Looking at the wilderness areas in the greater Yellowstone area, I was perplexed as to where exactly the Absaroka mountains terminate. In Wyoming there is the North Absaroka Wilderness, but across the stateline is the Beartooth-Absaroka Wilderness. Presumably some of the Absarokas are in this area as well. What is the boundary/transition point between the two ranges? Is it fair to say that the Absarokas are also the large group of mountanis west of the Stillwater River and that the Beartooths are confined between the Stillwater and Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone? This seems to be the case to me in terms of geology and appearance. If this is the case, then the North Absaroka Wilderness in Wyoming is a bit of a misnomer and the SP page on the northern Absarokas ought to be amended to include the vast area in Montana. Or not. I am just trying to figure this out.

1000Pks wrote:Similar with the Sierra Nevada. The northernmost boundary is never made too clear, I put it as about the Feather River Canyon but many may declare me wrong.

I would be one of those. I think the valley now occupied by Lake Almanor is most reasonable place to say where the range terminates. Mountain Meadows is a distinct feature, and it marks a clear transition point between the granitic and volcanic rock types the characterize the northern Sierra and the southern Cascades. Moreover, one thing I have been learning is how important watersheds are to marking geologic boundaries. This being the case, Mountain Meadows (Lake Almanor) accounts for the North Fork of the Feather River, which drains a large area north of the Feather River Canyon.

Not that this needs to be debated in the Northern Rockies Forum. Let me restate my original question a different way. What part of the Beartooth-Absaroka Wilderness is the Absaroka part? How much of the Absaroka Mountains extend into Montana?

1000Pks wrote:Similar with the Sierra Nevada. The northernmost boundary is never made too clear, I put it as about the Feather River Canyon but many may declare me wrong. It is not real clear about the distinction for the Tehachapis as well. Government maps don't help. I think way back I asked a CSU Geography professor but was ridiculed in front of the class.

I've never seen any maps where a mountain range was as clearly defined as any political entity.

This thread is about the Absaroka's not the Sierra's and the SC,MLC.

Yes, the naming of these ranges is a bit of a mess.

According to Thomas Turiano, the Absarokas in Montana should be called the "Western Beartooth" and it's an accident of history that they're called the Absarokas. They are very different mountains from the Beartooth ("Eastern Beartooth"?), though.

The "other" Absarokas (the Northern Absaroka range, the Southwest Absaroka range, and the Southeast Absaroka range) are mostly in Wyoming. (There's a debated bit of mountains North of Cooke City: Northern Absaroka or Beartooth?)

The Montana Absarokas do "connect" to the Northern Absarokas and they are similar in that they are of volcanic origin. They are Northwest of the Northern Absaroka range. Maybe they should be called the "Montana Absarokas", the "Northwest Absorakas", or the "Boreal Absarokas"? I don't suppose the naming is likely to change now, though.

It's a bit of a mess

Bubba Suess wrote:What is the boundary/transition point between the two ranges?

I think most people put the boundary between the Northern Absarokas and the Beartooth as (roughly) the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone drainage near the Wyoming-Montana border.

The Boulder River (not the Stillwater River) is usually considered the divider between the Beartooths and the (Montana) Absarokas.

HTH, Nick

I think that the entire run, from Livingston, Montana to Dubois, WY are not only similar in that they are volcanic, but from the same volcanic "event" or period about 50 million years ago. The main bulk of the Beartooth Range is much, much older rock (some of it 3.5 b years old). I agree that the main fork of the Boulder River is a better demarcation than the Stillwater. Cooke City sits right between the two with granitic peaks to the north and volcanic rock to the south.

nickhowes wrote:

Bubba Suess wrote:What is the boundary/transition point between the two ranges?

I think most people put the boundary between the Northern Absarokas and the Beartooth as (roughly) the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone drainage near the Wyoming-Montana border.

The Boulder River (not the Stillwater River) is usually considered the divider between the Beartooths and the (Montana) Absarokas.

HTH, Nick

Agreed - the Clarks Fork is the dividing line as I've always understood it. This is supported by Turiano's book.

Tim

As someone that spends half his year just below the Southern Absaroka Wall thanks for a great discussion here.

The answer to your original question, is that the Absarokas end east of Livingston, they don't cross the Yellowstone (those are the Crazies). Perhaps Livingston Peak is the northernmost Absaroka mountain.

then would the southern end be like cool Washakie Needle? i tried it once but solo and bad rock defeated me. nobody goes in there.

tom sewell wrote:then would the southern end be like cool Washakie Needle? i tried it once but solo and bad rock defeated me. nobody goes in there.

The southern end is typically considered to be at Togwotee Pass and around Dubois, though there are several peaks south of the pass that are definitely more like Absaroka peaks than any other nearby range.

I guess my original question was relating more to the northwestern end of the range; where the boundary with the Beartooths is and where the northwestern terminus is.

Bubba Suess wrote:and the SP page on the northern Absarokas ought to be amended to include the vast area in Montana.

I'm actually working on a page for the Montana Absarokas to complete the subdivision of the Absarokas on SP. I expect to be done in around a week.

Bubba Suess wrote:I guess my original question was relating more to the northwestern end of the range; where the boundary with the Beartooths is and where the northwestern terminus is.

Why don't you call the beartooth ranger station in red lodge and ask them?derrrr

The Beartooths are to the East of the Absarokas. The Northwestern Edge of the range is Livingston Peak!