Railroad Pass (British Columbia) facts for kids
Railroad Pass, also known as Railway Pass, is a mountain pass located in British Columbia, Canada. It sits high up in the Coast Mountains, a large mountain range. The pass is about 1385 meters (4544 feet) above sea level. A seasonal dirt road, called the Hurley Main, goes through the pass. Because of this road, the pass is sometimes also called Hurley Pass.
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Exploring Railroad Pass
Location and Connections
This pass connects two important areas in British Columbia. It links the Pemberton Meadows area, which is part of the upper Lillooet River valley. On the other side, it connects to the uppermost reaches of the Hurley River. The Hurley River is a main branch of the Bridge River, and it joins the Bridge River near a small settlement called Gold Bridge.
How Railroad Pass Got Its Name
Railroad Pass gets its name from an interesting idea. People thought it might be a good route for a railway to go through the Coast Mountains. However, there are no official records of a railway survey specifically for this pass. The Canadian Pacific Survey did explore this general area a long time ago. Their records show they looked at other passes, like Ring Pass and a divide between Meager Creek and Toba Inlet. They also explored a more southerly route, which was later used by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. This railway is now part of the Canadian National Railway.
A Possible Highway Route
In the 1980s, Railroad Pass was looked at for another important reason. Experts thought it could be a possible extension for British Columbia Highway 99. This idea was to create a "back door" route for the Whistler resort. This would be useful if there were natural disasters, like landslides, that might block the main highway and trap people at the resort. In the end, a different route, using Cayoosh Pass, was chosen instead.
Mountains Around the Pass
On the north side of Railroad Pass, there is a group of mountains known as the Railroad Group. Some of the peaks in this group have names that fit the railway theme. For example, you can find mountains named Locomotive Mountain, Tender, and Caboose.
