Britannia Range | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | Sky Pilot Mountain |
Elevation | 2,031 m (6,663 ft) [1] |
Coordinates | 49°38′05″N123°05′11″W / 49.63472°N 123.08639°W [2] |
Dimensions | |
Area | 270 km2 (100 sq mi) [3] |
Geography | |
Country | Canada |
Province | British Columbia |
Range coordinates | 49°32′N123°12′W / 49.533°N 123.200°W [4] |
Parent range | North Shore Mountains and Pacific Ranges |
The Britannia Range is a small mountain range of the Coast Mountains that runs along the eastern shore of Howe Sound just north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is a subrange of the Pacific Ranges and often considered part of the North Shore Mountains. The range is bounded by the Howe Sound to the west, the Stawamus River to the north, Loch Lomond on the upper Seymour River to the east, and Deeks Lake to the south. [5] However, some official maps extend the range further south of these boundaries [6] and many local sources such as hiking guidebooks will often include all of the peaks along the Howe Sound between Deeks Lake and Cypress Mountain as part of the range. [7]
The geology of the Britannia Range is different to the surrounding highly granitic North Shore Mountains due to the high prevalence of volcanic rock (such as at Watts Point volcanic centre) and sedimentary rock like sandstone and shale. [8] [9]
The range's name was conferred by Captain Richards in 1859 after the 100-gun HMS Britannia, which saw action at the Battle of St. Vincent, 1797 and the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. [4] Mountains within the range allude to British royalty, Mount Hanover and Mount Windsor for the respective dynasties. This is the source of the name of the town Britannia Beach.
The tallest mountain in the Britannia Range is Sky Pilot Mountain, a horn-shaped summit prominently visible to southbound traffic on BC Highway 99 on the descent from Whistler to Squamish.
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as many of those in the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades. The small part of the range in British Columbia is referred to as the Canadian Cascades or, locally, as the Cascade Mountains. The highest peak in the range is Mount Rainier in Washington at 14,411 feet (4,392 m).
Britannia Beach is a small unincorporated community in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District located approximately 55 kilometres north of Vancouver, British Columbia on the Sea-to-Sky Highway on Howe Sound. It has a population of about 300. It includes the nearby Britannia Creek, a small to mid-sized stream that flows into Howe Sound that was historically one of North America's most polluted waterways.
Mount Garibaldi is a dormant stratovolcano in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has a maximum elevation of 2,678 metres and rises above the surrounding landscape on the east side of the Cheakamus River in New Westminster Land District. In addition to the main peak, Mount Garibaldi has two named sub-peaks. Atwell Peak is a sharp, conical peak slightly higher than the more rounded peak of Dalton Dome. Both were volcanically active at different times throughout Mount Garibaldi's eruptive history. The northern and eastern flanks of Mount Garibaldi are obscured by the Garibaldi Névé, a large snowfield containing several radiating glaciers. Flowing from the steep western face of Mount Garibaldi is the Cheekye River, a tributary of the Cheakamus River. Opal Cone on the southeastern flank is a small volcanic cone from which a lengthy lava flow descends. The western face is a landslide feature that formed in a series of collapses between 12,800 and 11,500 years ago. These collapses resulted in the formation of a large debris flow deposit that fans out into the Squamish Valley.
Cypress Provincial Park is a provincial park on the North Shore of Metro Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia. The park has two sections: a 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) southern section which is accessible by road from West Vancouver, and a 9 km2 (3.5 sq mi) northern section which is only accessible by hiking trails. The two sections are linked by a narrow strip of park along the mountainous Howe Sound Crest Trail.
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.
Howe Sound is a roughly triangular sound, that joins a network of fjords situated immediately northwest of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2021.
The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city.
Mount Price is a small stratovolcano in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an elevation of 2,049 metres and rises above the surrounding landscape on the western side of Garibaldi Lake in New Westminster Land District. The mountain contains a number of subfeatures, including Clinker Peak on its western flank, which was the source of two thick lava flows between 15,000 and 8,000 years ago that ponded against glacial ice. These lava flows are structurally unstable, having produced large landslides as recently as the 1850s. A large provincial park surrounds Mount Price and other volcanoes in its vicinity. It lies within an ecological region that surrounds much of the Pacific Ranges.
