Vancouver Island Ranges


The Vancouver Island Ranges, formerly called the Vancouver Island Mountains, are a mountain range extending along the length of Vancouver Island which has an area of 31,788 km². The Vancouver Island Ranges comprise the central and largest part of the island. The Geological Survey of Canada refers to Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Alaska Panhandle as the Insular Belt including the sea floor out to 100 km west of Vancouver Island. The Vancouver Island Ranges are a sub-range of the Insular Mountains.

Explorations

The first European sighting of these ranges was likely Sir Francis Drake. A sighting of land on June 5, 1579 was recorded by his crew aboard the vessel Golden Hind at a latitude of 48 degrees north but not finding safe harbour, they moved on southward. The highest peak of the Vancouver Island Ranges, the Golden Hinde is named for his vessel.
The first European explorer likely to have observed any of the mountains of the Vancouver Island Ranges would have been Captain Juan José Pérez aboard the Spanish frigate Santiago. Although he anchored off Estevan Point, on August 8, 1774 he did not land. Captain James Cook entered Nootka Sound March 29, 1778 and spent about a month refitting his ships Discovery and Resolution. His logs contain the first recorded reference to the mountains of Vancouver Island. In 1788 British Captain John Meares began a small settlement at Nootka Sound and the following year, the Spanish built a permanent fort at Friendly Cove in Nuu-chah-nulth territory. The Spanish claimed sovereignty and a dispute arose which was resolved with the Nootka Convention of the 1794. There was little further exploration until the Hudson's Bay Company was granted rights to Vancouver Island on January 13, 1849 leading to the first attempt, by Captain Hamilton Moffat in 1852 to ascend a major peak on the Island when he attempted Rugged Mountain.
Adam Grant Horne located a trail across the island from the Qualicum River to the Alberni Inlet in 1856 and Joseph Despard Pemberton, Surveyor General of the Colony of Vancouver Island explored much of the southern half of the Island in 1857. The southern Island was further explored by the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition in 1865. By the mid-1880s the southern half of the island had been explored and by 1890 the northern region had been explored as well. The central part of the island, the area now within Strathcona Provincial Park, was explored by Reverend William Washington Bolton, Headmaster of the Victoria School for Boys, in 1894 and 1896.

Ranges

Only a few of the many subranges of the Vancouver Island Ranges have official names. These are:
  1. Refugium Range: On the Brooks Peninsula.
  2. Sophia Range: On Nootka Island, on the peninsula between Esperanza Inlet and Nuchatlitz Inlet.
  3. Genevieve Range: Nootka Island.
  4. Karmutzen Range: Between Nimpkish Lake, Tlakwa Creek and Karmuzten Creek.
  5. Hankin Range: Between Nimpkish Lake and Bonanza Lake.
  6. Franklin Range: Near Robson Bight on the Johnstone Strait between the Tsitika River and Kokish River.
  7. Bonanza Range: Between the Nimpkish River and the Tsitika River by Bonanza Lake.
  8. Sutton Range: Between Nimpkish River, White River, ktwanch River, Gold River.
  9. Newcastle Ridge: Johnstone Strait, west of Sayward-Kelsey Bay and east/north of Adams River
  10. Prince of Wales Range: East coast of Vancouver Island 40 km north of Campbell River.
  11. Halifax Range: Along Johnstone Strait between Amor de Cosmos Creek and Pye Creek.
  12. Beaufort Range: North of Port Alberni and west of Qualicum Beach.
  13. Pelham Range: Between the Sarita River and Alberni Inlet.
  14. Somerset Range: Between The Pacheena-Sarita River basins and the Klanawa River
  15. Seymour Range: Between the valley of Cowichan Lake, San Juan River and Gordon River.
  16. Gowlland Range: Near Victoria between Saanich Inlet and Brentwood Bay. Includes Mount Work Regional Park.
  17. Pierce Range: South of Gold River between the Jacklah River and the Burman River.
  18. Haihte Range: Between Tashsis River, the Nomash River, Zeballos Lake and Woss Lake.
The Elk River Mountains, located in Strathcona Provincial Park, are considered a range by some sources.
from North Saanich.

