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This Golden Guide attempts to introduce and explore a
widely known region-big, varied, and open enough to
tempt a multitude of visitors, many of whom stay to
swell the fast-growing population. The high, cool moun
tains have a long and involved geologic history and a
wealth of rocks, ores, and minerals. The climate they help
create belies the summer heat and produces a richness
and a variety of plant and animal life which all may en| oy.
Without the expert knowledge of Hugo Rodeck and his
staff the selection and checking of data would have been
difficult if not impossible. Richard Beidleman of Colorado
College also made his wide field experience available.
May I thank Gordon Alexander, William C. Bradley, John
B. Chronic, Don Eff, Gladys R. Gary, Russell M. Honea,
Edna Johnson, Albert Knorr, Urless N. Lanham, T. Paul
Maslin, Clarence J. McCoy, John Rohner, Orer Stewart,
Lowell E. Swenson, William A. Weber and Joe Ben Wheat
of the University of Colorado Museum; also Robert |.
Allen, H. Raymond Gregg, Arnold . Grobman, Donald |.
Hoffmeister, and Alexander Sprunt IV. Thanks go, also, to
the artist, Su Zan Noguchi Swain, to Sonia Bleeker Zim for
her work on the Indian tribes, and to all those who provided
photographs.
H. S. Z
Copyright 1964 by Western Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved
including rights of reproduction and use in any form or by any means, in
eluding the making of copies by any photo process, or by any electronic or
mechanical device, printed or written or oral, or recording for sound or visual
reproduction or for use in any knowledge retrieval system or device, un
less permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietor. Produced
in the U.S.A. by Western Publishing Company, Inc. Published by Golden
Press, New York, N.Y. library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 64-11054.
HERE ARE THE ROCKI ES .... . ...... .
An i ntroducti on to the great mountai n system
that forms the backbone of North Ameri ca.
Cl i mate; more i nformati on.
5
ROCKY MOUNTAI NS TODAY ............... :... 15
The ol d and new ci ti es, t hei r attract i ons. Tours
and touri ng; cal endar of events.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS...................... 23
I ndi an tri bes of the mountai ns and adj acent
pl ai ns; the Spani sh expl orers and the French trap
pers. Lewi s and Cl ar k and the openi ng of t he re
gi on; mi ni ng, settl ement and rai l roads.
THE GEOLOGI C STORY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The anci ent l ands that were upl i fted and al tered
to bui l d the Rocki es; the deposi ts of rocks and
mi neral s and the unusual fossi l s.
ROCKY MOUNTAI N PLANTS................... 61
The ri ch vari ety of pl ants from the pl ai ns to the
mountai n tops.
Fl owers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trees
ANI MAL LIFE OF THE ROCKI ES
62
73
The r i ch and di versi fi ed ani mal life with speci es
now becomi ng rare.
Mammal s .
Bi rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fi shes . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .
Amphi bi ans, Repti l es
I nsects .
WHAT TO SEE AND DO ................. .
87
97
1 08
1 1 0
1 1 3
N . ati onal Parks, Monuments and Forests; state
parks, museums, campi ng , sports and other
outdoor acti vi ti es.
I NDEX ........... . ......... . ........... . ... .
87
116
157
this book is an arbitrary area of some
400, 000 square miles, encompass
ing the core of the Rockies. Its 2, 200-
mile length includes parts of 5 states
The Rocky Mountai ns form a 5,000- mi l e j agged back
bone for North Ameri ca from Mexi co to Al aska. More
t han a h u ndred north - south ra nges ma ke u p thi s
mounta i n compl ex whi ch reaches i ts greatest wi dth
(300 mi l es) i n Col orado and Uta h . Col orado al one
boasts of 54 peaks over 1 4,000 ft hi gh. Mt. El bert i n
.
Col orado reaches u p to 1 4,4 1 9 feet but /
t hi s fal l s far short of Al aska's Mt. McKi nl ey,_
/
/ 20,32 ft
`
`
`
`
`
`
5
`
The Rocki es are not al l mountai nous . Between and
ar ou nd t he snow- capped r anges a nd coni fer- covered
sl opes ar e nat ur al par kl a nds, extensi ve pl atea us, brush
covered f l ats and semi - ari d deserts. Huge ra nches and
fa r ml ands hug t he mountai ns where l and has been cl eared
and water made avai l abl e.
At f i rst a gri m bar r i er to conti nent al conquest, the
Rocki es gradual l y began to attract settl ers beca use of
f u rs, mi ner al s, forests and agri cul t ur al l a nd found there.
Later, peopl e came beca use of the sti mu l at i ng cl i mate
and s u per b scenery. The Rocky Mounta i n regi on, sti l l
front i er cou ntry at the t u rn of t he centu ry, i s now boom
i ng i n popul ati on, i ndust ri al devel opment and cu l t ural
growt h. Vacati oners and new resi dents j oi n t he ol d- ti mers
i n enj oyi ng the f reedom and exh i l arati on "out where the
West begi ns. "
Upturned edges o f sandstone l ayers have eroded into unusual shapes; near
Col orado Spri ngs, Colorado
Si mpki ns-National Audubon Society
Bob and lro Spring
Hereford cattle pasture at the foot of the Sawto
.
oth Mountai ns near Stanl ey,
I daho
The great Rocky Mounta i n system i s often di vi ded i nto
a nor t her n a nd a sout her n part, whi ch ar e sepa rated by
broken pl atea us extendi ng f rom the Wyomi ng Basi n to the
Sna ke Ri ver Pl ai n. The Nort hern Rocki es begi n north and
west of Yel l owstone Nat i ona l Pa r k and extend on north
westwa rd i nto Canada and Al aska .
The Souther n Rocki es are mai nl y l ong, upl i fted ri dges
wh i ch, i n ri si ng, have upt ur ned l ayers of sedi ments on
ei ther si de. I n the north the Rocki es are more massi ve
and do not f or m r i dges wi t h u pt u r ned footh i l l s . I n both
areas t he Rocki es form the Conti nental Di vi de, where the
sl opes turn rai n and mel ti ng snow i nto ei ther t he Atl anti c
or the Paci fi c dr ai nage. The Di vi de and most Rocky ranges
are crossed by mountai n passes (the l owest usabl e paths
7
across t he mountai ns), th rough whi ch roads and rai l roads
f u n nel at el evati ons between 7, 500 a n d 1 2, 000 ft. The
d i scovery of South Pass i n 1 8 1 2 and ot hers afterward
hastened t he openi ng of t he West. Col or ado has 1 36
named passes, a nd the total nu mber for the Rocki es may
approach 500.
I n general , mounta i n soi l i s poor and rocky but i n the
natur al basi ns or parks are ri ch grassl ands. On the f l anks
of t he Rocki es-especi al l y to t he east and i n ri ver val l eys
-the soi l i s good and, wi th i rri gati on, produces f i ne crops.
I r r i gat i on means t hat corn, al f a l fa, mel ons, sugar beets
and t r uck crops can be ra i sed . Wi thout i r ri gati on, dry
fa r mi ng may prod uce sorgh u m, wheat, cor n or enough
grass for past ure. What used to be open range i s now
fenced and i mproved for catt l e. Sheep ma ke t he most of
th i n ner mountai n past ures.
The water of mountai n strea ms and l a kes i s carri ed by
i ngeni ous t unnel s and di tches to su ppl y power and i rri ga
ti on needs. Other natural resources of the Rocki es i ncl ude
great forests of pi ne, spruce and _f i r wi th some hardwoods
at l ower l evel s. The geol ogi c acti vi ty that fol l owed the up
l i ft of t he mountai ns honeycombed t he country rock wi th
vei ns ri ch i n l ead, zi nc, si l ver, gol d and copper. Petroleum
has been di scovered i n the Wyomi ng basi rs and el se
where. Coal i s mi ned i n the Rocky Mou nta i n foothi l l s.
The expl oi tat i on of these nat ur al resou rces a nd the
regi on's cl i mate and geographi c posi ti on have created i n
d u st r i es whi ch bol ster the mounta i n economy. Ra pi d
tra nsportati on by rai l and ai r, pl us the secur i ty of the i n
l and area , make the regi on attracti ve to new atomi c and
el ectroni c i ndustri es as wel l as to heavy and l i ght manu
fact ur i ng. The regi on i s far l ess dependent u pon eastern
manufact ur i ng t han i t was a generati on ago.
8
The tou ri st and vi si tor are attracted by what mi ght be
consi dered l esser natu ral resou rces. But the combi nati on
of c l i mate, scenery and a r i ch ness of nat i ve pl a nts and
ani mal s expresses the uni que physi cal and bi ol ogi c factors
t hat u ni te to make t hi s regi on so outsta ndi ng. Besi des,
t he Rocki es a re more centra l l y l ocated t han one mi ght
bel i eve. Denver, the gateway to the Rocki es, i s 830 ai r
mi l es fro m Los Angel es, 9 1 0 f r om Chi cago, 1 , 460 from
Washi ngton, 1 , 200 from
'
Atl a nta , 1 , 020 from Seattl e, and
1 , 080 from New Orl ea ns.
Ri ch farms fl l the ri ver val l eys near Mi ssoula, Montana
Bob and Ira Spring
`
;/
,
,
` ear l y mi grati ons of these peopl e before t he comi ng of
Europeans. By studyi ng tri bal ki nsh i p, rel i gi ons, i an
guages, myt hs and l egends, anthropol ogi sts have pi eced
a good part of the story together. We t hus know that the
Crow, Bl ackfoot, Shoshoni , Ute and Pi ute occupi ed thei r
l ands for a much l onger ti me than t he rel ati ve new-
`
comers, the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Si oux
`
a nd Assi ni boi n. The Kutenai , newcomers
a l so, were ori gi nal l y buffal o h unters who
were pushed northward.
THE SHOSHONI , UTE, PI UTE AND BANNOCK l i ved i n ad
j oi n i ng terri tori es and spoke Uta- Azteca n l anguages that
had a common
.
ori gi n. The total popu l ati on of these tri bes
was esti mated at 1 5, 000, but t he I ndi ans l i ved i n bands
of a few fa mi l i es each. These bands wandered over t he bar
ren l ands of the basi ns a nd pl atea us, l ed by a chi ef who
was a n a bl e h u nter or an ol der man. Whi l e the men l ooked
for game, the women and chi l dren gathered berri es, nuts,
and seeds, whi ch they ground i nto meal . Thi s was cooked
i n t he ha ndsome waterti ght baskets t he women ski l l f ul l y
wove. A stew was boi l ed by droppi ng heated stones i nto
i t. These tri bes l i ved in wi cki ups-homes bui l t of pol es
and reeds, l i ke huge woven baskets. For war mth they
pl astered t he wi cki u ps wi th mud mi xed wi t h grass. The
women ta nned deer and antel ope ski ns for cl othes and
wove pl ant fi bers to make ski rts. They al so wove stri ps of
rabbi t f ur i nto warm robes and bl ankets.
Thi s si mpl e, i sol ated l i fe changed after 1 700. The Sho
shoni were among the fi rst to l earn to breed horses i n
t hei r shel tered val l eys. They traded horses to the eager
Pl ai ns h u nters for buffal o robes, t i pi covers, and tanned
buckski ns. Shoshoni traders l i ngered on the Pl ai ns to hunt
a nd bega n to feud wi th the Bl ackfoot, t he Cheyenne and
Si oux over buffal o terri tory.
I n 1 805, a Shoshoni woman, Sacaj awea , and her h us
band gui ded the Lewi s and Cl ar k Expedi ti on across the
Rocki es, and i ntroduced the expl orers to her peopl e. Thus
peacef ul rel ati ons wi th the wh i tes began. After 1 869, the
Shoshoni and Bannock entered reservati ons at Ft. Hal l ,
Lemhi and Wi nd Ri ver. Thei r chi ef , Washaki e, sai d at the
t i me that he was yi el di ng to the "s uperi or tool s and terri
bl e wea pons of the whi tes. "
2
Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology
Earl y photograph of Shoshone camp i n Wyomi ng; the tent in the foreground is
that of Chi ef Washaki e
The Ute ra i ded Spani sh and Pueblo I ndi an settl ements
to t he sout h and occasi onal l y crossed t he mou ntai ns
to t he Col orado Pl ai ns t o h u nt buffa l o. After t hey got
horses, t he warl i ke Ute i ncreased t hei r rai ds. However,
t hey l ater reti red peacef ul l y to reservati ons. A "war"
f l ared up i n 1879 beca use the Ute, al ready l i vi ng on short
gover nment rat i ons, were forced i nto fa r mi ng-an occu
pati on t hey consi dered unworthy of hu nters and warri ors.
The u pr i si ng was q u i ckl y su ppressed . I roni cal l y, recent
di scovery of oi l and urani um on t hei r reservati ons has put
the modern Ute among the weal t hi est I ndi ans.
The Pi ute, whi ch may mean "true Ute, " l i ved mai nl y as
pl ant and seed gat herers, whi l e t he Bannock-a detached
branch of the Northern Pi ute-became buffal o hunters. I n
1860 t h e Pi ute cl ashed wi th gol d prospectors. Later they
were pl aced on reservati ons.
27
THE BLACKFOOT, one of the l a rgest (est i mated popul a
tion 10, 000) and most aggressi ve grou ps of northern buf
fal o h unters, roamed over a vast terri tory i n Montana and
Canada. Ori gi nal l y from the eastern woodl ands, the Bl ack
foot were so named beca use of thei r moccasi ns, bl ackened
by grass f i res started to stampede the buffal o herds.
