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July's Unusual Canadian Rockies
Name
LISTENING
MOUNTAIN
Arthur Wheeler wrote of this mountain in the Boundary Survey Report, "In the centre, between these two final branches of the
(Athabasca) river, is a mountain mass culminating in an outstanding
wedge-shaped crest, at the corners of which two points project
above the snow like ears; on this account the mass has been named Listening Mountain."
Enter
"Listening Mountain"
to learn more about this mountain. Enter "Arthur Wheeler" in the Finding
People section to learn about this interesting individual.
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July's
Esoteric ListMOUNTAINS
NAMED BY GEORGE DAWSON
Said to be one of the most outstanding
scientists Canada has ever produced, George Dawson conducted
the first Government of Canada survey of the Canadian Rockies.
Following the Palliser Expedition, any surveying work in the
Rockies had been sponsored by the Canadian Pacific Railway and
focused on finding a route through the mountain barrier for
the railway. Dr. Dawson's task was more general in nature, to
determine the courses of the major rivers and the locations of
the main peaks and passes.
George Dawson had a reputation for excellence, his maps being
referred to as "a literal photograph of the country
containing information phenomenally complete and
accurate." This quality of work was a result of
tremendous physical effort in the field despite his short
stature complicated by a chronic chest weakness and a back
humped by a childhood accident. He was described as having a
"cheerful, amiable disposition combined with an
indomitable will and an insatiable passion for exploration and
discovery."
During 1884 and 1885 George Dawson travelled extensively
through the Rockies. His first summer's work in the mountains
began in early July and by the end of the season he had
travelled through the country south of Crowsnest Pass, to the
headwaters of the Oldman River, up the Kootenay and Columbia
Valleys to the present site of Golden, and then through the
Kicking Horse Pass and down the Bow River Valley. His second
summer's studies began in early June and took him from the Bow
Valley to the headwaters of the Kananaskis River and south
again to the Crowsnest Pass, returning to the Bow Valley in
late July. The month of August was spent covering the area
from south of Mount Assiniboine to the Kicking Horse Pass.
During September his party studied the area north of Castle
Junction to the Red Deer Valley and west to the headwaters of
the Bow River.
Approximately one thousand kilometres were travelled during
the two seasons, a remarkable effort considering the lack of
trails. As well, Dr. Dawson would have constantly been
stopping and taking side trips for his scientific work and it
must be remembered that he had some significant physical
limitations.
Appointed
Director of the Geological Survey of Canada shortly after his
summers in the Rockies, Dr. Dawson's work took him to many
other parts of the country. His name is to be found on the
maps and in numerous reports ranging from the Alberta Rockies,
through British Columbia to the Queen Charlotte Islands, and
in the Yukon.
During his time in the Canadian Rockies, Dr. Dawson named the
following peaks:
Akamina Ridge,
Mount Assiniboine, Beehive Mountain, Copper Mountain, Mount
Douglas, Mount Drummond, Mount Hector, Mount McConnell, Mount
McDougall, Mist Mountain, Oyster Peak, Panther Mountain, Mount
Peechee, Pilot Mountain, Mount Selkirk, Storm Mountain
(Banff), Storm Mountain (Kananaskis), Mount Temple, The Three
Sisters (Alberta), Tombstone Mountain (Alberta), Mount
Verendrye, Waputik
Peak, Mount White, White Man Mountain, Mount Yarrell
For
information regarding any of these peaks enter the name in the
"Finding Peaks" section on the front page. For
additional information regarding George Dawson, enter his name
in the "Finding People" section.
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Look who's honoured in the Canadian Rockies
DAVID
LIVINGSTONE
The Livingstone Range was named by Thomas Blakiston in
1958. Dr. David Livingstone was a British explorer,
geographer, and missionary who for thirty-two years travelled
through Africa from the Cape to the equator and from the
Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. In doing so he laid the
foundation for British title in many parts of the continent.
Understandably, fellow explorers such as John Palliser and his
contemporaries revered Dr. Livingstone and Palliser is said to
have felt privileged to have sat beside him at a meeting of
the Royal Geographic Society.
Mount Livingstone is located in the northern part of the
range, just south of Highway #532.
For
information about Mount Livingstone enter the name in the Finding
Peaks search box on the main page. From there, there is a link
to information about the Livingstone Range.
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