Road Atlas 2006 United States [antikvár]

plulSuS lil^aMHU NORTHWEST I Grand Tetons, Wyoming I Glacier National Park, Montana 1 Mount Rainier, Washington I Crater Lake, Oregon I Gold Country, California !7FiW on: page 238, C-S A-spiring to Great Heights in the Grand Tetons © Grand Teton National Park PO Drawer !70 Moose, WY 83012-0170 If any range in America serves as a model for how mountains should look, it's the Tetons. Without warning, these superb peaks rise suddenly from a flat plain to a giddy 13,770 feet. From base to summit, the angle of the slope is the same: unrelentingly steep. Anchoring the range, which extends across northwestern Wyoming just south of Yellowstone, is a trio of granite spires - Grand Teton, Middle Teton, and South Teton - flanked by peaks hardly less spectacular. These are quintessential mountains, rising to sharp, almost delicate points while at the same time retaining a sense of massive strength. Snowfields and glaciers perch on what appear to be vertical cliffs. Glacial lakes strung like watery gems adorn the base of the mountains, each one filled with icy snowmelt and trout, Beyond the lakes spread the flat reaches of Jackson Hole, a valley rimmed by mountains, carpeted by sagebrush and punctuated by neatly spaced groves of aspens, cottonwoods and conifers. Pronghorn antelope, bison, and mule deer favor these flats, while large numbers of elk stage a spectacular show during the autumn njt-ting season. The Snake River meanders through Jackson Hole and on either side of the river, willow flats and ponds provide habitat for beavers, moose, coyotes, osprey, bald eagles, and a variety of other wildlife. Some 485 square miles of this wonderiand is protected in Grand Teton National Pari<. There are two main roads through the park, US 89 and the Teton Park Road. Among the highlights are Jenny Lake, with its pretty lakeshore trail, and Signal Mountain, with its panoramic view from the summit. There are many hiking trails for both expert and casual walkers; a favorite is Cascade Canyon, which climbs to Hidden Falls, a lovely bridal-veil cascade, and emerges from the forest at Inspiration Point. 27FÍ/UÍ on: page 130, Starts at Helena; F-7 Travel Montana 1424 Ninth Avenue PO Box 200533 Helena, MT 59620-0533 406-444-2654 800-847-4868 www.visiimi.com ^ Beyond the Great Divide From Helena, the capital of Montana, US 12 runs up and over MacDonald Pass and the Continental Divide. Spill a drop of water now, and it will eventually run Into the Pacific instead of the Atlantic. To the west of the Divide, at Garrison, join 1-90 for a stretch of rugged mountains. You are solidly in the Rockies now, with minor ranges such as the Garnet Range to either side of the road. It leads to Missoula, a pleasant university town. From here, take US 93 north into the Flathead Indian Reservation. Roadside restaurants sell bison burgers and huckleberry shakes. A short detour west on Highway 200 brings you to the National Bison Range, where several hundred of these magnificent animals as well as many other species of wildlife roam over grassland and patches of timber. Back on US 93, visit the lovely mission at St. Ignatius before heading north along Flathead Lake to Kalispell, a friendly town which makes a good base for excursions into nearby Glacier National Park. The Continental Divide forms Glacier's backbone, crossed by spectacular Going- to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass. This is the only road that crosses the park, and its twisting 50 miles of two-lane pavement has been called '1he most beautiful stretch of road in the worid." Many hiking trails give access to the park's 50 glaciers, 200 lakes, alpine meadows, forests, and abundant wildlife. West of Kalispell, US 2 runs through the Kootenai National Forest, which contains many more acres of wilderness that are home to elk, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep. Beyond Libby it passes near the lovely and dramatic Kootenai Falls and continues on into Idaho.