The Bl ackfoot were al l i es of the Bl ood I ndi ans, Pi egans,
Atsi na and Sarsi . Together they fought the Cree, Assi ni
boi n , Shoshoni , Cr ow and Si oux. By 1 750 the Bl ackfoot
had horses; by 1 770, guns. Then they and thei r al l i es
r ai ded south for more horses a nd, i nto the Rocki es, for
caches of f urs, stored by the French a nd I ndi an trappers.
Ri ch and powerf ul , the Bl ackfoot hel d rel i gi ous ceremoni es
honori ng the Great Mani tou and Sun Dances to assure
good buffal o h u nti ng. They traded sacred bu ndl es and
songs wi th thei r al l i es to acqu i re greater h u nti ng powers.
They feasted and gambl ed and, at campfi res, tol d tal es of
personal bravery and stori es f rom thei r ri ch past.
The s ma l l pox epi demi cs of 1836, 1 845, and 1 857
brought d i saster to the Bl ackfoot. Thei r popul ati on was
red uced by two t hi rds. Epi demi cs hi t t he nei gh bori ng
tri bes and deci mated them too. Soon after, the buffal o
began to di sappear and by 1 880, these fri ghtened, de
moral i zed peopl e faced starvati on. Both the Uni ted States
and Canadi an governments provi ded rati ons and cl othi ng,
and pl aced the Bl ackfoot on three s mal l reservati ons i n
the Uni ted States and two i n Al berta , Canada.
THE FLATHEAD, numberi ng about 3, 000, were rel ated to
the I ndi ans of the Northwest Coast, al though the Bi tter
root Va l l ey of Montana was thei r ori gi nal home. They
never practi ced fl atteni ng of i nfants' heads, but were so
named i n error by the French. The Fl athead fought the
28
louis Frohman-The New York Public librar
A s ummer camp of the Blackfoot gathered far bufalo hunti ng
Bl ackfoot for buffal o l ands, but l ost, and i n the end were
pressed northward. I n 1 855 they were pl aced on reserves
near Fl athead Lake, Montana, and i n the Bi tterroot Val ley.
Many had a l ready been converted to Cathol i ci sm by
Father de Smet. I n 1 872 part of the Bi tterroot Val l ey Re
serve was pu rchased from the Fl athead and opened to
whi te settl ers.
THE KUTENAI , numberi ng onl y 1 , 000, were buffal o hunt
ers i n the ear l y days. They were pu shed northward f rom
the Pl ai ns by the Si ksi ka and Cree, who were a l l i es of the
Bl ackfoot. The hu nti ng Kutenai cont i n ued to l i ve i n ti pi s.
Those who beca me fi shermen a l ong I daho and Canadi an
l a kes bui l t l odges of rushes and pol es. They speared and
t r apped f i sh from bark canoes, made i n a n a nci ent styl e.
The Kutenai worshi ped the s u n and bel i eved thei r dead
went there to l i ve. Otherwi se, thei r bel i efs were l i ke those
of the Pl ai ns I ndi an h u nters. I n 1 855 and 1 867, the
Kutenai were put on reservat i ons i n Montana and I daho.
2
PLAINS INDIAN TRIBES, who l i ved al ong the east front of
t he Rocki es, h u nted i n t he mounta i n va l l eys. They were
mai nl y buffal o hunters, though some of them farmed.
As tri bes from the ri ch prai ri es were pushed i nto the
Hi gh Pl ai ns, each spread over a terri tory wh i ch t hey l ater
cl ai med and defended as t hei r homel a nd. For al l these
newcomers to the Rocki es, the buffa l o beca me the mai n
stay of l i fe, su ppl yi ng food , cl oth i ng, a nd shel ter. The
horse made hunti ng and movi ng easi er, and for over a
centu ry the Pl ai ns tri bes prospered.
In t he 1 870's and 1 880's as the buffa l o di sappeared,
t he tri bes were defeated and forced to reservati ons. The
Pl ai ns tri bes l i vi ng cl osest to the Rocki es were:
THE CROW, who cal l t hemsel ves Ab
sa rake ( meani ng Sparrowhawk. Crow
or Bi r d Peopl e). were d i vi ded i nto
western or Mountai n Crow and east
er. n or Ri ver Crow. Thei r total popul a
li on was about 4, 000. Crow men were
excepti onal horsemen and ski l l ed
craftsmen.
THE ATSI NA, who numbered about
3, 000, are now at Ft. Bel knap Res. i n
Mont ana. They a r e al so cal l ed Gras
Venires ( bi g bel l i es), al t hough no
st outer than thei r nei gh bors. Thei r
name i n I ndi an si gn l a nguage was
shown by ci r cl i ng the hands i n front
of the stomach, si gni fyi ng "bi g bel l y. "
THE ARAPAHO al so numbered about
3,000. They had been cor n- growers
i n Mi nnesota before comi ng to the
Hi gh Pl ai ns. Al though the Arapaho al
ways fought t he Shoshoni , they now
l i ve on the same reservati on at Wi nd
Ri ver, Wyomi ng.
30
THE ASSI NI BOI N, who once numbered
some 1 0, 000, separated from thei r
rel ati ves, t he Si oux, and l ater fought
wi th them. In Chippewa l anguage, As
siniboin means "one who cooks wi th
stones. " The Assi ni boi n are now at
Ft. Bel knap and Ft. Peck Res. i n
Montana.
SI OUX i s a contracti on of Nadoues
sioux. It means "enemi es" in Chi p
pewa , who fought the Si oux when they
l i ved farther east. The Si oux, some
25, 000 strong, i nvaded and spread
west to the Rocki es. They became
known as Dakota, Nakata and Lakota,
meani ng "al l i es. "
THE CHEYENNE were ori gi nal l y Mi nne
sota farmers, but qui ckl y adopted the
ways of t he Pl ai ns I ndi ans. Number
i ng some 3, 000, they seem to have
covered more terri tory whi l e h u nti ng,
warri ng and rai di ng than much l arger
tri bes.
THE SUN DANCE was an anci ent
Pl ai ns ceremony to honor the buffalo
and to i nsure good health and good
hunti ng. The ceremony lasted for ei ght
days. Most was taken
.
up i n secret
ri tes, in fasti ng, prayers and other
The MorgreHa S. Dietrick Collection
preparati ons. On the l ast day the pub
l i c was i nvi ted to watch the parti ci
pants pi erce t hei r flesh and endure
pai n to prove thei r courage and enli st
the pi ty of the l i fe- gi vi ng sun, the god
of "good medi ci ne. "
CLOTHING, ORNAMENTS AND DECORATIONS blossomed
out when trade goods, such as knives, cloth, beads, and
guns, became available in the 1860's to the 1880's. Robes,
parfleches, moccasins ard buckskin shirts were decorated
with dyed porcupine quills and glass beads. Men painted
designs on tipis and shields. They carved beautiful pipe
bowls of red catlinite and made long pipe stems of ash.
Each tribe developed typical designs, and individual
craftsmen became famous. See examples on pp. 32-33
and in local museums (pp. 148-150).
3 !
EARLY EXPLORERS AND TRADERS The fi rst whi te men
to see the southern Rocki es were Franci sco Coronado and
hi s men, who i n 1 540 ma rched north from Mexi co i n
sea rch of gol d. None of these Spa ni ards entered the regi on
covered by thi s book except for two parti es that came i nto
southern and western Col orado and i nto Utah i n 1 775-6
and these scarcel y entered the Rocki es.
Dur i ng the 17th centu ry a f l our i shi ng f u r t rade had
devel oped throughout eastern North Ameri ca to meet the
Eu ropean mar ket for beaver , marten , muskrat, bea r and
buffal o. Beaver was i n speci al demand for men' s hi gh felt
hats, and the su ppl y of these ani mal s was ra pi dl y ex
ha usted. By the earl y 1700' s trappers and traders, known
a s voyageurs a nd coureurs de bois, pu shed westward
al ong the r i vers and throu gh' the Great La kes. These
French, Engl i sh and Scotch adventu rers travel ed si ngl y or
i n smal l parti es. They l i ved wi th the I ndi ans and some
ma rri ed I ndi an women. The kni ves and beads, guns and
traps they brought were traded for f urs, and I ndi ans were
encou raged to trap and hunt.
Thi s 1 728 map makes t he frst menti on of t he Rocki es (far left)
Public Archives of Canada-from Trappers and Mountain Men. American Heritage Junior Library.
C. W. Jeferys-Coll. Paul J. W. Glasgow, courtesy Imperial Oil, ltd.-from Trappers and Mountain
Men. American Heritage Junior library
verendrye' s two sons travel i ng westward towards the Rocki es
One such 0u)ugcur from uebec was Pi erre Verendrye
who, wi th hi s fou r sons, had a tradi ng post north of Lake
Superi or. Here as he traded, Verendrye pi cked u p stori es
of westwa rd- fl owi ng ri vers and of " mou nta i ns that shi ne
ni ght and day. " Later an I ndi an made a crude chart of the
route to the west and put the Rocky Mou ntai ns on a map
for the fi rst t i me. Verendrye pushed westwa rd, bui l di ng a
seri es of t radi ng posts. He moved on to the Ma ndan i n
1 738 and probabl y got as f ar west as the Bl ack Hi l l s
i n 1742-43. Du ri ng the next 50 yea rs i t i s est i mated that
some 5, 000 uu)ugcur8 worked west of the Mi ssi ssi ppi .
I n 1763 a French trader, Pi erre Lacl ede, and hi s 1 4-year
old stepson wor ked thei r way up the Mi ssi ssi ppi to below
the mouth of the Mi ssour i . Here Laclede pi cked the si te for
a tradi ng post, whi ch he named St. Loui s.
35
Trappers and Mountain Men. American Heritage Junior library from Travels in the Interior of North
America. Maxi mi l i an, Prinz zu Wied-Neuwid Yale University library
A contemporary artist pi ctures a Gros Ventre I ndi an attack on a keel boat at the
mouth of Montana' s Bi ghorn River i n 1 833
THE UNITED STATES took over most of the Roc ki es as
pa rt of t he vast 827, 000 sq u a re mi l es acq u i red as the
Lou i si ana Purchase from France i n 1 803. Wi th $2, 500
voted by Congress, and wi th Presi dent Jefferson ' s bl ess
i ng, Meri wether Lewi s and Wi l l i am Cl ar k started to expl ore
the 1 5 mi l l i on dol l ar purchase. They wi ntered i n Ma ndan
I ndi an vi l l ages i n North Da kota and, wi th the hel p of a
Shoshoni woman ( p. 26), crossed the Rocki es i n 1 805, re
t ur ni ng the next year. About the sa me ti me, Zebul on Pi ke
headed west to di scover the mountai n that bears hi s name.
The opti mi st i c reports of Lewi s and Cl ar k sped Ameri
can t r appers on thei r t ra i l . Wi th i n a yea r they were work
i ng the u pper Mi ssouri and Pl atte ri vers. One, John Col ter,
d i scovered the Yel l owstone geysers. Soon competi ng com
pani es were pushi ng thei r way i nto the Rocki es. St. Loui s
became t he capi tal of t he Ameri can f ur trade by 1820. From
here keel boats went up the Mi ssour i a nd i ts br anches
ca rryi ng trade goods and bri ngi ng back f ur s.
Mea nwhi l e, i n Canada the Hu d son' s Bay Company
merged wi th the North West Company i n 1 82 1 and com
2
bi ned thei r resou rces to push thei r f ur trade i nto the
Roc ki es where Fl athead and Kutenai suppl i ed the pel ts.
Amer i can compani es were havi ng thei r trou bl es wi th the
Bl ackfoot and the Ari kar a. They hi red agents, a mong
others Mi ke Fi nk, Jededi ah Smi th and J i m Br i dger, who re
cr ui ted trappers an< worked wi th them t hrough the moun
ta i n s f r om Mont ana to Col or ado. Each yea r these moun
tai n men met near the Green Ri ver i n southern Wyomi ng
to repl eni sh s u ppl i es, to trade and to make merry. The
l ast great rendezvous was hel d i n 1 837. Changi ng styl es
and overtrappi ng had brought the f ur t rade to a hal t.
Another Ameri can, John Fremont, was a su rveyor on a
Mi ssour i Ri ver expedi ti on i n 1 838-4 1 . He was j oi ned by
Ki t Carson i n expl ori ng the Rocki es. They moved west,
and after a peri od i n Cal i for ni a, Fremont ret ur ned to survey
Rocky Mount ai n passes for a transconti nental rai l road.
I nformati on from thi s su rvey prepared the way for the
cross- country rai l l i nk compl eted some ten years l ater.
last great trade rendezvous al ong t he Green River i n Wyomi ng' s Wi nd Ri ver
Mountai ns i n 1 837
Collection Everet D. Graf-from Trappers and Mountain Men. American Heritage Juni or library
I. N. Phelps Stokes Collection, Prints Division, New York Public Library
Salt lake City as it appeared in 1 867
MINING AND SETTLEMENT went ha nd i n hand as the
Rocki es were opened up by traders and settl ers.
At the ti me of the Lou i si ana Purchase, the terri tory the
U . S. acq u i red had an est i mated popul at i on of 50, 000 to
80, 000, mai nl y French. I t a l so i ncl uded a few descend
ants of the Spani sh settl ers who had come i n 1763.
