Part of the ongoing Gold Country GeoTourism Program. All the fun of geocaching with an added tourism twist; discover tales of our pioneers, unearth geological wonders or reveal magnificent sites of beauty. If you enjoyed this adventure look for more in this series.
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Pavilion Mountain
Elevation 2,089 m (6,854 ft)
East of the Fraser River between Lillooet and Clinton lies Pavilion Mountain. It is the highest mountain in the Marble Canyon Range. The mountain has two summits; the north summit is 975 metes (3,199 ft), and the south summit is 940 metres (3,084 ft). Many Indigenous groups travelled long ways from various directions to the mountain, where gradual slopes provided easy access. Marble Canyon was one such route used for traveling. Hunting, especially of deer, was a popular activity here. At the subalpine elevations, visitors gathered plants for food. Indigenous people never felt an ownership of the land but referred to themselves as guests. Present day, the Tsk’wéylecw First Nations resides to the southwest at Pavilion, the name source, which is French for tent or flag.
The population of the Tsk’wéylecw First Nations in 1850 was estimated at 150 people by James Teit. The people lived on the north side of Pavilion Creek, east of Fraser River, about 23 miles northeast of Lillooet, some on the west side of Fraser River, and a few families living south. Formerly some of this band would winter along the east side of Fraser River close to what is now known as the community of Fountain.
Band elders traditionally used basalt sourced locally to hunt on Pavilion Mountain. The Interior Salish used 5 different types of stone for tool crafting including jasperoid, pisolite, tuff, chalcedony and quartzite. Traditionally hunting and quarrying were synchronous activities here and possibly dating back to prehistoric times. Current information from studies suggests that Pavilion Mountain had larger assemblages due to the importance and abundance of food resources in proximity. Pavilion Mountain had good lookout areas, hunting sites, gathering and processing sites, and base camps could be made as needed in the subalpine. Cooking, crafting, butchering, tanning, and wood working were just a few of the activities that took place in a base camp.
A peak in the Gold Rush Divide area of the Cariboo Mountains in British Columbia’s Interior Plateau region, Pavilion Mountain is a part of a complex group of peaks known collectively as the Seven Sisters and is visible from most of the Fraser Canyon. The Seven Sisters was an important landmark for early explorers and travelers coming up the river valley and quite possibly for Indigenous families traveling to the area to assemble for hunting and gathering.
"Wright's Road" from Pavilion Mountain to Kelly Lake, as it was once called, is now known as the Pavilion-Clinton Road. Originally established in 1862, it had eight 'switch backs' to the top and was a very treacherous road. Old timers working for the Diamond S Ranch, originally established as the Carson Ranch, talk about how the descent down the north side of the mountain would be hell on the primitive brake systems of wagons and early trucks.
A note from Marilyn Allison (nee Murray) in 2008 states “For the first few weeks of travelling up and down the mountain, my mother walked the road, frightened to death to go by car.” Her family had lived and worked on the ranch when it was known as the Carson Ranch and were still there at the change to Diamond S Ranch. And, a Mrs. B.T. Roger’s writes on July 7, 1899 “The road to Clinton goes over the mountain. We ascended to 4,850 feet, and then in 3 miles dropped to 3,500 – it was awful, the sharp turns terrible. We had two trees behind to save the wheels and brake.”
It has been mulled over by many as to why G.B. Wright chose such a difficult route for the building of this road. Easier routes with easier grades would have been possible. The 33 km gravel road winds its way up the mountain and climbs over its back side with some 12 and 18 percent grades. This scenic well maintained gravel route can easily be travelled in summer and early fall without a 4x4 providing your breaks are in check!
Pavilion Mountain offers beautiful views in all directions. To the east, one can see the Cariboo Plateau. The mountain was named by explorer and surveyor, Joseph Curtis who, in 1860, noted its resemblance to a pavilion. It is a popular destination for snowmobiling and back country skiing and offers several different trails for hikers of all levels; the most popular being the 5.5 km hike to the summit. From the top of the mountain, hikers are treated to stunning views of the Fraser Valley far below.
Researched and written by Lana Rae Brooks and Brandy Cooper-Chardon
Sources:
https://www.afn.ca/honoring-earth/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavilion_Mountain
https://docs2.cer-rec.gc.ca/ll-eng/llisapi.dll/fetch/2000/90464/90552/548311/956726/2392873/3614457/3615225/3635142/3718931/A96444-5_Appendix_2a_-_James_Tait%2C_The_Shuswap_%28part1of2%29_-_A6L6C9.pdf?nodeid=3718519&vernum=-2
http://archpress.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/archpress/catalog/download/62/32/1330-1?inline=1
– Pg 177
https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/bib77242-1.pdf
Branwen Patenaude, in Trails to Gold (Horsdal & Schubart, 1995, page 78)
Mrs. B.T. Rogers' diary from July, 1899 (privately published in 1985 as M.I.Rogers 1869-1965, edited by Michael Kluckner)