146 BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 
ROST LAKE. (MUD LAKE.) 
This is a small lake, elliptical in outline, lying between Echo lake 
and Swan river. It is but.a few miles from either of the preceding, and 
about three miles from the base of the Swan range. This range rises 
abruptly from the plain, as does the Mission mountains, and was elevated 
in a similar manner. It may be seen by reference to Plate XXXVII, the 
small lake in the center of the illustration. Plate XLIV shows a general 
view of the lake from the outlet. 
The lake is a little over a mile in length from north to south, its 
width being about two-thirds its length. It is densely timbered with fir, 
spruce, white and yellow pine, birch, cottonwood, and alder on all sides, 
with small meadows here and there. Between the lake and the mount- 
ains is a gradually sloping plain, with dense forest, crossed by a few 
small streams whose sources are in the gulches on the mountain sides. 
The upper end of the lake is very marshy, much of it swampy, with 
sphagnum bogs and many small rivulets whose waters reach the lake 
through tortuous channels. West of the lake the forest extends with 
gradual slope to the low hills along Flathead lake and river. The forest 
near Rost lake is damp and swampy for the greater portion of the year. 
So soft is the soil that the few settlers have been obliged to corduroy 
the winding road cut through the lodge poles for a distance of nearly a 
mile. Most of the country about this and Hcho lake supports a dense 
undergrowth of thimble berry bushes. 
The lake itself is shallow, with deep mud bottom. In most places 
the water is but a few feet deep, in no place was it discovered to be 
more than eight or ten feet. In the shallow water a long oar could be 
pushed down full length in the mud. Asa result of this surface of shal- 
low water the sun’s rays in summer warm up the waters more than in 
any river or pond of the region, and the animal life and vegetation is 
correspondingly rich and varied. 
In early September, 1902, the waters of the lake were remarkably 
shallow. The passage up and down the lake was made several times in 
the canvas boat, carrying two men. With this load the boat was usually 
stirring up the mud in the bottom, although the water was perfectly clear. 
In many places it was almost impossible to row. A few spots were found 
where the water was three or four feet deep. In landing at the upper 
end the boat was dragged by the oars through mud to a hummock of 
grass. We were then obliged to carefully pick the way out by stepping 
from hummock to hummock. '!A misstep on one occasion resulted in a 
sudden drop to the waist before the hands could be thrown out. It was 
only by quick and active movement that I regained the solid? ground. 
Immediately around the waters of the lake the growth of native 
grass is rank. Where it is possible the residents cut this for winter hay. 
In 1902, a row boat could land only in a few places, so gradually does 
the water deepen, and so deep is the mud. The vegetation is encroach- 
ing on the lake very fast. Rushes, water lilies, potamogetons, and other 
hydrophytic forms grow even in the middle of the lake. As a consequence, 
although there are several small creeks bringing water into the lake there 
is no perceptible current across it. 