Ear l y sett l ements were tradi ng center s, s uch as New
Orl eans and St. Loui s.
Gol d l u red Ameri cans westwa rd i n 1849. By 1880 over
200, 000 had crossed the Mi ssi ssi ppi Ri ver . Of these,
1 00, 000 entered Col orado i n the 1 859 gol d r ush. Settl e
ments rose wi th each new mi ni ng fi el d, but many became
ghost towns as the ore gave out. Mi ni ng in the Rockies
was not as easy as i t was in Cal i forni a. Not unt i l 1890, when
Guggenhei m i nstal l ed heavy machi nery, di d l arge scal e
operati ons begi n. Soon Col orado became the l eader i n the
producti on of gol d and si l ver (Cri ppl e Creek) and al so pro
d u ced copper, l ead and zi nc, ti n , mol ybden u m and ura
n i u m. Col orado has al ready prod uced a tota l of over si x
bi l l i on dol l ars i n metal s and other mi neral s.
Utah was settled i n 1 847 by Mormons fl eei ng from per
secut i on. Mi ners, headed for the Cal i forni a g
o
l d fi el ds,
38
trekked through Sal t La ke Ci ty. Many stayed on to farm
and rai se cattl e. Some al so found gol d i n Utah; l ater , cop
per , si l ver , petrol eu m and coal were di scovered . Utah' s
ur ani um deposi ts represent 35% of the nati on' s total .
I n Montana, gol d was found i n the ea rl y 1 860' s i n the
Mi so Ri ver, i n Al der Gul ch , Vi rgi ni a Ci ty, around Bannock,
a nd i n Last Chance Gul ch. Hel ena beca me the capi tal .
Today Monta na sti l l mi nes copper, si l ver, l ead, zi nc, al u
mi num, t u ngsten, u rani um, pet rol eum and coal .
I daho gol d was found nea r Orof i ne i n 1 860; si l ver, i n the
Coeur d' Al ene area i n 1 884. The gol d r ush brought set
ti ers. I daho became a terri tory in 1 863 and a state i n
1 890. I daho sti l l mi nes copper, anti mony, magneti te, zi nc
a nd phosphates.
Wyomi ng, too, has great mi nera l resou rces -coal ,
petrol eu m, bentoni te, i ron, copper , u ran i u m, a nd phos
phate. The f i rst two are sti l l of i mporta nce. But the f i rst
settl ers i n Wyomi ng came from f ar ml ands and they turned
mai nl y to rai si ng sheep and cattl e and to dai ryi ng.
Hel ena, i n t he newl y organi zed Montana Territory, from an 1 865 pri nt
Prints Divfsion, New York Publ ic library
Southern Pacific Railroad-from Railroads in the Days of Steam. American Heritage Junior library
The j oi ni ng of the rai l s i n 1 869 at Promontory, Utah, compl eted the first trans
conti nental rai l road
RAILROADS AND SETTLEMENT A networ. k of rai l roads
to u ni te the conti nent and encou rage wester n settl ement
wa s proposed to Congress before the Ci vi l War by Asa
Whi tney, a New Yor k mercha nt. However , the costs were
hi gh and probl ems unprecedented , I n 1 864, the North
er n Paci fi c Company was authori zed by Congress to con
str uct a rai l way from Lake Superi or to Puget Sound, by a
northern route. The Uni on Paci f i c Rai l road Company was
authori zed to bui l d a rai l road f rom Omaha , Nebraska,
through Wyomi ng, Utah and Nevada to Cal i forni a, j oi ni ng
the Central Paci fi c headi ng east from San Franci sco.
Congress donated to each project a 400- foot ri ght-of
way, a l l the stone, t i mber and earth needed, pl us l and
grants of 1 2, 800 acres for every mi l e of track constructed.
40
I n addi ti on the compani es
were gi ven a 30- year l oan,
based on esti mated costs
per mi l e. Chi nese and I ri sh
l a borers were i mported. Ma- ,
chi nery was brought around
Cape Hor n and over l and.
Br i dges were bu i l t and tun
nel s bored . Herds of buffal o
were sl aughtered to feed the
work crews.
I n tri u mph over great hard
shi ps, the Uni on Paci fi c met
the Cent r al Paci f i c i n 1 869,
53 mi l es out of Ogden , Utah.
By thi s ti me, the Chi cago and
Northwester n had reached
The Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka-
m a h a a n d t h e K a n sa s Pa-
rrom Roi/,oods in the Days of Stm. Amedcon
Heritage Junior library
ci f i c had penet rated as far
By the 1 870' s rai l roads were adver-
west as Denver, to j oi n the
ti si ng for both settl ers and vi si tors
Uni on Paci f i c at Cheyenne at
a l ater date. Now western farmers, cattl emen and mi n
ers had outl ets for thei r prod ucts-both eastwa rd and
westwa rd .
The rai l roads, str uck by the 1 873 depressi on , sent
agents to the East and to Eu rope to attract settl ers and to
sel l thei r huge l and hol di ngs. They offered settl ers cheap
tra nsportati on and f i nanci al hel p. They succeeded i n get
t i ng many peopl e to buy l and. The regi on' s popu l ati on grew
f rom u nder 200, 000 i n 1 870 to al most a mi l l i on and a hal f
i n 1 890. Thi s , and the fenci ng of the open r ange, settled
the West.
4 l
1 540- 1
1 743
1 776
1 793
1 803
1 805-06
1 806-07
1 807
1 808-09
1 81 1
1 820
1 824 .
1 825
1 830
1 834
1 841
1 842
1 846
1 847
1 848
1 858
1 860
1861
1 863
1 867
1 867-69
1 869
1 871
1 872
1 874
1 876
1 883
1 887
1 889
1 890
1891
1 896
1 91 0
1 938
1 958
1 959
42
H I S T O R I C A L T I M E T A B L E
Coronado expl ores the southern Rocki es i n New Mexi co
The Verendryes vi si t the Wyomi ng Rocki es
Escal ante penetrates north of Utah Rocki es
Alexander MacKenzi e wi nters i n the Canadi an Rocki es
Loui si ana Purchase i ncl udes eastern sl ope of Rocki es
Lewi s and Cl ark cross and recross northern Rocki es
Pi ke expl ores the southern Col orado Rocki es
John Col ter di scovers the Yel l owstone basi n
Ameri can and Mi ssouri fur compani es establ i shed
Astori a- Hunt Expedi ti on crosses central Rocki es
Long Expedi ti on to Col orado; fi rst ascent of Pi kes Peak
Great Sal t Lake di scovered by Ji m Bri dger and Peter Ogden
Fi rst annual fur rendezvous, on Wyomi ng' s Green Ri ver
Rocky Mountai n Fur Company organi zed
Fort Hal l becomes fi rst major U. S. fort i n I daho Rocki es
Cal i forni a Trai l through South Pass opened
Fremont' s fi rst expedi ti on. Establ i shment of Oregon Trai l
Northwestern Rocki es acqui red f r om Great Bri tai n by U. S.
Mormon settlers reach Great Sal t Lake; establ i sh State of Deseret
Southwestern Rocki es acqui red from Mexi co
Gol d rush to Col orado Rocki es begi ns
Pony Express i naugurated across Rocki es to San Franci sco
Gol d di scovered in I daho' s Snake Ri ver Val l ey. Cheyenne-Arapaho
I ndi an wars commence i n Col orado
Montana gol d rush
Sal t Lake Mormon Tabernacl e compl eted. Western Si oux War
U. S. Geol ogi cal Surveys in West commence
Fi rst transconti nental rai l l i nks meet at Promontory, Utah
Provi nce of Bri ti sh Col umbi a enters Confederati on
Yel l owstone created as fi rst nati onal park
Bl ack Hi l l s gol d rush starts
Battl e of the Li ttl e Bi g Horn (Custer's Last Stand)
Col orado admitted to the Uni on as 38th state
Northern I daho' s gold rush starts
End of the open cattle range
Montana becomes the 41 st state
I daho (43rd state) and Wyomi ng (44th state) admi tted to Uni on
Cri ppl e Creek, Col orado, gol d rush starts
Utah becomes 45th state i n Uni on
Casper, Wyo. , oi l boom, l eadi ng l ater to Teapot Dome scandal
Bi g Thompson proj ect, di verti ng water to Eastern Sl ope, begi ns
U. S. Ai r Force Academy opens on Col orado foothi l l s
Yel l owstone earthquake
State of Colorado
The Front Range i ncl udes uprai sed and ti l ted sedi ments
Evi dences of normal geol ogi c cycl es go back over a bi l l i on
years. Seas i nvaded the l and; l ayers of sedi ments formed;
the l and rose, formi ng mou ntai ns; vol canoes er u pted.
And wi th sl ow i nsi stence s u n, wi nd, rai n , ri vers, and i ce
l evel ed the l and agai n. Li fe sl owl y devel oped. Some 60
mi l l i on years ago a great seri es of sharp upl i fts fol ded,
sq ueezed and el evated the rocks to form the Rocki es and
the Andes. Later there was regi onal upl i ft. Vol cani c acti on
and deep movements of mol ten rock brought vei ns of ri ch
ores . Gl aci ers have cut val l eys, sha rpened pea ks, and
created magni f i cent scenery.
For more about the rocks of the Rockies, read:
Dyson, J. l. , GEOLOGI C STORY OF GLACI ER NAT. PARK, Gl aci er Nat. Hi st.
Assn. , Bul l . #3. 1 949
FenQeman, N. M. , PHYSI OGRAPHY OF WESTERN U. S. , McGraw- Hi l l , N. Y. , 1 931
Ross and Rezak, ROCKS AND FOSSI LS OF GLACI ER NAT. PARK, Geo. Sur. Prof .
Paper #294- K, Govt. Pri nti ng Ofc. , Wash. , D. C. , 1959
Wegemann, C. H. , A GUI DE TO THE GEOLOGY OF ROCKY MT. NAT. PARK, Govt.
Pri nti ng Ofc. , Wa
s
h. , D. C. , 1 944
43
THE HI STORY OF THE EARTH
Geological Begi nni ng
Maj or Events
of This Time
Time of I nterval
Divisions (m| ||| es tsrs)
Cenozoic Era
Quaternary Peri od
Recent . 015
Pl ei stocene 1
Cl i mate col d. Mountai n
and conti nental gl aci ati on.
later, sl aci al l akes I n
mountai n bases. Scat
vol cani c acti on I n Yel low
stone and other areas.
Characteristic
Life of Period
Men entered the area from
Asi a via Al aska and the
Nort hwest. Cl i mate col d.
Wi th retreat of i ce, rem
nant s of a rcti c l i fe r emai n
i sol ated on mou ntai n tops.
Tert i ery P
Pl i OCene
M
Ol l e
Eoeene
Pal eocene
Uplift m Rocky W |n Yam
I3 WW 0 @|
gg cruste| d| stum8 w|d0|y 0M0
__ vo|canlc erupt|on. Maq f| ts
_ |n|andk0s, swaam taw:|e =
fl ood pl lls. Local sedl camer a. horses,
l
f other
63
rtery deposi ts. Cl i mate lflll na anla.
Mesozoic Era
Cretaceous
J urassi c
Tri assi c
Pal eozoic Era
Permi an
Pennsyl vani an
Mi ssi ssi ppi an
Devoni an
Si l ur i an
Ordovi ci an
Cambri an
44
135
181
230
280
31 0
345
405
425
500
60
mi l d.
Wi despread deserts gi ve
way to l owl ands whi ch are
i nvaded by the sea. Fl uctu
ati ng sea coasts wi th
swamps and smal l basi ns.
Ri ch sedi mentary deposi ts.
Conti nual mari ne i nvasi on
and deposi ti on of sedi
ments wi th peri ods of
emergence. Abundant ma
ri ne l i fe. Swamps and coal
formati on. Era ends i n
shar p upl i ft, subsi dence,
erosi on, and much ari di ty.
Di nosa ur s and other rep
t i l es domi nate. Bi r ds de
vel op and mammal s ap
pear . Cycads, tree ferns.
coni fers abound. Ammo
nites (p. 59) reach cl i max.
Mar i ne i nvertebrates and
pl ants are common. Fi rst
mar i ne vertebrates de
vel op. Mosses and ferns
appear; al so gi ant a mphi b
i ans and fi rst repti l es.
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Where Seen i n
Rocky Mountai ns
Craters of t he Moon, Yel l owstone,
Gl aci er Nati onal Park, Tetons, Rocky
Mt. N at i onal Par k, Wi nd Ri ver
Mountai ns.
Green Ri ver and Ui nta Basi ns. Absa
roka Mountai ns, Devi l ' s Tower, Mi d
di e Park, Fl ori ssant, Cri ppl e Creek,
Rocky Mt. Nati onal Park, and Bl ack
Canyon of the Gunni son
Bl ack Canyon of the Gunni son, Col o
rado Nat i onal Mon. , Di nosa u r Nat.
Mon. , Wyomi ng Ra nge.
Tetons, Gros Ventre Mt. , Li ttl e Rocky
Mt s. , Li tt l e Bel t Mt s. , Garden of the
Gods, Bi g Horn Mt s. , Banff, Lake
Loui se, Wi nd Ri ver Mts . Larami e
Range, Aspen, Di nosau r Nat. Mon. ,
Wyomi ng Range, Wasatch Range.
Bl ack Canyon of the Gunni son, Col o
rado Nat. Mon. , Ui nta Mts. , Gl aci er
Park, Tetons, Rocky Mt. Nat. Park,
Pi kes Peak, Royal Gorge.
