Whistler Mountain
Encyclopedia
Whistler Mountain is a mountain
in the Fitzsimmons Range
of the Pacific Ranges
of the Coast Mountains
, located on the northwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park
. It is the location of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort
and the town of Whistler, British Columbia
.
The original name of the mountain was London Mountain, named after a mining claim in the area. The locality was called Alta Lake
before the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in the 1970s, but the mountain's name had already been changed in 1965 as the associations with London's bad weather were deemed to be bad for advertising purposes. With the advent of the ski resort in the late 1960s the name was changed to "Whistler" to represent the whistling calls of the marmot
s, which are also known as "whistlers", that live in the alpine areas of the mountain.
Because of the mountain's proximity to Garibaldi Provincial Park
, ski lifts are regularly used to quickly access the alpine, and ski tour into the park. The summit is home to the Whistler Peak chair, and this makes it one of the most traveled summits in BC.
The mountain forms part of a major ski and snowboard resort.
that originated as mud on the seafloor of a former ocean. This same shale formation forms rocks in other locations throughout southwestern British Columbia. The most common rocks that comprise Whistler Mountain are andesite
and dacite
lava flows. These lava flows and the associated shale form part of a rock assemblage called the Gambier Group
. This geologic group was created within a shallow underwater basin about 100 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous
period. Granular material
, such as clay
, sand
and slit
, was carried into the ancient ocean by rivers that existed during the Cretaceous
period. As Cretaceous rivers continuously sent granular material into the former ocean, it was deposited yearly to eventually form layers of sedimentary material. Once the sedimentary material was compressed, it created the shale that now forms portions of Whistler Mountain. The andesite and dacite lava flows were deposited when volcanic eruptions created a series of volcanic islands and produced lava flows in the ancient ocean.
Once the volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Gambier Group were formed, they began to deform, crumple and uplift due to the extreme pressures created by movement of the North American Plate
and the tectonic plates
in the Pacific Ocean
. The large masses of solidified lava that formerly created the volcanic island chain and underwater lava flows yielded by demolishing into massive, mountain-sized blocks while the less dense, thinly layered shale was compressed, folded
and crushed between the associated lavas. In contrast, nearby volcanic landforms in the Garibaldi Lake
area, such as Black Tusk
, are of relatively recent volcanic origin and form part of a chain of volcanoes called the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt
.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Fitzsimmons Range
Fitzsimmons Range
The Fitzsimmons Range is a small mountain range on the northwestern edge of the Garibaldi Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, located between the valleys of Cheakamus Lake and Fitzsimmons Creek . Its most famous summit is Whistler Mountain, which overlooks the resort town of Whistler...
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...
, located on the northwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park, also called Garibaldi Park, is a wilderness park located in British Columbia, Canada, about 70 kilometres north of Vancouver. The park is located to the east of the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler and covers an area of over 1,950 square kilometres...
. It is the location of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort
Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is a major ski resort located 125 km north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. By many measures it is the largest ski resort in North America; it is 50% larger than its nearest competitor in terms of size, has the greatest uphill lift capacity, and until 2009, had...
and the town of Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
.
The original name of the mountain was London Mountain, named after a mining claim in the area. The locality was called Alta Lake
Alta Lake, British Columbia
Alta Lake was a recreational community and railway station on the west side of Alta Lake. It is now a neighbourhood of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The post office was renamed Whistler in 1976 when the area was incorporated as part of the Resort Municipality of Whistler.-References:**...
before the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in the 1970s, but the mountain's name had already been changed in 1965 as the associations with London's bad weather were deemed to be bad for advertising purposes. With the advent of the ski resort in the late 1960s the name was changed to "Whistler" to represent the whistling calls of the marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
s, which are also known as "whistlers", that live in the alpine areas of the mountain.
Because of the mountain's proximity to Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park, also called Garibaldi Park, is a wilderness park located in British Columbia, Canada, about 70 kilometres north of Vancouver. The park is located to the east of the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler and covers an area of over 1,950 square kilometres...
, ski lifts are regularly used to quickly access the alpine, and ski tour into the park. The summit is home to the Whistler Peak chair, and this makes it one of the most traveled summits in BC.
The mountain forms part of a major ski and snowboard resort.
Geology
Whistler Mountain contains shaleShale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
that originated as mud on the seafloor of a former ocean. This same shale formation forms rocks in other locations throughout southwestern British Columbia. The most common rocks that comprise Whistler Mountain are andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
and dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
lava flows. These lava flows and the associated shale form part of a rock assemblage called the Gambier Group
Gambier Group
The Gambier Group is an Early Cretaceous aged geologic group in the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It was formed on the easternmost point of the Wrangellia Terrane as a volcanic arc about 100 million years ago along a west-to southwest-dipping subduction zone...
. This geologic group was created within a shallow underwater basin about 100 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
period. Granular material
Granular material
A granular material is a conglomeration of discrete solid, macroscopic particles characterized by a loss of energy whenever the particles interact . The constituents that compose granular material must be large enough such that they are not subject to thermal motion fluctuations...
, such as clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
and slit
Slit
A slit is a vertical or horizontal space that can open and close. It can also refer to:* Slit , a vertical cut from the hem of the skirt which makes the skirt easier to walk in* Vagina, slang...
, was carried into the ancient ocean by rivers that existed during the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period. As Cretaceous rivers continuously sent granular material into the former ocean, it was deposited yearly to eventually form layers of sedimentary material. Once the sedimentary material was compressed, it created the shale that now forms portions of Whistler Mountain. The andesite and dacite lava flows were deposited when volcanic eruptions created a series of volcanic islands and produced lava flows in the ancient ocean.
Once the volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Gambier Group were formed, they began to deform, crumple and uplift due to the extreme pressures created by movement of the North American Plate
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
and the tectonic plates
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere...
in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The large masses of solidified lava that formerly created the volcanic island chain and underwater lava flows yielded by demolishing into massive, mountain-sized blocks while the less dense, thinly layered shale was compressed, folded
Fold (geology)
The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of permanent deformation. Synsedimentary folds are those due to slumping of sedimentary material before it is lithified. Folds in rocks vary in...
and crushed between the associated lavas. In contrast, nearby volcanic landforms in the Garibaldi Lake
Garibaldi Lake
The Garibaldi Lake volcanic field is a volcanic field, located in British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by a group of nine small andesitic stratovolcanoes and basaltic andesite vents in the scenic Garibaldi Lake area immediately north of Mount Garibaldi was formed during the late Pleistocene and...
area, such as Black Tusk
Black Tusk
Black Tusk is a remarkably abrupt pinnacle of volcanic rock located in Garibaldi Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. At above sea level, the upper spire is visible from a great distance in all directions. It is particularly noticeable from the Sea-to-Sky Highway just south of Whistler,...
, are of relatively recent volcanic origin and form part of a chain of volcanoes called the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt
Garibaldi Volcanic Belt
The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, also called the Canadian Cascade Arc, is a northwest-southeast trending volcanic chain in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains that extends from Watts Point in the south to the Ha-Iltzuk Icefield in the north. This chain of volcanoes is located in southwestern...
.
See also
- Whistler, British ColumbiaWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
- Whistler Blackcomb
- Flute SummitFlute Summit (British Columbia)Flute Summit is a flat-topped summit in the Fitzsimmons Range of the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the north side of Cheakamus Lake just southeast of the town of Whistler in Garibaldi Provincial Park...
- Piccolo SummitPiccolo SummitPiccolo Summit is a summit in the Fitzsimmons Range of the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the north side of Cheakamus Lake just southeast of the town of Whistler in Garibaldi Provincial Park...