Holy Cross Mountain
{{short description|Mountain in Alberta, Canada}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Holy Cross Mountain
| photo = Holy Cross Mountain.jpg
| photo_caption = West aspect
| elevation_m = 2650.
| elevation_ref =Aphrodite Karamitsanis (1991), Place Names of Alberta: Mountains, mountain parks, and foothills, University of Calgary Press, p. 116
| prominence_m = 189
| prominence_ref ={{cite web|url=https://peakvisor.com/peak/holy-cross-mountain-canada.html|title=Holy Cross Mountain, Peakvisor.com|access-date=2022-11-26}}
| isolation_km = 2.1
| range = Highwood Range
Canadian Rockies
| parent_peak = Mount Head (2,782 m)
| listing = Mountains of Alberta
| country = Canada
| region_type = Province
| region = Alberta
| part_type = Protected area
| part = Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park
| map = Alberta#Canada
| map_caption = Location in Alberta##Location in Canada
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 8
| mapframe-caption = Interactive map of Holy Cross Mountain
| coordinates = {{coord|50|25|18|N|114|37|53|W|type:mountain_region:CA-AB_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = {{cite cgndb|id=IAJYD|name=Holy Cross Mountain|access-date=2022-11-26}}
| topo = NTS {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|82|J|7}}
| rock = Sedimentary rock
| type = Fault block
| first_ascent = 1937 by Raymond M. Patterson
| easiest_route = ScramblingAndrew Nugara (2014), More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountain Books, {{ISBN|9781771600163}}, p. 202
}}
Holy Cross Mountain is a {{Convert|2650.|m|ft|abbr=off|adj=on}} mountain summit located in Alberta, Canada.
Description
Holy Cross Mountain is situated {{convert|85|km|mi|abbr=on}} southwest of Calgary at the southern end of the Highwood Range which is a subrange of the Canadian Rockies.Dave Birrell, Ron Ellis (2000), Calgary's Mountain Panorama, Rocky Mountain Books, {{ISBN|9780921102120}}, p. 20 The peak is set {{convert|14|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of the Continental Divide, in Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Stony and Wileman creeks which are tributaries of the Highwood River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,150 meters (3,773 ft) above the Highwood Valley in {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The mountain can be seen from Highway 40 and Highway 541, and is identifiable from as far as Calgary.
History
The mountain was named in the early 1900s by George Pocaterra for the shape of a white cross which appears on the east slope as snowfields melt in the spring.Dave Birrell (2000), 50 Roadside Panoramas in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountain Books, {{ISBN|9780921102656}}, p. 132 The mountain's toponym was officially adopted February 28, 1980, by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.
The first ascent of the summit was made in 1937 by Raymond M. Patterson.{{cite peakfinder|id=643|name=Holy Cross Mountain|access-date=2022-11-26}} A peak {{convert|6|km|mi|abbr=on}} northwest of Holy Cross Mountain is officially named "Patterson's Peak" in his honor.David Finch (2011), R.M. Patterson: A Life of Great Adventure, Touchwood Editions, {{ISBN|9781926971292}}]
Geology
Holy Cross Mountain was created during the Lewis Overthrust. The peak is underlain by folded and thrust-faulted sedimentary rock laid down during the Mesozoic and Paleozoic eras. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.{{cite book|title=Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias |author=Gadd, Ben |year=2008}}
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Holy Cross Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 | pages = 1633–1644 | issn = 1027-5606}} Winter temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. The months June through September offer the most favorable weather to climb the mountain.
Gallery
Mt. Head and Holy Cross Mountain.jpg|Holy Cross Mountain (right) with line parent Mt. Head (left) from Highwood Valley
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- Holy Cross Mountain: [https://www.yr.no/en/forecast/daily-table/2-5976379/Canada/Alberta/Holy%20Cross%20Mountain weather forecast]
- Holy Cross Mountain (photo): [https://www.flickr.com/photos/benandlarry/16291559330/in/album-72157648391362063/ Flickr]
{{Canadian Rockies|state=collapsed}}