The Dickson Range is a subrange of the
Chilcotin Ranges
The Chilcotin Ranges are a subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains (in some classifications they are a separate subdivision). They lie on the inland lea of the Pacific Ranges, abutting the Interior Plateau of British Columbia. T ...
subset of the
Pacific Ranges
, photo = Mount Garibaldi (50997016501).jpg
, photo_size = 280px
, photo_caption = Mount Garibaldi massif as seen from Squamish
, map =
, map_image = South BC-NW USA-relief PacificRanges.png
, ...
of the
Coast Mountains in southwest-central
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, ...
. It is located just west of the town of
Gold Bridge
Gold Bridge is an unincorporated community in the Bridge River Country of British Columbia, Canada. Although numbering only around 40 inhabitants, Gold Bridge is the service and supply centre for the upper basin of the Bridge River Valley, which i ...
between the valley of Slim Creek to the north (a tributary of Gun Creek) and
Downton Lake
Downton Lake, originally Downton Reservoir, and also known as Downton Lake Reservoir, is a reservoir in the Bridge River Country of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, formed by Lajoie Dam, the uppermost of the series of dams and diversions ...
Reservoir to the south. At its eastern foot is Gun Lake; its western limit is at a pass between Slim Creek and Nichols Creek (which feeds the upper
Bridge River
The Bridge River is an approximately long river in southern British Columbia. It flows south-east from the Coast Mountains. Until 1961, it was a major tributary of the Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of ...
just before it enters
Downton Lake
Downton Lake, originally Downton Reservoir, and also known as Downton Lake Reservoir, is a reservoir in the Bridge River Country of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, formed by Lajoie Dam, the uppermost of the series of dams and diversions ...
) near the pass which separates the
Bridge River
The Bridge River is an approximately long river in southern British Columbia. It flows south-east from the Coast Mountains. Until 1961, it was a major tributary of the Fraser River, entering that stream about six miles upstream from the town of ...
basin from that of the
Lord River, which feeds the
Taseko Lakes.
The range is approximately 3,500 km
2 (1350 sq mi) in area and about 35 km in length. Its highest Peak,
Dickson Peak (a.k.a. Mount Dickson) is a stunning pyramidal peak towards the eastern end of the range, overlooking the middle
Bridge River Valley to the east and also visible on the canyon road between
Gold Bridge
Gold Bridge is an unincorporated community in the Bridge River Country of British Columbia, Canada. Although numbering only around 40 inhabitants, Gold Bridge is the service and supply centre for the upper basin of the Bridge River Valley, which i ...
and
Bralorne
Bralorne ( ) is a historic Canadian gold mining community in the Bridge River District of British Columbia, some 130 km on dirt roads west of the town of Lillooet.
Background
Gold has been the central element in the area's history going ba ...
. The drop from Dickson's summit to
Downton Lake
Downton Lake, originally Downton Reservoir, and also known as Downton Lake Reservoir, is a reservoir in the Bridge River Country of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, formed by Lajoie Dam, the uppermost of the series of dams and diversions ...
is c.2075m (6775') in only .
Just southeast of Dickson Peak is
Mount Penrose 2634 m (8642 ft), which a cockscomb-like summit which stands immediately above Gun Lake and its resort community. Penrose was named for Republican Senator
Boies Penrose
Boies Penrose (November 1, 1860 – December 31, 1921) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
After serving in both houses of the Pennsylvania legislature, he represented Pennsylvania in the United ...
(November 1, 1860 – December 31, 1921) who climbed it in the 1920s while hunting with famed local big-game outfitter W.G. (Bill) Manson. Penrose was an avid outdoorsman and another mountain in the
Flathead area of
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
also bears his name.
Penrose is the best-known summit in the Dickson after Dickson Peak, but farther east along the range are Scherle Peak 2677 m (8783 ft) and Tillworth Mountain . A peak named Sorcerer occupies a separate ridge on the northwest end of the range, adjacent to the Leckie Range just north across Slim Creek.
To the north and northeast of the Dickson Range is the
Spruce Lake Protected Area
The Spruce Lake Protected Area, formerly known variously as the Southern Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park, Southern Chilcotins, and also as South Chilcotin Provincial Park, is a 71,347-hectare Protected Area in the British Columbia provincial ...
a.k.a. the "South Chilcotin", while to the northwest is
Ts'ilʔos Provincial Park.
References
{{Coast Mountains
Chilcotin Ranges
History of British Columbia
Bridge River Country