Skookumchuck () is a Chinook Jargon term that is in common use in British Columbia English and occurs in Pacific Northwest English. Skookum means "strong" or "powerful", and "chuck" means water, so skookumchuck means "rapids" or "whitewater" (literally, "strong water"), or fresh, healthy water. It can mean any rapids, but in coastal usage refers to the powerful tidal rapids at the mouths of most of the major coastal inlets.
Places named Skookumchuck include: Skookumchuck, British Columbia, a town in British Columbia named for the large rapids in this area on the Kootenay River. Skookumchuck Hot Springs, British Columbia, a town in British Columbia Skookumchuck Narrows, a narrow entrance passage into Sechelt Inlet, a fjord in British Columbia's Sunshine Coast Skookumchuck Narrows Provincial Park, a park at the narrows Skookumchuck Rapids Provincial Park, a park near Mabel Lake, British Columbia Skookumchuck River, a river in southwestern Washington Skookumchuck, Thurston County, Washington, a populated place Skookumchuck Creek, Kittitas County, Washington Skookumchuck Creek, Idaho County, Idaho Skookumchuck Brook, Franconia, New Hampshire Skookumchuck Trail, Franconia, New Hampshire
Tidal rapids termed skookumchucks include: Quatsino Narrows
See also List of Chinook Jargon placenames Chinook Jargon use by English-language speakers
References
External links Kayaking the Skookumchuck Wooden sea kayak surfing Skookumchuck Rapids