The Lions, known as Ch'ích'iyúy Elx̱wíḵn in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) language, are a pair of pointed peaks along the North Shore Mountains in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They can be seen from much of the Greater Vancouver area, as far as Robert Burnaby Park in East Burnaby, south to parts of Surrey, and from the west on the Howe Sound Islands and the Sunshine Coast. Along with the Lions Gate Bridge named in their honour, these twin summits have become one of the most recognizable Vancouver landmarks. The city's BC Lions CFL football team is also named in their honour. Lions Gate Entertainment which was founded in Vancouver in July, 1997 is also named for the peaks.
The Milbanke Sound Group, also called the Milbanke Sound Cones, is an enigmatic group of five small basaltic volcanoes in the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. Named for Milbanke Sound, this volcanic group straddles on at least four small islands, including Swindle, Price, Lady Douglas and Lake Island. Not much is known about this group of volcanoes and they remain undated. However, they all likely formed in the past 10,000 years after the last glacial period as evidenced by a small amount of erosion. The age of the most recent volcanic activity is also unknown. Most of the Milbanke Sound Cones are covered by mature forest. Kitasu Hill and Helmet Peak are the only two cones that are officially named.
Mount Brunswick, 1,788 metres (5,866 ft), is a summit in the Britannia Range of the North Shore Mountains on the Howe Sound side of the latter range. The mountain is located just northwest of the village of Lions Bay and is the namesake of Brunswick Beach, a locality on the Howe Sound shoreline below. Brunswick is often considered the highest peak of the North Shore Mountains.
Mount Harvey, 1,652 m (5,420 ft), is a mountain in the Britannia Range of the North Shore Mountains just northeast of the Village of Lions Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
Sky Pilot Mountain is the highest mountain in the Britannia Range of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is sometimes considered the highest peak in the North Shore Mountains of the Vancouver area. It forms the basis of the Sky Pilot group, a popular mountaineering area which includes several nearby rocky peaks including Co-Pilot (1,881m), Ledge Mountain (1,964m), Mount Sheer (1,752m), and Ben Lomond.
The Britannia Mines Concentrator is a National Historic Site of Canada. The large, inclined gravity mill was built on the northwest side of Mount Sheer to assist the transfer of copper ore through the chemical and mechanical processes of the plant. It is a landmark in Britannia Beach, British Columbia some forty-five kilometers north of Vancouver.
Mount Sedgwick is a prominent 2,082-metre (6,831-foot) mountain summit located in the Tantalus Range of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is situated 13 km (8 mi) west-northwest of Squamish, and 8 km (5 mi) south of Mount Tantalus, which is the highest peak in the Tantalus Range. Its nearest higher peak is The Red Tusk, 4.4 km (3 mi) to the northeast. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains west into tributaries of the Clowhom River, and east into Mill Creek which empties into Howe Sound. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1909 by H. Dowler. The mountain is named for Adam Sedgwick (1785–1873), one of the founders of modern geology who accompanied Sir Roderick Murchison on geological tours in Canada. The mountain's name was officially adopted on May 3, 1951, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.
Mount Hanover is a mountain summit located in British Columbia, Canada.
Mount Habrich is a mountain summit located in British Columbia, Canada.
Mount Sheer is a mountain summit located in British Columbia, Canada.
The Howe Sound Crest Trail is a rugged 32.8-kilometre (20.4 mi) wilderness hiking trail located near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The trail is located mostly within Cypress Provincial Park and is typically traveled as a single or multi-day hike from south to north, or as a means to access peaks along the route such as Mount Brunswick. It gets its name because it follows the crests of the North Shore Mountains that rise above the Howe Sound, the deep saltwater glacial fjord which parallels the trail to the west. It can be accessed in the south from Cypress Mountain Ski Area and in the north from the Sea to Sky Highway at Porteau Road, or via many intersecting trails that start at Lions Bay.
Capilano Mountain, 1,692 metres (5,551 ft), is a summit in the Britannia Range, a subrange of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is located just east of the village of Furry Creek on the Howe Sound shoreline below. Capilano Mountain is one of the northernmost peaks that can be seen from downtown Vancouver and is therefore often considered to be one of the northernmost North Shore Mountains. It is the headwaters of the Capilano River in the Capilano Watershed, which flows south through to Capilano Lake and the North Shore of the Burrard Inlet. Its north aspect drains into the Howe Sound via Furry and Downing creeks.