Mount Saskatchewan (Alberta) Explained

Mount Saskatchewan
Elevation M:3342
Elevation Ref:[1]
Prominence M:1102
Prominence Ref:[2]
Range:Columbia Icefield
Parent Peak:Mount Andromeda (3450 m)
Listing:Mountains of Alberta
Region Type:Province
Region:Alberta
Part Type:Protected area
Part:Banff National Park
Map:Canada Alberta
Coordinates:52.0997°N -117.0933°W
Coordinates Ref:[3]
First Ascent:July 12, 1923, by Conrad Kain, W.S. Ladd, J. Monroe Thorington
Easiest Route:technical climb

Mount Saskatchewan is a mountain located in the North Saskatchewan River valley of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.

J. Norman Collie named the mountain in 1898 for the nearby Saskatchewan River.[2] One report said Collie so named it due to its possession of the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River.[4]

Lighthouse Tower

A 750NaN0 pinnacle unofficially named Lighthouse Tower and also sometimes referred to as "Cleopatra's Needle" (elevation 2960m (9,710feet)), is located two kilometres from the summit on the eastern ridge of Mt. Saskatchewan.[1]

It was first climbed in 1964 by G. Boehnisch and L. Mackay.

Geology

Like other mountains in Banff Park, Mount Saskatchewan is composed of sedimentary rock laid down from the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.[5] The north aspect of the peak supports an unnamed glacier which can be seen well from Parker Ridge.

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Saskatchewan is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[6] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. Weather conditions during summer months are optimum for climbing.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 1214. Mount Saskatchewan. 2019-08-16. 2007-09-02.
  2. 197. Mount Saskatchewan. 2009-01-02.
  3. IAHEG. Mount Saskatchewan. 2017-08-06.
  4. Geographic Board of Canada. Place Names of Alberta (1928)
  5. Book: Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias . Gadd, Ben . 2008.
  6. Peel, M. C. . Finlayson, B. L. . McMahon, T. A. . 2007 . Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification . Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. . 11 . 5 . 1633–1644 . 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . free . 2007HESS...11.1633P . 1027-5606.