The Walcott Legacy
Walking in the Footsteps of Giants
Charles Doolittle Walcott didn’t just discover fossils in these mountains—he uncovered a window into life 500 million years ago that revolutionized our understanding of evolution. Between 1907 and 1926, Walcott and his family returned here year after year, establishing camps, building trails, and methodically excavating what would become known as the most important fossil site in the world: the Burgess Shale.
The Walcott Expeditions: 1907-1926
First Expedition to the Canadian Rockies
Charles Walcott, then Secretary of the Smithsonian, brings his family to the Canadian Rockies. Initial geological surveys begin, focusing on Cambrian formations in the region between Lake Louise and Field.
- July: Family arrives via Canadian Pacific Railway
- August: Establishes base camp near Field to study Cambrian sequences
- September: Extensive geological mapping throughout the region
- Begins systematic study of Middle Cambrian limestone and shale sequences
Stratigraphic Studies
Walcott returns to conduct detailed stratigraphic studies. He maps the Cambrian formations, establishing the geological framework that would later help him interpret the Burgess Shale discovery.
- Documents the Cathedral Formation reef limestone near Field
- Studies fossil assemblages in the Stephen Formation shales
- Establishes camps for extended field work throughout the region
- Maps geological sections from Lake Louise to Field corridor
The Discovery
On August 30, 1909, Walcott's horse reportedly slipped on the trail, dislodging a rock that revealed extraordinary fossils. This moment marked the discovery of the Burgess Shale.
- August 30: Initial discovery between Mount Field and Wapta
- September: First excavations begin
- Collected over 1,000 specimens in first season
- Helena Walcott assists with photography and cataloging
The Quarry Years
Walcott returns each summer with increasing resources and personnel. The main quarry is established and systematically excavated.
- 1910: Establishes the Walcott Quarry at 2,300m elevation
- 1911: Builds trail system still partially used today
- 1912: Sidney Walcott joins as field assistant
- 1913: Discovers new fossil beds on Mount Stephen
- Total specimens collected: Over 35,000
War Years & Limited Access
World War I limits expeditions, but Walcott continues smaller-scale work when possible. Focus shifts to studying previously collected specimens.
- 1914: Brief summer expedition only
- 1915-1916: No field work due to war
- 1917: Returns for limited collecting
- Publishes initial scientific descriptions
The Final Expeditions
Post-war expeditions resume with renewed vigor. Walcott, now in his 70s, continues his work with remarkable energy.
- 1919: Opens Raymond Quarry, 20 meters above original site
- 1920: Helena creates detailed photographic record
- 1921: Discovers new species including Marrella splendens
- 1924: Final major expedition at age 74
The Legacy Secured
Walcott's final visits to the region. His collection of over 65,000 specimens would revolutionize paleontology.
- 1925: Brief reconnaissance visit
- 1926: Last visit to the Burgess Shale
- February 9, 1927: Walcott passes away in Washington
- Legacy: 65,000+ specimens representing 170+ species
Geological Context: Reading the Ancient Rocks
Before discovering the Burgess Shale, Walcott spent years studying the layered geology of this region, meticulously mapping the Cambrian formations that record an ancient ocean ecosystem.
The Cambrian Sequence
The rocks around the Burgess Shale represent a progression from shallow reef to deeper water, deposited over millions of years during the Middle Cambrian (approximately 508 million years ago).
Key Cambrian Formations:
- Cathedral Formation: Massive reef limestone (Lower-Middle Cambrian)
- Stephen Formation: Thin-bedded shales and limestone containing the Burgess Shale
- Eldon Formation: Younger massive limestone above the Stephen
Walcott's Stratigraphic Work
Between 1907-1917, Walcott meticulously mapped the stratigraphic sequence, documenting how different rock layers told the story of an ancient ocean and the Cathedral Escarpment—a massive underwater cliff.
The Complete Sequence:
Walcott documented formations spanning hundreds of millions of years, from Cambrian through Ordovician and beyond, including the younger Skoki Formation (Ordovician, ~470 mya), which overlies the Cambrian rocks.
The Cathedral Escarpment
Walcott's detailed understanding of the stratigraphic sequence revealed the key to the Burgess Shale's exceptional preservation. The Stephen Formation was deposited at the base of the Cathedral Escarpment—a 160-meter underwater cliff formed by the Cathedral Formation reef.
Creatures living in the deep water at the base of this cliff were periodically buried by mudslides cascading down from above. This rapid burial in oxygen-poor conditions preserved not just hard shells, but also soft tissues, eyes, guts, and other delicate structures—something extraordinarily rare in the fossil record.
