Chopaka Mountain, also known as Mount Chopaka, is a summit in the
leeward
In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point o ...
flank of the
North Cascades
The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and ...
. Its summit area is a
Natural Area Preserve
The Washington Natural Areas Program, part of the Washington Department of Natural Resources, manages dozens of natural areas owned by the U.S. state of Washington. These areas have received funding through the state's general fund since the Washi ...
comprising , and features a mountain goat population and various rare plants. The last surviving native herd of
bighorn sheep
The bighorn sheep (''Ovis canadensis'') is a species of Ovis, sheep native to North America. It is named for its large Horn (anatomy), horns. A pair of horns may weigh up to ; the sheep typically weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates th ...
in Washington was located on Chopaka Mountain until hunted out in the 1920s.
Name origin
According to the
British Columbia Geographical Names Information System
The BC Geographical Names (formerly BC Geographical Names Information System or BCGNIS) is a geographic name web service and database for the Canadian province of British Columbia run by the Base Mapping and Geomatic Services Branch of the Integr ...
, in their record on nearby
Chopaka, British Columbia
Chopaka is an unincorporated community in the Similkameen region of south central British Columbia. Immediately north of the Canada–United States border, the population centre is on the west shore of the Similkameen River. The Nighthawk–Cho ...
, Chopaka was either an
Okanagan
The Okanagan ( ), also called the Okanagan Valley and sometimes the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part of ...
hunter turned to stone by "coyote", or a maiden transformed into stone.
[12th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society, 1948, citing A. Walsh and Parham, cited in ] Another meaning is given by regional climbing guide author
Fred Beckey
Friedrich Wolfgang Beckey (14 January 1923 – 30 October 2017), known as Fred Beckey, was an American rock climber, mountaineer and book author, who in seven decades of climbing achieved hundreds of first ascents of some of the tallest peaks and ...
who states that ''Chopaka'' is an Indian word meaning "high mountain".
Gallery
File:Chopaka Mountain.jpg, Aerial view looking west at Chopaka, centered
See also
*
Chopaka Lake
Chopaka Lake is a lake in Okanogan County, Washington. It covers an area of approximately , is over 70 ft (21 m) deep at its deepest point, and is 2,910 ft (886 m) in elevation. The lake's name is that of a legendary Okanogan hunter w ...
References
External links
*
Okanagan Range
Mountains of Okanogan County, Washington
Washington Natural Areas Program
Protected areas of Okanogan County, Washington
{{OkanoganCountyWA-geo-stub