouac.com....
- Norns RangeNorns RangeThe Norns Range is a subrange of the Valkyr Range of the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of junction of Little Slocan River and Slocan River north of Castegar.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Norns Range
External links
- http://www.selkirkloop.org/
- Free Idaho Selkirks Trail Map