Froze-to-Death Mountain
Encyclopedia
Froze-to-Death Mountain is a prominent summit
among the Beartooth Mountains
. It stands in Stillwater County
, Montana
.
.
Surrounding features include Froze-to-Death Lake and Froze-to-Death Creek. The mountain area is part of the Custer National Forest
which is itself a part of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
. As national forest territory, it is administered by the United States Forest Service
. The nearest city is Big Timber
(pop. 1,650) in Sweet Grass County, Montana
.
, the highest peak in Montana.
tribe of Native Americans. The area can be deadly for unprepared visitors. Its rocky, broken terrain is difficult for travelers and snow is possible at any time of the year.
The imposing conditions of the mountain and the surrounding plateau preclude nearly all wildlife with the exception of a few nesting Golden Eagle
s and the occasional mountain goat
. Stone cairn
s stand throughout the area in such numbers that their value as position locators is greatly limited, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) strongly recommends against using them for navigation. Even modern travellers frequently find themselves lost, and rescue is difficult. The USFS keeps no official records regarding the number of deaths in the area, but the risk of fatalities from accidents and exposure is recognized as high. For even the most experienced outdoor enthusiasts, Froze-to-Death Mountain and the other peaks of the Beartooth Mountain range rank among the most challenging and dangerous of all North American parkland.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
among the Beartooth Mountains
Beartooth Mountains
The Beartooth Mountains are located in south central Montana and northwest Wyoming, U.S. and are part of the 900,000 acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. The Beartooths are the location of Granite Peak, which at 12,807 feet is the highest...
. It stands in Stillwater County
Stillwater County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Custer National Forest *Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge*Halfbreed Lake National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, 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,...
.
Geography
Froze-to-Death Mountain rises to an elevation of 11755 feet (3,582.9 m) at its peak. It is the highest landform in the Froze-to-Death Plateau, a local name for an area within the Beartooth MountainsBeartooth Mountains
The Beartooth Mountains are located in south central Montana and northwest Wyoming, U.S. and are part of the 900,000 acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. The Beartooths are the location of Granite Peak, which at 12,807 feet is the highest...
.
Surrounding features include Froze-to-Death Lake and Froze-to-Death Creek. The mountain area is part of the Custer National Forest
Custer National Forest
Custer National Forest is located primarily in the southern part of the U.S. state of Montana but also has separate sections in northwestern South Dakota. With a total area of 1,278,279 acres , the forest comprises over 10 separate sections...
which is itself a part of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness was created from existing National Forest lands in 1975 and is located in Montana and Wyoming, United States. The wilderness is partly in Gallatin, Custer and Shoshone National Forests and is composed of . The wilderness encompasses two distinct mountain ranges, namely...
. As national forest territory, it is administered by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. The nearest city is Big Timber
Big Timber, Montana
Big Timber is a city in and the county seat of Sweet Grass County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Big Timber is located at ....
(pop. 1,650) in Sweet Grass County, Montana
Sweet Grass County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Custer National Forest *Gallatin National Forest *Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,609 people, 1,476 households, and 987 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile...
.
Pass to Granite Peak
While it is a challenging summit in itself, most climbers bypass it for the saddle between Froze-to-Death and its neighbor, Prairie View Mountain, to take one of two trailways that lead up to Granite PeakGranite Peak (Montana)
Granite Peak, at an elevation of above sea level, is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the tenth highest state high point in the nation. It lies within the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, in Park County very near the borders of Stillwater County and Carbon County...
, the highest peak in Montana.
Environment
The name "Froze-to-Death" is said to derive from the experiences of the local CrowCrow Nation
The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
tribe of Native Americans. The area can be deadly for unprepared visitors. Its rocky, broken terrain is difficult for travelers and snow is possible at any time of the year.
The imposing conditions of the mountain and the surrounding plateau preclude nearly all wildlife with the exception of a few nesting Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s and the occasional mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
. Stone cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s stand throughout the area in such numbers that their value as position locators is greatly limited, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) strongly recommends against using them for navigation. Even modern travellers frequently find themselves lost, and rescue is difficult. The USFS keeps no official records regarding the number of deaths in the area, but the risk of fatalities from accidents and exposure is recognized as high. For even the most experienced outdoor enthusiasts, Froze-to-Death Mountain and the other peaks of the Beartooth Mountain range rank among the most challenging and dangerous of all North American parkland.
See also
External links
- Satellite view, SatelliteViews.Net
- Topographical map of Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (PDF)
- USGS links