{{Short description|Plateau in British Columbia, Canada}} {{good article}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox landform | name = Kitsu Plateau | other_name = | type = [[Volcanic plateau]] | image = File:Mess Lake Lava Field.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = False colour image of [[pyroclastic fall|air-fall]] [[tephra]] on the Kitsu Plateau from [[The Ash Pit]] which is the circular [[depression (geology)|depression]] at bottom left centre | pushpin_map = Canada British Columbia | map_width = | map_caption = Location in British Columbia | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_relief = yes | pushpin_label = | mark = | marker_size = | location = [[British Columbia]], Canada<ref name="HR">{{cite map|url=https://volcano.si.edu/maps/GVAlaskaCanada/G910509-006.jpg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502071600/https://volcano.si.edu/maps/GVAlaskaCanada/G910509-006.jpg|title=Telegraph Creek, Cassiar Land District, British Columbia|scale=1:250,000|map=A 502|edition=3|type=Topographic map|publisher=[[Department of Energy, Mines and Resources]]|year=1989|language=en,fr|archive-date=May 2, 2021}}</ref> | coordinates = {{coord|57|27|59|N|130|45|06|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name="Kitsu">{{cite bcgnis|id=4627|name=Kitsu Plateau|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217063550/https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/4627.html|archive-date=December 17, 2024}}</ref> | coordinates_ref = | range = [[Tahltan Highland]]<ref name="HR"/> | part_of = [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex|Mount Edziza complex]]{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=32}} | age = 7.4 [[Megaannum|Ma]] to less than 20 [[Kiloannum|ka]]{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=267}}<ref name="Souther">{{cite map|last1=Souther|first1=J. G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|title=Geology, Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia|map=1623A|scale=1:50,000|type=[[Geological map]]|cartography=M. Sigouin, [[Geological Survey of Canada]]|publisher=[[Energy, Mines and Resources Canada]]|year=1988|language=en|doi=10.4095/133498|doi-access=free}}</ref> | formed_by = [[Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex|Volcanism]]<ref name="LD">{{cite book|editor-last1=Wood|editor-first1=Charles A.|editor-last2=Kienle|editor-first2=Jürgen|last1=Souther|first1=Jack G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eyDRib-FJh4C|title=Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada|year=1990|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|pages=124, 125|isbn=0-521-43811-X}}</ref> | geology = [[Comendite]], [[trachyte]], [[hawaiite]], [[alkali basalt]]<ref name="Souther">{{cite map|last1=Souther|first1=J. G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|title=Geology, Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia|map=1623A|scale=1:50,000|type=[[Geological map]]|cartography=M. Sigouin, [[Geological Survey of Canada]]|publisher=[[Energy, Mines and Resources Canada]]|year=1988|language=en|doi=10.4095/133498|doi-access=free}}</ref> | etymology = {{gloss|Northern lights}} in [[Tahltan language|Tahltan]]<ref name="Kitsu"/> | authority = | length = Approximately {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref name="HR"/> | width = Approximately {{convert|6|km|mi|abbr=on}}<ref name="HR"/> | elevation = Above {{convert|5500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}<ref name="HR"/> | last_eruption = [[Holocene]] age{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=234}}<ref name="LC">{{cite web|title=The Ash Pit|work=Catalogue of Canadian Volcanoes|publisher=[[Natural Resources Canada]]|date=March 10, 2009|url=http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/volcano_e.php?id=svb_tap_096|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211081936/http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/cat/volcano_e.php?id=svb_tap_096|archive-date=December 11, 2010}}</ref> | topo = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|104|G|10}}<ref name="Kitsu"/><br>NTS {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|104|G|7}}<ref name="Kitsu"/> | designation = [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]]<ref name="HR"/> | free_label_1 = Borders on | free_data_1 = [[Spectrum Range]] (southeast)<ref name="HR"/><br>[[Nagha Creek]] valley (south)<ref name="HR"/><br>[[Mess Creek]] valley (west)<ref name="HR"/><br>[[Raspberry Pass]] (north)<ref name="HR"/><br>[[Artifact Ridge]] (east)<ref name="HR"/> | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 8 | mapframe-wikidata = yes | mapframe-caption = Location in [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]] }} The '''Kitsu Plateau''' is a small [[intermontane plateau]] in [[Cassiar Land District]] of northwestern [[British Columbia]], Canada. It lies on the [[Tahltan Highland]] and is surrounded by several valleys, including those of [[Mess Creek]], [[Nagha Creek]] and [[Raspberry Creek (British Columbia)|Raspberry Creek]]. The plateau is drained by many small streams that flow into these neighbouring valleys and, unlike the valleys, it is relatively [[barren vegetation|barren of vegetation]]. Surrounding the Kitsu Plateau is [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]] which is one of the largest [[provincial parks in British Columbia]]. Access to this remote plateau is mainly by aircraft since motorized vehicles are prohibited from entering Mount Edziza Provincial Park.
