The Shulaps 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
, m ...
of 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 ...
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, ...
. The range is 55 km NW–SE and 15 km SW–NE and 2,970 km
2 (1150 mi
2) in area.
The range is fairly high in elevation, with dryland-type summits with some very small
icefields. Its highest summits are Shulaps Peak 2880 m (9449 ft) and Big Dog Mountain 2,862 m (9,390 ft). Another prominent summit is Rex Peak 2684 m (8806 ft), a conical mass dominating the southern end of the range, which is delimited by the buttress-wall of the
Bridge River Canyon
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
.
Terrain and location
The Shulaps' northeast flank is a series of high basins. Many contain alpine lakes and which allow for road access to high up in various parts of the range. There is an active gold claim on the south flank of Big Dog Mountain in the basin of Blue Creek in the northwestern part of the range and, at the far southeast end high in the basin of Hell Creek, there was once a working
jade
Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...
mine.
Its southeast edge is the west rim of the Big Canyon of 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 ...
, just below which (to the NE) is the confluence of the
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
and
Yalakom River The Yalakom River is a tributary of the Bridge River, which is one of the principal tributaries of the Fraser River, entering it near the town of Lillooet, British Columbia. In frontier times it was also known as the North Fork of the Bridge Rive ...
s, which is the range's northeastern boundary. West across Tyaughton Creek and upper Churn Creek is the South Chilcotin which is not part of the Chilcotin, but of the
Bridge River Country
The Bridge River Country is a historic geographic region and mining district in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, lying between the Fraser Canyon and the valley of the Lillooet River, south of the Chilcotin Plateau and north of the Lillooet ...
(see
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") and
Big Creek Provincial Park
Big Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.
It is adjoined on the south by the Spruce Lake Protected Area (a.k.a. the South Chilcotin or Southern Chilcotins, though in the Bridge River Country) and on the west by ...
). To the east, across the Yalakom, is the
Camelsfoot Range
The Camelsfoot Range is a sub-range of the Chilcotin Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia. The Fraser River forms its eastern boundary. The range is approximately 90 km at its maximum length and ...
, to the south the
Bendor. Southeast is the town of
Lillooet
Lillooet () is a district municipality in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The town is on the west shore of the Fraser River immediately north of the Seton River mouth. On BC Highway 99, the locality is by road abou ...
, near the southern tip of the
Camelsfoot.
The best view of the Shulaps Range to be had, other than from one of the neighbouring ranges, is from the former site of
Minto City
Minto City, often called just Minto, sometimes Minto Mines, Minto Mine, Skumakum, or "land of plenty", was a gold mining town in the Bridge River Valley of British Columbia from 1930 to 1936, located at the confluence of that river with Gun Cree ...
at the confluence of Gun Creek and 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 ...
(now
Carpenter Lake Reservoir
Carpenter Lake, officially Carpenter Lake Reservoir, is the largest of the three reservoirs of the Bridge River Power Project, which is located in the mountains west of Lillooet, British Columbia. The lake is about 185 kilometres north of the pro ...
). From there, and along the upper end of Carpenter Lake, the range's west face is a familiar sight to travellers on BC Hwy 40 from
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 ...
and
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 ...
to
Lillooet
Lillooet () is a district municipality in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The town is on the west shore of the Fraser River immediately north of the Seton River mouth. On BC Highway 99, the locality is by road abou ...
.
Origin of name
The Shulaps name is an anglicized version of the
St'̓át'̓imcets word for the ram of the mountain sheep. The
Yalakom River The Yalakom River is a tributary of the Bridge River, which is one of the principal tributaries of the Fraser River, entering it near the town of Lillooet, British Columbia. In frontier times it was also known as the North Fork of the Bridge Rive ...
is similarly named for ̓the ewe. This was once extremely rich big game country, and the names suggest the good hunting in this range (the
Yalakom valley and the Shulaps Range were shared hunting territory between the
St'át'imc and the
Tsilhqot'in).
External links
*
Shulaps Range entry in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia
{{Coast Mountains
Chilcotin Ranges
History of British Columbia
Bridge River Country