| Phyllis's Engine | |
| Elevation M: | 2517 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence M: | 21 |
| Prominence Ref: | [2] |
| Isolation Km: | 0.13 |
| Region Type: | Province |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Map: | Canada British Columbia#Canada |
| Map Size: | 270 |
| Label Position: | right |
| Coordinates: | 49.9336°N -122.9397°W |
| Coordinates Ref: | [3] |
| Rock: | granite[4] |
| First Ascent: | 1966 |
| Easiest Route: | climbing |
Phyllis's Engine is a 2517abbr=offNaNabbr=off granite pinnacle located in British Columbia, Canada.
Phyllis's Engine is set within Garibaldi Provincial Park and is part of the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coast Mountains.[1] It is situated 710NaN0 north of Vancouver, 1.260NaN0 north-northwest of Mount Carr, and 700abbr=offNaNabbr=off south of line parent Castle Towers Mountain.[1] Precipitation runoff and glacial meltwater from the west side of the peak drains to Garibaldi Lake, and the eastern slope drains to Cheakamus Lake. Topographic relief is significant as the west aspect rises 1040abbr=offNaNabbr=off in 3abbr=offNaNabbr=off.
The peak is named after Phyllis Dyke (Mrs. Edward Beltz), a pioneering British Columbia Mountaineering Club member who thought the arrangement of pinnacles and spires resembled a 19th-century steam locomotive, so her fellow climbers jokingly referred to the landform as "Phyllis's Engine", circa 1914.[5] The name was formally submitted by Karl Ricker in 1978 as recommended by Neal Carter of the BC Mountaineering Club, and contrary to popular belief, the name does not refer to Phyllis Munday.[6] The toponym was adopted as "Phyllis' Engine" on March 9, 1979, and officially changed to "Phyllis's Engine" on January 6, 1995, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[3]
The first ascent of Phyllis's Engine was made in 1966 by F. Gratwhol and T. Kempter.[4]
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Phyllis's Engine is located in the marine west coast climate zone of western North America.[7] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Coast Mountains experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Sphinx Glacier on the west slope and the Cheakamus Glacier on the east slope.