Buck Hill is a hill

Hill

A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...

 in east-central British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, located 17 km (10.6 mi) north of Clearwater

Clearwater, British Columbia

Clearwater is a district municipality in the North Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada, north of Kamloops. The largest community in the valley, with a population of 4,960, Clearwater is predominantly employed by the forestry industry. Tourism is also a major industry, with Wells Gray...

. It rises from the west slope of Trophy Mountain

Trophy Mountain

Trophy Mountain is a mountain in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located in the south-east region of Wells Gray Provincial Park. The Clearwater River flows to the west, Raft River to the east and Spahats Creek to the south. Trophy Mountain is part of the Shuswap Highland...

. Buck Hill is just outside the boundary of Wells Gray Provincial Park

Wells Gray Provincial Park

Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres...

.

Geology

Buck Hill is a cinder cone

Cinder cone

According to the , Cinder Cone is the proper name of 1 cinder cone in Canada and 7 cinder cones in the United States:In Canada: Cinder Cone In the United States:...

 in the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field

Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field

The Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field, also called the Clearwater Cone Group, is a potentially active monogenetic volcanic field in east-central British Columbia, Canada, located approximately north of Kamloops. It is situated in the Cariboo Mountains of the Columbia Mountains and on the...

. It last erupted about 50,000 years ago during one of the glaciations of the Clearwater Valley

Clearwater River (British Columbia)

The Clearwater River is the largest tributary of the North Thompson River, joining it at the community of Clearwater, British Columbia. The Clearwater rises from glaciers in the Cariboo Mountains and flows in a mostly southerly direction for to the North Thompson. Its entire course, except the...

. A slurry of lava debris and water flowed away from the cone and hardened in Second and Third Canyons further down Trophy Mountain. More recent glaciations have smoothed the sides of Buck Hill and several craters can be found on the west side.

Access

Buck Hill is one of the most accessible volcanoes in the Wells Gray Park area because one can drive to its base. Access is via Trophy Mountain Road off Clearwater Valley Road (also called Wells Gray Park Road), then some old logging and mining roads. The climb of 140 m (459 ft) to the top takes about 45 minutes. Other than at pits where recent mining for decorative lava rock has occurred, Buck Hill is densely forested and there are no views.

History

Buck Hill was named in the 1960s by Clearwater sheep rancher and guide, Ida DeKelver, for the numerous deer in the region. Emil and Ida DeKelver arrived in the Clearwater Valley in 1959 and settled on an 80-acre farm beside Candle Creek. At first, the DeKelvers raised dairy cattle. In 1962, they purchased a Trophy Mountain grazing lease and 100 ewes and rams from the Ronacher brothers. They soon expanded the herd to 300 and were very successful with the lush Trophy meadows. Their trail to the alpine followed Third Canyon Creek and passed just south of Buck Hill. Each spring and fall, it took three days to move their herd between the farm and the meadows. In 1969, mounting government pressure against grazing lease-holders persuaded the DeKelvers to switch to guiding and trail-riding on Trophy Mountain. They built a new trail up Spahats Creek which was much shorter than the Third Canyon route, although strenuous compared to today’s stroll to the meadows. When logging started on Trophy Mountain in 1979 and roads were built almost to treeline, the DeKelvers’ business was ruined and they retired to their Candle Creek farm. Today, Ida DeKelver is the unofficial historian of the Clearwater Valley and devotes her time to the Yellowhead Museum.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Canada
• Volcanism of Canada
• Volcanism of Western Canada
  Volcanism of Western Canada
  Volcanism of Western Canada produces lava flows, lava plateaus, lava domes, cinder cones, stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, submarine volcanoes, calderas, diatremes and maars, along with examples of more less common volcanic forms such as tuyas and subglacial mounds.-Volcanic belts:*Anahim...