Mount Septimus is the western summit of a jagged
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...
,
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 ...
, located southeast of
Gold River and south of
Buttle Lake
Buttle Lake is a lake on Vancouver Island in Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Strathcona Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is about long and wide, has an area of , is up to deep, and lies at an elevation of . The ...
. It contains a huge
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
on the north flank. The highest peak on the
massif
A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
is
Mount Rosseau, located to the west.
History
There are a couple of possibilities of the source of Mount Septimus' name recorded in the BC Geographical Names Information System:
"By some, thought to be descriptive – Septimus being a mountain of seven peaks." (List of Place Names in Strathcona Park, compiled by Allan C. Brooks, and reprinted in "Natural & Human History Themes, Strathcona Provincial Park" a special report produced by Betty Brooks for BC Parks Branch, 1989.)
Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office
"Possibly named after Septimus Evans, surgeon aboard S.S. Beaver." [note that this assumption is likely made because of the mountain's proximity to Price Creek and a mistaken assumption that Price Creek was named for Capt John Price, HMS Scout, under whom Septimus Evans was surgeon before joining the hired vessel Beaver under Captain Pender, 1868.]
Source: Canadian Geographical Names Database, Ottawa
Access
Mount Septimus has four established access routes:
# Bedwell Lake Trail, then traverse East to Cream Lake. Accesses west aspect. Quickest & easiest approach.
# Price Creek Trail to Cream Lake. Accesses west aspect. The Price Creek Trail is not maintained and is overgrown.
# Della Falls Trail to Love Lake. From Love Lake, bushwack west up to a ridge, then head north on the ridge to the mountains flanks. Accesses south aspect.
# Flower Ridge Trail to Price Pass. Scramble off of Flower Ridge to the pass between Green and Margret Lakes. Route finding difficulties from the pass onto the mountains flanks. Accesses north aspect.
Note: From Cream Lake, the south aspect can be accessed by ascending the wide couloir to the shoulder west of Mount Septimus' summit.
See also
*
List of mountains in Strathcona Provincial Park
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Septimus
Vancouver Island Ranges
One-thousanders of British Columbia
Clayoquot Land District