Presenters: Melissa Gundersen & Jennifer Baranovic, USFS Beartooth Ranger District Geologists
Description: We will go on two separate hikes up on the Beartooth Plateau mostly through alpine landscapes with broad expansive views of the Beartooth Mountains. The focus of the hikes will highlight the unique geology and terrain of the Beartooth Mountains which have some of the oldest exposed rocks on Planet Earth and host some of the world’s most critical metals such as palladium, platinum, and chromium. In contrast to the old rocks, the landscape we see today has been sculpted and carved by glaciers just a mere 13,000 years ago (geologically speaking). On our hikes, we will look at and discuss the formation and uplift of the Beartooth Mountains, a multitude of glacial features, and the long history of mining in the Beartooths.
Meeting Time and Location: August 27, 8AM at the US Forest Service Beartooth Ranger Station