How nice to enjoy sunshine and blue skies over the Christmas season...and take in clear, unobstructed views of the peaks around us.
The snow-covered range in the background lies to the north of our place...and I would like to give you the names of a few the peaks...but I haven't a clue. They are part of B.C.'s majestic Coastal range...but putting names to peaks would require a little research on my part..To our east is the Cheam range. From my vantage point at 'My Front Porch'...I see only Mt. Cheam...as I'm a little too close to see the adjacent peaks.
( l-r Cheam, Lady, Baby Munday and Stewart)The first four peaks are often referred to as the Four Sisters...and are easy to see as one drives through the Fraser Valley. Cheam is a Sto:Lo name meaning 'a place of wild strawberries'. The Sto:Lo nation preferred to go goat hunting and berry picking on the lower portions of the mountain...and usually stayed away from the peak. Today...Mt. Cheam is a popular place to hike...and it's all about scaling the peak! I plan to do so again...sometime soon...maybe 2010.
Mt. Slesse is another peak in our area...not actually visible from our place...but lying to the south of us. There happens to be another mountain obstructing our view...but if I drive to our local mall this is the view of Slesse from the parking lot. The name Slesse means 'the fang'...for obvious reasons. I was four years old when an airplane carrying 62 people crashed into the pinnacle of Mt. Slesse, killing all on board. Pieces of the airplane were found the following year...but the area proved too rugged to recover much of the wreckage or any of the bodies. Because of this...the site is now protected by commemorative legislation making logging and souvenir hunting in the area illegal.
View of Slesse at sunrise from my friend's back deck...photo by LindaWe had friends over last night...two couples who moved here from another country...and one who came from the Canadian prairies. They reminded us that the scenery we enjoy...should not be taken for granted. There's no where else quite like it. And so I thought I'd give you a peek at a few of my favorite peaks today!
It is an 'in day' today...with the workload in the office calling to me...but there is always time to steal an occasional peek at Mt. Cheam.
Have a great day...
Canada definetly has some beautiful mountain ranges. You have a gorgeous view!
ReplyDeleteThanks Judy for that interesting info on those 'peaks'.
Beautiful for sure. It must be breathtaking on a clear day to look out and see the majesty of those peaks. Enjoy! Hope your duties are light and rewarding when they are done :0)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not to be taken for granted...God's country I call your corner. Simply exquisite. Hope that you have a wonderful view in the office!
ReplyDeleteOh, I got all the bloglist figured out eventually. Took me hours! I was not having very much fun with it and the one who dislikes my computer time grumbled throughout.
Thank you for the names of those peaks. I often have wondered of the names of some of them. You do have gorgeous views in your area. Maybe we should do a field trip .. .hunting for blueberries this next fall up Cheam.
ReplyDeleteWe drove in to Chilliwack from the ferry on Sunday and enjoyed the spectacular mountains. Quite awhile ago we spent a year in Abbotsford and the church we attended held an annual Mt Cheam hike. We made it to the top and I'd love to do it again someday.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful part of the world, and as your friends commented, a place to savour and enjoy the beauty.
Lorrie
We do live in the best part of the world. I am enjoying those peaks myself..
ReplyDeleteNext year I will join you on your field trip up the mountain.
After ten years in the flat terrain of Texas I never take mountains for granted!
ReplyDeleteTip: Don't fret a feather about finding out the names of the other peaks. That is what your local librarian is for! (not me in this case). Next time you are buzzing by the library, swing on in and ask. Librarians love those sort of questions, it is so much more interesting than telling folks where the bathrooms are!
And you get high marks for researching the back ground of the peaks that you did know. Isn't it fun to know that kind of trivia? Sure you don't want to become a librarian too?
PS: If you take up Lovella's blue berry hunting offer, maybe I can come tag along too!
ReplyDeleteOhfercryingoutloud...I had to look to find out about Baby Munday. Wow...Wikipedia sure knows how to deliver a romantic story, and I'm not going to research any more because I love the story just as it was told.
ReplyDelete(Ha ha. I know that now you are going to have to look too!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Munday
ReplyDeleteCuz I know you will want to see.
Of course I went to look it up, Jill! Even the offspring of famous mountaineers have peaks named after them back in the day. Now we are running out of peaks...and re-naming some of them after our current heroes...though not all think that is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteWho needs to go to a library...when we have our own on-site librarian here in bloggyland? Thanks, Jill.
Just gorgeous!! You are so blessed to have these views from your front porch Judy...enjoy those moments. I know when we are in MT and we walk out the front door it just takes our breath away!!!
ReplyDeleteDon't work too hard inside today!!!
Your friends are so right. I am always amazed and delighted by the beauty all around you. It is an incredibly beautiful area.
ReplyDeletePrior to discovering your blog, my idea of Canada was what I had seen in Ontario as a child. Thank you for sharing your beautiful corner of the country with us. The views are just breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteSpectacularly beautiful! We visited BC in 2007 and were overwhelmed by your beautiful mountains. So magestic. Where we come from our mountains are not very big so we are in awe of yours. I think you live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Cheers
Helen
PS We're off to the beach today
Having views like that is beautiful Judy! The only other place on earth that has views like that must be the Swiss Alps or perhaps Alaska.
ReplyDeleteMy son lives near the Colorado Rockies, but they are further in the distance with a few peaks that can be seen for many miles. Driving up into them is magical, however, and enjoy doing that so much if we have a chance when we visit.
"I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me"
Thanks for the tutorial on our Mountain peaks, Judy. When I moved here from Ontario 38 years ago, I was astounded that people here didn't seem to know the names of the mountains that surrounded them. Right from the beginning, they have become beloved friends to me - we too can see only Cheam from our house as we are too close to the end of the valley to see more but it is the first thing we look at each morning. If there's fresh snow or no snow, if the peak is clearly seen or obscured by cloud, It is our bellweather. Thank you for highlighting these beautiful mountains.
ReplyDelete