Montana Hill Climb (Picture Heavy)

[RON (PA)]

Beautiful pics..Looks like a great place to live.

 

[Colonial Copper Zeus]

I think it is awesome that you 2 hooked up and are now enjoying life. My wife and I go to our local state parks here in Pa. I look so forward to every Wednesday when we hit the trails with our cameras. Looks like you guys are doing the same. I am very envious of your area. Montana is very beautiful. Would love to visit. Pa has older detecting sites though so 6 in one and half a dozen in another.
Chris

 

[Michiganne]

Excellent pics...thanks for sharing! Been to MT once and the mountains sure are inspiring.

HH

 

[Woodland Detectors]

And cold as @!*^


Looks are deceiving from where you took the photo

 

[Montana Jim]

And cold as @!*^


Looks are deceiving from where you took the photo

It's all deceiving from teh pics... there is no way to capture the size and vastness of this butte in pictures.

Once we were on the top, it just looked like any other prarie, there are a few hiking trails established that make it possible to get to the top without too much drama - but the reality of the views can never be captured in a picture.

Thanks again all... I appreciate the comments.

 

[rginn]

Great pics again, MJ. I like the quiet in the pics. Hope I can make it up that way and check it out in person this next summer, as it's really not that far from where we're at.

 

[extractor]

Totally aw-some pictures Thanks

 

[goldie1959]

beautiful pics jim. have read several books about montana but never seen such great pics. what formed the buttes, a volcano and then the earth eroded away? just wondering. this sure helps the cabin fever. BIG THANKS goldie

 

[Mental Granny]

The pics are awesome, so beautiful thanks for sharing your day with us! Need to get Lisa away from the dreaded "HOMEWORK" more often !

 

[Montana Jim]

The pics are awesome, so beautiful thanks for sharing your day with us! Need to get Lisa away from the dreaded "HOMEWORK" more often !

She usually takes me places... she's good at knowing when to leave work behind.

beautiful pics jim. have read several books about montana but never seen such great pics. what formed the buttes, a volcano and then the earth eroded away? just wondering. this sure helps the cabin fever. BIG THANKS goldie

goldie... great question - so I looked it up to find out!

Here is what I found about this very butte: "Crown Butte is a geological formation called a laccolith. It was formed by intrusions of molten rock, called dikes, which flowed between layers of shale and sandstone that were laid down as marine deposits nearly 80 million years ago. The weak overlying layers bulged upward as the molten rock (magma) intruded, creating the lens-like body of the laccolith. Some of the dikes are visible to the west of Crown Butte, and the soft underlying layers of shale and sandstone are seen at the mouth of the canyon to the south.

After the magma cooled, it formed the resultant rock called shonkinite. Shonkinite is a distinctive rock that contains the glossy black mineral augite, which appears as small stubby crystals. Upon cooling, the rock contracted, causing vertical fractures that formed the towers and columns. While this weather-resistant rock still protects the underlying sedimentary rocks, the surrounding layers have eroded, exposing the butte.

Laccoliths are rare formations, particularly ones with exposed dikes. Crown Butte is one of the finest examples of a laccolith in central Montana and most likely the world."

http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/montana/preserves/art343.html

 

[Cappy Z.]

lol..Someone has the gift of Ansel Adams. Stunning.

 

[CarolinaDigs]

The pics are all amazing ! Mona and yourself appear to be in great shape for this adventure !! I on the other hand, happen to be totally exhausted from just the viewing !!!!!! ;o) Love you guys !!! Margie