Teton Mountain Range
Posted by: Volcanoguy
N 44° 08.393 W 111° 17.437
12T E 476754 N 4887450
History sign about the Teton Mountain Range.
Waymark Code: WMC7T1
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2011
Views: 5
This history sign is located on Idaho Hwy. 47 east of the community of Warm River and deals with the history of the Tetons.
Marker Name: Teton Mountain Range
Marker Type: Roadside
Marker Text: Les Trois Teton or, The Three Breasts
John Colter after serving with the Lewis and Clark Expedition journeyed to the Teton Yellowstone Country in 1807, and became the first mountain man to see the Teton Mountain Range. Early fur trappers gathered in the valley at the base of the Teton Range at the site known as Pierre’s Hole for their annual rendezvous.
The Teton Range, approximately 10 million years old, is the youngest mountain range in the Rockies. The three “Tetons” were once a single massive mountain of granite. Over the millennia, glaciers up to 3,000 feet thick carved the steep canyons into U-shaped valleys. Freezing water broke off slabs of rock creating the sharp ridges and pinnacles you see today. Early explorers called the mountains the Pilot Peaks. Later the more romantic French trappers called the main peaks “Les Trois Teton” or “The Three Breasts.”
“Beaver” Dick Leigh was a well-known Idaho Mountain Man who lived and raised his family at the base of the Teton Mountain Range. The Teton Peaks served as a beacon. Visible for miles, the peaks guided mountain men to the Teton Valley which became home for their annual rendezvous. The first rendezvous dates back to 1832 when more than 200 mountain men gathered near the Teton River with the Nez Perce and the Flatheads to trade and celebrate in the wilderness.
County: Fremont
Group Responsible for Placement: Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
City: Not listed
Date Dedicated: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
Web link(s) for additional information: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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