45
MOUNTAIN BUILDING i n the Rocki es is a tremendous,
compl ex process di fferi ng from pl ace to pl ace. Nowhere
is it as si mpl e as the pi ctu res show. When the ol dest rocks
were formed, a bout 2 bi l l i on yea rs ago, the area had
probabl y a l ready gone through cycl es of mou nt ai n bui l d
i ng and destr ucti on. Thi ck l ayers of sedi ments formed i n
the l ocal seas. Later mol ten grani te fl owed i nto these sedi
ments a nd the regi on wa s upl i fted . The sedi ments were
a l tered as a range of anci ent mountai ns formed ( 1 ). These
were sl owl y worn down unti l the l and was agai n nearl y
f l at (2). Seas encroached and new sedi ments were depos
1 Anci ent mount ai ns of gr ani te and 2 Mountai ns worn fl at; seas encroach;
al tered sedi ments formed more than more sedi ments a re deposi ted. About
600 mi l l i on years ago. 350- 550 mi l l i on years ago.
The Tetons are a classi c exampl e of
mountai n bui l di ng i n the Rockies
i ted in the shal l ow basi ns. Then fol l owed a l ong peri od of
. f l uct uat i on. Often the l and was submerged and mar i ne
sedi ments were deposi ted. Someti mes it was el evated to
form l ocal mountai ns (3) whi ch were aga i n worn down by
r ai n and r unni ng water.
Dur i ng the Age of Repti l es ( Mesozoi c Era) extensi ve
shal l ow seas covered western North Ameri ca . Where l and
was upl i fted it was l ow and swampy. Coal formed, and
d i nosa ur s wal l owed i n swa mps (4) . Later the cl i mate
cha nged and beca me dri er. Di nosa u rs beca me ext i nct. A
peri od of mou ntai n bui l di ng began al l through the West.
3 Upl ift creates l ocal mountai n ranges 4 Seas cover wi de area; l ocal upl ift
whi ch are soon worn down. About 320 wi th swa mps, coal and l owl and sedi ,
mi l l i on years ago. ments. 1 00-200 mi l l i on years ago.
5 Great upl i ft, f ol di ng and f aul ti ng
mark begi nni ng of present Rocki es.
About 60 mi l l i on years ago.
6 Erosi on, f urt her upl i ft, and many
vol ca noes mark f urt her growth of
Rocki es. 20-50 mi l l i on years ago.
The modern Rocki es started wi th upl i fts squeezi ng and
fol di ng the rocks (5). Fol ds overturned and spl i t; cracks or
f au l ts permi tted f urther movements. Thi s took mi l l i ons of
yea r s. Erosi on cut away the mounta i ns. Later there was
regi onal upl i ft wi th wi despread vol cani c acti on (6). Erosi on
cont i nued; ri vers cut deeper gorges. Then, as the cl i mate
cha nged, gl aci ers gouged the mounta i ns (7) . Mu ch of
North Ameri ca was covered wi th i ce. As i t mel ted, great
i nl and l akes formed and eventual l y drai ned. Onl y remnants
of gl aci ers are seen in the Rockies (8) but earthquakes, as
i n Yel l owstone in 1 959, remi nd us that mountai n bui l di ng
i s not yet at an end.
7 More erosi on; gl aci ati on on moun
t ai ns and northern pl ai ns. Several i ce
advances, 20-50, 000 years ago.
8 I ce melts; gl aci ers retreat unti l only
remnants and debri s remai n. Cl i mate
warmi ng to present day.
Bob and Ire S_ring
A tongue of the Col umbi a l cefel d, MI. Athabaska, Jasper Nati onal Park, Al berta
GLACI ERS form when s ummers a re not wa r m enough to
mel t the wi nter ' s accumul ati on of snow. The l ast great
peri od of gl aci ati on began about a mi l l i on years ago. Snow
pi l ed u p and cha nged to i ce, and as i ce became a mi l e or
more thi ck it began to "fl ow. " Cont i nental gl aci ers moved
south over eastern and central North Amer i ca, N. Europe
and Asi a. I n the hi gh Rocki es, smal l er va l l ey gl aci ers
f or med on mounta i n sl opes a nd moved downhi l l , carvi ng
a nd deepeni ng val l eys on the way. The i ce pi cked u p rock
debri s whi ch i t dropped to form morai nes. Three maj or
advances and retreats of the i ce sheets have been detected
i n the Rocki es. About 20, 000 years ago sl i ghtl y hi gher
temperatu res sta rted the l ast retreat. As i ce mel ted , gl a
ci al l akes were formed. Deep U- sha ped val l eys were
exposed, as were morai nes and the cup- shaped ci rques
that mar k the or i gi n of gl aci ers. Today s mal l va l l ey gl aci ers
a re sti l l seen , and evi dence of ea rl i er gl aci ati on i s every
where. About a dozen promi nent gl aci ers can be seen i n
the Rocki es.
4
VALLEY GLACI ERS are ri vers of i ce,
movi ng onl y a few feet a year. When
i ce pi l es up faster than i t mel ts, i t
fl ows sl owl y downhi l l carryi ng rock
debr i s wi t h it. When ice mel ts faster
than i t accumul ates, the gl aci er retreats.
A typi cal val l ey gl aci er i s shown on
p. 49.
CI RQUES mark the heads of gl aci ers.
Here snow col l ects and changes to i ce.
Freezi ng and thawi ng break up the
rock wal l s, enl argi ng the ci rque. When
gl aci ers mel t the ci rque remai ns, often
encl osi ng a ti ny l ake of i cy-bl ue water.
I ceberg Lake f i l l s a ci r que (below) i n
Gl aci er N. P.
Bob and Ira Spring
National Fi l m Board, Canada
MORAI NES are gl aci al trash pi l es of
rock, sand and gravel ( gl aci al ti l l )
d u mped al ong t he si des, bottom and
end of a gl aci er as i t mel ts. A retreat
ing gl aci er may l eave a seri es of ter
mi nal mor ai nes whi ch occasi onal ly
hol d smal l l a kes. Above is a morai ne
i n t he Col u mbi a l cefi el d, J asper N. P.
U SHAPED
V
ALLEYS cut by gl aci ers
contrast wi th V- shaped val l eys of swift
ri vers. Val l ey wal l s may
s
how gl aci al
pol i shi ng and groovi ng, evi dence of
gl aci al erosi on. Gl aci al val l eys, bur
dened wi th ti l l , may contai n smal l
streams. Thi s gl aci al val l ey r uns east
from Gr i nnel l Gl aci er in Gl aci er N. P.
Bob and Ira Spring
Fran Hal l -National Audubon Society
Hot spri ngs with sul fur deposits ( l eft) and Castle Geyser ( ri ght), in Yel l owstone
Nati onal Park
VOLCANIC ACTION in the Rocki es has gone on for 50 mi l
l i on years. Ol d vol canoes, l ava f l ows and mount ai ns of
i gneous rocks ( P- 52) are di rect evi dence. Secondary effects
a re seen as rai n water works down to depths where the
rocks are sti l l heated. Thi s water may retu rn to the surface
through steam vents or fumarol es, in hot s pri ngs, mud
vol canoes and geysers. Al l these can be seen i n Yel l ow
stone Nat i onal Par k. Hot spr i ngs occur wi del y f rom Col o
rado north i nto the Canadi an Rocki es.
Cl iff Geyser al ong t he banks of I ron Creek, a tri butary of the Fi rehol e River
Bob and Ira Spring
IGNEOUS ROCKS form f ar be
l ow the s u rface ( i nt r usi ve), or
on the s u rf ace (ext r usi ve). I n
t r usi ve rocks cool sl owl y; thei r
mi nera l s devel op as crystal s.
Granite i s i nterl ocki ng crystal s
of q uartz, fel dspar and mi ca or
a nother dar k mi nera l . Pegma
tite i s a coa rse grani te. Gabbro
i s i nt r usi ve rock r i ch i n dark
mi neral s. Most ext r usi ve rocks
a re vol ca ni c. Basalt, a dark
l ava , may be dense or f u l l of
gas bu bbl es (scori a) . Obsidian
or vol ca ni c gl ass i s l ava whi ch
has cool ed ra p
i
dl y. Some l avas
a re ri cher i n q uartz and fel d
spa r. Rhyolite i s chemi ca l l y l i ke
gra ni te. Pumice is a l i ght, frothy
rhyol i te. I gneou s r ocks grade
i nto one another so recogni ti on
may be di ffi cu l t.
SEDI MENTARY ROCKS form f rom
f r agments of ol der rock worn
down by water, wi nd or i ce, or by
chemi cal acti on. These, the most
c ommon rocks i n the Rocki es,
form i n l ayers-the younger ones
a bove the ol der. Conglomerate i s
pebbl es or l a rger fragments ce
mented together ; Breccia is a
congl omerate of angu l ar f rag
ments. Sancstone i s a rock of
sand grai ns cemented by si l i ca,
l i me or i ron oxi de. Arkose, a sand
stone wi th grai ns of fel dspar, typi
cal of rapi d erosi on, i s common i n
the Rocki es. Mudtone and shale
a re ha rdened muds and cl ays.
Shal e spl i ts i nto t hi n l ayers. Lime
stone comes from shel l s or coral ,
or i s chemi cal l y deposi ted i n the
sea . Gypsum i s deposi ted as l and
l ocked seas eva porate sl owl y.
congl omerate
METAMORPHI C ROCKS are rocks of a ny ki nd whi ch have
been al tered i n a maj or way by heat, pressure, or chemi
cal act i on. Such al terat i on may ta ke pl ace d u ri ng moun
t ai n bui l di ng. The process may be s i mpl e, as when sand
stones are compressed and ha rdened i nto quartzite, or
when l i mestones become marble. Both of these rocks
occ u r i n the Rocki es. Shal es a nd mudstones become slat,
a nd, if the process conti nues, phyllite forms wi th fi ne
s pecks of mi ca. Fu rther met amor phi sm produces schist,
i n whi ch the mi ca is much more promi nent. Someti mes
meta morphi sm so al ters rock that the ori gi nal materi al
cannot be recogni zed. Gneiss i s a coarse- textu red , partl y
recrysta l l i zed rock of va r i ous ori gi ns. Hi ghl y metamor
phosed rocks may be si mi l ar to grani te.
54
white marbl e A.
/
UUKT MUUN1A| N
M| NLRAL
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Sb Antimony
Cu Copper
Au Gold
Fe I ron
Pb lead
Mn Manganese
Hg Mercury
Mo Molybdenum
Ag Silver
Ta Tantalum
Ti Titanium
w Tungsten
u Uranium
Zn Zinc
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MINERAL DEPOSITS made the Rocky Mou nta i ns famous.
Expl orers were enti ced by them. I ndi ans were antagoni zed,
prospectors rewarded, i ndustri es esta bl i shed , and settl e
ments begu n beca use of them. Gol d and si l ver were the
or i gi nal attracti ons though these a re no l onger of prime
i mportance. The regi on has ri ch deposi ts of copper, u ra
ni um and mol ybdenum, and commerci al deposi ts of l ead,
zi nc, tungsten, and i ron. Coal deposi ts and natural gas
a re adeq uate; oi l reserves ( i ncl udi ng oi l sha l e) a re pl enti
f u l . Non-metal l i c deposi ts i ncl ude marbl e and other bui l d
i ng stones, cl ays, fel dspar , phosphates, f l uori te, mi ca,
and gypsum. A ri ch variety of gem and ornamental stones
attracts amateur col l ectors.
55
N
'
ORES a re deposi ts from whi ch some prod uct such as
metal s ca n be profi ta bl y extracted . Some yi el d a si ngle
metal ; more often an ore compl ex yi el d several .
GOLD and SI LVER are mai nl y i nvi si bl e.
Smal l but i mportant a mounts are
fou nd today. Onl y i n the earl y days,
CHALCOCITE, a dark, heavy ore of cop
per and sul fur, occurs wi del y wi th ri ch
deposi ts near Butte, Montana.
GALENA i s the maj or ore of l ead, a
compound of l ead and su l f ur often
contai ni ng si l ver. A heavy si l very ore;
often has cubi c cl eavage.
when gol d was panned i n streams, di d
mi ners fi nd vi si bl e gol d. Even then,
nuggets were rare.
MALACHI TE and AZURI TE, two copper
ores, occur together. Formed by acti on
of ai r and water on chal coci te.
SPHALERI TE or zi nc bl ende i s the zi nc
or e, a compound of zi nc and s ul fur.
I t s col or vari es from yel l ow to brown;
often resi nous.
Usual l y the metal is i n chemi cal combi nati on and must
be ref i ned. Ores a re general l y associ ated wi th i gneous
rocks. They occur i n vei ns or pockets.
CARNOTI TE i s a compl ex ore of ura
ni um and vanadi um. Usual l y found as
yel l ow strea ks or gr ai ns i n sedi men
tary rocks.
PYRI TE, or fool ' s gol d , i s a bri ght
shi ny compound of i ron and sul fur.
Not an ore of i r on, it i s often associ
ated wi th other ores.
FELDSPARS a re a group of si l i cate
mi neral s found i n most i gneous rocks.
Ri ch Col o. deposi ts a re mi ned for
cera mi c fl ux and pottery gl azes.
DENI TE, a compound mo
l ybdenum and sul fur, i s a soft, metal
l i c, f l aky ore of t he metal u sed i n
tool - steel al l oys.
