Amicus Mountain is a glaciated
summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Canada.
Description
Amicus Mountain is located in the
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains (french: La chaîne Côtière) are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia ...
, west-southwest of
Whistler and west-northwest of
Icecap Peak
Icecap Peak is a glaciated summit in British Columbia, Canada.
Description
Icecap Peak is located in the Coast Mountains, west-southwest of Whistler and east-southeast of Amicus Mountain, which is the nearest higher neighbor. Precipitation r ...
, which is the nearest neighbor.
Precipitation runoff and glacial meltwater from this mountain drains into tributaries of the
Squamish River
The Squamish River is a short but very large river in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in size. The total length of the Squamish River is approximately .
Course
The Squamish River drains a complex of basins in the ...
. Amicus Mountain is more notable for its rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation as
topographic relief
Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level. The Latin word ...
is significant with the summit rising 2,410 metres (7,907 ft) above the Squamish River in and 1,960 metres (6,430 ft) above Ashlu Creek in . "Amicus" is the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word for "friend." The mountain's toponym has not been officially adopted by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.
Climate
Based on the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, Amicus Mountain is located in the
marine west coast
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
climate zone of western North America.
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 in ...
s originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (
orographic lift
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cr ...
), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Coast 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. This climate supports unnamed glaciers surrounding the peak. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for climbing Amicus Mountain.
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 States ...
*
Geology of British Columbia
The geology of British Columbia is a function of its location on the leading edge of the North American continent. The mountainous physiography and the diversity of rock types and ages hint at the complex geology, which is still undergoing revis ...
References
{{Pacific Ranges
Two-thousanders of British Columbia
Pacific Ranges
New Westminster Land District
Coast Mountains
Sea-to-Sky Corridor