Stawamus Squaw
Encyclopedia
The Stawamus Squaw is a large dome
of granitic rock located adjacent to the town of Squamish
, British Columbia
. Although the Squaw is indeed an impressive geological formation, it tends to be overshadowed by the Stawamus Chief
, a much larger granitic dome located immediately south-west.
The use of the term "squaw
" as a name for the mountain is controversial. However no alternative has been successfully applied, probably due in large part to local tradition and an inability to get such an alternative name to "stick". This was remedied in 2009 when the new name Slhaney was adopted for the area after consultation with local First Nations.
The Squaw is situated within the boundaries of the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. A partially maintained hiking trail, accessible from the Chief's main "backside" trail, leads to the Squaw summit area. This trail is rugged and the Squaw summit area is seldom visited. However, the sheer rock walls on the Squaw's west face are greatly appreciated by rock climbers who access them from the nearby Mamquam Forest Service Road.
Granite dome
A granite dome is a dome of granite, formed by exfoliation.-Formation:Granite forms plutons of igneous rock several kilometers below the surface as magma slowly cools and crystallizes. The granite is under great overhead pressure....
of granitic rock located adjacent to the town of 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...
, 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...
. Although the Squaw is indeed an impressive geological formation, it tends to be overshadowed by the Stawamus Chief
Stawamus Chief
The Stawamus Chief is a granite dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish, British Columbia. It towers over above the waters of nearby Howe Sound...
, a much larger granitic dome located immediately south-west.
The use of the term "squaw
Squaw
Squaw is an English language loan-word, used as a noun or adjective, whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America. It is derived from the eastern Algonquian morpheme meaning 'woman' that appears in numerous Algonquian languages variously spelled squa, skwa, esqua, sqeh, skwe, que,...
" as a name for the mountain is controversial. However no alternative has been successfully applied, probably due in large part to local tradition and an inability to get such an alternative name to "stick". This was remedied in 2009 when the new name Slhaney was adopted for the area after consultation with local First Nations.
The Squaw is situated within the boundaries of the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. A partially maintained hiking trail, accessible from the Chief's main "backside" trail, leads to the Squaw summit area. This trail is rugged and the Squaw summit area is seldom visited. However, the sheer rock walls on the Squaw's west face are greatly appreciated by rock climbers who access them from the nearby Mamquam Forest Service Road.