﻿CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  MOUNTAIN 
  AREA. 
  281 
  

  

  forests, 
  extending 
  southward, 
  over 
  the 
  Bitterroot, 
  the 
  Coeur 
  d'Aleno, 
  

   and 
  Salmon 
  Ranges, 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  the 
  Snake 
  River 
  Plains. 
  

  

  The 
  Missouri, 
  which 
  in 
  Northern 
  Montana 
  forms 
  the 
  front 
  rank 
  of 
  

   the 
  Rockies, 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  timber. 
  The 
  valley 
  of 
  Flathead 
  Lake. 
  

   lying 
  at 
  its 
  western 
  base, 
  contains 
  but 
  small 
  patches 
  of 
  open 
  grassy 
  

   country. 
  The 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  Deer 
  Lodge, 
  Bitterroot, 
  and 
  Hell 
  Gate 
  

   Rivers 
  are 
  all 
  open 
  and 
  grassy. 
  So 
  with 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Je*fierson 
  and 
  

   its 
  branches, 
  the 
  Madison 
  and 
  the 
  Gallatin. 
  These 
  valleys, 
  while 
  not 
  

   sufficiently 
  moist 
  for 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  timber, 
  are 
  not 
  too 
  arid 
  for 
  grasses. 
  

  

  The 
  Judith 
  Mountains, 
  the 
  Little 
  Rocky 
  Mountains, 
  and 
  other 
  minor 
  

   groups 
  scattered 
  about 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  northern 
  plains, 
  are 
  well 
  timbered, 
  

   the 
  former 
  particularly 
  so. 
  

  

  The 
  Yellowstone 
  River 
  heads 
  in 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  Xational 
  Park, 
  

   whence 
  it 
  flows 
  in 
  a 
  generally 
  northern 
  course, 
  nearly 
  to 
  the 
  latitude 
  

   4G°, 
  where 
  it 
  turns 
  at 
  right 
  angles 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  after 
  a 
  long 
  course 
  

   eastward 
  and 
  northeastward 
  it 
  joins 
  the 
  Missouri 
  at 
  Fort 
  Buford. 
  Its 
  

   upper 
  course 
  is 
  walled 
  in 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  by 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  Range, 
  which 
  

   separates 
  its 
  drainage. 
  A 
  heavy 
  growth 
  of 
  conifer® 
  covers 
  the 
  country 
  

   about 
  the 
  Upper 
  Yellowstone, 
  and 
  that 
  surrounding 
  Yellowstone 
  Lake. 
  

   On 
  the 
  river, 
  below 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  lake, 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  Mud 
  Geysers 
  

   nearly 
  to 
  the 
  Falls, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  10 
  miles, 
  and 
  westward 
  from 
  the 
  

   river 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  distance, 
  is 
  an 
  open 
  grassy 
  park 
  country 
  of 
  roll- 
  

   ing 
  hills, 
  which 
  was 
  in 
  former 
  times 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  an 
  arm 
  of 
  the 
  lake. 
  A 
  

   similar 
  area 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  Pelican 
  Creek, 
  a 
  tributary 
  to 
  Yellowstone 
  Lake, 
  

   a 
  few 
  miles 
  above 
  its 
  mouth. 
  Aside 
  from 
  these 
  open 
  and 
  burnable 
  areas, 
  

   very 
  little 
  open 
  country 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  this 
  river 
  or 
  its 
  tributaries 
  

   until 
  we 
  pass 
  the 
  Washburn 
  group 
  of 
  mountains. 
  This 
  group 
  of 
  mount- 
  

   ains 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  main 
  part 
  well 
  timbered; 
  the 
  lower 
  northeastern 
  slopes, 
  

   however, 
  down 
  towards 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Tower 
  Creek, 
  contain 
  little 
  timber, 
  

   and 
  thenceforward 
  the 
  valley 
  and 
  plateaus 
  of 
  this 
  drainage 
  system 
  are 
  

   bare 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  well 
  grassed. 
  Hayden's 
  Meadows, 
  opposite 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   of 
  the 
  east 
  fork 
  of 
  the 
  Yellowstone, 
  and 
  the 
  plateau 
  above 
  the 
  third 
  

   canon 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  on 
  its 
  left-hand 
  side, 
  are 
  nearly 
  bare 
  of 
  trees. 
  

  

  Glancing 
  now 
  at 
  the 
  east 
  fork 
  of 
  this 
  stream, 
  we 
  find 
  its 
  immediate 
  

   valley 
  as 
  far 
  up 
  as 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Soda 
  Butte 
  Creek, 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  

   latter 
  stream, 
  and 
  of 
  Slough 
  Creek, 
  are 
  all 
  open 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  grass 
  

   and 
  sage. 
  The 
  mountains 
  about 
  this 
  stream, 
  too, 
  contain 
  little 
  timber 
  

   on 
  their 
  lower 
  slopes. 
  The 
  high, 
  broad 
  ridge 
  which 
  separates 
  the 
  east 
  

   fork 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  river, 
  of 
  which 
  Amethyst 
  Mountain 
  is 
  the 
  culminating 
  

   point, 
  contains 
  very 
  little 
  timber, 
  but 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  grasses. 
  The 
  head 
  

   of 
  the 
  east 
  fork, 
  however, 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  deusely 
  timbered 
  region. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  of 
  importance 
  is 
  Gardiner's 
  

   River. 
  This 
  stream 
  has 
  an 
  open 
  valley 
  extending 
  from 
  its 
  mouth 
  to 
  the 
  

   forks, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  G 
  miles, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  width 
  of 
  2 
  miles. 
  

   Farther 
  up 
  the 
  stream, 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  west 
  forks, 
  is 
  an 
  open 
  val- 
  

   ley, 
  3 
  miles 
  long 
  by 
  3 
  in 
  width. 
  These 
  valleys 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  the 
  

   usual 
  mixture 
  of 
  Artemisia 
  and 
  grass. 
  

  

  