Field Work in the Region
The Skoki Valley area was part of Walcott's broader geological mapping expeditions. While his primary fossil camps were closer to Field, BC, Walcott systematically mapped the entire region:
- Extensive Mapping: Documented stratigraphic sequences from Lake Louise to Field and beyond
- Multiple Camps: Established various base camps throughout the region for different geological studies
- Complete Sections: Measured and recorded formations spanning Cambrian through Ordovician periods
- Trail Building: Crews built extensive trail systems to access remote geological exposures
While Walcott's famous fossil quarries were on Mount Field and Mount Stephen near Field, BC, his comprehensive geological work covered the entire Lake Louise to Field corridor, including the Skoki Valley where both Cambrian and Ordovician formations are beautifully exposed.
The Skoki Formation: Our Local Geology
The formation that gives Skoki Valley its name—and the rocks you'll see around our lodge— tells a different chapter in Earth's history, millions of years after the Burgess Shale.
About the Skoki Formation
Named after this valley, the Skoki Formation is a distinctive sequence of limestone and dolomite deposited during the Ordovician Period, roughly 40-50 million years AFTER the Burgess Shale.
Key Characteristics:
- Age: Early to Middle Ordovician (485-470 million years ago)
- Composition: Massive limestone and dolomite beds
- Thickness: Up to 600 meters in places
- Color: Characteristic grey to brown weathering
- Environment: Warm, shallow tropical sea
What Makes It Special
While not as famous as the Burgess Shale, the Skoki Formation is scientifically important for understanding the Ordovician biodiversification—the second great expansion of marine life.
Fossils Found Here:
- Receptaculitids: Enigmatic reef-building organisms (sometimes called "sunflower corals")
- Brachiopods: Shell-bearing animals that dominated Ordovician seas
- Gastropods: Ancient snails and relatives
- Cephalopods: Straight-shelled nautiloid ancestors
- Trilobites: Though less diverse than in the Cambrian
The Lodge Connection
When you hike to Walcott Lodge, you're walking through geological time. The valley exposes a remarkable sequence where you can literally see the transition from Cambrian formations (like the Stephen Formation containing the Burgess Shale) to the younger Ordovician Skoki Formation.
The dramatic grey limestone cliffs surrounding the lodge are Skoki Formation. These rocks—deposited on a warm, shallow seafloor about 475 million years ago—form the dramatic landscape that attracted both Walcott's scientific curiosity and today's wilderness enthusiasts.
Walcott's Ordovician Studies
While Walcott is celebrated for his Cambrian fossil discoveries, he was equally meticulous in documenting the complete stratigraphic column. His field notebooks contain detailed measurements and descriptions of the Skoki Formation, including:
- Precise thickness measurements of individual beds
- Documentation of fossil assemblages
- Correlation of the Skoki Formation across the region
- Recognition of its relationship to other Ordovician formations
Walcott understood that to interpret the Burgess Shale correctly, he needed to understand the entire geological context—from the older Cambrian rocks below to the younger Ordovician formations above.
See It Yourself
From the lodge, you can observe Skoki Formation outcrops in multiple locations:
- Valley walls: Massive grey limestone cliffs
- Trail exposures: Close-up views of bedding and fossils
- Alpine ridges: Weathered surfaces showing characteristic brown coloration
- Stream cuts: Fresh exposures revealing internal structure
While collecting is prohibited in the national park, our evening presentations include fossil replicas from the Skoki Formation, and we can point out visible fossils in place during guided walks.
The Burgess Shale: Window to Ancient Life
Why It Matters
The Burgess Shale preserves a complete ecosystem from the Cambrian Explosion—the most important evolutionary event in Earth's history. These 508-million-year-old fossils show soft-bodied creatures in extraordinary detail, revealing bizarre forms that challenge our understanding of life's diversity.
Key Discoveries:
- Anomalocaris: A meter-long predator, Earth's first apex predator
- Opabinia: Five-eyed creature with a trunk-like proboscis
- Hallucigenia: So bizarre it was originally reconstructed upside-down
- Marrella: The most abundant fossil, a unique arthropod
The Geological Marvel
The Cathedral Escarpment created unique conditions for preservation. Mudslides at the edge of an ancient reef buried creatures instantly, preserving even their soft tissues in remarkable detail.
Formation Process:
- 508 million years ago: Tropical seas near the equator
- Cathedral Escarpment: 160-meter underwater cliff
- Periodic mudslides: Instant burial preserves soft tissues
- Tectonic forces: Lifted seafloor to current elevation of 2,300m
Trilobites
Abundant Cambrian arthropods
Receptaculitids
Ordovician "sunflower corals"
Skoki Limestone
Weathered Ordovician rock
Continuing the Legacy
Today, the Burgess Shale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized as one of the most significant fossil sites on Earth. While the actual fossil beds are protected and accessible only through Parks Canada guided hikes, Walcott Lodge offers you the chance to stay where it all began—where the Walcott family made camp and changed our understanding of life on Earth forever.
Visiting the Fossil Sites
The Burgess Shale fossil sites are protected by law. Access is only permitted through:
- ✓ Parks Canada guided hikes (book well in advance)
- ✓ Virtual exhibits at the Lodge
- ✓ Our evening presentations with fossil replicas
Note: Unauthorized access to fossil sites is prohibited and subject to significant fines.