Pavilion Mountain
Encyclopedia
Pavilion Mountain is a mountain
in the Marble Range
in the South Cariboo
region of the South-Central Interior of British Columbia
, Canada
, located northeast of the ranching and First Nations community of Pavilion
and to the north of Marble Canyon and immediately south of Kelly Lake
, which is the focus of Downing Provincial Park
. The term Pavilion Mountain is also used to refer to the historic ranch and associated rangeland on the "bench" on the mountain's southwestern side, and also to the road which traverses that benchland and the mountain's western shoulder and is the route of the Old Cariboo Road
. The switchback descent from the summit of the road was known as the Rattlesnake Grade and was an infamous stretch of the old wagon road. From a junction at the road-summit, a road leads east along the spine of the mountain to the peak, which is the site of a microwave relay and former fire lookout
. The mountain's only named subpeak, Mount Carson, at 2005 metres (6578 ft, prominence: 120 m), is southeast of the fire lookout and is named for the original owner of the ranch and was briefly misapplied as the name of Pavilion Mountain. Robert Carson was an American veteran of the California Gold Rush
and the Donner Party
who was one of the first settlers in the region and whose sons later became prominent MLAs and provincial cabinet ministers. The north wall of Marble Canyon is essentially the southeast buttress of Pavilion Mountain.
To the east are the Trachyte Hills
, to the north across Cut-Off Valley is the rest of the Marble Range, the highest summit of which is Mount Bowman and which includes the Edge Hills
, which form the Fraser Canyon
's east wall in that area, just as the rangeland of Pavilion Mountain forms the east wall in the area of Moran
. South and southwest across the valley of Pavilion Creek and Pavilion Lake
, which lies within Marble Canyon Provincial Park
, is the Clear Range
and east of it the broad basin and range-country of Upper Hat Creek
, which has views northward to the summit of Pavilion Mountain and the north wall of Marble Canyon.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Marble Range
Marble Range
The Marble Range is a small mountain range adjoining the Fraser River on the southwestern edge of the Cariboo Plateau of British Columbia. It has an area of 1,250 square kilometres and about 65 km NNW to SSE and about 20 km wide...
in the South Cariboo
Cariboo
The Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
region of the South-Central Interior of British Columbia
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
, 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...
, located northeast of the ranching and First Nations community of Pavilion
Pavilion, British Columbia
Pavilion is a ranching and Indian Reserve community in the Fraser Canyon area of British Columbia, Canada. Most of the community is the population of the Pavilion 1 Indian Reserve of the Pavilion Indian Band, aka the Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation but there are also a number of ranches in the...
and to the north of Marble Canyon and immediately south of Kelly Lake
Kelly Lake
Kelly Lake may refer to:*Kelly Lake, a lake in Carver County, Minnesota*Kelly Lake, a lake in Rice County, Minnesota*Kelly Lake, a lake in Wellington, Nova Scotia*Kelly Lake, a lake in Oconto County, Wisconsin...
, which is the focus of Downing Provincial Park
Downing Provincial Park
Downing Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, created when Mr. and Mrs. Clair Downing donated their half mile of lake frontage property on Kelly Lake. The park's size, including the donated by the Downings, is 105 ha...
. The term Pavilion Mountain is also used to refer to the historic ranch and associated rangeland on the "bench" on the mountain's southwestern side, and also to the road which traverses that benchland and the mountain's western shoulder and is the route of the Old Cariboo Road
Old Cariboo Road
The Old Cariboo Road is a reference to the original wagon road to the Cariboo gold fields in what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia...
. The switchback descent from the summit of the road was known as the Rattlesnake Grade and was an infamous stretch of the old wagon road. From a junction at the road-summit, a road leads east along the spine of the mountain to the peak, which is the site of a microwave relay and former fire lookout
Fire lookout
A fire lookout is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and a good view of the surrounding terrain, to spot smoke caused by a wildfire.Once a possible fire...
. The mountain's only named subpeak, Mount Carson, at 2005 metres (6578 ft, prominence: 120 m), is southeast of the fire lookout and is named for the original owner of the ranch and was briefly misapplied as the name of Pavilion Mountain. Robert Carson was an American veteran of the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and the Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
who was one of the first settlers in the region and whose sons later became prominent MLAs and provincial cabinet ministers. The north wall of Marble Canyon is essentially the southeast buttress of Pavilion Mountain.
To the east are the Trachyte Hills
Trachyte Hills
The Trachyte Hills are a remote mountain range in southern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of junction of Bonaparte River and Hat Creek.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
, to the north across Cut-Off Valley is the rest of the Marble Range, the highest summit of which is Mount Bowman and which includes the Edge Hills
Edge Hills Provincial Park
Edge Hills Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located west of the town of Clinton. The Edge Hills flank the wall of the Fraser Canyon north of Moran Canyon and form a small fore-range between the river and the higher Marble Range just east. Access to the Edge Hills...
, which form the Fraser Canyon
Fraser Canyon
The Fraser Canyon is an 84 km landform of the Fraser River where it descends rapidly through narrow rock gorges in the Coast Mountains en route from the Interior Plateau of British Columbia to the Fraser Valley...
's east wall in that area, just as the rangeland of Pavilion Mountain forms the east wall in the area of Moran
Moran, British Columbia
Moran is a railway point on the BC Rail line north of Pavilion, British Columbia. The location, which is high on the side of the stretch of the Fraser Canyon known as Moran Canyon, is notable as the site of the proposed Moran Dam, and due to the steep, sandy embankment and railway grade saw a...
. South and southwest across the valley of Pavilion Creek and Pavilion Lake
Pavilion Lake
Pavilion Lake is a lake in Marble Canyon, British Columbia, Canada. It is located between the towns of Lillooet and Cache Creek and lies along BC Highway 99, five and a half highway miles from Pavilion, British Columbia...
, which lies within Marble Canyon Provincial Park
Marble Canyon Provincial Park
Marble Canyon Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, established in 1956 to protect Marble Canyon, a limestone formation at the south end of the Marble Range...
, is the Clear Range
Clear Range
The Clear Range is a small mountain range located in the angle of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in south-central British Columbia. It has a small subdivision just northeast of that confluence named the Scarped Range...
and east of it the broad basin and range-country of Upper Hat Creek
Hat Creek (British Columbia)
Hat Creek is a tributary of the Bonaparte River in British Columbia, Canada, joining that stream at Carquile, which is also known as Lower Hat Creek and is the site of the Hat Creek Ranch heritage museum and visitor centre...
, which has views northward to the summit of Pavilion Mountain and the north wall of Marble Canyon.