Sofa Mountain

Sofa Mountain is a 2,515-meter (8,251-foot) summit located in Waterton Lakes National Park, in Alberta, Canada. It is part of the Lewis Range which is a subset of the Canadian Rockies, and is the easternmost mountain in the Canadian Rockies, as well as the park. It is situated 5.4 km (3.4 mi) east of Vimy Peak, and the nearest higher neighbor is Crypt Peak, 4.6 km (2.9 mi) to the southwest.[1] Topographic relief is significant as the north aspect rises over 1,220 meters (4,000 feet) above Middle Waterton Lake in approximately six kilometers (3.7 mi).

Sofa Mountain
North aspect
Highest point
Elevation2,515 m (8,251 ft)[1][2]
Prominence38 m (125 ft)[1]
Parent peakCrypt Peak (2,615 m)[1]
Isolation4.59 km (2.85 mi)[1]
Coordinates49°01′17″N 113°47′09″W[3]
Naming
EtymologySofa (descriptive)
Geography
Sofa Mountain is located in Alberta
Sofa Mountain
Sofa Mountain
Location of Sofa Mountain in Alberta
Sofa Mountain is located in Canada
Sofa Mountain
Sofa Mountain
Sofa Mountain (Canada)
LocationAlberta, Canada
Parent rangeCanadian Rockies
Lewis Range
Topo mapNTS 82H4 Waterton Lakes[3]
Geology
Age of rockCambrian
Type of rockSedimentary rock
Climbing
Easiest routeScrambling Northeast Ridge[4]

History

The mountain was named in 1865 by Kootenay Brown who wrote: "Coming down from the mountain, where we got our first glimpse of the buffalo, we soon reached the prairie shore of a large lake at the further side of which a mountain rose to a sofa-like peak among the clouds. This mountain was afterwards called Sofa Mountain."[5][6] This mountain's name was officially adopted in 1943 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[3]

Geology

Like other mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park, Sofa Mountain is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was initially uplifted beginning 170 million years ago when the Lewis Overthrust fault pushed an enormous slab of precambrian rocks 3 mi (4.8 km) thick, 50 miles (80 km) wide and 160 miles (260 km) long over younger rock of the cretaceous period.[7]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Sofa Mountain has an alpine subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[8] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. Precipitation runoff from Sofa Mountain drains to the Waterton River and Belly River.

Northwest aspect

See also

References
  1. "Sofa Mountain, Alberta". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  2. Andrew Nugara, More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, 2014, Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781771600163, page 87.
  3. "Sofa Mountain". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  4. Andrew Nugara, More Scrambles in the Canadian Rockies, 2014, Rocky Mountain Books, ISBN 9781771600163, page 87.
  5. Dave Birrell, 50 Roadside Panoramas in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountain Books, 2000, ISBN 9780921102656, page 151.
  6. "Sofa Mountain". cdnrockiesdatabases.ca. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  7. Gadd, Ben (2008). "Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  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 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606. S2CID 9654551.
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