Mount Morrison (Alberta)

Mount Morrison is a 2,765-metre (9,072-foot) mountain summit located in the upper Spray River Valley of southern Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada. Mount Morrison in not visible from any road in Banff Park, however, it can be seen from Alberta Highway 742, also known as the Smith-Dorrien/Spray Trail in Kananaskis Country. Mount Morrison's nearest higher peak is Mount Turner, 1.8 km (1.1 mi) to the north.[1]

Mount Morrison
Mount Morrison seen from Buller Pond
Highest point
Elevation2,765 m (9,072 ft) [1][2]
Prominence133 m (436 ft) [1]
Parent peakMount Turner (2806 m)[1]
ListingMountains of Alberta
Coordinates50°50′16″N 115°28′45″W [3]
Geography
Mount Morrison
Location of Mount Morrison in Alberta
Mount Morrison
Mount Morrison (Canada)
LocationAlberta, Canada
Parent rangeBlue Range[1]
Canadian Rockies
Topo mapNTS 82J/14[3]
Geology
Age of rockCambrian
Type of rockSedimentary rock
Climbing
First ascent1955 Don K. Morrison[1]
Easiest routeScramble[4]

History

Mount Morrison was named in 1918 for Sir Edward Whipple Bancroft Morrison (1867–1925), Major General in the Canadian Army during the First World War.[5][6] Earlier in his career, he served in the Royal Canadian Dragoons with Sir Richard Ernest William Turner in 1900 during the Second Boer War under the command of Brigadier-General Horace Smith-Dorrien.[1] Not coincidentally, Mount Morrison is situated two kilometres south of Mount Turner.[3]

The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1924 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.[3]

The first ascent of the peak was made in 1955 by Don Morrison.[1]

Geology

Like most of the mountains in Banff Park, Mount Morrison is composed of sedimentary rock laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic periods.[7] Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny.[8]

Climate

Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Morrison is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.[9] Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. In terms of favorable weather, June through September are the best months to climb. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Currie Creek, which empties into Spray Lakes Reservoir via Spray River.

  • Mt. Turner centered, Mt. Morrison left, Mt. Assiniboine right

See also

References
  1. "Mount Morrison". Bivouac.com. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  2. "Mount Morrison, Alberta". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  3. "Mount Morrison". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  4. "Morrison, Mount". explor8ion.com. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  5. Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: Geographic Board of Canada. 1928. p. 90.
  6. "Mount Morrison (Alberta)". PeakFinder.com. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  7. Belyea, Helen R. (1960). The Story of the Mountains in Banff National Park (PDF). parkscanadahistory.com (Report). Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2019-09-13.
  8. Gadd, Ben (2008). Geology of the Rocky Mountains and Columbias.
  9. 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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