Where Eagles Fly : Morning Mist on the Scapegoat Wilderness in Montana

The Scapegoat Wilderness glows in blue morning alpenglow hues while the moisture rises from the morning summer heat in this image I lensed while flying over the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. 

The Scapegoat Wilderness is a very interesting place for one really cool reason. This at 239,936 acres area was designated as a protected wilderness back in 1972  through a local "grass roots" community effort, which earned a special place in history as the very first citizen-initiated wilderness area in the nation. Wow! That just shows you what we can all do if we bond together. Which is exactly why I am doing this project!!!

Dominated by the massive 9,204-foot high limestone cliffs of Scapegoat Mountain that extends south from the Bob Marshall's Chinese Wall, the Scapegoat Wilderness is an ancient primal place. Mountain elevations range from 5,000 feet on the North Fork of the Blackfoot River to 9,400 feet on Red Mountain, the highest peak in the Complex. The Scapegoat Wilderness is approximately 32 miles long and ranges from four to 24 miles along its width. 

The Scapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres (971 km2) spread across three different National Forests in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1972, the wilderness is located in Lewis and Clark, Helena and Lolo National Forests. The Scapegoat Wilderness is a part of the 1.5 million acre (6,070 km2) Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex as it shares a boundary with the Bob Marshall Wilderness, which in turn is connected to the Great Bear Wilderness further north.

 The Continental Divide creates the western boundary of the wilderness. Rising as much as 1,500 feet (460 m) in places, the Chinese Wall, a portion of the expansive Rocky Mountain Front, stretches a distance of 20 miles (32 km) through the wilderness. With elevations between 5,000 to 9,000 feet (1,500 to 2,700 m) or more above sea level, the wilderness lies just west of the Great Plains, and from the higher mountaintops the views to the east extend for 70 miles (110 km) . The highest peak in the wilderness is Red Mountain 9,414 feet (2,869 m).

With most of the wilderness heavily forested in conifers, the primary tree species found include Engelmann spruce, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine and Douglas fir. The wolf and grizzly call the wilderness home as do black bears, moose, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and mule deer. Rare sightings of wolverine and mountain lions are possible along with bald eagles, peregrine falcons, trumpeter swans and pelicans. Eight species of fish inhabit the lakes and streams with rainbow trout and northern pike being the most common game fish. Fourteen lakes are located in the wilderness as well as the headwaters of the Blackfoot River.
(Research Source)

This image is from my project "Where Eagles Fly". 

About The Project 

Where Eagles Fly - The American Wilderness Expedition is my personal mission to introduce people to these amazing locations that surround us. I am piloting a bush plane while exploring and filming throughout the remote back-country areas of North America to raise awareness of the 47% of the USA and 90% of Canada that remain unpopulated wilderness. 

About The Author 

My name is Zedekiah Morse and I'm a Bush Pilot, Photographer, Explorerand Filmmaker. I live in the Rocky Mountains and devote my time and resources to exploring as much of the world as I can by air. 

If you wish to watch a short film detailing how I do my work and this project, go here.    

Thank you for your support and Yehaw!!