Clachnacudainn Range
-
subrange of the
Selkirks in B.C.
The
Selkirk Mountains begin in northeast
Washington where they are low forested
ridges that separate scenic, small farm
valleys. In northern Idaho, the Selkirks
begin rather abruptly, but the most
striking part of the range is in British
Columbia, especially north of the small
city of Nelson.
Several of small portions of this
range have been reserved as
spectacular provincial parks,
wilderness areas, and two small
national parks, but most of the range
in open to serious logging. Most
drainages, including hundreds of
thousands of acres of interior old
growth rain forest have been logged
without anyone but local folks even
being aware. The off-the-tourist-track
traveler will find mountains and
forests so pretty they almost bring a
tear, and then emerge into a large
rectangular clearcut. One advantage of
the logging in this country, however,
is that unlike most of the logging in
the interior Rocky Mountains of the
United States, the trees rapidly grow
back due to the high rainfall. If
anything, my impression is that the
clearcuts often come back in vast
fields of berries and provide habitat
for many black bears. The open roads,
however, are bad for grizzly bears,
and the Selkirk grizzly bear is in
trouble, especially south of Nelson.
In
British Columbia, the Selkirks
are paralleled by two equally
spectacular chains of mountains
-- the
Purcells
and the Monashees. Eventually
the Purcell merges into the
Selkirks, and then the Selkirks
and Monashee become the Cariboo
Mountains.
Battle Mountain in the Battle
Range of the Selkirks. Photo
from the Incomappleux River
canyon.
Copyright Ralph Maughan
Subranges of the Selkirks in
B.C.
-
Adamant Range
-
Badshot Range
-
Battle Range
-
Bonnington Range
-
Clachnacudainn Range
-
Duncan Range
-
Esplanade Range
-
Goat Range
-
Kokanee Range
-
Nakusp Range
-
Ruby Range
-
Sir Sanford Range
-
Valhalla Range
-
Valkyr Range
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