A High Plateau, A Layer Cake

[Felicity Butler]

Cypress Hills
Geology
Interprovincial Park
Saskatchewan
Environment

http://www.tpcs.gov.sk.ca/EducationalInterpretiveProgramsCypress

A High Plateau
A Layer Cake

The highest point in mainland Canada between Labrador and the Rocky Mountains, the Cypress Hills form a high plateau surrounded by a rolling upland. Climbing sharply from the north, the Cypress Hills reach their highest elevation (1466 m) at Head of the Mountain, before gradually dropping back to the plains in the south. Formed by millions of years of sedimentary deposition, followed by millions of years of erosion, the Cypress Hills are known as an erosional plateau. Today, the Cypress Hills expose a unique cross-section of geological history found nowhere else in western Canada. The Cypress Hills resemble a giant layer cake, composed of many layers of sedimentary rocks. Each layer, called a formation, formed at a different time under different conditions. The youngest formations are found higher in the hills. Sedimentary rocks are made from sediments which have been deposited by water, and then compressed and cemented into
rock. The grain size of the rock indicates the environment in which the sediments were deposited. For instance, gravels are only deposited by fast moving streams, while fine clays are deposited in still water. Most formations are predominantly a single rock type, with thin interbedded layers of other rock types.

[Roger Nelson]

The Cypress Hills are certainly an interesting land form I go there every summer for the South Saskachewan Star Party held on the new moon weekend in August of every year. the skies are dark and usually clear. The hightest point is worthy of note but there are other places such as Chimney Coulee. I would be keen to hear more about the sacred places of the Hills.

[Felicity Butler]

Hi There Roger, thanks for your comments. Yes we are generally there when the Star Party is being held! One of our favorite places is Conglomerate Cliffs, we sit there for hours. Also the Log Pole pines are very special, we camped under them several times, but this year decided to camp in Sleepy Hollow, which as well worth while as the Moose came to visit!

I have googled ChimneyCoulee and gathered some info which I am going to post. Thanks, I had no idea it existed and plan on visiting it on my travels next year