Selkirk Mountains

Selkirk Mountains
250px At the Rogers Pass by John A. Fraser, 1886
Highest point
Peak	Mount Sir Sandford
Elevation
Coordinates
Dimensions
Length	NS
Width	EW
Geography
Location map of the Selkirk Mountains Location map of the Selkirk Mountains
Countries	Canada and United States
Provinces/States	British Columbia, Idaho and Washington
Range coordinates
Parent range	Columbia Mountains
Borders on	Monashee Mountains, Purcell Mountains and Cariboo Mountains
Geology
Type of rock	Metamorphic rock

The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia. They begin at Mica Peak near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and extend approximately 320 km north (200 miles) from the border to Kinbasket Lake, at the now-inundated location of the onetime fur company post Boat Encampment. The range is bounded on its west, northeast and at its northern extremity by the Columbia River, or the reservoir lakes now filling most of that river's course. From the Columbia's confluence with the Beaver River, they are bounded on their east by the Purcell Trench, which contains the Beaver River, Duncan River, Duncan Lake, Kootenay Lake and the Kootenay River. The Selkirks are distinct from, and geologically older than, the Rocky Mountains. Together with the neighboring Monashee and Purcell Mountains, and sometimes including the Cariboo Mountains to the northwest, the Selkirks are part of a larger grouping known as the Columbia Mountains. A scenic highway loop, the International Selkirk Loop, encircles the southern portions of the mountain range.

The Selkirks were named after Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk.

History

In 1857 gold was discovered in the Selkirks. Coal, copper, marble, mercury, silver, and zinc were also found in the mountains. During the development of Western Canada, the Selkirks presented a formidable barrier to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, until A.B. Rogers discovered the mountain pass that bears his name in 1881–1882. As a result of the railway's construction via that route, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks (Canada) in the heart of the Selkirks were among the first national parks created in Canada, along with Yoho, and Banff National Parks in the Rockies. Until the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway via the Rogers Pass, automotive traffic between most of British Columbia and the rest of Canada necessarily was forced to follow the path of the Columbia River via its Big Bend, around the north end of the Selkirks.

Fauna

The southern end of these mountains is home to the only extant woodland caribou population in the contiguous United States. This area, some of it protected in Washington's Salmo-Priest Wilderness, is also home to mule deer and white-tailed deer, elk, black bears, cougars, bobcats, red fox, bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, great blue heron, porcupine, badgers, coyote, martens, bighorn sheep, gray wolves and moose. Formerly rarely seen, grizzly bears are also known to roam through this region.

Mt. Fox and Mt. Dawson from Asulkan Pass, c. 1902

Mt. Fox and Mt. Dawson from Asulkan Pass, c. 1902

Sub-ranges

• Asulkan Range
• Battle Range
• Big Bend Ranges
  • Adamant Range
  • Sir Sandford Range
  • Windy Range
• Bishops Range
• Bonnington Range
• Clachnacudainn Range
• Dawson Range
• Duncan Ranges
  • Badshot Range
• Goat Range
• Hermit Range
• Kokanee Range
• Lardeau Range
• Nelson Range
• Purity Range
• Sir Donald Range
• Valhalla Ranges
  • Ruby Range
• Valkyr Range
  • Norns Range

External links

• www.selkirkloop.org
• www.selkirkexperience.com
• www.selkirkwilderness.com
• North Idaho in the "Hikes & Events" subpage of www.idahoconservation.org