Bitterroot Mountains
Mountain range in Idaho and Montana, United States
The Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains (Salish: čkʷlkʷqin), is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains and Idaho Batholith, located in the panhandle of Idaho and westernmost Montana in the northwestern United States. The mountains encompass an area of 4,862 square miles (12,593 km2).
The mountains are bordered on the north by Lolo Creek, to the northeast by the Clark Fork, on the south by the Salmon River, on the east by the Bitterroot River and Valley, and on the west by the Selway and Lochsa Rivers. Its highest summit is Trapper Peak, at 10,157 feet (3,096 m).
01Northern Bitterroot Range
| Northern Bitterroot Range | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Rhodes Peak |
| Elevation | 7,930 ft (2,420 m) |
| Coordinates | 46°40′29.26″N 114°47′0.63″W / 46.6747944°N 114.7835083°W / 46.6747944; -114.7835083 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 66 mi (106 km) N/S |
| Width | 88 mi (142 km) E/W |
| Area | 1,869 mi2 (4,840 km2) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| States/Provinces |
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The Northern Bitterroot Range is the northernmost and shortest subrange of the Bitterroot Mountains. The Northern Bitterroots encompass 1,869 square miles (4,841 km2) and its two tallest peaks are the 7,930 foot (2,417 m) Rhodes Peak and the 7,770 foot (2,368 m) Quartz Benchmark.
The Northern Bitterroots also contain a smaller subrange, the Grave Creek Range. The Grave Creek Range is 262 square miles (679 km2) in area and its highest peak is the 7,270 foot (2,216 m) Petty Mountain.
02Central Bitterroot Range
| Central Bitterroot Range | |
|---|---|
| Another view of Trapper Peak, from US 93 | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Trapper Peak |
| Elevation | 10,157 ft (3,096 m) |
| Coordinates | 45°53′23.43″N 114°17′52.11″W / 45.8898417°N 114.2978083°W / 45.8898417; -114.2978083 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 103 mi (166 km) N/S |
| Width | 48 mi (77 km) E/W |
| Area | 2,993 mi2 (7,750 km2) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| States/Provinces |
|
The Central Bitterroot Range is the southernmost and tallest subrange of the Bitterroot Mountains. The Central Bitterroots encompass 2,993 square miles (7,752 km2) and its two tallest peaks are the 10,157 foot (3,096 m) Trapper Peak and the 9,983 foot (3,043 m) El Capitan.
The Central Bitterroots also contain a smaller subrange, the Como Peaks. The Como Peaks subrange is 79 square miles (205 km2) in area and its highest peak is the aforementioned El Capitan.
03History
The Bitterroot Mountains presented an unexpected, formidable obstacle to Lewis and Clark during their expedition westward, and ended their expectation of finding a "Northwest Passage" giving an easy connection from the Atlantic watershed to that of the Pacific.
Forest management
Guy M. Brandborg of the U.S. Forest Service, was supervisor of the Bitterroot National Forest from 1935 to 1955. By insisting on selection cutting, he tried to protect the watersheds and wildlife habitats that are harmed by clear-cutting. After he retired in 1955 Brandborg denounced the Forest Service for deviating from his model. He launched a public attack and lobbied to secure passage of the National Forest Management Act of 1976, that codified his model.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Bitterroot Mountains”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- TrapperPeakMT.jpg by G. Thomas at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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