Mahood Lake

Mahood Lake
Mahood Lake
	Mahood Lake
Location	South Cariboo, British Columbia
Coordinates	51°54′41″N120°22′54″W / 51.91139°N 120.38167°W
Primary inflows	Canim River, Deception Creek
Primary outflows	Mahood River
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	21 km (13.0 mi)
Max. width	2.2 km (1.4 mi)
Surface area	33.5 km2 (12.9 sq mi)
Max. depth	197 m (646 ft)
Surface elevation	629 m (2,064 ft)
Islands	0

Last updated January 21, 2024

Mahood Lake is a lake in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia in Wells Gray Provincial Park.^[1] 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. Mahood Lake is fed by the short Canim River, which drains nearby Canim Lake to the west via Canim Falls and Mahood Falls.^[2]

Discovery and naming

There are no written records about First Nations visits to Mahood Lake, but they did use this valley because pictographs can be seen about halfway along the south shore. The Mahood Lake area was the centre of considerable attention between 1872 and 1874 when three separate groups of Canadian Pacific Railway surveyors passed along its shores. Their objective was to find a feasible route for the railway from Yellowhead Pass in the Rocky Mountains westward to the Pacific Ocean. Marcus Smith, the head of British Columbia surveys, was a strong advocate for the major Pacific railway terminus being at the head of Bute Inlet, a fjord which penetrates the Coast Mountains some 225 km north of Vancouver. While examining his favoured route eastward from the inlet in September 1872, he spent a grueling few days traversing Mahood Lake's rugged northern shore. His diary contains a gripping account of the hazards along this route and a declaration that "These last two days were the hardest I have had on the surveys, and we were in constant danger." His journey coincided with that of James Adam Mahood, who had been chosen by the C.P.R. in 1871 to head another survey party heading west to the Chilcotin. By chance, on September 17, 1872, the two expeditions met near the mouth of Mahood Lake. Smith and Mahood spent a day together comparing their notes and sketches.^[2]

Between 1872 and 1881, about 20 survey parties fanned out across British Columbia to determine the best route for the new railway. The expeditions of Smith, Mahood and a third surveyor, Joseph Hunter, all visited what is now Wells Gray Park. When the more southern Kicking Horse Pass was chosen instead in 1881, all of these meticulously examined routes across the Canadian Cordilleran were abandoned. Only three place names in the Park recognize those 10 wasted years of surveys: Mahood River & Lake, Marcus Falls, and Murtle River & Lake (Murtle refers to Joseph Hunter's birthplace in Scotland).^[2]

Born in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, in 1843, Mahood trained as a civil engineer. His first work was with the European and North American Railway in New Brunswick. At age 21, he was Chief Engineer of the harbour defences at San Francisco and, the following year, he was engaged by the Collins Overland Telegraph Company to survey the proposed telegraph line from North America to Europe via the Bering Strait and Russia. Mahood died at his sister’s home in Victoria, British Columbia, on February 23, 1901. He is remembered in and near Wells Gray Park by Mahood Lake, Mahood River, Mahood Mountain, Mahood Falls, and the community of Mahood Falls. ^[2]^[3]^: 161

Mahood Lake Lodge

In 1939, long-time settlers at Canim Lake, Benjie and Florence McNeil, built Mahood Lake Lodge at the west end of the lake. It was a log structure with dining room and lounge on the main floor and 13 guest rooms upstairs. For the next 20 years, the Lodge attracted celebrities for the excellent fishing in Mahood Lake and even earned a recommendation from Duncan Hines, the travel writer. The McNeils sold the Lodge in 1959 and moved to 100 Mile House where their seven children could attend school instead of relying on a correspondence education program. The Lodge burned to the ground in 1962. Mahood Lake Campground, operated by B.C. Parks, is now on the site of the Lodge.

Geography

This deep valley was carved by glaciers, but there are remnants of lava flows north of the east end of the lake and along the Canim River upstream.

The Canim River is the major inflow. It is 8 km (5.0 mi) long, draining Canim Lake, and most of this distance is through a rugged gorge carved in lava. The river drops 142 m (466 ft) between the lakes, partly accounted for by two waterfalls, Canim Falls and Mahood Falls. The other major inflow is Deception Creek on the lake's north shore which has a 50 m (164 ft) high waterfall, Deception Falls.

The outflow from Mahood Lake is the Mahood River. It is only 7 km (4.3 mi) long and drops over Sylvia Falls and Goodwin Falls before flowing into the Clearwater River.^[2]

Access and trails

The only road access to Mahood Lake goes to the west end from either Little Fort on the Yellowhead Highway #5 or 100 Mile House on the Cariboo Highway #97. Mahood Lake Campground has 37 campsites and is operated by the Wells Gray Park concessionaire. It has a sandy beach and a boat launching ramp. The Mahood Lake Road ends 5 km (3.1 mi) past the campground at Deception Point which is one of only three private properties within Wells Gray Park.

