Mount Vaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Vaux |
|
|---|---|
North aspect of Mount Vaux and Hanbury Glacier
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,310 m (10,860 ft) |
| Prominence | 830 m (2,720 ft) |
| Parent peak | Mount Goodsir (3567 m) |
| Geography | |
 Mount Vaux
Location in British Columbia
Mount Vaux
Location in Canada
|
|
| Location | Yoho National Park British Columbia, Canada |
| Parent range | Ottertail Range Canadian Rockies |
| Topo map | NTS 82N07 |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Cambrian |
| Type of rock | sedimentary rock |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1901 Charles E. Fay, James Outram, J. Henry Scattergood, Christian Hasler Sr. |
Mount Vaux is a tall mountain in the Canadian Rockies. It stands 3,310 meters (about 10,860 feet) high. You can find it in Yoho National Park in British Columbia, Canada. The mountain is part of the Ottertail Range.
Mount Vaux is located in the Kicking Horse River valley. Its closest higher peak is Mount Goodsir, which is about 11 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. You can easily see Mount Vaux from Highway 1, also known as the Trans-Canada Highway. It's also visible from the beautiful Emerald Lake. The name "Vaux" is pronounced like "Vox," which rhymes with "box."
History of Mount Vaux
The mountain was named in 1858 by a person named James Hector. He named it after his friend, William Sandys Wright Vaux. William Vaux was a historian at the British Museum. He helped get money to support James Hector's important journey, called the Palliser Expedition.
The name "Mount Vaux" was officially approved in 1924. This was done by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.
The first time people successfully climbed Mount Vaux was in 1901. The climbers were Charles E. Fay, James Outram, and J. Henry Scattergood. They had a guide named Christian Hasler Sr. James Outram wrote about the amazing view of the mountain from Emerald Lake in his book. He described the tall trees opening up to show the "white sunlit crest of glacier-crowned Mt. Vaux."
What is Mount Vaux Made Of?
Mount Vaux is made of sedimentary rock. This type of rock forms from layers of sand, mud, and tiny bits of sea creatures that settle over a long time. The rocks in Mount Vaux were formed during the Precambrian and Cambrian periods. These are very old times in Earth's history.
These rocks were originally laid down in shallow seas. Later, during a time called the Laramide orogeny, huge forces pushed these rocks eastward. This caused them to fold and break, and they ended up on top of younger rocks.
Mount Vaux's Climate
Mount Vaux has a subarctic climate. This means it has very cold and snowy winters. The summers are usually mild. Temperatures can drop below -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). With the wind, it can feel even colder, sometimes below -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit).
The snow and ice that melt from Mount Vaux flow into small streams. These streams then join the Kicking Horse River. The Kicking Horse River is a tributary of the larger Columbia River.