The Kitsu Plateau is [[volcanic plateau|volcanic in origin]], consisting of lava flows that are [[interbedded]] with volcanic [[ejecta]]. These lava flows and the associated ejecta originated from several volcanoes of the [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex]] which has been the focus of volcanic activity over the last 7.5 million years. [[Alkali basalt]], [[hawaiite]] and [[trachyte]] are among some of the [[volcanic rock]]s comprising the Kitsu Plateau which is subdivided into five [[geological formation]]s, each being the product of a distinct period of volcanic activity. [[Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex|Volcanism]] on the plateau continued into the current [[Holocene]] epoch and created the [[Mess Lake Lava Field]] which contains small [[volcanic cone]]s.
==Geography and geomorphology== ===Location=== The Kitsu Plateau is on the [[Tahltan Highland]] east of the [[Boundary Ranges]] of the [[Coast Mountains]] and west of the [[Skeena Mountains]] in [[Cassiar Land District]]. Between the Boundary Ranges and the Kitsu Plateau is [[Mess Creek]] valley, which extends more than {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=off}} to the north where it separates the Zagoddetchino [[massif]] from the [[Big Raven Plateau]] in the east. The northern end of the plateau is bounded by [[Raspberry Pass]] which contains the east-flowing [[Bourgeaux Creek]] in the east and the northwest-flowing [[Raspberry Creek (British Columbia)|Raspberry Creek]] in the west. Between the Kitsu Plateau and the Skeena Mountains is [[Artifact Ridge]] and the [[Little Iskut River]], the latter of which flows north in a north–south trending valley and then flows southeast towards the Skeena Mountains into the [[Iskut River]]. In the southeast, the Kitsu Plateau is surrounded by the [[Spectrum Range]] whereas in the south the plateau is separated from [[Yagi Ridge]] by [[Nagha Creek]] valley.<ref name="HR"/>
Roughly {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|6|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide, the plateau lies at the southern end of the [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex]], which also includes the Big Raven Plateau to the north as well as the Spectrum Range and the [[Arctic Lake Plateau]] to the south.<ref name="HR"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=32}} The volcanic complex consists of a group of overlapping [[shield volcano]]es, [[stratovolcano]]es, [[lava dome]]s and [[cinder cone]]s that have formed over the last 7.5 million years. It contains four [[central volcano]]es along its north–south trending axis; from north to south they are [[Mount Edziza]], [[Ice Peak]], [[Armadillo Peak]] and the Spectrum Range.<ref name="LD"/>
===Drainage=== As a part of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex, the Kitsu Plateau is drained entirely by streams within the [[Stikine River watershed]].<ref name="HR"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=32, 33}} The only named stream on the plateau is [[Kitsu Creek]], which originates on the northern flank of [[Kitsu Peak]] in the Spectrum Range and flows northwest then north into Mess Creek, a [[tributary]] of the Stikine River.<ref name="Souther"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=113}}<ref name="NV">{{cite cgndb|id=JAIJN|title=Kitsu Creek|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref> Several small unnamed streams flow into Kitsu Creek and the neighbouring valleys of Mess, Raspberry and Nagha creeks; Raspberry Creek drains into Mess Creek whereas Nagha Creek drains into Kitsu Creek just northeast of [[Mess Lake]].<ref name="NV"/><ref>{{cite bcgnis|id=23314|name=Raspberry Creek|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820154437/https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/23314.html|archive-date=August 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite bcgnis|id=8993|name=Nagha Creek|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001004927/https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/8993.html|archive-date=October 1, 2021}}</ref>
