Mount Prosperity National Park

Mount Prosperity

**Mount Prosperity National Park** is the most well known national park in Toin, located approximately 110 kilometres (68 miles) from Whitelaw. The park was established on 9 August 1897 as the first national park in Toin, preserving over 1,000 square kilometres of land, including Mount Prosperity, a 4,348-metre stratovolcano. The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land, with elevations in the park ranging from roughly 500 metres to over 4,300 metres. The highest point in the Heider Range, Mount Prosperity is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and 368 square kilometres of old-growth forest. More than 20 glaciers descent the flanks of the volcano, which is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow.

Mount Prosperity is a popular peak for mountaineering with some 12,000 attempts per year with approximately 60% making it to the summit.

## History

### Indigenous Toinans

The earliest evidence of human activity in the area which is now Mount Prosperity National Park dates back to roughly 6,000 to 7,200 BP (before present) found along the Stevens Valley Trail. A more substantial archaeological find was a temporary wood shelter near North Bassett Lake on Bear Harbour Island. Hunting artefacts were found in the shelter. Cultural affinities suggest the site was used by ancestors of the White Rabbit or Grey Wolf tribes that presently occupy the area, though such an ancestral culture would now be extinct.

The Department of Parks contracted the University of Whitelaw to study indigenous use of the Mount Prosperity area. David Achterkamp lead the study and concluded that prehistoric humans used the area most heavily between 5,800 to 3,100 BP, but found no evidence of permanent habitation in the modern park, concluding that the primary use of the area was primarily for hunting and gathering or occasional spirit quests.

### Flora

According to the Department of Parks, Mount Prosperity National Park has an Apline tundra environment. Many flowers, plants and trees commonly found in the Alpine areas of the northwest United States can also be found in the park.

### Fauna

Mammals that inhabit the area are the cougar, black bear, raccoon, coyote, bobcat, snowshoe hare, weasel, mole, beaver, red fox, porcupine, skunk, marmot, deer, marten, shrew, pika, elk, and mountain goat. Common birds of the park, including raptors, are the thrush, chickadee, kinglet, northern goshawk, willow flycatcher, spotted owl, steller's jay, Clark's nutcracker, harlequin duck, grouse, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, grosbeak, and finch.

### Park creation

On 9 August 1897, President Steven Potter signed a bill passed by Parliament authorising the creation of Mount Prosperity National Park, the nation's first such area. David Graham climbed to the summit in 1892 in what is the first recorded successful ascent. After experiencing the stark natural beauty of the area, Graham enlisted as a ranger with the Department of Parks and dedicated the rest of his life to the preservation and protection of nature, primarily through national parks. Very few citizens of Toin at the time did not want to protect the uninhabited wildlands of Toin in favour of the logging industry, but Graham and his climbing team encouraged the Geographical Survey and the University of Whitelaw, as well as other similar organisations, to pressure Parliament into passing a law that became the modern National Parks Act 1897. The overall effort lasted four years and involved two attempts to pass a bill through Parliament.

### COVID-19 pandemic

The park was closed in April 2020 indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Toin. The closure resulted in sightings of usually reclusive animals in and around the more popular trailheads. Since the federal closure of all national parks in Toin, several pressure groups urged President Eleanore Crew and Parliament several times to consider opening the national parks for daytime recreation, but no official action in response to this pressure was taken as of December 2020.

In November 2022, President Crew announced that the park would open in January 2023 for daytime recreation only, but camping and overnight stays were permitted with a special permit.

## Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, the best definition for Mount Prosperity National Park is oceanic-influenced Subarctic climate ("Dsc"). "Dsc" climates are defined by their coldest month being below 0 ­C, 1-3 months averaging above 10 C, at least three times as much precipitation in the wettest month of winter as in the driest month of summer.

According to the Department of Parks, White Rabbit Lodge is the "snowiest place in Toin where snowfall is measured regularly." The current record for snowfall is 26.2 metres in a single winter.

## Major attractions

### White Rabbit Lodge

**White Rabbit Lodge** is the name of an area at approximately 1,800 metres on the northwest slope of Mount Prosperity in the park and is the most popular destination for visitors. White Rabbit Lodge is near the subalpine valley of the White Rabbit River and is also the location of the David Graham Visitor Centre and National Guide House.

### Salmon Bay Museum

**Salmon Bay Museum** is a visitor centre in Mount Prosperity National Park, located 9 kilometres west of the Grey Wolf Entrance. The building is named after the nearby Salmon Bay and is supported by old-growth of Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock. It is home to the original Park Administration Building, which is the present location of the museum, and the Salmon Bay Inn. It is the second most popular destination for park visitors and is the starting point of the Stevens Valley Trail. The White Rabbit Campground is 5 kilometres to the northwest and the Grey Wolf Campground is another 6 kilometres north.

### Accidents and deaths

Many people have died in Mount Prosperity National Park, most having done so while attempting to climb to the summit in poor weather. The next leading cause of deaths have resulted from hikers going missing, but remains are usually found several weeks to several years after the incident that led to their disappearance.

The worst accident ever on Mount Prosperity was on the evening of 2 July 1983, when 12 climbers and two guides were killed while attempting to reach the summit in poor weather. 11 of the 13 bodies were recovered.