The Watchtower (Alberta)

The Watchtower is a 2,971 metres (9,747 feet) mountain summit located in the Maligne River valley of Jasper National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Maligne Range[4] and is visible from the Maligne Lake Road where it towers over Medicine Lake. Its nearest higher peak is Sirdar Mountain, 11.64 km (7.23 mi) to the north.[4]

The Watchtower
The Watchtower
Highest point
Elevation2,971 m (9,747 ft) [1]
Prominence651 m (2,136 ft) [1]
Parent peakMount Kerkeslin (2950  m)[1]
Coordinates52°49′00″N 117°50′00″W [2]
Geography
The Watchtower
Location of The Watchtower in Alberta
The Watchtower
The Watchtower (Canada)
LocationAlberta
Parent rangeMaligne Range
Canadian Rockies
Topo mapNTS 83C/13
Geology
Age of rockCambrian
Type of rockSedimentary rock
Climbing
First ascent1951 R.K. Irvin, J. Mowat, R. Strong[3]
Easiest routeClimbing

History

The mountain was named in 1916 by Morrison P. Bridgland (1878-1948), a Dominion Land Surveyor who named many peaks in Jasper Park and the Canadian Rockies.[5][3] The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1947 when approved by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[2]

The first ascent of The Watchtower was made in 1951 by R.K. Irvin, J. Mowat, and R. Strong.[1]

Geology

The Watchtower is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Cambrian period and pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.[6]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, The Watchtower is located in a subarctic climate with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[7] Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Excelsior Creek and Watchtower Creek, both tributaries of the Maligne River which in turn empties into the Athabasca River.

gollark: <@!341618941317349376> = -3
gollark: Also, you're fired.
gollark: But I don't have one!
gollark: <@341618941317349376> get an expletive haskell
gollark: Haskell.

See also

References
  1. "The Watchtower". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  2. "The Watchtower". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
  3. The Watchtower PeakFinder
  4. "The Watchtower, Alberta". Peakbagger.com.
  5. Mapper of Mountains M.P. Bridgland in the Canadian Rockies 1902-1930, Author I.S. MacLaren, The University of Alberta Press, ISBN 0-88864-456-6
  6. Gadd, Ben (2008). "Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. 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.
  • The Watchtower from Skyline Trail
  • The Watchtower from Skyline Trail
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.