The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1916-05-12
The Central Mountain

Area of Idaho
The central mountain area extends
from the Clark Fork of the Columbia
and Pend d'Oreille lake to the Snake
river plains. 1t is continuous on the
east but broken by the lava plateau
regions such as the country around
Moscow, Camas prairie. etc, on the
west. 1t has an area of roughly
35, 900 square miles.
1t has been described by the United
States Geological Survey as one of the
NJ Jst rugged and inaccessible regions
in the United States. The mountain
SUBMITS gradually increase in height
in going from the north to the south
eliminating in Hyndman peak with
an elevation of 12,047 feet. In the
CRur d'Alene region the SUBMITS
seldom exceed 5000 feet, and are,
about intermediate between these
figures along the Salmon river where
they run up to over 1000 feet. While
Mt. Hyndman has been considered
the highest mountain In the state it
has been recently reported that one of
the White Cloud peaks near the head
of the Salmon river is over $4,000
feet.
This region is better described as a
range of deep canyons rather than a
mass Of mountains. The mountains
OF this region are known geologically
as erosion mountains; that is they
have been produced by the erosive
action of the streams in cutting down
their channels from what was at one
time an almost level plain. This
plain, which evidently contained
some low mountains was formed 10
what Is known as the Eucene period,
by the gradual planning down Of the
land by the streams that existed at
that time. Sediments that must
have been derived from these strea ms
are found on almost all sides OF this
area, particularly on the east side In
eastern Montana and the Dakotas
where an inland sea then existed.
Later on this plain was gradually
elevated above sea-level to its present
height and the streams cut deep
channels through 1t leaving ridges
between with much the same eleva-
tion, and in some places remnants of
the plain, as Poverty fiat just north
of Clayton. This plateau was evi-
, IDENTIFY raised more rapidly in the
southern part than in the north as
there the noun tainS are both higher
aud more rugged and the streams
more rapid. This is particularly
noticeable IN the Saw Tooth and
Smoky mountains.
In this mountain area were formed
many large lakes which were latel
drained or filled up. Long Valley ii
one of these with Payette lake at tn,
head of the valley, the remnant o
what was once large lake. Stanle,
basin is evidently another with few
remnants in the form of Red Fisl
and other small lakes. Around Gil
more are other lakefllled basins.
The Salmon river bisects this oil
eroded plateau region and being tn
largest stream, has cut very dee
canyon. Altho this Salmon canyoi
does not possess all the scenic feature
Of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado
it is still sufficiently grand to b
worth visit. The finest scenery G
the canyon, however, is unfortunatel
remote even from a wagon road. On
Of the most typical parts is where tn
Thunder mountain trail crosses th
river below Dixie. Here the canyo
Is nearly mile deep and In man
countries less rich in mountain seen
cry than our Western states, would /
visi ed as tourist resort by thou
ands of people yearly; 10 fact one {
the greatest undeyeloped resources
, Idaho is the mountain scenery an
resorts of this deeply disected regio
in the central part of the state.-I
t c. Livingstone, Dept. of Geolog
, University of Idaho.