===Structure=== The western, northern and southern edges of the Kitsu Plateau are marked by steep cliffs forming the [[Mess Creek Escarpment]], the southern side of Raspberry Creek valley and the northern side of Nagha Creek valley, respectively.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="Souther"/> At the Mess Creek Escarpment, the Kitsu Plateau rises more than {{convert|3000|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=off}} above Mess Lake in Mess Creek valley; Mess Lake has an [[elevation]] below {{convert|2500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} whereas the Mess Creek Escarpment reaches an elevation of more than {{convert|5500|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}}.<ref name="HR"/> The plateau surface is [[barren vegetation|barren of vegetation]], but at lower elevations the surrounding valleys contain [[Picea glauca|white spruce]], [[lodgepole pine]] and [[Populus tremuloides|trembling aspen]] forests.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="RG">{{cite web|url=https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/mt_edziza/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123120553/https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/mt_edziza/|archive-date=January 23, 2023|title=Mount Edziza Provincial Park|publisher=[[BC Parks]]}}</ref>
===Landforms=== The Kitsu Plateau is dominated by the Mess Lake Lava Field, which extends from Raspberry Creek in the north to Nagha Creek in the south.<ref name="HR"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=235}} It covers an area of around {{convert|18|km2|mi2|abbr=off}} and contains three [[pyroclastic cone]]s which were the sources of lava flows that travelled westward towards the Mess Creek Escarpment.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=235}} The oldest cone, sometimes referred to by the [[numeronym]] ML-1, is at the northern end of the lava field, whereas the second oldest cone, ML-2, is at the southern end of the lava field.{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=214, 235}} Both cones are covered by [[tundra]] vegetation and have been slightly rounded by erosion, although their [[volcanic crater|craters]] are still recognizable. [[The Ash Pit]], sometimes referred to by the numeronym ML-3, is the youngest and southernmost eruptive centre of the Mess Lake Lava Field.{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=214, 235}} It lies on the steep southern slope of the Kitsu Plateau inside Nagha Creek valley and has been described as a pyroclastic cone or a conical [[explosion crater]].<ref name="Souther"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=234, 235, 320}}
==Geology== ===Stratigraphy=== The Kitsu Plateau is subdivided into at least five [[geological formation]]s, each being the product of a distinct period of volcanic activity.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=267}}<ref name="Souther"/> These periods of volcanic activity occurred during three magmatic cycles of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex; each cycle began with the effusion of [[alkali basalt]] and culminated with the eruption of lesser volumes of [[felsic]] magma.{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=1, 267, 276}} The two oldest geological formations comprising the Kitsu Plateau are the [[Raspberry Formation|Raspberry]] and [[Armadillo Formation|Armadillo]] formations, which were deposited by volcanic eruptions during the [[Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex#First magmatic cycle|first magmatic cycle]] between 7.5 and 6 million years ago. Overlying these two geological formations are the [[Nido Formation|Nido]] and Spectrum formations, which were deposited between 6 and 3 million years ago during the [[Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex#Second magmatic cycle|second magmatic cycle]]. The fifth oldest geological formation comprising the Kitsu Plateau is the [[Big Raven Formation]], which was deposited during the [[Volcanism of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex#Fifth magmatic cycle|fifth magmatic cycle]] in the last 20,000 years.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=267}}<ref name="Souther"/>
====Raspberry Formation==== [[File:MEVC map.png|thumb|350px|right|alt=A mostly green and brown map with labels depicting the locations of several geographical features.|Map of the [[Mount Edziza volcanic complex]] showing the location of the Kitsu Plateau]] The Raspberry Formation is exposed on the lower northern, western and southwestern sides of the Kitsu Plateau.<ref name="Souther"/> It has an elevation of less than {{convert|1310|m|ft|abbr=on}} along the Mess Creek Escarpment and consists of flat-lying basaltic lava flows [[interbedded]] with [[scoria]].{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=47}} More than {{convert|180|m|ft|abbr=on}} of Raspberry lava flows are exposed in the Mess Creek Escarpment, most of which were erupted from a shield volcano that formed on a [[Late Miocene]] [[erosion surface]].