GYPSUM, cal ci um fl uori de, purpl e or
green, occu rs i n vei ns. Mi ned com
merci al l y i n Col o. , i t i s u sed as a fl ux
i n steel maki ng.
.
FLUORI TE, formed by eva por at i on of
anci ent seas, is used in maki ng pl as
ter and cement. One form, al abaster,
i s carved and sol d as curi os.
GEMS, semi - preci ous and or namental stones, a re found.
Some, l i ke topaz, coru nd u m and beryl , occ u r i n i gneous
vei ns or i n pegmati te i ntrusi ons. Amazoni te, a green fel d
spar from Pi kes Pea k, i s an i nteresti ng l oca l gem. Most
common and best known a re qu a rtz gems. Crystal l i ne
qua rtz i ncl udes rock crystal , smoky qua rtz, ci tri ne and
a methyst Noncrystal l i ne quartz i ncl udes chal cedony, j as
per , ca rnel i ans and several ki nds of agates. Moss agate
has i ncl usi ons of dendri tes-a manganese mi neral .
58
FOSSI LS unequal ed el sewhere i n the worl d have been
found i n the Rocki es and adj acent Pl ai ns. Cambri an shal es
of the Ca nadi an Rocki es have yi el ded remar kabl e i nverte
brate fossi l s. I n the Mesozoi c deposi ts of Col orado and
Wyomi ng a re bones of many gi ant di nosa u rs . The basi c
resea rch on these ani mal s was done from fossi l s of thi s
regi on. Fossi l s of earl y horses, pi gs, camel s and el ephants
have been dug u p al so. See reconstructed s kel etons and
restorati ons i n museums (p. 1 48). Make i n q u i ri es a bout
smal l - scal e col l ecti ng i n l ocal fossi l beds (p. 1 52).
ASTRASPI S, a pri mi ti ve, j awl ess fi sh
of Ordovi ci an age (p. 44) from Canon
Ci ty, Col o. i s one of the ol dest known
fossi
l
verebrates.
AMMONI TES, a l arge group of shel l
f i sh wi th cha
-
mbered shel l s, became
exti nct i n the Cretaceous. Some were
compl ex; 2-3 ft. in di amet
e
r .
. I NOCERAMUS, rel ati ve of the oysters,
was an abundant ani mal i n shal low
seas when di nosa u rs were at thei r
hei ght. Length 1 - 1 0 i n.
`:
DINOSAURS a re a fa med group of exti nct repti l es whi ch
reached thei r peak d u ri ng the Mesozoi c Era . Some were
a s s mal l as chi ckens, others the l a rgest l and a ni mal s
known. These l argest di nosa u rs were swa mp- dwel l i ng
pl ant eaters. Rel ati ves of the di nosa u rs i ncl uded fl yi ng
, mar i ne l i zards and crocodi l e- l i ke repti l
BRONTOSAURUS, 7 0 ft. l ong, l i ved i n
marshes of Wyo. and Utah i n J urassi c.
Ate
.
water pl ants. Esti mated wei ght
35 tons.
STEGOSAURUS, a heavi l y armored,
smal l - br ai ned, pl ant- eati ng di nosaur
a bout 20 ft. l ong. Fossi l s from the
J u rassi c of Wyomi ng and Utah.
DI PLODOCUS, l onger but l i ghter,
needed a bout 700 l bs. of pl ant food
dai l y. Lengt h, 85 ft. ; hei ght, 16 ft.
Common at Di nosaur Nat. Mon.
TYRANNOSAURUS, l argest fl esh-eater,
stood 20 ft. hi gh. Length, 40 ft. Great
j aws wi th many shar p teet h. Creta
ceous; Montana.
ALPI NE PHLOX (2-4 i n. ) forms a fl at
cushi on ami d al pi ne rocks. I s covered
wi t h pal e bl ue or whi t e fi ve- petal ed
fl owers i n mi dsummer.
SKY PILOT ( 2-4 i n. ) bl ooms al l sum
mer wi th sky- bl ue, funnel - shaped fl ow
ers. Leaves, wi th s k u nky odor, are
l ong, narrow; wi th oval l eafl ets.
The formi dabl e mountai n backbone of North Ameri ca i s a
va ri ed regi on, r angi ng from the dry pra i ri es to the east,
u p the mount ai ns, wi th thei r l u sh meadows and forests,
to the fri gi d peaks, then down to the even more ar i d i nter
mounta i n regi on to the west. I n these vari ed envi ronments
grow between 6, 000 and 7, 000 speci es of wi l d pl ants.
Omi tt i ng the pl ai ns a nd the ar i d pl atea us red uces the
n u mber to a bout 4, 500 mountai n speci es-ampl e proof
that thi s area i s r i ch i n pl ant l i fe.
Local condi ti ons of el evati on, sl ope, wi nd, rai nfal l , and
soi l affect pl ant envi ronments. The pattern of pl ant com
muni ti es i s compl ex. For more i nformat i on, read:
Crai ghead, Crai ghead, a nd Davi s, FI ELD GUI DE TO ROCKY MOUNTAI N WI LD
FLOWERS, Houghton Mi ffl i n Co. , Boston, 1 963. 209 f ul l -col or photos.
Nel son, R. A. , PLANTS OF ROCKY MT. NATI ONAL PARK, Washi ngton, D. C. ,
Government Pri nti ng Offi ce, 1 953. Excel l ent gui de to central Rocki es.
Standl ey, P. C. , PLANTS OF GLACI ER NATI ONAL PARK, Washi ngton, D. C. ,
Government Pri nti ng Offi ce, 1 926. Si mi l ar to Nel son wi th emphasi s on
northern Rocki es.
Weber, Wi l l i am A. , HANDBOOK OF PLANTS OF THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE,
Uni versi ty of Col orado Press, 1 96 1 . Keys and habi tat notes on regi on from
Col orado Spri ngs to Wyomi ng l i ne.
l
ALPI NE SUNFLOWER (4-6 i n. ) has
l arge, bri ght yellow fl owers and stems
wi th deeply di vi ded, hai ry leaves. The
flower head turns with the sun.
MOSS CAMPI ON ( 'h-3 i n. ) , common
i n t he hi gh Rock; es, f or ms flat
" mossy" cushi ons. Small , pi nk flow
ers wi th notched petals bloom in J uly
and August.
KI NG' S CROWN (2-8 i n. ) favors hi gh,
wet, rocky places: Termi nal cl usters of
dar k red fl owers open i n Jul y. The
leaves ar e t hi ck, s mooth and fleshy.
ALPI NE AVENS (2- 1 0 i n. ) i s the com
monest flower above t i mberl i ne. I ts
yellow, fi ve-petaled flowers bl oom i n
mi dsummer. Deeply di vi ded-leaves are
red in aut umn.
ALPI NE FORGET- ME- NOT ( 1 -2 i n. )
bl ooms mi dsu mmer at or above ti m
berl i ne. Smal l bl ue or whi te fl owers
with yel l ow "eye"
smal l "cousi n" of Montana' s state
fl ower, has nar row fl eshy l eaves i n a
cl uster at ground l evel , and smal l pi nk
or whi te fl owers.
ARCTI C GENTI AN (3-6 i n. ) i s com
mon at and above t i mberl i ne; bl ooms
l ate (Aug. and Sept. ). Fl ow
,
ers are
greeni sh-streaked and spotted wi th
purpl e. Leaves opposi te.
l arge, yel l ow fl owers wi th si x recurved
petal s, bl ooms on al pi ne sl opes ri ght
after the recedi ng snow l i ne.
3
PYROLA (6- 1 2 i n. ) bears noddi ng,
fi ve-petal ed, pi nk fl owers on stem
from a rosette of s hi ny, evergreen
Common i n moi st coni ferous
Several si mi l ar speci es.
WHI TE MARSH MARI GOLD (3-8 i n. )
t hr i ves i n moi st subal pi ne ar eas. The
oval l eaves are smooth and shi ny.
Frui ts are a cl uster of narrow pods.
PURPLE FRI NGE ( 2- 1 2 i n. ) grows i n
s mal l cl umps on open, d ry hi l l si des.
Fl owers from J une to Aug. Si l ky hai rs
on deepl y di vi ded l eaves make pl an1
si l very.
TWI NFLOWER (3-6 i n. ) carri es i ts
pai red, pi nk, noddi ng bl ossoms on up
ri ght stal ks. The creepi ng pl ant wi th
pposi te l eaves covers the ground i n
ool , shady woods.
PARRY PRI MROSE ( 6-24 i n. ) grows
al ong mountai n streamsi des. I ts l arge,
fi ve- petal ed, pi nk- pu r pl e fl owers are
skunk- scented. I t bl ooms i n J ul y and
August.
SUBALPI NE DAISY ( 1 -2 ft. ) i s the
common meadow dai sy fl oweri ng i n
J u l y and Aug. Note i ts narrow, pi nk
ray- fl owers, ar ound a yel l ow di sc.
Leaves are deepl y cut.
RED ELEPHANT ( 1 - 2 ft. ) prefers
marshy ground. Reddi sh- purpl e flow
ers, with a comi cal resembl ance to
el ephants' heads, bloom i n a termi na
spi ke.
pi nk buds and noddi ng bl ue bl os
soms, are fou nd al ong s ubal pi ne
brooks. Bl ooms J u n e to Aug. Several
si mi l ar speci es.
COLORADO COLUMBI NE ( 1 -2 ft. ),
"s state fl ower of Col orado, prefers
spen groves a nd hi gh meadows.
MONUMENT PLANT ( 1 -4 ft. ) i s a
stout pl ant of open pi ne woods and
cl eari ngs. Upper hal f of i ts l eafy stem
i s t hi ckl y covered with greeni sh-whi te
fl owers.
!EARGRASS (2-5 ft. ) grows on hi l l
si des to and a bove t i mber l i ne i n
Montana and I daho. Ti ny fl owers
bl oom upward gradual l y from base of
termi nal cl uster.
Look for l arge, bl ue-and-whi te, sourred
bl ossoms on sl ender stal ks.
GLOBEFLOWER ( 1 -2 ft. ) prefers hi gh,
subal pi ne meadows. Crea m to white
flowers produce a group of smal l pods.
Leaves are al ternate, d i vi ded i nto 5-7
smooth "f i ngers. "
WESTERN GOLDEN RAG WORT ( 1 -3
ft. ), one of many si mi l ar composi tes.
Found al ong roadsi des up to t i mber
l i ne. This speci es i s bushy with many
Y LLOW MONKEYFLOWER (6-24 i n. )
i s abundant on br ook si des. Fl owers
have a swol l en " pal ate" whi ch cl oses
the t hroat and causes a faci al
resembl ance.
ROSY PAI NTBRUSH (6- 1 5 i n. ) has
pi nk to purpl e fl ower bracts. Hybri di za
ti on wi th whi te- and yel l ow- fl owered
speci es produces a great vari ety of
col ors.
SUBALPI NE LARKSPUR (2-4 ft. )
grows i n dense cl umps i n wet mead
ows cl ose to t i mber l i ne. Termi nal
spi kes of deep bl ue (rarel y, pi nk)
FI REWEED ( 2-5 ft . ) grows wi del y i n
the open, parti cul arl y on burned- over
forests; hence its name. Wi nds carry
t he downy seeds for great di stances.
A great honey pl ant.
MONKSHOOD or Ac
o
ni te (to 6 ft. ) has
cowl - shaped, deep bl ue (rarel y, whi te)
fl owers. Grows i n subal pi ne meadows
and aspen groves. Poi sonous to graz
i ng stock.
F WERS OF THE FOOTHI LLS AND MOUNTAI N VALLEYS
ft . ) , is a handsome perenni al wi th
t rumpet- shaped, red to cream flowers
i n a l oose cl uster. Abundant in can
yons and sagebrush.
are common on hi l l si des but cl ose be
and a re t herefore often
PEA ( 6- 1 8 i n. ) bl an kets
val l ey floors with bri ght-yel l ow fl owers
i n J u ne and J ul y. Leaves have t hree
l eafl ets, l i ke cl over.
W
SULPHUR FLOWER (5- 1 5 i n. ) , abun
dant i n dry subal pi ne foot hi l l s, has
cl usters of yel l ow fl owers and whorl ed
l eaves ri si ng from a rosette.
GAI LLARDI A ( 1 -2 ft. ) bl ooms al l sum
mer i n foothi l l s, woods, and meadows.
I ts yel l ow fl ower heads have reddi sh
centers. Al so cal l ed "Fi re- wheel s. "
BALSAM ROOT (8- 1 8 i n. ) grows from
a t hi ck, edi bl e, t u r pent i ne- scented
taproot. Leaves are si l ky and whi te on
both si des. Common on hi l l si des;
bl ooms earl y spri ng.
WESTERN WALLFLOWER ( 1 - 2
-
ft. },
common on open pi ne sl opes, has
fou r- petal ed, yel l ow- to- orange and
brown fl owers. Al pi ne types may be
pure yel l ow or vi ol et.
shr ub (source of rubber) wi th narrow
l eaves and wool l y stems i n sagebrush
zone. Smal l yel l ow heads i n l ate
SHOOTI NGSTARS (6- 1 0 i n. ) are
woodl and and wet- meadow pl ant.
The fl owers, wi th fi ve i nverted petal s,
grow i n droopi ng cl ust er s. Leaves at
base of tal l , naked f l ower stal k.
