Vol. XIII, No. 10 WASHINGTON 



October, 1902 



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OUR NORTHERN ROCKIES 



By R. H. Chapman, 

 United States Geological Survey 



IF a line be drawn dividing the State 

 of Montana about the middle of its 

 east and west extent, the moun- 

 tainous area will be to the west and the 

 plains to the east of it. In the mountain- 

 ous region the Government has reserved 

 certain areas for the protection of the 

 forests, and much of the region I shall 

 describe lies within the Lewis and Clarke 

 Timber Reserve. 



The area of this reserve is about 6,000 

 square miles and covers both flanks of 

 the Continental Divide, which here sepa- 

 rates the waters of the Columbia and 

 Missouri rivers, and so includes the 

 main Rocky Mountain range. The 

 major portion of it is mountainous, and 

 lies between the Flathead Valley to the 

 west and the great plain of the Mis- 

 souri to the east, which stretches for a 

 hundred miles, a sharp contrast to the 

 ruggedness of the reserve. In these 

 valley areas are towns, ranches, roads, 

 and fences — marks of civilization. In 

 the Reserve rough trails and a few In- 

 dian camp-grounds, marked by a num- 

 ber of "teepee" poles, are about the 

 only culture features, although there 

 are a few cabins. 



It is our purpose in entering the re- 

 serve to visit prominent mountain peaks 

 to build cairns or signals of timber on 

 their summits, to make the necessary 

 observations to enable us to locate by tri- 

 angulation these signals, and to compute 

 the latitude and longitude, distance and 

 directions, from other known points. 

 These signals are to be used by the to- 

 pographers in mapping the reserve. 



It is also necessary to make sketches 

 of the route traveled, the existence and 

 condition of trails and camping places, 

 to make note of burned areas, and to get 

 as much general information as possible 

 of this wild region. 



I shall ask you to imagine yourselves 

 making a journey with me on horse- 

 back, our limited baggage and man)' 

 weeks' supplies packed on the backs of 

 mules. To such places as we cannot 

 ride and drive our train, we will take 

 our loads upon our own backs and 

 travel on foot. We will pass through 

 the Flathead Valley, take a course ap- 

 proximately northeast until, passing the 

 many ranges which make up the Rock}' 

 Mountain backbone, we emerge upon 

 the plain of the Missouri River. 