{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=6, 47}}<ref name="Souther2">{{cite journal|last1=Souther|first1=J. G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|last2=Armstrong|first2=R. L.|author-link2=Richard Lee Armstrong|last3=Harakal|first3=J.|title=Chronology of the Peralkaline, Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, Northern British Columbia, Canada|journal=[[Geological Society of America Bulletin]]|publisher=[[Geological Society of America]]|volume=95|issue=3|pages=342–344|year=1984|doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1984)95<337:COTPLC>2.0.CO;2|bibcode=1984GSAB...95..337S |issn=0016-7606}}</ref> These lava flows travelled westward into the ancestral valley of Mess Creek and originated from vents north of Raspberry Pass which were subsequently buried under younger volcanic deposits. A minimum age for the timing of Raspberry [[volcanism]] is 7.4–6.2 million years.<ref name="Souther2"/>
====Armadillo Formation==== Basaltic lava flows of the 6.3-million-year-old Armadillo Formation are exposed on the northern side of the plateau and along the Mess Creek Escarpment on the western side of the plateau where they overlie basaltic lava flows of the Raspberry Formation.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=267}}<ref name="Souther"/> Armadillo basalt flows are interbedded with [[pyroclastic fall|air-fall]] [[pumice]] and [[ash flow]]s of [[trachytic]] and [[comenditic]] compositions.<ref name="Souther2"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=83}} They were highly fluid and mobile at the time of their eruption as evidenced by their extreme persistence and relatively narrow thicknesses; individual basalt flows of this geological formation are less than {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} thick. The source of these flows was probably a cluster of vents further to the north called [[Sezill Volcano]] which may have been active prior to the onset of Armadillo volcanism.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=83}} In contrast, the interbedded air-fall pumice and ash flows probably originated from the more than {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} in diameter Armadillo Peak [[caldera]] northeast of the Kitsu Plateau.<ref name="LD"/><ref name="Souther2"/>
====Nido Formation==== Overlying the Armadillo Formation is the Kounugu Member, which is the only [[stratigraphic unit]] of the Nido Formation comprising the Kitsu Plateau.<ref name="Souther"/> It consists of basaltic lava flows, flow [[breccia]] and [[Agglutinate (geology)|agglutinate]] which were erupted 4.4 million years ago from at least four eruptive centres; these eruptive centres have since been deeply eroded and buried under younger volcanic deposits.<ref name="Souther"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=104, 267}} At least some of the Kounugu lava flows comprising the Kitsu Plateau may have originated from Swarm Peak further to the east, which issued lava that travelled westward; remains of the Swarm Peak eruptive centre are in the form of north-trending [[fissure vent|fissure]] swarms.{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=11, 105}} Lava from the Swarm Peak eruptive centre is exposed along the Mess Creek Escarpment where it overlies [[till]] and glacial-[[fluvial]] gravel derived from the Armadillo Formation.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=105}}
====Spectrum Formation==== The Kounugu Member is overlain by the 3.1-million-year-old Spectrum Formation, which is exposed along the Mess Creek Escarpment on the western side of the plateau and at the southern and eastern ends of the plateau.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=267}}<ref name="Souther"/> This geological formation largely consists of comendite, [[pantellerite]] and pantelleritic trachyte; all three volcanic rocks comprise lava domes, lava flows and minor breccia and ash flow deposits.<ref name="Souther"/> Spectrum trachyte flows on the Kitsu Plateau are the most distal remnants of the main [[Spectrum Dome]] and are relatively thin compared to those forming the adjacent Spectrum Range.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=113}} These trachyte flows are overlain by alkali basalt of the Kitsu Member, which is mainly exposed at the southern end of the Kitsu Plateau and along the western edge of the plateau.<ref name="Souther"/> This alkali basalt is in the form of lava flows and likely originated from vents of the Spectrum Dome which have since been destroyed by erosion.{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=113, 122}}
