Callaghan Valley
Encyclopedia
The Callaghan Valley is a wilderness recreation area in the Sea to Sky Country of southwestern, British Columbia
, located in the Pacific Ranges
of the Coast Mountains
90 km north of Vancouver
. It is the home of the 2010 Winter Olympics
's Whistler Olympic Park
, the venue for the Nordic events of that Olympics.
and associated provincial park. Midway down Callaghan Creek is the confluence of Madeley Creek, just above which on that creek is Alexander Falls
, which lies just at a bridge on the road to Callaghan Lake.
On its western perimeter is the Powder Mountain Icefield
, and the potentially active volcano Mount Cayley
, which lies at the valley's southwestern extremity. Mount Callaghan
, at the head of the valley, is a dormant volcano because its last eruption was not as recent as Mount Cayley's, nor does it display hot spring
or seismic activity
. The valley's eastern wall is the small range formed by Mount Sproatt and Rainbow Mountain, which lies in the angle of the Cheakamus River
and Callaghan Creek (which in the past has also been known as the West Fork of the Cheakamus) and east of which is the Resort Municipality of Whistler
. The valley's mouth and road access is at McGuire's on BC Highway 99
, 14 kilometres south of downtown Whistler
, in British Columbia
. The location is also known as Northair, and the road as the Northair Mine Road, after a mine located a few miles north of the junction, which is marked by a quarry
pit columnar basalt lava rock on the opposite side of the highway, and which are the northern end of a small lava plateau between the highway and river south to and including Brandywine Falls
. Volcanics in the Callighan Valley were erupted between 25,000 and 11,000 years ago whose age is extremely young in the geologic record.
, telemark skiing
, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing area in the winter. it is also used for access to the alpine areas surrounding it - in good seasons, skiing and alpine touring in the alpine
last well into the spring, and in the Powder Mountain Icefield virtually year-round. It is the most easily accessible of all the major Coast Mountains icefields by road and a number of heliskiing companies using it on ar regular basis from bases in Whistler, Squamish
. Snow-cat and snowmobile companies have also used in the valley and to access the icefield.
Common summer activities are hiking
in the valley and on surrounding mountains, which are also used by heli-hiking companies, and canoeing
on Callaghan Lake
are common summer activities.
The valley was to have been the star feature of the aborted Powder Mountain Resort project, which was discontinued during the regime of the Social Credit regime of Premier
Bill Vander Zalm
) and would have also seen a smaller version of Whistler Village built at Callaghan Lake as the ski hill's basetown. The valley, then Crown Land
, has since been absorbed into the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which opposed the Powder Mountain project, and was chosen to be the site of the Whistler Olympic Park
, which will be the Nordic events venue for the 2010 Olympics.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, located in the Pacific Ranges
Pacific Ranges
The Pacific Ranges are the southernmost subdivision of the Coast Mountains portion of the Pacific Cordillera. Located entirely within British Columbia, Canada, they run northwest from the lower stretches of the Fraser River to Bella Coola, north of which are the Kitimat Ranges.The Pacific Ranges...
of the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
90 km north of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. It is the home of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
's Whistler Olympic Park
Whistler Olympic Park
The Whistler Olympic Park is the location of the Nordic events facilities for the 2010 Winter Olympics and is located in the Madeley Creek basin in the Callaghan Valley, west of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The facility hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, nordic combined, and ski...
, the venue for the Nordic events of that Olympics.
Geography
The valley is the basin of Callaghan Creek, at the head of which is Callaghan LakeCallaghan Lake Provincial Park
Callaghan Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in the upper Callaghan Valley to the west of the resort town of Whistler. The dormant volcano Mount Callaghan overlooks the lake on its north side, while just to the south of the park is the sliding events...
and associated provincial park. Midway down Callaghan Creek is the confluence of Madeley Creek, just above which on that creek is Alexander Falls
Alexander Falls
Alexander Falls is a waterfall on Madeley Creek, a tributary of Callaghan Creek in the Callaghan Valley area of the Sea to Sky Country of southwestern British Columbia, Canada...
, which lies just at a bridge on the road to Callaghan Lake.
