Athabasca Pass
Encyclopedia
Athabasca Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Canadian Rockies
. It is the headwaters of the Whirlpool River, a tributary
of the Athabasca River
.
The pass lies between Mount Brown
and McGillivray Ridge
. It is south of Yellowhead Pass
and north of Howse Pass
.
Since the first documented crossing by David Thompson
and his Native American
guide in 1811, the pass became a major point on the fur trade
route between Rupert's Land
and the Columbia District
, used by the York Factory Express
.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
. It is the headwaters of the Whirlpool River, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
.
The pass lies between Mount Brown
Mount Brown (British Columbia)
Mount Brown is a massif in the Canadian Rockies, located to the west of the Athabasca Pass. It was first ascended in 1827 by the naturalist David Douglas, who then wrote that its "height does not seem to be less than 16,000 or 17,000 feet above the level of the sea"...
and McGillivray Ridge
McGillivray Ridge
McGillivray Ridge is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia. It was named by Gabriel Franchere after McGillivray, William.-See also:* List of peaks on the British Columbia-Alberta border* Mountains of Alberta* Mountains of British Columbia...
. It is south of Yellowhead Pass
Yellowhead Pass
The Yellowhead Pass is a mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies. It is located on the border between the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and lies within Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park....
and north of Howse Pass
Howse Pass
Howse Pass is a pass through the Rocky Mountains. The pass was used by First Nations people such as the Kootenay and Piegan. European explorers first discovered the pass in 1806, and David Thompson explored it in 1807...
.
Since the first documented crossing by David Thompson
David Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
and his Native American
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
guide in 1811, the pass became a major point on the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
route between Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
and the Columbia District
Columbia District
The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. It was explored by the North West Company between 1793 and 1811, and established as an operating fur district around 1810...
, used by the York Factory Express
York Factory Express
The York Factory Express, usually called "the Express" and also called the Columbia Express and the Communication, was a brigade operated by Hudson's Bay Company in the early 19th century connecting York Factory and Fort Vancouver. It was named "express" because it was not used only to transport...
.