Forest physiography; physiography of the United States and principles of soils in relation to forestry . of the Bitterroot axis. An examinationof Fig. 86 will show a vast mountain region north of the Snake Riverand west of the Bitterroots, a labyrinth of sharp peaks and ridgeswhose steep slopes descend to deep steep-sided canyons. As a rule themountains rise suddenly from the bordering plains and ultimately tosharp ridges that attain 11,000 and even 12,000 feet. The origin and nature of a large portion of this wild mountain regionmay be appreciated best from a view that embraces the contrastin
Forest physiography; physiography of the United States and principles of soils in relation to forestry . of the Bitterroot axis. An examinationof Fig. 86 will show a vast mountain region north of the Snake Riverand west of the Bitterroots, a labyrinth of sharp peaks and ridgeswhose steep slopes descend to deep steep-sided canyons. As a rule themountains rise suddenly from the bordering plains and ultimately tosharp ridges that attain 11,000 and even 12,000 feet. The origin and nature of a large portion of this wild mountain regionmay be appreciated best from a view that embraces the contrasting fea-tures of the plains country formed upon the flat basalt sheets that rimabout the margins of the mountains and extend far westward into Wash-ington, as far as the eastern wall of the Cascades. The summit of Bald 1 It should be remembered that the southern wall of a valley has the same slope exposureas the northern slope of a hill. 2 Idem, p. 6. ROCK-Y MOUNTAINS. 321 Mountain near the common border of the two regions (lat. 46° 25)affords an extensive view eastward over the level crests and maze. Fig. 101. — View south across Salmon River Canyon, fromsouth slope of Caseknife Mountain, showing plateau char-acter of Salmon River Mountains. (Lindgren, U. S. ) of ridges and canyons that constitute the prin-cipal features of the Clearwater Mountains (°). So thoroughly dissected are these moun-tains that little of their original flat outline maynow be seen. For the first 80 miles eastwardtoward the Bitterroot Valley the lonely trail doesnot disclose a settlement or even a miners cabin.^The irregular canyon courses are the chief routesfor transportation by pack mule. It is theworst part of the Kentucky and West Virginiamountains set upon the western fringe of theRockies. Four thousand feet below the level of BaldMountain is a scene of far different quality. Thelava plain of the Columbia, only gently undulating,stretches out apparently without limit
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectforestsandforestry
