Kumkan Peak is a 2,742-metre (8,996-foot) mountain summit located in British Columbia, Canada.

Kumkan Peak
North aspect, aerial view
Highest point
Elevation2,742 m (8,996 ft)[1][2]
Prominence608 m (1,995 ft)[1]
Parent peakSkihist Mountain (2,968 m)[2]
Isolation12.21 km (7.59 mi)[1]
ListingMountains of British Columbia
Coordinates50°04′29″N 121°56′14″W / 50.07472°N 121.93722°W / 50.07472; -121.93722[3]
Geography
Kumkan Peak is located in British Columbia
Kumkan Peak
Kumkan Peak
Location in British Columbia
Kumkan Peak is located in Canada
Kumkan Peak
Kumkan Peak
Kumkan Peak (Canada)
Map
Interactive map of Kumkan Peak
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictKamloops Division Yale Land District
Parent rangeLillooet Ranges
Coast Mountains
Topo mapNTS 92I4 Lytton[3]
Climbing
First ascent1958

Description

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This remote glaciated peak is situated 31 km (19 mi) southwest of Lytton and is part of the Lillooet Ranges of the Coast Mountains. The nearest neighbor is Kwoiek Peak 2.35 km (1.46 mi) to the northwest and the nearest higher neighbor is Skihist Mountain, 12.82 km (8 mi) to the north.[1] Meltwater from the Kwoiek Glacier on the north slope drains into Kwoiek Creek, thence Fraser River, and precipitation runoff from the peak's south slope drains into headwaters of Mehatl Creek → Nahatlatch River → Fraser River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,240 metres (4,068 ft) above Mehatl Creek in 2 km (1.2 mi). The first ascent of the summit was made August 16, 1958, by four members of the British Columbia Mountaineering Club: Dick Culbert, Art Dellow, Roy Mason, and Ralph Hutchinson.[4][5]

Etymology

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The mountain's name is the traditional name for "head", presumably a reference to the peak's position at the head of the Kwoiek Creek watershed.[6] The toponym was officially adopted on April 3, 1950, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[6]

Climate

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Based on the Köppen climate classification, Kumkan Peak is located in a subarctic climate zone of western North America.[7] Most weather fronts originate in the Pacific Ocean, and travel east toward the Coast Mountains where they are forced upward by the range (Orographic lift), causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall. As a result, the Coast Mountains experience high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Kwoiek Glacier on the north slope of the peak. The months July through September offer the most favorable weather for climbing Kumkan Peak.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Kumkan Peak, British Columbia". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  2. ^ a b "Kumkan Peak, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  3. ^ a b "Kumkan Peak". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  4. ^ The Canadian Alpine Journal (1959), Alpine Club of Canada, p. 36.
  5. ^ Dick Culbert (1974), Alpine Guide to Southwestern British Columbia, p. 171
  6. ^ a b "Kumkan Peak". BC Geographical Names.
  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. ISSN 1027-5606.
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