East of Yellowstone
Geology of Clarks Fork Valley and the Nearby Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains

Bob Carson
Foreword by Don Snow (click to read foreword)
Photography by Duane Scroggins

East of Yellowstone invites the curious into the dramatic geologic beauty of the Clarks Fork Valley just east of the world’s first national park. Guided by geologist and professor Bob Carson, explore one of the most fascinating natural theaters in the world and interpret the fascinating geologic story of the terrain east of Yellowstone National Park, including the nearby Beartooths, Absarokas and Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Five road logs steer readers over the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways and adjoining roads to vistas of rugged mountains and scenic valleys. As the mileposts tick past, the remarkable history behind the enigmatic Heart Mountain detachment, Absaroka volcanics and Pleistocene glaciation unfolds. Full-color maps and an amazing collection of photographs enhance this story of the ages.

• Five road logs with maps covering some 166 miles
• 10 topographic maps with trails outlined
• 121 color photographs and 7 geologic maps
• Historical sketches and tips for recreation

Nonfiction. 184 pages, 11" x 8.5" softcover, road logs, bibliographic references, full color with 138 illustrations including photos and maps

• Click to read the foreword by Don Snow
• Click to read an introduction
• Click to read reviews

ISBN 978-1-879628-38-0
$25

Purchase online at the General Store
Or by phone at 1-800-880-3573

“A testament of beauty … an ode to history, geologic and human, in the midst of ecological splendor, written and photographed by one who pays attention to all that is enduring, dynamic and vulnerable.”

–Terry Tempest Williams, author of Finding Beauty in a Broken World

“This book illuminates the dramatic geologic features and rich geologic history centering on the Clarks Fork country just east of Yellowstone Park.”

–Kenneth Pierce, Ph.D., coauthor of books on the geology of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks

“A robust and highly engaging portrait of the geological history and features of one of the most fascinating natural theaters in the world. This book will absolutely enhance your understanding and appreciation of the Greater Yellowstone region.”

–Charles R. Preston, Ph.D., founding and senior curator, Draper Museum of Natural History, Buffalo Bill Historical Center

Contents

Foreword by Don Snow

Preface

Introduction: Ice and Water Flow from the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness to the Bighorn Basin

Geologic Overview: Archean Mountain Building to Cenozoic Volcanism and Glaciation

Road Logs
A. Cody to the Mouth of Clarks Fork Canyon
B. Chief Joseph Scenic Highway over Dead Indian Pass
C. Sunlight Basin
D. Beartooth Highway from Red Lodge to Clarks Fork Valley
E. Beartooth Highway from Clarks Fork Valley to Yellowstone National Park

General References

Bibliography

Biographies

Appendix: Topographic maps

Biographies

Robert J. Carson is Phillips Professor of geology and environmental studies at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. After he earned a Bachelor of Arts in geology from Cornell University, he worked for Texaco Inc. His other geology degrees are a Master of Science from Tulane University and a doctorate from the University of Washington. Summer employment included Washington’s Department of Ecology and Division of Geology and Earth Resources. His interests are in the earth and environmental sciences, and his courses deal with resources and pollution, human interaction with the biosphere, glaciers, volcanoes, water, landforms and natural hazards. A whitewater guide and a member of the American Alpine Club, he has led field trips in Africa, Eurasia, South America and throughout North America. His other books include Where the Great River Bends and Hiking Guide to Washington Geology.

Duane Scroggins is a native of the McKenzie River area east of Springfield, Oregon. He received a Bachelor of Science in forest engineering from Oregon State University and a Bachelor of Science in civil enginering in California. He retired in 1994 from a 35-year civil engineering career to pursue a passion for outdoor photography that began in his teenage years. His foremost interest is wildlife photography as demonstrated in his published images in Oregon Hunter, North American Hunter, Fur-Fish-Game, Hunting the West, and other publications. However, his portfolio includes other interests such as landscapes, birds, wildflowers, and historic events and structures. His images have been published in calendars, shown at local galleries and sold as prints. The images illustrating the awesome vistas and intimate details found in East of Yellowstone are an extension of years photographing Yellowstone National Park.

Donald Snow is a professor, editor, writer and activist with more than 30 years of experience in environmental issues. For 18 of those years he directed the Northern Lights Research & Education Institute in Missoula, Montana, where he founded and co-edited both Northern Lights Magazine and the Chronicle of Community. In 2001 he took up residence in Walla Walla, Washington, and began teaching at Whitman College where he is now senior lecturer of environmental humanities. His essays and stories have appeared in Orion, Sierra, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Montana Magazine, High Country News and many other periodicals. In 2006, the Oregon Council for the Humanities published his lecture, “Round the Next Bend: Pendleton, Walla Walla, and the Transformation of the Rural West.” His books as editor and contributor include The Book of the Tongass, The Next West, Northern Lights: A Selection of New Writing from the American West and Where the Great River Bends.

Sylvie Amezcua White has been a professional cartographer since 1993. She moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1997 from Davis, California, where she had worked as a GIS and image processing analyst. In 2004 she established TerraPen Geographics and published the popular Lake Pend Oreille Recreation map, later opening a retail location downtown. At Maps & More she provides custom-printed topographic maps and hundreds of map titles from around the world. She focuses on custom mapping and publishing and maintains an online presence at www.SandpointMaps.com.