MANY- FLOWERED EVENI NGSTAR (6-
12 i n. ) opens i ts showy yel l ow fl owers
i n l ate afternoon. Has sal mon-col ored
buds and thi ck, deepl y notched l eaves.
MOUNTAI N LUPI NE ( 1 -2 ft. ) i s al so
cal l ed Si l very Lupi ne because of i ts
wh i te hai ry fol i age. Bl ue to purpl e
spi kes of fl owers bl oom i n earl y
su mmer.
MI NER' S CANDLE (8- 1 8 i n. ) has cl us
ters of smal l whi te fl owers al ong i ts
thi ck, erect stem. Leaves hai ry, al most
pri ckl y. Bl ooms J u ne and J u l y.
ROCKY MOUNTAI N LOCOWEED {10-
1 8 i n. ) bears whi te or l avender flow
ers i n el ongated cl usters from spri ng
t hrough summer. I t i s someti mes poi -
I NDI AN PAI NTBRUSH ( 1 -3 ft. ) has
bri l l i ant red bracts sur r oundi ng the
bl ossoms. Pa rti al l y parasi ti c, i t often
grows attached to roots of sagebrush
and other pl ants.
among rocks wel l i nto fal l , often above
ti mberl i ne.
HEARTLEAF ARNI CA (8-24 i n. ) i s
common i n evergreen woods. Large,
yel l ow fl owers bl oom al l s u mmer.
Note t he pai rs of l arge heart- shaped
l eaves.
CALYPSO (3-6 i n . ) , or Fai ry Sl i pper,
i s a l ovel y orchi d bl oomi ng i n earl y
s ummer i n moi st woods. Del i cate,
sl i pper- l i ke bl ossom nods above a
si ngl e
l
eaf .
MARI POSA LI LY (6- 1 8 i n. ) bears
t ul i p- l i ke fl owers, whi te or pur pl i sh,
on sl ender ste ms . Bl ooms i n open
meadows and margi ns of woods i n
earl y summer.
WESTERN CLEMATI S i s a vi ne com
man i n t he foot hi l l s. Note cl usters of
whi te fl owers, conspi cuous feathery
frui ts, and leaves of 5-7 l eafl ets.
7l
NOW-ON-THE- MOUNTAI N ( 1 -3 ft. ) i s
rel ated to Poi nsett i a. Not
e
t he whi te
margi ns of the upper l eaves. Its mi l ky
sap is poi sonous and may i rri tate ski n.
SCARLET GLOBEMALLOW (4- 1 0 i n. )
forms cl umps on di sturbed soi l , es
peci al l y al ong roadsi des. Fl owers re
sembl e smal l hol l yhocks or hi bi scus.
ROCKY MOUNTAI N FRI NGED GEN
TI AN ( 1 2 - 1 6 i n. ) i s f ound i n wet
meadows or swamps. Its stri ki ng, deep
bl ue fl owers have ragged l obes.
PENSTEMON ( 1 -3 ft. ) bears
bl ooms i n mi dsu mmer,
tsoreti m<s turni ng whol e f i el ds bl ue. -
ROCKY MOUNTAI N BEE
l
LAN
T
forms dense stands 4-8 feet hi gh
al ong roadsi des and i n dry pl aces. I ts
fl owers' ri ch nectar attracts bees and
other i nsects.
CONI FERS OF UPPER FOREST AND TI MBERLI NE
ALPI NE LARCH, or Ta mar ack ( t o 60
ft . ) , has cl usters of many deci d uous
needl es growi ng from short shoots.
Cones, 2 i n. l ong, have poi nted bracts
between scal es. Often a stunted ti m
berl i ne tree. New twi gs are covered
with white wool . Fol i age bl ue-green.
ENGELMANN SPRUCE (60- 1 20 ft. )
forms pure stands but i s al so " found
wi th lodgepol e Pi ne and Subal pi ne
Fi r. Ranges from 3, 000 ft. i n north to
1 2, 000 i n sout h. Compact and hand
some, and of great commerci al val ue.
Young trees may have a i l very ti nge.
SUBALPI NE FI R grows 50- 1 00 ft. but
may be a prostrate s hr ub at t i mber
l i ne. Needl es are fl at, deep bl ue-green,
bl unt and upcurved. Cones are dark
and, as wi th al l fi rs, erect. Cone scal es
fal l separatel y, l eavi ng the "candl e"
standi ng on the tree.
LI MBER PI NE (25-60 ft. ) , named for
fl exi bl e young br anches; grows i n
rocky, exposed pl aces. Needl es, 3 i n. ,
ar e crowded i n bundl es of 5 at ends
of twi gs. Cone scal es are t hi ckened
but not spi ne- ti pped. Whi teheart Pi ne
repl aces i t i n northern Rocki es.
BROAD-LEAVED TREES AND SHRUBS OF THE
WI LLOWS of many speci es, nearl y al l
shr ubs, grow i n profusi on al ong
strea ms and on sl opes near t i mber
l i ne. I l l u strated i s Creepi ng Wi l l ow, a
shr ub that stands onl y 2 i n. hi gh and
grows a bove t i mberl i ne i n Montana
and Wyomi ng. Al l wi l lows have catki ns
or "pussi es. "
MOUNTAI N DRYAS i s a l ow, creepi ng
s hr ub wi th s mal l , toothed l eaves,
wool l y beneat h, and whi t i sh, ei ght
petal ed fl owers. Forms dar k green
mats above ti mberl i ne. A typi cal al pi ne
pl ant found i n hi gh mount ai ns of
North Ameri ca, Asi a and Europe.
WATER BI RCH ( 1 0- 25 ft. ) i s a
spreadi ng shr ub or smal l tree wi th
reddi sh- brown, non- peel i ng bark and
twi gs covered wi th resi nous l umps. I t
i s al ways f ound cl ose to streams.
Leaves t ur n a beaut i f ul yel l ow i n
aut umn. Bog Bi r ch i s a ti mberl i ne
shrub.
TWI NBERRI ES (3-6 ft. ) are true
honeysuckl es. Smal l , yel l ow, t u bul ar
fl owers ar e borne i n pai rs on a sl en
der stem. Bracts at thei r base l ater
turn red and encl ose two purpl i sh
bl ack berri es. Deer and el k browse on
t hem i n wi nter.
UPPER FORESTS AND TI MBERLI NE
MOUNTAI N ASH (3- 1 2 ft. ) i s a shrub,
someti mes a smal l tree. Large cl us
ters of whi te fl owers and br i l l i ant
orange-red berri es i n fal l . Found mai nl y
i n subal pi ne zone i n moi st si tes;
pl anted ornamental l y at l ower ranges.
Servi ceberry i s i n same (Rose) fami l y.
CI NQUEFOI LS (V,-3 ft. ) occur i n many
speci es. Thei r bri ght yel l ow, buttercup
l i ke fl owers wi th fi ve- notched petal s
bl oom from earl y spr i ng to l ate sum
mer from foot hi l l s to above ti mberl i ne.
I l l ustrated i s Shrubby Ci nquefoi l , onl y
woody speci es of the Rocki es.
ROCKY MOUNTAI N MAPLE i s some
ti mes a tree 25 feet hi gh but more
often a shr ub of wi de al t i t ude range.
The l eaf has several for ms, from typ
i cal mapl e shape to t h ree compl etel y
separate l obes. The l eaves t ur n pal e
yel l ow i n ,aut umn.
DWARF MOUNTAI N LAUREL (4- 1 2
i n . ) , an evergreen s hr ub found al ong
streams; has cl usters of pi nk, parasol
l i ke fl owers. Leaves are opposi te,
green above, whi te bel ow, and edges
often rol l ed under. Stamens "tri gger"
pol l en spray when di sturbed.
CONI FERS OF THE LOWER MOUNTAI NS
WESTERN YELLOW PI NE, or Ponder
osa (80- 1 80 ft. ) , forms open forests.
Tr unk ri ses strai ght and i s sometimes
branchl ess most of i ts l ength. Needl es
are i n bunches of 2-3; bark of ol der
trees breaks i nto l arge i rregul ar pl ates.
Very i mportant as a l umber tree.
WESTERN WHI TE PI NE (90- 1 20 ft. )
i s a tal l , sl ender coni fer wi th crown of
sh ort, d roopi ng br anches beari ng
needl es i n bundl es of 5; has el ongated
cones. Someti mes one branch extends
1 0- 1 5 ft. f arther out t han others.
Wood very i mportant commerci al l y.
LODGEPOLE PI NE (60-1 00 ft. ) grows
i n dense stands after forest fi res.
I ndi ans u sed sl ender pol es for ti pi s;
l u mber has many uses. Needl es,
about 2 i n. l ong, are i n bunches of
2-3; cones are smal l ; remai n on tree
many years: open after fi res.
BRI STLECONE PI NE (30-40 ft. ) hol ds
l ongevi ty recor d, 4, 600 year s, for
trees. Bar k is whi t i sh when young;
red- brown l ater. Cones are smal l :
curved needl es i n bunches of 5, have
dots of white resi n. Trunk often twi sted;
a shr ub at hi gh el evati ons.
GRAND FIR ( 90- 1 20 ft. ) , a val uabl e
tree of the northern Rocky Mountai ns,
grows i n cl ose stands wi th branches
onl y on u pper t hi r d. The crown of
ol der trees is somewhat rou nded.
Bark of young trees i s thi n and whit
i sh; of ol der trees, reddi s h- brown in
col or.
DWARF J UNI PER, most wi del y di s
tri buted coni fer of N. Hemi sphere, is
a sprawl i ng shr ub found both on bar
ren sl opes and i n thi ck ti mber. The
bark i s reddi sh and scal y; needl es are
s hort, whi te above. The s hort, scal e
l eaves are awl - shaped.
DOUGLAS FI R of t he Rocky Mts. i s
not the gi ant of the West Coast but a
smal l er vari ety, glauca, 80- 1 20 ft.
hi gh. Reddi sh- brown bark is deepl y
f ur rowed. Cones have t hree- ti pped
bracts protr udi ng between scal es. I t
i s the most i mportant l u mber tree of
the U. S.
ROCKY MOUNTAI N JUNI PER, about
1 5 ft. , i s a smal l bushy tree, reduced
to a l ow shr ub on exposed si tes.
Found on dry mount ai n sl opes and
canyon bottoms. Trunk often branched;
bark, thi n and stri ngy. Twi gs are cov
ered with tiny scal e- l i ke l eaves.
BLUE SPRUCE (80-1 00 ft. ), the state
tree of Col o. , favors canyon stream
si des; i s wi del y used as an ornamen
tal . Needl es are short, very s harp
ti pped, often very whi te. Bark i s dark,
rusty, thi n and scal y, be
c
omi ng thi ck
and furrowed on ol der trunks.
WESTERN LARCH ( 1 00- 1 80 ft. ) i s
typi cal l y a tal l , narrow tree, even when
growi ng in open. Branches short and
tough; cones smal l , thi ckl y scattered.
Fol i age pal e green , becomi ng yel low
i n ear l y f al l and d roppi ng from tree.
Not found i n the southern Rocki es.
WESTERN' HEMLOCK ( 1 20- 1 60 ft. )
has reddi sh, f l aky bar k, smal l cones.
The fl at, short, gl ossy needl es of i rreg
ul ar l engt h gi ve a l acy appearance
to the twi gs. Tr unk tapers to sl ender,
weak poi nt, typi cal l y dr oopi ng. Si mi
l ar to heml ock found i n East.
WHI TE CEDAR (120-200 ft. ), an i m
pressi ve, oft en t
a
l l tree, i s i mportant
for i ts d u ra bl e, aromat i c, but weak
l u mber. Li mbs poi nt u pward at acute
angl es; branch l ets carry fl at, fern- l i ke
sprays. Typi cal l y a Paci fi c Coast tree.
Found i n Gl aci er Nat . Park.
BROAD-LEAVED TREES OF MOUNTAI N VALLEYS AND FOOTHI LLS
COTTONWOODS are conspi cuous in
aut umn when t hei r fol i age t ur ns bri l
l i ant orange-yel l ow. Narrowleaf Cotton
wood (35-50 ft. ), i l l ustrated here, has
narrow l eaves resembl i ng those of
wi l l ows. Common i n Rocky Mountai n
a
r
d Yel l owstone Nati onal Parks.
THI NLEAF ALDER (6-20 ft. ) forms
dense t hi ckets i n satu rated soi l , and
i s useful i n retardi ng erosi on on banks
and headwaters of strea ms. Easi l y
recogni zed by the two types of catki ns,
the seed- bear i ng ones resembl i ng
smal l
BALSAM POPLAR (50-80 n. )i s found
co mmonl y i n moi st bottoml ands i n
mi xed groves wi th al der , bi rch and
spruce. Wi del y di stri buted i n northern
U. S. and Canada. Easi l y co
-
nfu sed i n
the West wi th Bl ack Cottonwood. Buds
are sti cky and aromati c.
GAM BEL OAK ( 1 0- 1 5 ft. ) , a shrub or
smal l tree of dry h i l l si des and: canyon
wal l s. I t i s the onl y abun
d
ant deci du
ous oak i n Rock
i
es. Bar k i s gr ay and
rough; l eaves are typi cal l y oak- shaped,
dark green above, pal e bel ow. A wi de-
PAPER BI RCH ( 30-70 ft. ) I ndi ans
made canoes f r om i ts creamy white
bark. The surface peel s off paper-thi n.
