Walter Dwight Wilcox (1869–1949) was an early

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

of the

Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies (french: Rocheuses canadiennes) or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part ...

, especially in the Lake Louise region.

Life

Wilcox was educated at

Phillips Academy, Andover ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

(Class of 1889) and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

(1893). Walter Wilcox is known for his 1890s discovery and exploration of Paradise Valley, Desolation Valley and Prospector Valley near Lake Louise. He is accredited with the

first ascent In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...

s of Mount Temple (3,543m), on Aug. 17, 1894 with Samuel E. S. Allen and Lewis Frissell. Walter Wilcox made the first ascent on Mount Aberdeen (3,152m), Mount Niblock (2,976m),

Mount Indefatigable __NOTOC__ Mount Indefatigable is a mountain summit located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. The peak is visible from Alberta Highway 40, and the Kananaskis Lakes area. Mount Indefatigable's nearest hi ...

(2,670m), and Cheops Mountain (2581m). In 1898, Mount Wilcox (2,884m) in the

Columbia Icefield The Columbia Icefield is the largest ice field in North America's Rocky Mountains. Located within the Canadian Rocky Mountains astride the Continental Divide along the border of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, the ice field lies partly ...

area of

Jasper National Park Jasper National Park is a national park in Alberta, Canada. It is the largest national park within Alberta's Rocky Mountains spanning . It was established as a national park in 1930 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Its locatio ...

was named in Wilcox's honour by

J. Norman Collie Professor John Norman Collie FRSE FRS (10 September 1859 – 1 November 1942), commonly referred to as J. Norman Collie, was an English scientist, mountaineer and explorer. Life and work He was born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, the second of ...

. The

pass Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places *Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland * Pass, Poland, a village in Poland *Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits *Mountain pass, a lower place in a mountai ...

that provides easy access to Mt. Wilcox was also named Wilcox Pass.

Works

*''Camping in the Canadian Rockies: An Account of Camp Life in the Wilder Parts of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Together with a Description of the Region About Banff, Lake Louise and Glacier, and a Sketch of the Early Explorations''. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1896 *''The Rockies of Canada''. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1900 * "Among the Mahogany Forests of Cuba," Walter D. Wilcox, ''National Geographic'', July 1908, Vol. XIX No. 7.

References

External links

* * *http://www.summitpost.org/wilcox-peak-mount-wilcox/153841 *http://www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/pictures/select-list-003.html *
American Alpine Club tribute
1869 births 1949 deaths Canadian mountain climbers Explorers of British Columbia American emigrants to Canada Phillips Academy alumni Yale University alumni {{explorer-stub