Peaks of the Vancouver Island Ranges

Mountain/PeakLocationHeight Prominence Range
Golden Hinde2,2012,195Elk River
Elkhorn Mountain2,195996Elk River
Victoria Peak2,1631,849Sutton
Mount Colonel Foster2,135864Elk River
Mount Albert Edward2,0931,203?
Rambler Peak2,092647Elk River
Mount McBride2,083918?
Kings Peak2,065328Elk River
Mount Celeste2,041369?
The Comb2,0400?
Mount Filberg2,0350?
The Red Pillar2,0350?
Mount Cobb2,0310?
The Behinde1,9890
Mount Colwell1,9890
Alexandra Peak1,9830
Argus Mountain1,9820
Mount Harmston1,9820
Mount Regan1,9820
Iceberg Peak1,9770
Warden Peak1,9700
El Piveto Mountain1,969500
Mount Rosseau1,9620
Comox Glacier1,9600
Mount Haig-Brown1,9470
Mount Frink1,9210
Shepherd Ridge1,9210
Peak 19201,9200
Peak 19091,9090
Mount George V1,8840
The Misthorns1,8800
Tzela Mountain1,8800
Rugged Mountain1,8750Haihte
Mount Adrian1,8700
Mount Shoen1,8620
Big Interior Mountain1,8630
Sutton Peak1,8620
Mount Septimus1,8500
Crown Mountain1,8461339
Nine Peaks1,8420
Syd Watts Peak1,8400
Siokum Mountain1,8400
Siocomb Peak1,8400
Mount Mitchell1,8380
Jutland Mountain1,8380
Puzzle Mountain1,8280
Maquilla Peak1,8210
Mount Arrowsmith1,8171,429
Mount Donner1,8120
Mount Kent-Urquhart1,8110
Mount Myra1,8100
Matchlee Mountain1,8060
Moyeha Mountain1,8040
Mount Cain1,8040
Mount Abel1,8000
Ptarmigan Pinnacles1,8000
Morrison Spire1,8000
Merlon Mountain1,7980
Mount Laing1,7980
Mount Tom Taylor1,7780
Mariner Mountain1,7780
Big Den Mountain1,7760
Peak 58001,7680
Bonanza Peak1,7670
Hapush Mountain1,7670
Marble Peak1,7670
Splendour Mountain1,7660
Mount Palmerston1,7630
Mount Burman1,7560
Mount Judson1,7470
Mount Beadnell1,7460
Mount Ashwood1,7440
Mount Con Reid1,7440
Mount Alston1,7430
Watchtower Peak1,7400
Mount Russell1,7400
Elk Mountain1,7370
Ya'ai Peak1,7360
Trio Mountain1,7320
Phillips Ridge1,7320
Mount Thelwood1,7310
Mount Phillips1,7230
Mount Adam1,7290
Mount DeVoe1,7100
Haihte Spire1,7060
Jagged Mountain1,7010
Whiltilla Mountain1,6930Bonanza Range
Popsicle Peak1,6820
Mount Bate1,6800
Volcano Peak1,6760
Mount Abraham1,6760
South Blades1,6760
Scimitar Peak1,6760
Tyee Mountain1,6720
Hkusam Mountain1,6700Prince of Wales
Mount Heber1,6660
Crest Mountain1,6610
Tsitika Mountain1,6570
Mount Juliet1,6370
Ms. Mountain1,6550
Mount Nora1,6480
Mount Sarai1,6460
Mount Derby1,6460
Klitsa Mountain1,6420
Queen Peak1,6400
Mount Romeo1,6370
Mount McKelvie1,6300
Hyro Peak1,6280
Eden Mountain1,6250
Mount Cokely1,6160
Kokummi Mountain1,6150Sutton
Thumb Peak1,6150
Mount Moriarty1,6100
Big Baldy Mountain1,6100
Bancroft Peak1605?0
Waring Peak1,6010
The Scissors1,5970
Woss Mountain1,5940
Mount Washington1,585510
Mount Elliott1,5810
Zeballos Peak1,5760
Mount McQuillan1,5750
Malaspina Peak1,5730
Peak 51501,5700
Nahmint Mountain1,5680
Mount Peel1,5640
Mount Joan1,5570Beaufort
Mount Grattan1,5500
Mount Flannigan1,5500
Mount Alava1,5500
Pinder Peak1,5420
Mount Whymper1,5410
Abco Mountain1,5260
Peak 50051,5250
Stevens Peak1,5090
Barad-dur1,5050
Mook Peak1,5050
El Capitan Mountain1,4920
Mount Service1,4900
Douglas Peak1,4900
Genesis Mountain1,4860
Mount Titus1,4810
Conuma Peak1,4810
Limestone Mountain1,4800
Adder Peak1,4800
Megin Mountain1,4800
Lone Wolf Mountain1,479734
The Stone Trolls1,4780
Ursus Mountain1,4710
Mount Milner1,4700Prince of Wales
Steamboat Peak1,4650
Mount Roberts1,4630Prince of Wales
Mount Leiner1,4580
Mount Kitchener1,4570
Tlakwa Mountain1,4570
Mount Sir John1,4290Franklin
Karmutzen Mountain1,4260Karmutzen
Leighton Peak1,4110
Merry Widow Mountain1,4020
Snowsaddle Mountain1,4000Refugium
Jacklah Mountain1,4000
Mount Cederstedt1,3790
Half Dome1,3650Haihte
Mount De Cosmos1,3550
Peak 44001,3410
Peak 43301,3190
Kaouk Mountain1,3090
Peak 42251,2870
Kwois Peak1,2740
Mount Wolfenden12730
Garibaldi Peaks1,2350
Hannah Mountain1,2500
Twin Peaks1,208953
Shelbert Mountain1,2070
Mount Brenton1,2000
Mamat Mountain1,1610
Lukwa Mountain1,1420
Mount Renwick1,1390
Mount Gore1,1200
Grayback Peak1,1190
Carter Peak1,0970
Comestock Peak1,0970
Mount Rufus1,0800
False Ears1,0630
Mount Albemarie1,0400
Mount Clark1,0360
Mount Benson1,023668
Pretty Girl Peak1,0200
Mount Pickering1,0060?
Sydney Cone9960?
Mount Seaton9570?
Mount Crespi9200?
Mount Lombard9200?
Unnamed peak920 ??
Nunatak Mountain9090Refugium
Saxifrage Mountain8000?
Doom Mountain7620Refugium
Mount Finlayson419249Gowlland

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