Now for you history lovers, some early facts on the history and making of the Northern Rocky Mountains area.
**The following summation of information was gleaned from, "Northwest Exposures: A Geologic Story of the Northwest," by David Alt and Donald Hyndman. If you like geology these books are for you.
According to geologists, the "Rocky Mountain Range first had its beginnings off the coast of the present-day United States and Canada at the beginning of the Jurassic era, about 205 million years ago when the western edge of North America collided with the floor of the Pacific Ocean. With great thrusts of energy, the crusts jammed together, leading to the upheaval of the land, and developing into high jagged peaks."
Next, "steam and hot basalt magma rose above the sinking slabs of the ocean floor and melted the rocks in the lower part of the continental crust, whereupon vast amounts of molten granite magma rose into the early mountains and then sheared off into giant slabs and moved tens of miles east into western Montana, thus becoming the Rocky Mountains."
Ancient glaciers many miles thick carved out the beautiful valleys and alpine lakes in Northwest Montana, and other parts of the Rocky Mountains. It is hard to imagine that the Cordilleran Ice sheet covered all but the very tops of our present mountain peaks. The tallest in our area reaching over 8,000 feet in the CabinetMountain Range. The Purcells nearby were completely covered, giving them round tops that we see today.
Now for some wolf tidbits!
Wolf Pups:
A mating pair mate for life and only mate once per year, usually between January through March and have between 4-6 pups.
Wolf Dens:
They come in a variety of forms, from a rock cave to a hollow log. They sometimes use the dens of other animals such as foxes or bobcats. Some dens may have an entrance as long as ten feet with a chamber at the end to hold the mother and pups.
The pups are weaned at about six weeks old.
Thanks again! I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. If you no longer want to receive these newsletters, just reply back and tell me to take you off the list--no worries.
Cheers!
P.J. Wesley
#Chinook: King of the North
PS: If you ordered my book, "Chinook: King of the North," on Amazon, please consider leaving a review. It would mean a great deal to me. Thanks!
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