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SALMON RIVER BREAKS J 

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BEAR TOOTH 

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( WYOMING 



Figure 1. - Map showing location of study area in the Northern Rockies. 



The Study Area 



The Mission Mountains Primitive Area is situated on the east slope of the Mission 

 Mountain Range encompassing approximately 75,000 acres (fig. 1). The high country west 

 of the crest, equally wild and beautiful, is in the Flathead Indian Reservation. The 

 Mission Range is narrow and high. Peaks rise up to 10,000 feet and tower more than 

 6,000 feet above the Swan Valley to the east and the Mission Valley to the west. It is 

 a very rugged range, having steep, deep, and narrow canyons. Small glaciers lie on sev- 

 eral peaks. Mountain goats, grizzly and black bear, deer, elk, coyotes, mountain lions, 

 and grouse are among the varied wildlife. Over 130 lakes provide a total of about 

 2,400 acres of water surface (fig. 2). Some lakes are barren; others offer good fishing. 

 Streams generally are very rapid, often brush-choked, and usually provide poor fishing 

 (fig. 3). The trail system is rather limited. Most of the trails are dead-end routes 

 up the deep, east-west canyons to the high cirque lakes. North-south trails, loop trails, 

 or trail connections from one drainage to the next are scarce. About half of the trails 

 within the Primitive Area and almost all on the west side of the Mission Mountain Range 

 are old Indian or packer trails, usually rough, steep, and unsigned. Campsites are not 

 abundant, and horse feed is very scarce (fig. 4). There are about 20 access points, 

 including six trails through passes from the Indian Reservation to the west. 



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