====Big Raven Formation==== The Big Raven Formation is the youngest and uppermost geological formation comprising the Kitsu Plateau, consisting of hawaiite and alkali basalt in the form of lava flows, [[lava bomb]]s, agglutinate and air-fall [[tephra]].<ref name="Souther"/> These [[volcanic rock]]s were deposited by eruptions during the [[Holocene]] and mainly comprise the Mess Lake Lava Field, one of the three Big Raven lava fields of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=267}}<ref name="Souther"/><ref>{{cite gvp|vn=320070|title=Spectrum Range: General Information|archive-date=September 22, 2022}}</ref> Alkali basalt flows from the two oldest pyroclastic cones in the Mess Lake Lava Field, ML-1 and ML-2, most likely cascaded over the Mess Creek Escarpment into Mess Creek valley, but no evidence of this phenomenon has been found on or below the escarpment.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=235}} The Ash Pit, which may be the youngest eruptive centre of the entire Mount Edziza volcanic complex, was the source of a {{convert|6.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|2.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide hawaiitic air-fall tephra deposit that extends to the north-northeast on the Kitsu Plateau.<ref name="Souther"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=234, 235}} It was also the source of a hawaiitic lava flow that travelled {{convert|3.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the northwest through Nagha Creek valley towards Mess Lake.<ref name="Souther"/> Residual heat from The Ash Pit eruption may have resulted in the formation of the [[Mess Lake Hot Springs]] {{convert|2.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the west in Mess Creek valley.<ref name="HR"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|pp=214, 241, 242}}
===Basement=== As a part of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex, the Kitsu Plateau is [[basement (geology)|underlain]] by the [[Stikinia terrane]].{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=32}}<ref name="Edwards">{{cite journal|title=Distribution, Nature, and Origin of Neogene–Quaternary Magmatism in the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province, Canada|last1=Edwards|first1=Benjamin R.|last2=Russell|first2=James K.|journal=[[Geological Society of America Bulletin]]|publisher=[[Geological Society of America]]|pages=1281, 1287|volume=112|issue=8|year=2000|issn=0016-7606|doi=10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<1280:dnaoon>2.0.co;2|bibcode=2000GSAB..112.1280E}}</ref> This is a [[suite (geology)|suite]] of [[Paleozoic]] and [[Mesozoic]] volcanic, [[sedimentary rock|sedimentary]] and [[metamorphic rock|metamorphic]] rocks that [[Accretion (geology)|accreted]]{{efn|''Accretion'' is the process by which [[terrane]]s are added to a continent, resulting in continental growth.<ref>{{cite dictionary|title=Dictionary of Geology and Mineralogy|year=2003|publisher=[[McGraw Hill]]|edition=2nd|isbn=0-07-141044-9}}</ref>}} to the [[continental margin]] of North America during the [[Jurassic]].<ref name="Souther"/><ref name="Edwards"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=39}} The rocks of this terrane are exposed to the south and southwest where they are largely buried under [[landslide]] and [[colluvium]] deposits, as well as stream gravel, [[outwash]] and [[braided channel]] deposits. Minor exposures of [[Cretaceous]]–[[Paleocene]] sedimentary rocks assigned to the [[Sustut Group]] are present in the mouth of Nagha Creek valley at the southwestern end of the Kitsu Plateau and are in the form of [[conglomerate (geology)|conglomerates]], [[sandstone]]s, [[arkose]]s, [[siltstone]]s, [[shale]]s or minor [[coal]].<ref name="Souther"/>
==Name and etymology== The name of the plateau became official on January 2, 1980, and was adopted on the [[National Topographic System]] map 104G/10 after being submitted to the [[BC Geographical Names]] office by the [[Geological Survey of Canada]].<ref name="Kitsu"/><ref>{{cite cgndb|id=JAIJQ|title=Kitsu Plateau|access-date=February 9, 2025}}</ref> It means {{gloss|northern lights}} in the [[Tahltan language]] and was likely chosen due to the plateau's association with Kitsu Creek and Kitsu Peak, whose names were also adopted on January 2, 1980, on the National Topographic System maps 104G/10 and 104G/7, respectively.<ref name="Kitsu"/><ref>{{cite bcgnis|id=4622|name=Kitsu Creek|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126160558/https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/4622.html|archive-date=January 26, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite bcgnis|id=4624|name=Kitsu Peak|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250620093938/https://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/4624.html|archive-date=June 20, 2025}}</ref>
