| The Black Tusk | |
|---|---|
 The Black Tusk viewed from the southeast | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,319 m (7,608 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 569 m (1,867 ft)[1] |
| Listing | Mountains of British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°58′31″N123°02′34″W / 49.97528°N 123.04278°W /49.97528; -123.04278[2] |
| Geography | |
  The Black Tusk Location in British Columbia | |
 | |
| Interactive map of The Black Tusk | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| District | New Westminster Land District |
| Protected area | Garibaldi Provincial Park |
| Parent range | Garibaldi Ranges |
| Topo map | NTS 92G14Cheakamus River |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | Pleistocene |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Volcanic arc | Canadian Cascade Arc |
| Volcanic belt | Garibaldi Volcanic Belt |
| Volcanic field | Garibaldi Lake volcanic field |
| Last eruption | Pleistocene |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1912 byWilliam J. Gray and party[1] |
| Easiest route | Exposed rock scramble |
The Black Tusk, known asQ̓elqámtensa ti Skenknápa in theSt'at'imcets (Lillooet) language and asT'ákt'akmúten tl'a Ín7inyáx̱a7en in theSḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) language, is astratovolcano and apinnacle ofvolcanic rock inGaribaldi Provincial Park ofBritish Columbia,Canada. At 2,319 m (7,608 ft) above sea level,[3] the upper spire is visible from a great distance in all directions. It is particularly noticeable from theSea-to-Sky Highway just south ofWhistler, British Columbia. Distinctive and immediately identifiable, The Black Tusk is among the best known mountains in theGaribaldi Ranges of theCoast Mountains. The volcano is part of theGaribaldi Volcanic Belt which is a segment of theCanadian Cascade Arc, but it is not within the geographic boundary of theCascade Range.
The mountain traditionally is part of the border line between the Squamish and Lil'wat nations. To theSquamish people, this mountain is known asT'ákt'akmúten tl'a Ín7inyáx̱a7en, which means "Landing Place of the Thunderbird", speaking of the supernaturalÍn7inyáx̱a7en orThunderbird. The jagged shape of the mountain and its black colouring are said to come from the Thunderbird's lightning.[4] The same is true forMount Cayley, anotherstratovolcano farther north.
The Black Tusk is considered to be the remnant of anextinctandesiticstratovolcano which formed between about 1.3 and 1.1 million years ago.[5] Following glacial dissection, renewed volcanism produced thelava dome and flow forming its summit about 170,000 years ago. According toNatural Resources Canada, The Black Tusk was "perhaps the conduit forlava within acinder-rich volcano. The loose cinder has eroded, leaving only the hard lava core."[6] The exposed lava rock of the core is loose andfriable. It is also black, giving the mountain its name and character.Cinder Cone, to the east of The Black Tusk, produced a 9 km (6 mi) longlava flow during the latePleistocene or earlyHolocene.
The mountain currently hosts two significantglaciers, in largecirques carved into the northeastern and northwestern flanks of the broad cone below the lava pinnacle. Both glaciers start from about 2,100 m (6,890 ft) and flow northwards to below 1,800 m (5,906 ft). The glaciers are heavily covered in rocky debris due to the crumbling nature of the Tusk's rock.
The Black Tusk is a member of the chain of volcanic peaks that run from southwestern British Columbia to northern California. The peaks formed in the past 35 million years as theJuan de Fuca,Gorda andExplorer plates to its west have beensubducting under theNorth American Plate at theCascadia subduction zone.
The Black Tusk's lower flanks and south summit are a popular backcountryhiking andscrambling destination. Most hikers approach from the Taylor Meadows campground to the south nearGaribaldi Lake, although there is a second route from the north that travels by way ofHelm Lake.[7]
The upper summit area at the top of the lava column can only be reached by scrambling up a short but exposed rock chimney to reach the south summit.[3] The true summit, only about a metre higher, lies just to the north across a precipitous drop. It is rarely climbed, requiring arappel of about 10 m (33 ft) into a notch followed by a loose and dangerous reascent up the crumbling lava. On the northern side of the north summit stands an isolated and intimidating rock formation known as the "Bishop's Mitre", which is rumoured to be unclimbed.[4][8]
