Mount McKay

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For other uses, see Mount McKay (disambiguation).

Mount McKay
Mount McKay in early April 2007
Elevation	483 m (1,585 ft)
Location	Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	48°20'43"N 89°17'8"W
Type	Sill

Mount McKay is a mountain on the southern side of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, on the Indian Reserve of the Fort William First Nation. ^[1]

1 History
2 Features
3 Geology
4 References

[edit] History

McKay was originally known as the "Thunder Mountain" (Animikii-wajiw in the Anishinaabe language and locally written as "Anemki-waucheu"). The mountain was used by the First Nations for sacred ceremonies. Only until the construction of the road were non-First Nations allowed on this land.^[2]

[edit] Features

A lookout exists on the lower eastern plateau at an elevation of 150m, providing a view of Thunder Bay and the city's harbour. A small memorial commemorates dead Aboriginal people that fought in wars. There is a path on the eastern face of the mountain than can be used for hiking. Plants on the mountain include red and sugar maple and poison ivy (animikiibag—"thunder-leaf" in the Anishinaabe language). The top of the mountain has glacial erratics and jack pines. A small grove of yellow birch grows just south of the entrance gate.

A small, unmaintained trail can be used to reach the top (elev. 300m) from the lookout via the north face, with a heavy gauge steel cable that can be used for support. However, due to the grade and geology (mostly shale) of the face, this unsanctioned hike is considered dangerous, and is not recommended for novice hikers.

There is also somewhat of a trail on the west side of the mountain with somewhat of a giant stair case which is mostly shale it is more dangerous and harder then the north face.