Whistler Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whistler Mountain |
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The peak of Whistler Mountain as seen in the summer of 2007. The chairlift pictured is the Peak Chair.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,181 m (7,156 ft) |
| Prominence | 471 m (1,545 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Whistler Mountain
Location in British Columbia
Whistler Mountain
Location in Canada
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| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Parent range | Fitzsimmons Range |
| Topo map | NTS 92J/02 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Ski lifts |
Whistler Mountain is a famous mountain in British Columbia, Canada. It's part of the Coast Mountains and sits near Garibaldi Provincial Park. This mountain is home to the popular Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort and the town of Whistler, British Columbia.
The mountain was once called London Mountain. This name came from a mining claim in the area. In 1965, its name was changed to "Whistler." This new name was chosen because of the whistling sounds made by marmots. These small animals live high up on the mountain. People thought "Whistler" would be a better name for advertising the new ski resort.
Whistler Mountain is very close to Garibaldi Provincial Park. Ski lifts make it easy for people to reach the mountain's high areas. From there, they can ski or snowboard into the park. The very top of the mountain has the Whistler Peak chairlift. This makes it one of the most visited mountain tops in British Columbia.
How Whistler Mountain Was Formed
Whistler Mountain is made of different kinds of rocks. Some of these rocks are shale. Shale started as mud at the bottom of an ancient ocean. Other common rocks on Whistler Mountain are andesite and dacite. These rocks were once hot, flowing lava.
These lava rocks and shale are part of something called the Gambier Group. This group of rocks formed about 100 million years ago. This was during the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. At that time, the area was a shallow basin under the ocean.
Rivers carried tiny bits of material like clay, sand, and silt into this ancient ocean. These materials settled in layers year after year. Over a long time, these layers were pressed together. This pressure turned them into the shale we see today.
The andesite and dacite lava came from volcanoes. These volcanoes erupted underwater, forming volcanic islands. Their lava flowed into the ancient ocean.
Moving Plates and Mountain Building
After these rocks formed, they started to change. Huge forces from the Earth's moving tectonic plates pushed them around. The North American Plate was moving, causing great pressure. This pressure made the rocks bend, crumple, and lift up.
The large, solid lava masses broke into huge, mountain-sized blocks. The lighter, layered shale was squeezed and folded between these lava blocks. This is how Whistler Mountain became the shape it is today.
Nearby, in the Garibaldi Lake area, there are other volcanoes. Places like The Black Tusk are much younger. They are part of a chain of volcanoes called the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt.
Gallery
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Whistler Mountain On April 26, 2009
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A panorama of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains taken in March, 2007.
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The Black Tusk as seen from the unload area at the top of the Peak Express.
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Singing Pass in August as seen between Whistler and Blackcomb.
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View of Whistler from Whistler mountain.
