Mount Wilcox (Alberta)

Mount Wilcox (also known as Wilcox Peak)[4] is a 2,884-metre (9,462-foot) mountain summit located in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. It is located in Jasper National Park right beside the Columbia Icefield visitor centre with the Icefields Parkway traversing the western base of the mountain. Its nearest higher peak is Nigel Peak, 3.35 km (2.08 mi) to the northeast.[6] Mount Wilcox is a moderate scramble from Wilcox Pass.[5] Due to its location, it provides one of the best views of the Athabasca Glacier.

Mount Wilcox
Wilcox Peak
Looking northwest to Mount Wilcox
Highest point
Elevation2,884 m (9,462 ft)[1][2]
Prominence509 m (1,670 ft)[3]
Parent peakNigel Peak (3211 m)[3]
ListingMountains of Alberta
Coordinates52°14′42″N 117°14′29″W[4]
Geography
Mount Wilcox is located in Alberta
Mount Wilcox
Mount Wilcox
Location of Mount Wilcox in Alberta
Mount Wilcox is located in Canada
Mount Wilcox
Mount Wilcox
Mount Wilcox (Canada)
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
Protected areaJasper National Park
Parent rangeColumbia Icefield
Canadian Rockies
Topo mapNTS 83C3 Columbia Icefield[4]
Climbing
First ascent1896 R.L. Barrett, Walter D. Wilcox[3]
Easiest routeScramble[5]

History

The mountain was named Wilcox Peak by J. Norman Collie in 1899 after Walter D. Wilcox, an early explorer of the Canadian Rockies who also made the first ascent of the peak in 1896.[3] The mountain's Wilcox Peak name was officially adopted in 1924 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[1] The Board changed it to Mount Wilcox in 1928, until ultimately reverting to Wilcox Peak in 1956.[4]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Wilcox Peak is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[7] Temperatures can drop below -20 °C with wind chill factors below -30 °C. In terms of favorable weather, June through September are the best months to climb. Precipitation runoff from the peak flows into the Sunwapta River which in turn is a tributary of the Athabasca River.

  • Wilcox's north ridge seen from Tangle Ridge
    Wilcox's north ridge seen from Tangle Ridge
  • Mount Wilcox seen from Athabasca Glacier.
    Mount Wilcox seen from Athabasca Glacier.
  • Mount Wilcox seen from Wilcox Pass
    Mount Wilcox seen from Wilcox Pass
  • Mt. Andromeda as seen from Wilcox Pass
    Mt. Andromeda as seen from Wilcox Pass

See also

References
  1. "Wilcox Peak". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  2. "Topographic map of Mount Wilcox". opentopomap.org. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  3. "Mount Wilcox". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  4. "Wilcox Peak". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
  5. Kane, Alan (1999). "Mount Wilcox". Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books. pp. 309–310. ISBN 0-921102-67-4.
  6. "Mount Wilcox, Alberta". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  7. Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644. ISSN 1027-5606.
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