Landforms of British Columbia 1976 - Department of Geography

to Eutsuk Lake on the southern side of the Chikamin Range. Along their eastern
side the Bulkley Valley separates the Bulkley Ranges of the Hazelton Mountains
from the Babine Range of the Skeena Mountains. From Telkwa south to Eutsuk
Lake the Hazelton Mountains are flanked by the Nechako Plateau. The plateau very
largely lies below 5,000 feet elevation and, although there may be a narrow transition
belt between the plateau and the mountains, it is convenient to use the line of the
5,000-foot contour as the boundary between the two.
The high points in the mountains are the Seven Sisters (9,140 feet) east of the
Skeena River, Brian Boru (8,200 feet) in the Rocher Deboule Range, Hudson Bay
Mountain (8,400 feet) at Smithers, and Tsaydaychuz Peak (9,085 feet) in the
Patullo Range. The majority of the peaks lie between 6,500 and 7,500 feet. Drain-
age of the northern mountains is by way of the Nass and Skeena Rivers and their
tributaries, so the relief is fairly high. From Morice Lake southward the drainage
is to the east by way of tributaries of the Fraser River, and the relief is generally less
because it is controlled by the elevation of the major lakes, such as Morice (2,614
feet), Tahtsa (2,765 feet minimum), Whitesail (2,765 feet minimum), and Eutsuk
(2,817 feet).
The mountains lie east of the eastern contact of the Coast Intrusions and very
largely are underlain by Mesozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks intruded by
isolated stocks and small batholiths of granitic rock of Cretaceous age. The Hazel-
ton Mountains comprise a number of mountain masses and ranges separated by
prominent valleys. Many of the ranges and smaller units have cores of granite.
The Hazelton Mountains comprise the Nass Ranges between the Skeena and
Nass Rivers, the Kispiox Range surrounded by and rising out of the Nass Basin, the
Bulkley Ranges between the Skeena and Bulkley Valleys and Morice Lake, and the
Tahtsa Ranges between Morice Lake and the west end of Eutsuk Lake.
Nass Ranges
The Nass Ranges (see Plate XXIA) lie west of the Skeena River and south of
the Nass Basin. A most remarkable feature of their northwest boundary is the prom-
inent northeasterly trending lineament that lies for about 30 miles along the southeast
side of the Nass Valley.
The ranges comprise serrate peaks below 7,000 feet elevation and rounded
summits and ridges below 6,000 feet. The area was heavily glaciated; the higher
peaks are sculptured by cirque glaciers, as are most of the north and northeast slopes
of the ridges and lower peaks. Ice draining from the Nass Basin moved across the
ranges and poured southwestward down Cedar River to the Kitsumkalum Valley,
scouring the valley as it moved.
The source of the lava forming the Recent lava plain in the Nass Basin is in
Tseax River in the Nass Ranges.
[References: Duffel& S,, and Souther, J. G., “ Terrace Area,” GecZ. Surv.,
Canada, Map 11-1956; Hanson, G., “ Reconnaissance between Skeena River and
Stewart,” Geol. Surv,, Canada, Sum. Rept., 1923, Pt. A, pp. 29-45; Hanson, G.,
“ Reconnaissance between Kitsault River and Skeena River,” GeoZ. Surv., Canada,
Sum. Rept., 1922, Pt. A, pp. 35-50.1
[Photographs: B.C. 468:58, 70, 75; B.C. 505:32.]
Kispiox Range
The Kispiox Range is a somewhat elliptical mountain mass 18 miles long and
8 miles wide that rises from the Nass Basin between the Kitwanga and Kispiox Rivers
to an elevation of 6,876 feet at Kispiox Mountain.
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