New Google Earth imagry for Wapiti Valley

[Ed Seedhouse]

Google Earth has added some new high resolution coverage on Northern Vancouver Island recently, and for the first time this gives a good view of the Wapiti Valley area and Dale Earnhardt dome.

If you are interested, oint your program to 49.990854 degrees north and -126.727756 deg. west, the approximate position of the foot of the big slab.

Still not as detailed as I'd like, but individual trees are resolved and the form of the dome is very clear. You'll know you are in the right area when you see the distinct keyhole shaped hanging lake at 848 meters on the coll between the dome and Bowhead peak.

Also is shown a fair amount of steep territory to the west of Grayback peak, notably a steep wall on Bryde peak from about 850 to 1100 meters, and a large white slab on the south side of the ridge betwen Lukwa mountain and Greyback, extending from about 550 to 775 meters altitude, about 350 meters of slab according to the ruler tool. However the quality of the rock may not be so good as a similarly colored but much smaller slab on the east side of Grayback has been explored but was very rotten.

Rather hard to get to this backside rock as none of the logging roads from the Nomash valley go close. There are roads up the Little Zebalos river valley but I don't think you can get a vehicle to that valley very easily.

There is also recent imagry of the Chief and area, more detailed than in the past, but the Apron is pretty well fully in shadow. The Grand is visible with it's major features apparent, though.


Ed