Catamount Peak

Mountain peak in British Columbia

Catamount Peak

Location of Catamount Peak in British Columbia

Show map of British Columbia

Catamount Peak

Catamount Peak (Canada)

Show map of Canada

CountryCanadaProvinceBritish ColumbiaDistrictKootenay Land DistrictProtected areaGlacier National ParkParent rangeHermit Range^[1]
Selkirk MountainsTopo mapNTS 82N5 Glacier^[4]ClimbingFirst ascent1902 by Arthur Oliver Wheeler and Topographic Survey party^[5]^[6]

Catamount Peak is a 2,733-metre (8,967-foot) mountain located in Glacier National Park in British Columbia, Canada. Catamount Peak is part of the Hermit Range of the Selkirk Mountains and is 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Rogers Pass. It is approximately midway between Revelstoke and Golden. Neighbors include Cheops Mountain, 5.05 km (3.14 mi) to the east, and Ursus Major Mountain, 1.83 km (1.14 mi) to the northeast.^[2] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's south slope drains to Illecillewaet River via Cougar Brook, and the north slope drains to the Beaver River via Ursus Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,230 metres (4,035 ft) above Ursus Creek in 2 km (1.2 mi) and 930 m (3,051 ft) above Cougar Brook in 1 km (0.62 mi). This peak is visible from the Trans-Canada Highway.

Etymology

Catamount Peak was so named by a Dominion Topographic Survey party that made the first ascent of this peak in 1902, in keeping with the wildcat naming theme of nearby peaks such as Cougar Mountain and Bagheera Mountain.^[1] "Catamount" is shortened from the 17th-century "cat-of-the-mountain", and is synonymous with cougar, mountain lion, or any variety of wild cat.^[7] The mountain's toponym was officially adopted on March 31, 1917, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.^[7]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Catamount Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.^[8] Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Glen W. Boles, William Lowell Putnam, Roger W. Laurilla (2006), "Canadian Mountain Place Names", Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781894765794, p. 89.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Catamount Peak, British Columbia". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
^ "Catamount Peak, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 2023-03-10.
^ ^a ^b "Catamount Peak". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
^ William Lowell Putnam, James Monroe Thorington (1963), A Climber's Guide to the Interior Ranges of British Columbia, American Alpine Club, p. 69.
^ "Catamount Peak". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
^ ^a ^b "Catamount Peak". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L. & McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.