There are four hiking trails near Mahood Lake Campground: Canim and Mahood Falls, Canim River, Whale Lake and Deception Falls. At the east end of Mahood Lake, there is a trail along the Mahood River past Sylvia and Goodwin Falls to the Clearwater River. Refer to Exploring Wells Gray Park for detailed descriptions and starting points.^[2]

Related Research Articles

Clearwater is a district municipality in the North Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada, where the Clearwater River empties into the North Thompson River. It is located 124 km (77 mi) north of Kamloops. The District of Clearwater was established on December 3, 2007, making it one of the newest municipalities in British Columbia. It is near Wells Gray Provincial Park and is surrounded by the Trophy Mountains, Raft Mountain and Dunn Peak.

Helmcken Falls is a 141 m (463 ft) waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939.

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 201 km (125 mi) to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the last 5 km (3 mi), is within Wells Gray Provincial Park. Its confluence with the North Thompson is protected by North Thompson River Provincial Park.

Canim Lake is a lake in British Columbia, Canada. Its west end is 36 km (22.4 mi) northeast of 100 Mile House. "Canim" means a type of large canoe in the Chinook Jargon. Canim Lake is 26.5 km (16.5 mi) long. It is also part of the territory of the Shuswap First Nation where the ancestors are part of the Lake Division of the Shuswap nation of the Interior Nations of British Columbia. The Reilly Commission states that the 2,029 hectares region around Canim Lake are set aside for the Shuswap First Nation. In the summer of 1995, there was an archaeological evidence of an ancient civilization and evidence of carbon dated as 4,300 old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearwater Lake (British Columbia)</span>

Clearwater Lake is one of six large lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada,. The Clearwater River enters the lake at its north end, flowing from Hobson Lake and Azure Lake, and also drains the lake. There are several small streams that flow into Clearwater Lake, but it has no significant tributaries.

Spahats Creek Falls, also called Spahats Falls, is a waterfall on Spahats Creek within Wells Gray Provincial Park of British Columbia, Canada. Common references place the falls at around 60 m (197 ft) tall, but taking into account the second tier, it is closer to 75–80 meters tall. It is a popular stop for tourists and especially motorcoach tours since it is only 10 km (6.2 mi) off the busy Yellowhead Highway.

Canim Falls is a 25 metre high waterfall on the Canim River between Canim Lake and Mahood Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The waterfall has eroded steadily upstream and created a 4 km (2.5 mi) long canyon cut into a lava plateau associated with the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field.

Mahood Falls is a waterfall in Wells Gray Provincial Park located on the Canim River between Canim Lake and Mahood Lake and northeast of 100 Mile House, British Columbia, Canada. The waterfall is 20 m (66 ft) high.

The Canim River is a river in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It begins at the outlet of Canim Lake and runs 1.8 km (1.1 mi) to Canim Falls, then continues 8 km (5.0 mi) via a canyon cut into a lava plateau to Mahood Lake. A second outlet from Canim Lake, also part of the Canim River, flows over Mahood Falls and joins the Canim Falls branch.

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 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long from its source at Mahood Lake to its confluence with the Clearwater River, a tributary of the North Thompson River. The Mahood River has cut a deep canyon into Cambrian rocks and Pleistocene glacial moraines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murtle River</span> River in British Columbia, Canada

The Murtle River is a river in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) and flows southwest for 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the head of gigantic Murtle Lake. The river also drains Murtle Lake then flows southwest for 36 kilometres (22 mi) into the Clearwater River. The Murtle River is the longest and largest tributary to the Clearwater.

McDougall Lake is a lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It drains through File Creek into Murtle Lake.

McDougall Falls is a waterfall on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada.

Horseshoe Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River west of Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. Horseshoe Falls has two steps, 100 m (328 ft) apart; the upper drop is 6 m (20 ft) high and the lower and much wider drop is 10 m (33 ft) high.

Majerus Falls is one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River west of Murtle Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada.

Azure Lake is a fjord-like lake located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is an expansion of the Azure River which rises from an unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains. The outflow is also called the Azure River, but it is only 50 m (164 ft) long before it flows into the Clearwater River. Azure Lake is one of the six major lakes in Wells Gray Provincial Park.

Murtle Lake is a lava dammed lake located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, east-central British Columbia, Canada. It is fed primarily by the Murtle River which rises from a large unnamed glacier in the Cariboo Mountains at an elevation of 2,300 m (7,546 ft) and flows southwest for 18 km (11 mi) to the lake. The Murtle River also drains Murtle Lake then flows southwest for 36 km (22 mi) into the Clearwater River.

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 5,415 square kilometres. It is British Columbia's fifth largest provincial park, after Tweedsmuir, Tatshenshini, Spatsizi and Northern Rocky Mountains.

Battle Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Stevens Lakes are to the east, Philip Creek is to the south and Hemp Creek is to the north. Battle Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland. There are three summits in the group, ranging from 2,306 m (7,566 ft) to 2,369 m (7,772 ft).

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.

References

↑ "Mahood Lake". BC Geographical Names .
1 2 3 4 5 6 Neave, Roland (2023). Exploring Wells Gray Park, 7th edition. Wells Gray Tours, Kamloops, BC. ISBN 978-0-9681932-3-5.
↑ Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2

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[1] "Mahood Lake". BC Geographical Names .

[xwgp-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Neave, Roland (2023). Exploring Wells Gray Park, 7th edition. Wells Gray Tours, Kamloops, BC. ISBN 978-0-9681932-3-5.

[Akrigg-3] Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2

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