Christmas Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Christmas Mountains are a series of rounded peaks at the headwaters of North Pole Stream
and the Little Southwest Miramichi River
, west of Big Bald Mountain
, and south of Mount Carleton
in northern New Brunswick
, Canada
. The mountains, in part, separate the Miramichi River
watershed from the watersheds of the Serpentine River and the Nepisiguit River
.
In 1964, Arthur F. Wightman named the range and peaks after noting that the previously unnamed peaks lay near the source of North Pole Stream
, hence this sub-range of the Appalachians
has been named after the Christian holiday of Christmas
.
The ten peaks are:
The eight latter names commemorate Santa Claus's reindeer as named in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas
". The poem reads in part:
Although a ninth reindeer was later added to Santa Claus
' team in the popular Christmas
song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
", no peak was named for Rudolph, "the most famous reindeer of all".
, the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources administered the property as part of a vast swath of forest across the north-central part of the province. With few roads leading into the area, the Christmas Mountains maintained an old growth Acadian forest that was unique to northeastern North America.
New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources leased the property comprising the Christmas Mountains to a U.S. owned pulp and paper company Repap (the name is the word "paper" reversed). Repap began building logging roads into the region around 1995 and began an aggressive clear cutting operation over the next several years, despite numerous vocal and radical protests by New Brunswick-based environmentalist
s who feared the consequences of habitat destruction
and the loss of the old growth forest
. Despite the efforts, the Christmas Mountains old growth forest was largely logged by the end of the decade.
North Pole Stream
North Pole Stream is a tributary to the Little Southwest Miramichi River, with its headwaters in the Christmas Mountains of north-central, New Brunswick, Canada...
and the Little Southwest Miramichi River
Little Southwest Miramichi River
The Little Southwest Miramichi River is a Canadian river in Northumberland County, New Brunswick. In Mi'kmaq it is referred to as "Tooadook".....
, west of Big Bald Mountain
Big Bald Mountain (New Brunswick)
Big Bald Mountain is a prominent peak in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It lies adjacent to Colonels Mountain, east of the Christmas Mountains, and near the headwaters of the Northwest Miramichi River, the Sevogle River, and the South Branch Nepisiguit River...
, and south of Mount Carleton
Mount Carleton
Mount Carleton, in Mount Carleton Provincial Park, is the highest elevation in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and is also the highest peak in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. It is one of the highlights of the Canadian portion of the International Appalachian Trail...
in northern New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The mountains, in part, separate the Miramichi River
Miramichi River
The Miramichi River is a Canadian river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence...
watershed from the watersheds of the Serpentine River and the Nepisiguit River
Nepisiguit River
The Nepisiguit River is a major river in New Brunswick, Canada. The source of the river lies north of the Christmas Mountains, in the rugged terrain between Mount Carleton, and Big Bald Mountain . The river enters the sea at the city of Bathurst, New Brunswick, on the Bay of Chaleur...
.
In 1964, Arthur F. Wightman named the range and peaks after noting that the previously unnamed peaks lay near the source of North Pole Stream
North Pole Stream
North Pole Stream is a tributary to the Little Southwest Miramichi River, with its headwaters in the Christmas Mountains of north-central, New Brunswick, Canada...
, hence this sub-range of the Appalachians
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
has been named after the Christian holiday of Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
.
The ten peaks are:
- North Pole Mountain (690 m (2,264 ft)) (47°11′39"N 66°40′00"W)
- Mount St. Nicholas (625 m (2,051 ft)) (47°10′9"N 66°40′24"W)
- Mount Dasher (750 m (2,461 ft)) (47°11′48"N 66°44′14"W)
- Mount Dancer (670 m (2,198 ft)) (47°09′53"N 66°42′51"W)
- Mount Prancer (580 m (1,903 ft)) (47°8′00"N 66°40′56"W)
- Mount Vixen (650 m (2,133 ft)) (47°8′15"N 66°43′28"W)
- Mount Comet (550 m (1,804 ft)) (47°7′00"N 66°38′36"W)
- Mount Cupid (530 m (1,739 ft)) (47°9′01"N 66°36′36"W)
- Mount Donder (730 m (2,395 ft)) (47°10′47"N 66°36′10"W)
- Mount Blitzen (670 m (2,198 ft)) (47°10′50"N 66°37′50"W)
The eight latter names commemorate Santa Claus's reindeer as named in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas
A Visit from St. Nicholas
"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry...
". The poem reads in part:
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!
Although a ninth reindeer was later added to Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
' team in the popular Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
", no peak was named for Rudolph, "the most famous reindeer of all".
Clearcutting controversy
Until the mid-1990s, the Christmas Mountains remained untouched by industrial forestry operations. As Crown landCrown 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....
, the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources administered the property as part of a vast swath of forest across the north-central part of the province. With few roads leading into the area, the Christmas Mountains maintained an old growth Acadian forest that was unique to northeastern North America.
New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources leased the property comprising the Christmas Mountains to a U.S. owned pulp and paper company Repap (the name is the word "paper" reversed). Repap began building logging roads into the region around 1995 and began an aggressive clear cutting operation over the next several years, despite numerous vocal and radical protests by New Brunswick-based environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
s who feared the consequences of habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and the loss of the old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
. Despite the efforts, the Christmas Mountains old growth forest was largely logged by the end of the decade.