Category Archives: Place

Chetang Ridge

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Alberta. Ridge
E of Adolphus Lake
53.1725 N 119.0694 W — Map 083E03 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1956
Official in Canada
This ridge appears on:
Boundary Commission Sheet 32 (surveyed in 1922 &1924)
Boundary Commission Sheet 32 A (surveyed in 1924)

A number of Indian dictionary words have been applied to mountain peaks by modern travellers. The Indian practice, however, is more to describe a physical feature by a sentence than by a word. Such artificial names include the following: Chetang (hawk)…

— Douglas 1919

“Chetang Ridge” is listed at the Indigenous Geographical Names dataset as a word of undetermined language.

References:

  • Douglas, Robert [1881–1930]. “Notes on Mountain Nomenclature.” Canadian Alpine Journal, Vol. 10 (1919):31-35

Joel, Mount

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British Columbia. Former unofficial name
Cariboo Mountains, S of McLennan R
Not currently an official name.
This former unofficial name appears on:
Zillmer maps of Cariboo 1939-1948 [1946]

We went over over the ridge without much trouble, however, and then took a course westward a little below timber line, whereas, had we known it, we could have again taken a better route on the quite level alpine meadows above timber line. Shortly after noon we saw N3 below us and were surprised to see smoke in the valley. Jim thought the camper was Joel Nord, a prospector whom he knew, but he was not sure, so he cautioned me to be quiet as he approached the camp and held his loaded gun ready for firing.

It proved to be Joel Nord, who had been prospecting for mica in this locality for three years. We camped with him, and I obtained a great deal of information from him, for he had made a very thorough examination of the country to the N., S., and W. of us and had staked out over half a dozen mica claims that looked very promising. The information proved to be of great value and saved us considerable effort and time.

— Zillmer 1946
References:

  • Zillmer, Raymond T. [1887–1960]. “The exploration of the sources of the McLennan River.” American Alpine Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1946). American Alpine Club
Also see:

Nord, Mount

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British Columbia. Former unofficial name
Cariboo Mountains
Not currently an official name.
This former unofficial name appears on:
Zillmer maps of Cariboo 1939-1948 [1946]

We went over over the ridge without much trouble, however, and then took a course westward a little below timber line, whereas, had we known it, we could have again taken a better route on the quite level alpine meadows above timber line. Shortly after noon we saw N3 below us and were surprised to see smoke in the valley. Jim thought the camper was Joel Nord, a prospector whom he knew, but he was not sure, so he cautioned me to be quiet as he approached the camp and held his loaded gun ready for firing.

It proved to be Joel Nord, who had been prospecting for mica in this locality for three years. We camped with him, and I obtained a great deal of information from him, for he had made a very thorough examination of the country to the N., S., and W. of us and had staked out over half a dozen mica claims that looked very promising. The information proved to be of great value and saved us considerable effort and time.

— Zillmer
References:

  • Zillmer, Raymond T. [1887–1960]. “The exploration of the sources of the McLennan River.” American Alpine Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1946). American Alpine Club
Also see:

Swoda Creek

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Alberta. Creek: Smoky River drainage
Flows W into Smoky River near Wolverine Mountain
53.3097 N 119.2542 W — Map 083E06 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1956
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
This creek appears on:
Boundary Commission Sheet 32 (surveyed in 1922 &1924)
Boundary Commission Sheet 33 (surveyed in 1923)

“Swoda Mountain” is listed at the Indigenous Geographical Names dataset as the Stoney language name for Smoky River.

Palu Mountain

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Alberta. Mountain
Head of Carcajou Creek near Continental Divide
53.2417 N 119.2439 W — Map 083E03 — Google — GeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1956
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names
This mountain appears on:
Boundary Commission Sheet 32 (surveyed in 1922 and 1924)
Boundary Commission Sheet 33 (surveyed in 1923)
Pre-emptor’s map Tête Jaune 3H 1931

Named in 1922 by Arthur Oliver Wheeler [1860–1945] of the Alberta-British Columbia Boundary Commission.

Wheeler had visited the Alps and suggested this name because of the summit’s supposed resemblance to Piz Palü of the Bernina Alps, in the Grisons southeast of St. Moritz.

References:

  • Boles, Glendon Webber [1934–2022]; Laurilla, Roger W. [1959–]; Putnam, William Lowell [1924–2014]. Canadian Mountain Place Names: The Rockies and Columbia Mountains. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books, 2006, p. 195. Internet Archive [accessed 18 November 2025]