Mount Niles is a
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 the
Waputik Range
The Waputik Range lies west of the upper Bow Valley, east of Bath Creek, and south of Balfour Creek in the Canadian Rockies. "Waputik" means "white goat" in Stoney. The range was named in 1884 by George Mercer Dawson of the Geological Survey ...
of
Yoho National Park
Yoho National Park ( ) is a National Parks of Canada, national park of Canada. It is located within the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide of the Americas in southeastern British Columbia, bordere ...
, in the
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies () or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part of the Canadian Cordillera, w ...
of
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. The nearest higher peak is
Mount Daly, to the immediate northeast.
Takakkaw Falls
Takakkaw Falls (; also spelled Takkakaw) is a waterfall in Yoho National Park, near Field, British Columbia, in Canada. The falls have a total height of , making them the second tallest waterfall in Canada. The main drop of the waterfall has a he ...
is situated four km to the west, the
Waputik Icefield
The Waputik Icefield is on the Continental divide in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. It is developed on the heights of the Waputik Range in the Central Main Ranges.
The icefield is shared by Banff ...
lies to the north, and
Sherbrooke Lake lies to the south. Precipitation
runoff from Mount Niles drains into the
Yoho River and Niles Creek, both tributaries of the
Kicking Horse River
The Kicking Horse River is in the Canadian Rockies of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The river was named in 1858, when James Hector, a member of the Palliser Expedition, reported being kicked by his packhorse while exploring the river. Hec ...
.
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 as the summit rises approximately 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) above Yoho Valley in four kilometers (2.5 mile).
History
Charles Sproull Thompson (1869–1921) named the peak in 1898, for William H. Niles (1838–1910), president of the
Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains (New Hampshire), White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., wit ...
and Professor of Geology at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
who also did some mountaineering in the area.
[ ][Canadian Mountain Place Names - The Rockies and Columbia Mountains, Glen W. Boles, Roger W. Laurilla, William L. Putnam, Rocky Mountain Books, 2006, page 183.]
The first ascent
In mountaineering and climbing, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in climbing guidebook, guide books), is the first successful documented climb to the top of a mountain or the top of a particular climbing route. Early 20th-century mountaineers a ...
of the mountain was made in 1898 by D. Campbell and Charles E. Fay.
The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1924 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 ...
.[
]
Geology
Mount Niles is composed of sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...
laid down during the Precambrian
The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...
to Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...
periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a time period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 80 to 70 million years ago, and ended 55 to 35 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the o ...
.
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 Niles 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.
Gallery
File:Mount Niles.jpg, Mount Niles' south aspect seen from Sherbrooke Lake
File:Mount Niles, Sherbrooke Lake.jpg, Mount Niles (centered in the distance) seen from Sherbrooke Lake
File:Mounts Daly and Niles.jpg, Mount Niles right of center with Mount Daly and Daly Glacier to left, and Takakkaw Falls in lower right, as seen from Iceline Trail
File:Niles from Stephen.jpg, South aspect of Mount Niles viewed from Mount Stephen
See also
*Geography of British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. With an area of it is Canada's third-largest province. The province is almost four times the size of the United Kingdom and larger than every United Sta ...
References
External links
* Weather
Mount Niles
* Parks Canada web site
Yoho National Park
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niles
Niles
Waputik Range
Mountains of Yoho National Park
Kootenay Land District