Of ten f ound near streams and l akes
i n mi xed stands with aspen, popl ar
and t amar ack. A tree of the northern
and Canadi an Rocki es.
QUAKI NG ASPEN (40-60 ft. ) i s wi de
spread i n t he Rocki e. I t qui ckl y cov
ers new bur ns and provi d's shel ter
under whi ch coni fers devel op. Leaves
with f l attened peti ol es trembl e in the
sl i ghtest breeze. A favori te beaver
food. Rel ated to cottonwoods (p. 79).
PEACHLEAF WI LLOW ( 50-70 ft. ) is
the only "tree" wi l l ow nati ve to the
Rocki es and is easi l y i denti fi ed by its
tapered l eaves, d roopi ng br anches
and crooked trun k or t runks. Twigs
are sl ender , pl i abl e; bar k of t r unk is
fu rrowed and somet i mes reddi sh.
BLACK HAWTHORN ( 6-25 ft. ), a
shr ub or smal l tree, often forms dense
thi ckets on . mountai nsi des or bottom
l ands. Bra nches wi t h stout, purpl i sh
red thorns. S. howy, fi ve- petal ed white
fl owers. It has bl ack f r ui t s, l i ke ti ny
appl es, hangi ng i n cl usters.
SHRUBS OF MOUNTAI N VALLEYS AND FOOTHI LLS
NI NEBARK ( 5- 1 0 ft. ) i s a spreadi ng
shrub wi th paper- l i ke bark that peel s
of f i n l ayers. I t bears whi t e fl owers i n
earl y summer and produces 2-3 i nch
fl at seed pods. The toot hed, hai ry
l eaves have 3 to 5 l obes. Someti mes
used i n cul ti vati on.
SQUAWBUSH, or Skunkbush (2-7 ft. ),
i s a cl ose rel ati ve of poi son i vy but i s
harml ess, though i l l - smel l i ng. Leaves
wi th 3 l eafl ets and t i ny yel l ow- green
fl owers a ppear early i n spr
i
ng_ I ndi ans
make baskets from sl ender shoots and
a dri nk from sti cky red berri es.
CHOKECHERRY (6-30 ft. ) forms dense
thi ckets that sprout from root suckers
and make a br i l l i ant show of red fol i
age i n fal l . Pea- si zed, bl ack or dar k
r ed cherri es are prof use and are a
sta pl e food of bears_ Al so used to
make j el l y by mount ai n housewi ves.
BUFFALO BERRY (2-8 ft. ) prefers
moi st , shaded sl opes. Br anches are
brown and scal y; l eaves are dark
green above and covered on under
si de wi th star - l i ke scal es_ A rel ati ve,
Russi an- ol i ve, i s a favori te d ryl and
shade tree.
SQUAW or WAX CURRANT ( 1 -4 ft. ),
a shr ub of dry sl opes and r i dges, has
al ternate pal mate l eaves, pi nk fl owers,
red frui t. Gooseberri es (usual l y thorny)
and other currants are also abundant.
RED-OSI ER DOGWOOD (4-8 ft. ) bears
f l at - t opped c l u sters of smal l whi te
bl ossoms whi ch mature i nto whi ti sh
frui ts. Often forms t hi ckets; dark red
branches conspi cuous i n wi nter. Vari
eti es wi th yel l ow bark are cul ti vated.
MOUNTAI N LOVER ( V>-4 ft. ), a low
evergreen shrub of moi st open woods.
The l eaves are l eathery and sl i ghtl y
toot hed, wi th very short stems; grow
opposi te on sprawl i ng branches.
BI TTERBRUSH, or Antel ope Brush
(2-8 ft. ) , i s a browse pl ant of deer
and antel ope. A tough, widely branched
shrub wi th pal e yel low bl ossoms.
Leaves are three-pronged, green above
and whi te underneat h.
SNOWBERRY ( 2-5 ft. ), named for i ts
l arge whi t e berri es, i s eaten by deer
and bi r ds. The fl owers ar e pi nk and
hai ry i nsi de. Leaves are vari abl e, thi n
and oval , and may be sl i ghtl y hai ry.
SAGEBRUSH, i n many vari eti es, grows
from 1 - 1 2 ft. in southern and central
Rocki es. Fol i age si l very gray; three
pronged l eaves are very aromati c.
These common shrubs prefer deep,
al kal i -free soi l s.
SERVI CEBERRY (2-6 f t . ) forms dense
t hi ckets. I ts fl owers, whi te wi th 5
l ong, narrow peta l s, bl oom in l ate
spri ng. I ts purpl i sh- bl ack berri es were
an i mportant food of Bl ackfoot I ndi ans.
THI M BLEBERRY ( 3-8 ft. ) has a fl at
tend r aspberry- l i ke f r ui t eaten by
bi rds and other wi l dl i fe. I ts del i cate
whi te fl owers measure two i nches
across. Thi s common shr ub i s not
thorny.
REDBERRI ED ELDER ( 1 -3 ft. ) A OREGON HOLLYGRAPE ( 'h-1 ft. ) has
spr awl i ng s h r u b wi th weak, pi thy
stems and opposite, compound l eaves.
I t bears l arge cl usters of smal l , white
fl owers. Has scarl et berries in fal l .
WHORTLEBERRI ES are shr ubs wi th
smal l pi nk or whi t e noddi ng fl owers.
Al l have toot hed l eaves. The dwarf
f or m ( Broom Huckl eberry) has red
berri es; the berri es of a tal l er species
( 1 -3 ft. ) are bl ack.
hol l y l i ke l eaves that turn deep red i n
fal l . The f l ower s are yel l ow, i n dense
cl u sters. Ber r i es are bl ue and make
fi ne jel l y. Prefers rocky gul ches.
BEARBERRY ( 'h- 1 ft. ) i s a prostrate
evergreen shr ub whi ch often carpets
t he forest and pi oneers on rocky sl opes
a nd new bur ns. Leaves are browsed
by deer; red berri es are a preferred
food of grouse.
Li c
h
ens growi ng on a rock
Herbert S. Zim
NON- FLOWERI NG PLANTS range from mi nute bacteri a to
great coni fers. Usual l y we thi nk of the term as a ppl yi ng to
ferns and thei r ki n-mosses, l i verworts, l i chens, fungi and
a l gae. Al l occur i n the Rocki es, and whi le most are nei ther
l a rge nor conspi cuous, they a re very common. About 25
ferns and a dozen fern al l i es can easi l y be found. Wi th
d i l i gence the i nterested a mateur can i denti fy scores of
mushrooms, l i chens and mosses. I l l ustrated a re j ust a
few of the most commonl y seen ferns, mosses and l i chens
of the Rocki es.
BRITTLE FERN ( !/-I ft. ) t akes i ts
name from i ts t hi n, fragi l e stem.
Grows from creepi ng bl ack rootstock
in veri moi st, shady areas. Very com
mon i n Rocky Mou ntai n Nati onal
Park; l ess so i n Gl aci er.
WESTERN BRACKEN ( 1 - 5 ft. ) i s a
stout, coarse fern wi th tough l eathery
fronds, often 6 ft. l ong. Some western
I ndi ans used young shoots as food.
Grows i n sandy or aci d soi l s i n al l
temperate regi ons.
spore-beor|agshoot ster|| esh
Parsl ey Fern (6- 1 2
i n . ) , has two ki nds of fronds-leafy
and spore- beari ng. Grows on rocks
a n d cl i Hs, u sual l y i n t i ght cl u mps.
Found from the Rocki es to the Paci fi c.
LI CHENS are pri mi ti ve pl ant s com
posed of a food- produci ng al ga and a
su pporti ng f ungus. They pi oneer i n
soi l formati on. Some ar e deer food;
some sources of tanni n and dyes.
de|
SPI KE MOSS, or Li ttl e Cl ub Moss, i s a
sl ender branchi ng moss- l i ke pl ant re
l ated to ferns. Spores borne in axi l s of
smal l l eaves. Found on dry barren
ground near rocks.
HAI RYCAP MOSS, a wi ry-stemmed
moss of dry, sunny soi l or rocks, grows
3-5 i n. hi gh . The four- angl ed capsul e
sheds spores when ri pe. Leaf margi ns
fol d back to the center.
detai l o l eaf
Hai rycap Mos s
i n. ) al pi ne rodent restri cted to north
ern Rocki es. Gray wi th bl ack-and- white
face. Compar e with more common
Yel l ow- bel l i ed Marmot, p. 91 .
N| ML L| |L U| 1HL RUUK| L5
A centu ry ago weal thy Eu ropea n sportsmen ca me to the
Rocki es to hunt the fa med gri zzl y anc other bea rs, deer,
el k, moose, mountai n l i ons and mountai n sheep. Such bi g
ga me sti l l roa m the parks and mountai ns. Under a wi se
a nd stri ct conservati on pol i cy thei r nu mbers a re i ncreas
i ng, and bi g game hunti ng i s sti l l i mportant. However, the
average vi si tor i s more l i kel y to get hi s thri l l from the
bi rds and smal l er mammal s tha n from a n occasi onal
gl i mpse of a l a rge beast. Here a re the most common spe
ci es of the Rocki es. Remember, al l wi l dl i fe i s protected i n
Nat i onal Pa rks and i n Nati onal Monu ments. Try hu nti ng
wi th a ca mera . If you prefer a gun or fi shi ng rod , check
state and l ocal l aws and regul ati ons.
For more i nformation about mammal s, read:
Burt & Grossenhei der, A FI ELD GUI DE TO THE MAMMALS, Houghton Mi ffl i n,
Boston, 1952
Pal mer, Ral ph S. , THE MAMMAL GUI DE, Doubl eday, N. Y. , 1 954
Rodeck, H. G. , GUI DE TO THE MAMMALS OF COLORADO, Uni v. of Col orado
Museum, Boul der, Col o. , 1 952
Zi m and Hoffmei ster, MAMMALS, Gol den Press, N. Y. , 1955
87
MOUNTAI N SHEEP, or Bi ghorns (4-
5 'h ft. ), a re el usi ve. Grayi sh- brown
with creamy- whi te rump and massi ve,
backward- curvi ng horns, they prefer
grassy mount ai n areas. Femal es give
bi rt h to one l amb born i n spri ng.
PI KA, or Cony (8 i n. ), l i ves i n ti mber
l i ne rock sl i des. Pi kas-are gray- brown,
rabbi t- l i ke, wi th smal l , round ears and
no apparent tai l s. They gather, dry,
a nd store grass for wi nter food.
MAMMALS OF
ALPI NE HEI GHTS
MOUNTAI N GOAT ( 5'h ft. ) l ooks l i ke
an al l - whi te goat, but i s more cl osel y
rel ated to ant el ope. Li ves among al
pi ne cl i ffs. Col or bl ends wel l wi th
snow-covered rocks. Mal e and femal e
l ook al i ke.
NORTHERN POCKET GOPHER ( 1 0 i n. ),
a grayi sh- brown rodent of mt. mead
ows, l i ves underground and b urrows
for fl eshy roots. Pi l es of di rt mark the
tunnel entrances. Does not hi bernate.
MAMMALS OF FORESTS
AND HI GH SLOPES
BLACK BEAR (300 l b. ) is bl ack or
ci nnamon wi th a brown face. Lacks
shoul der h u mp of gri zzl y. Most com
man and wi del y di stri buted bear, i t is
seen near camps and roads. Eats al
most everythi ng.
MARTEN ( 25 i n. ) , a forest carni vore,
has l ong, sl ender body, short l egs,
b rown, bushy t ai l and soft, dense,
f ur . Wt. 2-4 l b. Does not h i bernate.
Feeds on rodents, bi rds and eggs.
GRIZZLY BEAR, wei ghi ng up to 1 , 000
lb. and al most 7 ft. l ong, i s the l argest
mount ai n car ni vore. I ts yel l owi sh,
whi te- ti pped hai r s gi ve i t a gri zzl ed
a ppearance. Feeds on game, frui ts,
and berri" es.
MI NK (25 i n. ) h u nts f i sh, frogs, cray.
f i sh, bi r ds, and s mal l ma mmal s . An
active carni vore si mi l ar to the weasel ;
al ways l i ves near water. Note i t s whi te
chi n patch. 4-1 0 young.
RED FOX ( 35-40 i n. ) has
three col or phases-bl ack,
r ed, and cr oss. Us ual l y red
di sh- yel l ow wi th bl ack "stock
ings" and whi te- ti pped bushy
tai l . Li ves i n hol l ow l ogs and
bu rrows; eats rodents, occa
si onal l y frui t.
0
LONG-TAI LED WEASEL ( 1 5-20 i n. ,
3-8 oz. ), i s a wi despread h unter of
rodents and smal l bi rds; changes from
to whi te in wi nter and is then
RI VER OTTER (4-5 ft. ) , hunted for i ts
beaut i f ul t hi ck f ur , i s an excel l ent
web-footed swi mmer. Eats fi sh, frogs,
smal l mammal s. Ri ch brown above,
si l very bel ow. Makes i ts den i n bur
rows or thi ckets.
and steal t hy, the bobcat
h unts by day as well as at ni ght.
I t preys on smal l rodents and
bi rds, rarel y on l arger ani mal s.
The bobcat prefers rocky thi ckets
.nd dens in caves or hol l ow trees.
I ts col or ranges from brown to
gray, spotted wi th bl ack.
