Northpost Spire is a 2,911-metre (9,551-foot) peak in British Columbia, Canada.

Northpost Spire
Northeast aspect, centered
(Howser Spire in the background)
Highest point
Elevation2,911 m (9,551 ft)[1]
Prominence119 m (390 ft)[2]
Parent peakBrenta Spire (2,958 m)[3]
Isolation1.01 km (0.63 mi)[2]
ListingMountains of British Columbia
Coordinates50°46′07″N 116°46′05″W / 50.76861°N 116.76806°W / 50.76861; -116.76806[4]
Geography
Northpost Spire is located in British Columbia
Northpost Spire
Northpost Spire
Location in British Columbia
Northpost Spire is located in Canada
Northpost Spire
Northpost Spire
Northpost Spire (Canada)
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
DistrictKootenay Land District
Protected areaBugaboo Provincial Park
Parent rangePurcell Mountains
The Bugaboos[2]
Topo mapNTS 82K15 Bugaboo Creek
Geology
Age of rock135 Million years ago[5]
Type of rockGranodiorite[5]
Climbing
First ascentAugust 1938

Description

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Northpost Spire is located in The Bugaboos, along the east side of the Vowell Glacier at the south end of Bugaboo Provincial Park.[6] Precipitation runoff from Northpost's north slope drains into the headwaters of Vowell Creek → Bobbie Burns Creek → Spillimacheen RiverColumbia River; and from the south slope to Cobalt Lake → Bugaboo Creek → Columbia River. Northpost Spire is more notable for its steep rise above local terrain than for its absolute elevation as topographic relief is significant with the summit rising 1,100 meters (3,309 ft) above Vowell Creek in 2 km (1.2 mi). The nearest higher neighbor is Brenta Spire, 1 km (0.62 mi) to the south.[2]

History

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The peak's name was applied by James Monroe Thorington in 1930,[1] and the toponym was officially adopted on November 15, 1962, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[4] The first ascent of the summit was accomplished in 1938 by Dr. I. A. Richards and his wife Dorothy Pilley Richards.[7] The first ascent of the north face was made on August 20, 1966, by Fred Beckey and Jerry Fuller.[7]

Climate

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Based on the Köppen climate classification, Northpost Spire is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[8] Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Vowell Glacier below the peak's west slope.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Glen W. Boles, William Lowell Putnam, Roger W. Laurilla (2006), Canadian Mountain Place Names: The Rockies and Columbia Mountains, Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781894765794, p. 185.
  2. ^ a b c d "Northpost Spire, British Columbia". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  3. ^ "Northpost Spire, Peakvisor.com". Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  4. ^ a b "Northpost Spire". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  5. ^ a b Mary Caperton Morton (2017), Aerial Geology; A High-Altitude Tour of North America's Spectacular Volcanoes, Canyons, Glaciers, Lakes, Craters, and Peaks, Timber Press, ISBN 9781604698350, p. 42
  6. ^ "Northpost Spire". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  7. ^ a b Robert Kruszyna, William Lowell Putnam (III) (1977), A Climber's Guide to the Interior Ranges of British Columbia, south, American Alpine Club, p. 64.
  8. ^ 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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