Yak Peak is a
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
summit located adjacent the
Coquihalla Highway
Highway 5 is a north–south route in southern British Columbia, Canada. Highway 5 connects the southern Trans-Canada route ( Highway 1) with the northern Trans-Canada/Yellowhead route ( Highway 16), providing the shortest land connection betwee ...
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 ...
north of
Hope
Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large.
As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...
.
[ The mountain lies less than one km from a highway rest area, and is easily visible from a long stretch of the highway just south of the summit. It is known for some fine granite ]rock climbing
Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...
routes, notably ''Yak Crack''. Other mountains in the same group, usually known as the Anderson River Group or as the Coquihalla Range
The Coquihalla Range is an informally named mountain range in British Columbia that lies between the Coquihalla River and the Fraser Canyon. It is part of the Canadian Cascades, which are officially named the Cascade Mountains and are the norther ...
, are named after other similar animals, such as Thar Peak and Guanaco Peak.
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 ...
, Yak Peak is located in the marine west coast
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring co ...
climate zone of western North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. Most weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating air masses for which several characteristics differ, such as air density, wind, temperature, and humidity. Disturbed and unstable weather due to these differences often arises along the boundary. For ins ...
s originate in the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
, and travel east toward the Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
where they are forced upward by the range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Cascade 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. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for climbing Yak Peak.
Gallery
Nak and Yak from Zoa.jpg, The north aspect of Yak Peak, with Nak Peak in upper left
Yak Peak 2.jpg, Yak Peak seen from the Coquihalla Highway
Highway 5 is a north–south route in southern British Columbia, Canada. Highway 5 connects the southern Trans-Canada route ( Highway 1) with the northern Trans-Canada/Yellowhead route ( Highway 16), providing the shortest land connection betwee ...
near the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area
References
External links
Yak Peak summit hiking route description
*
Canadian Cascades
Two-thousanders of British Columbia
Yale Division Yale Land District
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