GOLDEN MANTLED GROUND SQUI R
R EL ( 1 0 i n. ) is s i mi l ar to Eastern
Chi pmunk but l acks head stri pes. Has
coppery head, whi te body stri pes bor
dered with bl ack. A common camp
vi si tor i n t he Rocki es.
RI CHARDSON' S GROUND SQUI RREL
( 1 1 i n. ) i s smoky- gray wi th a l i ght
bordered tai l . Often cal l ed Pi cket Pi n
from habi t of si tti ng u p strai ght. May
-
hi bernate from 8 to 9 months in the
north or i n dry areas.
YELLOW- BELLI ED MARMOT (23 i n. ) i s
a yel l owi sh, heavy- bodi ed rodent that
l i ves i n bur rows or under rocks. Feeds
on pl a nts on rocky hi l l si des i n the
southern Rocki es.
MOUNTAI N LI ON, or Puma (80-200
l b. , 6-8 ft. ), i s a l a rge, l ong tai l ed,
tawny cat t hat preys on deer and
other l arge mammal s. Ranges wi del y
but i s sel dom seen. Two spotted young
are born each year.
l
2
il so cal l ed Pack or Trade Rat, steal s
smal l objects; may l eave others i n ex
cha nge. Bui l ds l arge sti ck nests i n
rocky crevi ces, mi ne t unnel s and
under cabi ns.
PI NE SQUI RREL, or Chi ckaree ( l 3 i n. ),
us ual l y nests hi gh i n spruce or fi r.
Yel l owi sh- red i n s ummer; grayer i n
wi nter. Feeds on seeds, nut s and
fungi . I t i s noi sy and an agi l e cl i mber.
BEAVER (3 ft. ) has fur so val uabl e
that i t l ed to expl orati on of thi s regi on.
Bu i l ds houses and dams of mud and
sti cks. Swi ms wi th webbed hi nd feet
MULE DEER (6 ft. , 1 50-300 l b. ) i n
open forests. I t i s reddi sh
brown i n summer, grayer i n wi nter.
Has a mul e- l i ke tai l and l arge ears.
Hu nted by coyote, bear , puma and
man. Femal e smal l er; l acks antl ers.
DEER MOUSE (7 i n. ) is a bi g-eared,
whi te-bel l i ed rodent found nearl y every
where. Nocturnal in habi t, i t feeds on
anythi ng edi bl e; a l so stores seeds and
frui ts for wi nter. I t i s often seen
around camps.
SNOWSHOE HARE ( 1 8 i n. , 2-4 l b. ) is
a short- eared, common mountai n rab
bi t. Large "snowshoe" hi nd feet pe.
mi t it to r un over soft snow. Cotton
tai l s are al so pl enti ful i n the Rocki es.
PORCUPI NE (25-30 i n. , 1 0-28 l b. )
i s a short - l egged , cl umsy rodent cov
ered with barbed qui l l s whi ch are loose
but cannot be t hrown. It is a slow, cau
ti ous cl i mber; feeds on bark and
especi al l y of popl ar.
grazes on many pl ant s. Spends wi n
ters i n val l eys, summer i n mountai ns.
Antl ers ar e shed i n March. Femal e i s
smal l er ; does not have antl ers. One
cal f i s born i n the spri ng.
MAMMALS OF VALLEYS AND FOOTHI LLS
STRI PED SKUNK (24 i n. , 4-8 l b. ) l i ves
in bu rrows, rocky crevi ces, or u nder
l ogs and bui l di ngs. Eats i nsects, mi ce,
f r ui t and carri on. Spotted Skunk of
southern Rocki es i s smal l er.
BADGER ( 25 i n. , 1 0-20 l b. ) i s heavy
bodi ed and short - l egged. A powerful
di gger, i t h u nts rodents i n t hei r bur
rows; al so eats bi rds, eggs, repti l es
and i nsects. May mound di rt at bur
row entrances.
WHI TE-TAI LED JACK RABBI T (24 i n. )
ranges from prai ri es to ti mberl i ne.
Prefers open country; rel i es on speed
for protect i on. Leaps 1 5-20 ft. Is
browni sh i n summer, whi ti sh in wi nter.
1 3- LI NED GROUND SQUI RREL ( 1 0
i n. ) eat s seeds, pl ant s, i nsects, grubs
and wor ms. Shy and qui ck, i t h i ber
nates i n wi nter. Has beaded, browni sh
stri pes on si des and back.
LEAST CHI PMUNK (7 i n. ) is the smal l
est chi pmunk i n Rocki es. When al armed
i t r uns with t ai l upri ght. Li ves i n bur
rows under st u mp s or rocks; stores
seeds, nuts, and frui ts for wi nter.
WHITE-TAI LED PRAI RI E DOG ( 1 3 i n. )
i s a rodent of mount ai n gr assl ands;
l i ves i n "towns " or col oni es. Stands
guard on mounds, utteri ng a hi gh
pi tched bark when al armed.
TUFT-EARED SQUI RREL ( 20 i n. ) i s a
pi ne forest dwel l er. I ts ears are tufted
except in late s u mmer. I t vari es i n
col or ; i s oft en gray above and whi te
bel ow but may be al l bl ack.
COYOTE ( 3v, ft. ) is a smal l er rel ati ve
of the wol f; hol ds i ts tai l down when
r unni ng. I t eats rodents and other
smal l ani mal s, grasshoppers and frui t.
I ts often- heard yappi ng i s di sti ncti ve.
MOOSE (700-1 300 l b. ), the l argest of
the deer f ami l y, l i ves in swampy val
l eys and al ong streams. Eats aquati c
pl ant s, shr ubs and bark. Mal es have
l arge, broad, fl attened antl ers.
PRONGHORN ( 5 ft. , 90- 1 30 l b. ), our
fastest mammal , i s a uni que Ameri can
speci es and i s not an a ntel ope. Tan,
wi th white under and on r ump. I t eats
s hrubs and grass on open ranges;
sheds horn covers yearl y.
oI SON, or Buffal o ( 1 2 ft. ) , once roamed
the Pl ai ns i n mi l l i ons. Sl aughtered for
meat and h i des, onl y r i gi d conserva
ti on preserved the speci es. Shoul der
hei ght i s 6 ft. ; wei ght u p to 1 ton.
TRUMPETER SWAN (65 i n. ) breeds on
a few Rocky Mountai n l akes. It was
once near exti nct i on, but now has a
popul ati on of about 1 , 500 bi rds.
WHITE PELI CAN (55-70 i n. ) has bl ack
pri mari es and a yel l ow t hroat pouch.
Soars gracef ul l y; does not di ve for
food. Nests on i nl and l akes.
b| RDS U| 1HL RUCK| LS
Wi th a range of el evati on exceedi ng 1 0, 000 feet , there i s
a correspondi ng va ri ati on i n bi rd popul at i on. Al ong the
f ront ranges of the Rocki es, eastern speci es are common.
Here i s part of the central fl yway al ong whi ch many water
fowl speci es mi grate north from Mexi co and Central
Amer i ca. Movi ng up the foot hi l l s t hrough the forests and
a l pi ne meadows bri ngs ma rked cha nges i n bi rd l i fe. The
seasons produce more cha nges. I n wi nter, al pi ne and
northern speci es move southward and down the moun
ta i ns. The l ocal envi ronment al so exerts a n i nf l uence.
Some bi rds prefer l akes and streams; others, open woods;
and a few speci es prefer the col d of mountai n hei ghts.
For more about birds of the Rockies, read:
Ni edrach and Rockwel l , BI RDS OF DENVER AND MOUNTAI N PARKS, Col o. Mus.
Nat. Hi st . , Denver, Col o. , 1 939
Packard, F. M. , BI RDS OF ROCKY MT. NAT. PARK, Rocky Mt. Nature Assn. , Estes
Park, Col o. , 1 950
Peterson, R. T. , FI ELD GUI DE TO WESTERN BI RDS, Houghton, Boston, 1 961
Pettingi l l , 0. S. , A GUI DE TO BI RD FI NDI NG WEST OF THE MI SSI SSI PPI , Oxford
Uni v. Press, N. Y. , 1 953
Robbi ns, Br uun, Zim and Si nger, BI RDS OF NORTH AMERI CA, Golden Press,
New York, 1 966.
Zi m and Gabri el son, BI RDS, Gol den Press, New York, 1 956
7
BI RDS OF ALPI NE HEIGHTS
WHI TE- TAI LED PTARMI GAN ( 1 2-1 3
i n. ) i s a smal l grouse t hat remai ns
a bove t i mber l i ne except i n wi nter.
Su mmer pl u mage browni sh; wh ite i n
wi nter. Bui l ds nest on the ground be
si de boul ders.
HORNED LARK (7-8 i n. ) has a con
spi cuous yel l ow- and- bl ack face pat
t er n. I n f l i ght, l i ght breast contrasts
wi th i ts bl ack t ai l . " Horns" are rai sed
onl y duri ng courtshi p. Lays 3-4 eggs
in a ground nest.
wi nter pl umage
BROWN-CAPPED ROSY FI NCH (6 i n. )
l i ves above t i mber l i ne i n southern
Rocki es; wi nters i n val l eys. Eats i nsects
and seeds. Gray- crowned Rosy Finch is
common i n the northern Rocki es.
WATER PI PI T ( 6-7 i n. ) nests above
ti mberl i ne; h u nts for i nsects around
mel ti ng snowbanks. Bobs tai l con
8
stantl y. In mati ng season, mal e si.ngs
whi l e soari ng.
BI RDS OF FORESTS AND HI GH SLOPES
BLUE GROUSE ( 1 8- 2 1 i n. ) i s dark
bl ui sh- gray above, sl ate- gray bel ow.
Femal e i s smal l er and more browni sh.
Courti ng mal e utters hol low "hooti ng"
sound. One race l acks whi te across
end of tai l .
WESTERN FLYCATCHER ( 8-9 i n. ) i s
ol i ve- brown wi t h l i ght- yel l ow u nder
parts, whi te wi ng bars and eye ri ng.
Catches i nsects on the wi ng i n forests
and cl eari ngs. Bui l ds moss nest in
rocks or trees.
WI LLI AMSON' S SAPSUCKER (91 h i n. )
hunts commonl y i n pi ne woods for
tree i nsects. The stri ped femal e di ffers
so shar pl y from the mal e, i t was for
merl y consi dered a separate speci es.
Nests i n hol es of trees.
GRAY JAY ( 1 1 - 1 3 i n. ) has whi te crown
and dark- gray col l ar. Lives i n high for
ests and is sel dom seen fl yi ng in the
open. Gray J ays, commonl y seen
around ca mps, are cal l ed " Camp
Robbers" or "Whi skey- Jacks. "
-
r
-
Tom McHugh-National Audubon Society
Rare Trumpeter Swans nest al ong secluded l akes i n Yellowstone
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, ol dest ( 1 872) and best
known Nat i ona l Par k, is a l so the l a rgest ( 2. 2 mi l l i on
acres). It f i l l s the northwest corner of Wyomi ng, r unni ng
over i nto Mont ana and I daho. Ear l y report s by h u nters
and t r a ppers of the nat ur al wonders of the Yel l owstone
a rea seemed so fa ntasti c that they were l a bel ed f i cti on.
Vol cani c acti vi ty has created breathta ki ng scenery and i s
sti l l evi denced i n the l argest col l ecti on of geyser basi ns i n
the worl d (300 geysers, l arge and smal l ) . Ol d Fai thf ul , the
most f amous, eru pts regul arl y, l oft i ng some 1 0, 000 gal
I ons of water 1 40 feet i nto the ai r , at i nterval s of a bout
65 mi nutes.
Grand Loop Road, a 142 mi l e sceni c hi ghway, connects
wi t h the f i ve ma i n entra nce road s a n d pas ses cl ose to
most of the maj or attracti ons in the Pa r k. West, south and
l l 8
east entra nces a re open May 1 to
November 1. The north entrance at
Gar di ner, Montana, i s open a l l year
a nd snowpl ows u s u a l l y keep the
r oute open through Ma mmoth Hot
Spr i ngs, Tower J uncti on and North
east Gate to Cooke. Hotel s and i nns
cl ose i n mi d- September . Many camp
gr
O
UndS a re avai l abl e i n S Ummer.
U. S. Nat;anal Park SeNko
Dude ranches su rround the Park.
Ol d Faithful erupti ng
The Loop Road l eads to hundreds
of hot spr i ngs, bubbl i ng mud pots, si nter cones, and ter
races, often bri ghtl y col ored by l i vi ng al gae. At Mammoth
Hot Spr i ngs there are a museu m and tra i l s through the
spr i ng a rea . Al so see Yel l owstone Fa l l s , the many-hued
Yel l owstone canyon, rel i cs of a petri fi ed f orest, and a
mountai n of vol cani c gl ass (obsi di an) .
Mor e tha n 200 speci es of bi r ds, i ncl u d i ng the rare
Tr umpeter Swan and Whi te Pel i can, are found i n the Park.
You may see moose, el k, bi son, bi ghorn or mountai n
sheep, mu l e deer, a ntel ope, bl ack and gri zzl y bears,
beavers, and coyotes. Lodgepol e Pi ne and broad- l eaved
t rees domi nate the l ower el evati ons; a l pi ne wi l dfl owers
bl ossom i n mi d- s ummer near r emnant snowbanks. Hear
ranger - nat ural i st tal ks at museu ms and geyser basi ns.
Boi l i ng mu d pot
U.S. Notionai . Park Service
Do not feed the Bears
U.S. National Park Service