Sun River Canyon on the Sawtooth Range in Montana

This is the jagged Sawtooth Range in south eastern Montana  where the Sun River passes through from the mountains to the plains. You  can clearly see where it got the name Sawtooth from, this is one of the  best exposed examples of imbricate thrust faulting in the foreland fold  and thrust belt of the western United States.   

Though in the shadow of Glacier National Park yet no less  spectacular, the Sawtooth Range forms a chainsaw ridged crest of peaks  that are dramatically fronted by flat-iron plates. Full of fossils from  seashells, corals, and tubeworms, these limestone strata were once the  floor of shallow Cretaceous-era seas, some 70 to 100 million years ago.

In the immediate foreground in this image you can see Sun River  Canyon, where the Sun River has cut its way through the limestone over  millions of years. Human history in the Sun River canyon goes back  possibly 12,000 years. The oldest stories tell of early First Nations  Tribes, primarily Crow, Salish, and Blackfeet, who hunted the abundant  elk, deer, and migrating buffalo along the rich watershed of the Sun  River also known as the  “Medicine” River.   

Early man came through here, as well as historical Native tribes from  both sides of the mountains, and they left their marks to tell their  story. The site is near the junction of two important trails. One is the  Old North Trail that runs north south from near Edmonton, Alberta into  northern Mexico. The other comes across the mountains east and west and  is called “Raising Dust Trail” by the Blackfoot.  

Tribes like the Flathead, Pend d’Oreille, Kutenai, Nez Perce and  others from the Plateau area on the west side of the mountains came  through here to hunt the buffalo of the plains. From here they could  send out their scouts to see if the Blackfoot were in the area and  decide if a peace could be made.  Or if the Blackfoot were elsewhere they might just be able to  complete their hunt and be back across the mountains before being  discovered. Dragging their travois with horses or dogs, the dust could  be seen for miles.  
(Research Source)

The Blackfeet called the Sun River Valley the “best game  country west of the Mississippi” and “Corner of the World” because of  the Rocky Mountains to the south and to the west that channeled the  wildlife into the Valley. However, the quality of the hunting grounds  caused frequent conflicts between the tribes inhabiting the area.  

Sometime in the late 1700’s or early1800’s, a tragic battle between  the Blackfeet and Crow occurred near the headwaters of the Sun and  resulted in significant casualties on both sides. To this day, stories  of the battle remain interwoven throughout Blackfeet and Crow oral  histories.  
(Research Source)

I lensed this image late in the afternoon while exploring the area north of Yellowstone National Park in the springtime. This is from my ongoing project in which I am trying to  raise awareness of the 47% of the USA and 90% of Canada that remain  unpopulated wilderness.   

Where Eagles Fly - The American Wilderness Expedition is my personal   mission to introduce people to these amazing  locations that surround  us.   

If you are interested in helping with this project please consider upvoting and resteemit so that others may  experience these wondrous places as well.  

Yehaw!!