On its western perimeter is the Powder Mountain Icefield
Powder Mountain Icefield
The Powder Mountain Icefield, also called the Powder Mountain Icecap and the Cayley Icefield, is a glacial field in the Pacific Ranges of southwestern British Columbia, Canada, about west of Whistler and about north of Vancouver...
, and the potentially active volcano Mount Cayley
Mount Cayley
Mount Cayley is a potentially active stratovolcano in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Located north of Squamish and west of Whistler in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, it rises above the Squamish River to the west and above the Cheakamus...
, which lies at the valley's southwestern extremity. Mount Callaghan
Mount Callaghan
Mount Callaghan is a volcanic peak located east of the headwaters of the Squamish River, just northeast of the Powder Mountain Icefield and just south of the Pemberton Icefield in the Sea to Sky Country of southwestern British Columbia, Canada, about 20 km directly west of the Resort...
, at the head of the valley, is a dormant volcano because its last eruption was not as recent as Mount Cayley's, nor does it display hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
or seismic activity
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
. The valley's eastern wall is the small range formed by Mount Sproatt and Rainbow Mountain, which lies in the angle of the Cheakamus River
Cheakamus River
The Cheakamus River is a tributary of the Squamish River, beginning on the west slopes of Outlier Peak in Garibaldi Provincial Park upstream from Cheakamus Lake on the southeastern outskirts of the resort area of Whistler. The river flows into Cheakamus Lake before exiting it and flowing...
and Callaghan Creek (which in the past has also been known as the West Fork of the Cheakamus) and east of which is the Resort Municipality of Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
. The valley's mouth and road access is at McGuire's on BC Highway 99
British Columbia provincial highway 99
Highway 99, also known as the Sea to Sky Highway, the Squamish Highway, Route 99, or Whistler Highway, is the major north-south artery running through the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia from the U.S. border, up Howe Sound through the Sea to Sky Country to Lillooet, and connecting to...
, 14 kilometres south of downtown Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The location is also known as Northair, and the road as the Northair Mine Road, after a mine located a few miles north of the junction, which is marked by a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
pit columnar basalt lava rock on the opposite side of the highway, and which are the northern end of a small lava plateau between the highway and river south to and including Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located adjacent to BC Highway 99 between Garibaldi and Whistler, British Columbia....
. Volcanics in the Callighan Valley were erupted between 25,000 and 11,000 years ago whose age is extremely young in the geologic record.
Development history
The valley has seen some logging, though not in its upper end, and some mining, but today it is primarily a backcountry skiingBackcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
, telemark skiing
Telemark skiing
Telemark skiing is a form of skiing using the Telemark turn. Unlike alpine skiing equipment, the skis used for telemarking either have a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes, just as in cross-country skiing, or may be released to only connect there.Telemark turns are led with...
, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing area in the winter. it is also used for access to the alpine areas surrounding it - in good seasons, skiing and alpine touring in the alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
last well into the spring, and in the Powder Mountain Icefield virtually year-round. It is the most easily accessible of all the major Coast Mountains icefields by road and a number of heliskiing companies using it on ar regular basis from bases in Whistler, Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
. Snow-cat and snowmobile companies have also used in the valley and to access the icefield.
Common summer activities are hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
in the valley and on surrounding mountains, which are also used by heli-hiking companies, and canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
on Callaghan Lake
Callaghan Lake Provincial Park
Callaghan Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located in the upper Callaghan Valley to the west of the resort town of Whistler. The dormant volcano Mount Callaghan overlooks the lake on its north side, while just to the south of the park is the sliding events...
are common summer activities.
The valley was to have been the star feature of the aborted Powder Mountain Resort project, which was discontinued during the regime of the Social Credit regime of Premier
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
Bill Vander Zalm
Bill Vander Zalm
Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
) and would have also seen a smaller version of Whistler Village built at Callaghan Lake as the ski hill's basetown. The valley, then Crown Land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
, has since been absorbed into the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which opposed the Powder Mountain project, and was chosen to be the site of the Whistler Olympic Park
Whistler Olympic Park
The Whistler Olympic Park is the location of the Nordic events facilities for the 2010 Winter Olympics and is located in the Madeley Creek basin in the Callaghan Valley, west of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The facility hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, nordic combined, and ski...
, which will be the Nordic events venue for the 2010 Olympics.