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Bridger Mountains (Montana)
Encyclopedia
The Bridger Range is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains
, in southern Montana
in the United States
. The range runs mostly in a north - south direction between Bozeman and Maudlow
and is separated from the Gallatin Range
to the south by Bozeman Pass
. Bozeman Pass (5712 ft/1,741 m) is a narrow pass that lies between the two aforementioned cities. Sacagawea Peak is a prominent peak visible to the northeast from Bozeman. Most of the range is within Gallatin National Forest
.
is also very popular with snow being available on peaks such as Sacagawea from early November until late May/early June. Beginning the 2008-2009 ski season, Bridger Bowl started to allow backcountry travel from the ski area via access gates on the northern and southern boundaries.
and scree
fields to the top of Sacagawea Peak. The Bridger Ridge Run is a 20 mile race which takes place mid-August. The race follows the ridge line from Fairy Lake to the southern end of the range.
Sacagawea
led the Lewis and Clark Expedition
through Bozeman Pass and some have suggested the pass should have been named after her instead of John Bozeman.
The range is named after Jim Bridger
, who pioneered the Bridger Trail
through mountains in southern Wyoming
into the Bighorn Basin
in 1864.
On January 10, 1938, Northwest Airlines Flight 2
crashed in the Bridger Mountains, killing all 10 aboard. This was the first fatal crash of a Northwest Airlines
aircraft.
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, in southern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The range runs mostly in a north - south direction between Bozeman and Maudlow
Maudlow, Montana
Maudlow is a small unincorporated community in northern Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The town was a station stop on the transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St...
and is separated from the Gallatin Range
Gallatin Range
The Gallatin Range is located in the U.S. states of Montana and Wyoming and includes more than 10 mountains over . The highest peak in the range is Electric Peak at . The Gallatin Range was named after Albert Gallatin, the longest-serving US Secretary of the Treasury and one of the negotiators of...
to the south by Bozeman Pass
Bozeman Pass
Bozeman Pass is a mountain pass situated approximately 13 miles east of the town of Bozeman, Montana and approximately 15 miles west of the town of Livingston, Montana, and between the Bridger and Gallatin mountain ranges....
. Bozeman Pass (5712 ft/1,741 m) is a narrow pass that lies between the two aforementioned cities. Sacagawea Peak is a prominent peak visible to the northeast from Bozeman. Most of the range is within Gallatin National Forest
Gallatin National Forest
Founded in 1899, Gallatin National Forest is located in south central Montana, United States. The forest comprises 2.1 million acres and has portions of both the Absaroka-Beartooth and Lee Metcalf Wilderness areas within its boundaries...
.
Mountains
The Bridger Range has many named and unnamed peaks. Some of the most well known peaks are:- Sacagawea Peak (9665 ft/2946 m)
- Hardscrabble Peak (9575 ft/2918 m)
- Naya Nuki Peak (9449 ft/2880 m)
- Saddle Peak ( 9162 ft/2793 m)
- Ross Peak (9004 ft/2744 m)
- Mount Baldy (8914 ft/2717 m)
- Bridger Peak (8635 ft/ 2632 m)
Skiing
The Bridger Range is also home to ski area Bridger Bowl. With the first rope tow installed in 1951, Bridger Bowl became a primarily locals mountain, the area has a top elevation of 8700 ft and a base elevation of 6100 ft. On average the ski area receives 350 inches of snow every year. Backcountry skiingBackcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
is also very popular with snow being available on peaks such as Sacagawea from early November until late May/early June. Beginning the 2008-2009 ski season, Bridger Bowl started to allow backcountry travel from the ski area via access gates on the northern and southern boundaries.
Hiking
Though many hiking trails exist, Sacagawea Peak is a favorite hiking area in the Bridgers. The hike is a short, yet rather strenuous, 2.2 mile one-way trek through pine forest, alpine tundraAlpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
and scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
fields to the top of Sacagawea Peak. The Bridger Ridge Run is a 20 mile race which takes place mid-August. The race follows the ridge line from Fairy Lake to the southern end of the range.
History
The Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
Sacagawea
Sacagawea
Sacagawea ; was a Lemhi Shoshone woman, who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting as an interpreter and guide, in their exploration of the Western United States...
led the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
through Bozeman Pass and some have suggested the pass should have been named after her instead of John Bozeman.
The range is named after Jim Bridger
Jim Bridger
James Felix "Jim" Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites...
, who pioneered the Bridger Trail
Bridger Trail
The Bridger Trail was an overland route connecting the Oregon Trail to the gold fields of Montana. Gold was discovered in Virginia City, Montana in 1863, prompting settlers and prospectorsto find a trail to travel from central Wyoming to Montana...
through mountains in southern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
into the Bighorn Basin
Bighorn Basin
The Bighorn Basin is a plateau region and intermontane basin, approximately 100 miles wide, in north-central Wyoming in the United States. It is bounded by the Absaroka Range on the west, the Bighorn Mountains on the east, and the Owl Creek Mountains and Bridger Mountains on the south...
in 1864.
On January 10, 1938, Northwest Airlines Flight 2
Northwest Airlines Flight 2
Northwest Airlines Flight 2, registration NC17388, was a Lockheed 14H Super Electra aircraft which crashed into the Bridger Mountains about 12 miles northeast of Bozeman, Montana, on January 10, 1938...
crashed in the Bridger Mountains, killing all 10 aboard. This was the first fatal crash of a Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
aircraft.