==Provincial park== The Kitsu Plateau lies at the southern end of [[Mount Edziza Provincial Park]], a [[protected area]] founded in 1972 to preserve the volcanic landscape.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="RG"/> This remote wilderness area of northwestern British Columbia is not accessible by motorized vehicles to help protect the very sensitive environment. Instead, access is mainly via aircraft or unmaintained hiking trails that cross creeks.<ref name="RG"/> Mount Edziza Provincial Park covers {{Convert|266180|ha|acre|abbr=off}}, making it one of the largest [[provincial parks in British Columbia]].<ref name="RG"/><ref>{{cite gvp|vn=320060|vtab=Photos|title=Edziza: Photo Gallery|archive-date=January 14, 2025}}</ref> Hunting, camping, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing and nature studying are some of the activities available in Mount Edziza Provincial Park.<ref name="RG"/>
Wildlife in the area includes [[moose]], [[caribou]], [[mountain goat]]s, [[stone sheep]], [[wolves]], [[bear]]s, [[squirrel]]s, [[owl]]s, [[ptarmigan]]s, [[raven]]s, [[gyrfalcon]]s, [[grouse]] and migratory [[songbird]]s. The climate is characterized by warm summers and cold, snowy winters; temperatures are warmest in mid-summer during the day when they may hit the {{Convert|30|C|F|abbr=off}} range. However, temperatures can drop below freezing during summer nights, making snow or freezing rain a possibility at any time of the year.<ref name="RG"/>
==Accessibility== [[File:Mess Lake Lava Field west.jpg|thumb|right|False colour image of the Kitsu Plateau with the [[Mess Creek Escarpment]] in the foreground]] From near the Eastman Creek Rest Area south of [[Kinaskan Lake]] on the [[Stewart–Cassiar Highway]], the historic [[Yukon Telegraph Trail]] extends about {{Convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}} west to the Little Iskut River. From there, it enters Mount Edziza Provincial Park and continues another {{Convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}} west along Bourgeaux Creek through Raspberry Pass.<ref name="mapbook">{{cite book|editor-last1=Mussio|editor-first1=Russell|title=Northern BC Backroad Mapbook|publisher=Mussio Ventures|pages=88, 89|year=2018|isbn= 978-1-926806-87-7}}</ref> The telegraph trail then continues to the northwest through Raspberry Creek valley along the northern edge of the Kitsu Plateau for about {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}} to Mess Creek valley.<ref name="HR"/><ref name="mapbook"/> Only short segments of the Yukon Telegraph Trail are still passable, having been mostly overgrown since maintenance of the trail ended in 1936.{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=31}}
The Kitsu Plateau can be accessed via charter aircraft from [[Dease Lake]] and Tatogga Lake, the latter of which is near the community of [[Iskut]].<ref name="RG"/>{{sfn|Souther|1992|p=31}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bcparks.ca/tatlatui-park/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250807112509/https://bcparks.ca/tatlatui-park/|archive-date=August 7, 2025|title=Tatlatui Park |publisher=[[BC Parks]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bcparks.ca/spatsizi-plateau-wilderness-park/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831193229/https://bcparks.ca/spatsizi-plateau-wilderness-park/|archive-date=August 31, 2025|title=Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Park|publisher=[[BC Parks]]}}</ref> Private aircraft are prohibited from landing on the Kitsu Plateau lava flows, but Mess Lake is large enough to be used by float-equipped aircraft. Landing on the lake with a private aircraft requires a letter of authorization from the [[BC Parks]] Stikine Senior Park Ranger.<ref name="RG"/>
==See also== *[[List of plateaus in British Columbia]]
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
===Sources=== {{refbegin}} *{{cite report|last1=Souther|first1=J. G.|author-link1=Jack Souther|title=The Late Cenozoic Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex, British Columbia|work=[[Geological Survey of Canada]]|publisher=Canada Communication Group|series=Memoir 420|year=1992|isbn=0-660-14407-7|doi=10.4095/133497|doi-access=free}} {{refend}}
{{Mount Edziza volcanic complex}} {{Plateaus and highlands of British Columbia}}
[[Category:Plateaus of the Mount Edziza volcanic complex]] [[Category:Miocene volcanism]] [[Category:Pliocene volcanism]] [[Category:Holocene volcanism]] [[Category:Tahltan place names]]