28 FOREST DISTRIBUTION 



The northeastern portion of the range is more like the Coeur 

 d'Alenes, having somewhat the natiire of a dissected plateau, 

 but the northern portion assumes the character of a more clearly 

 defined chain. 



The Kootenai Kiver enters Montana from the north, curves 

 to the west, then again to the northwest, and after a course of 

 about 80 miles passes over into northern Idaho. In the great 

 bend of this river lies the Pureell Range. These mountains are 

 of moderate height, pushing up to summits of 7500 feet, spread 

 rather widely across the area included in the bend of the river 

 and serve to continue the general barrier along the western 

 boundary of Montana. This is further augmented by the Galton 

 Range which extends from the international boundary at the 

 crossing of the Kootenai to the head of Flathead Lake. 



It will thus be noted that an almost continuous mountain 

 barrier extends from Yellowstone Park along or near the western 

 boundary of Montana, through most of its length essentially 

 parallel with the Continental Divide and about 100 miles distant 

 from it. The character and position of this barrier is a matter 

 of importance, as affecting the part between it and the Divide, 

 what is known as AYestern Montana, an area of about 22,000 

 square miles. Y'ithin this area are included some lesser ranges 

 of which two might be mentioned as adding certain topographic 

 features to the country west of the Divide. These two ranges 

 lie parallel and well within 50 miles of the main ridge. The 

 first, or more western, of the two is the Mission Range (15) 

 which extends for about 70 miles north and south and forms 

 the eastern wall of the lower Flathead VaUey. The western 

 face is a fault scarp, the eastern slope is less abrupt. The crest 

 of the range is elevated to 9500 feet at the southern end, and 

 inclines graduall^y to the north where it sinks beneath a plain of 

 glacial gravels and silts. The southern peaks are rugged and 

 precipitous, deeply cut by numerous cirques and troughs of local 

 glaciers, but northward the lower summits are rounded and 

 heavily forested, the forest extending down to the very shores 

 of Flathead Lake. About midway of the range a bold terminal 

 moraine swings westward from the mountain base, shutting off 

 the water.s of the lake on the north from the rolling prairies of 

 earlier glaciation on the south. Through this moraine the Flat- 



