Mount Cartier is a mountain

summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

located in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Description

Mount Cartier is part of the

Duncan Ranges The Duncan Ranges are a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territor ...

which is a subrange of the

Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mic ...

. The peak is situated southeast of Revelstoke and east of

Mount Begbie Mount Begbie is a mountain summit located in the Gold Range of the Monashee Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. Situated west of the Columbia River high above the shore of Upper Arrow Lake, this prominent peak is visible from the Trans-Ca ...

which is the nearest higher neighbor. Nearby peaks include Mount Mackenzie to the north-northwest and Ghost Peak, northeast. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains west to

Arrow Lakes The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beac ...

which is a reservoir of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

. Mount Cartier is more notable for its steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation as

topographic relief Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...

is significant with the summit rising 2,174 meters (7,133 ft) above Upper Arrow Lake in . From the lake, a 15-kilometer trail leads to a fire lookout and the upper slopes. The trail and lookout were constructed in the early 1920s, and while the lookout still stands, it hasn't been used for fire detection since the 1930s. The mountain trail is also a helibiking destination with helicopters lifting mountain bikers to a helipad below the summit.

Etymology

The mountain is named after Sir

George-Étienne Cartier Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, (pronounced ; September 6, 1814May 20, 1873) was a Canadians, Canadian statesman and Fathers of Confederation, Father of Confederation. The English spelling of the name—George, instead of Georges, th ...

(1814–1873), Prime Minister of Canada (1858–62). He was born at Antoine, Quebec; served as attorney general for Lower Canada (1856); and as joint Prime Minister with Sir John A. Macdonald. He was a strong advocate for Confederation and expansion in the west. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted September 30, 1932, by the

Geographical Names Board of Canada The Geographical Names Board of Canada (GNBC) is a national committee with a secretariat in Natural Resources Canada, part of the Government of Canada, which authorizes the names used and name changes on official federal government maps of Canad ...

, although this toponym had appeared in publications as early as 1887, if not earlier.Sessional Papers Volume 7, (1887) p. 25
/ref>

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

, Mount Cartier is located in a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports a

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...

to the north.

Gallery

File:Mount Cartier, Upper Arrow Lake.jpg, South aspect of Mount Cartier, from Upper Arrow Lake. File:Mount Cartier from Revelstoke ski slopes.jpg, North aspect of Mount Cartier seen from Revelstoke ski slopes File:Mt. Cartier and Ghost Peak.jpg, Mt. Cartier (left), Ghost Peak (right) File:Mount Cartier, n.jpg, North aspect of Mount Cartier seen from

Revelstoke Mountain Resort Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) is a ski resort on Mount Mackenzie, just outside Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. It is owned by Northland Properties. Currently, the resort has a vertical drop, the longest vertical descent of any ski res ...

References

External links