284 Weed and Pirsson — Bearpaw Mountains, Montana. 



with one prominent higher point. In reality the mountains do 

 not constitute a chain of hills but an elevated tract 40 miles 

 long and 20 miles broad, dominated by high, prominent peaks, 

 few of which are named. The highest point, known as Bear- 

 paw Peak, reaches an elevation of 7,040 feet above the sea, 

 rising high above the neighboring summits, none of which 

 exceed 6,200 feet in height. Among the Indians this central 

 peak is called Heart Mountain, or literally the Heart of the 

 Mountains. The name of the mountain group is itself derived 

 from the Indian designation for Black Butte near Fort Assini- 

 boine, called by them the Bear's Paw. The mountains of 

 course became known as the Mountains of the Bear's Paw. 

 From Bearpaw Peak the streams radiate in every direction — 

 Clear Creek and Beaver Creek on th.e east and north, Big 

 Sandy Creek to the west, and Eagle Creek, which runs to the 

 Missouri, on the south, the other streams being tributary to the 

 Milk River. Even the highest and most rugged parts of the 

 region are easily traversed and offer none of the usual risks of 

 mountain exploration. 



The mountainous tract is formed of a central group of hills 

 and ridges, coalescing in the western part of the area where they 

 attain their greatest elevation. The eastern half of the moun- 

 tain area is relatively low in altitude and consists of two chains 

 of hills running east and separated by the broad open valley of 

 Peoples Creek. This valley, which is 3 to 6 miles wide, is 

 a smooth, grassy, alluvial plain sloping very gently from the 

 base of the hills to the stream channel, and is a terrace but 

 little cut by lateral gullies. It is eroded in soft Cretaceous 

 shales, in which there are numerous igneous intrusions. The 

 old outlet of the valley was unquestionably through a wide, 

 flat gap on the southeast side, where the flat terrace level 

 abruptly divides the southern line of hills. The creek 

 meanders quietly through an open bottom with occasional 

 patches of low rose bush, but without trees or even the com- 

 mon willow brush. The mountains on either side are smooth, 

 grassy, somewhat irregular and broken, and show slopes with 

 occasional masses of black or gray volcanic rock projecting 

 above them, conspicuous because of the contrast but not large 

 in amount. 



The central part is encircled by a hilly region of much less 

 altitude, whose slopes rise abruptly from the dimpled plain and 

 undulating ridges of moraine covered country, and its northern 

 slopes are covered by forests of pine. Groves of aspen occur 

 also in the highest valleys, and cottonwoods along a few of the 

 streams. Elsewhere the slopes are smooth and covered by a 

 carpet of grass that conceals the rocks, making rapid geologi- 

 cal observations impossible. 



