Mount Jumbo
Encyclopedia
Mount Jumbo is an iconic mountain that overlooks the city of Missoula, Montana
. The mountain is northeast of the city’s downtown and, in its majority, is publicly owned. In 1996, Jumbo was purchased from private landowners and protected from development. Funding for this purchase came from an open space bond, federal and non-profit agencies and thousands of local contributors. Additional land parcels have been purchased since then, increasing the easement to its current 1,800 acres.
Between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago, Glacial Lake Missoula
formed when an ice sheet blocked the Clark Fork River, damming up the river’s water back into the valleys of western Montana. The dam would periodically burst causing a flood of water to rush across Idaho
, Washington and Oregon
to the Pacific Ocean
. This lake contained about 2100 cubic kilometres (503.8 cu mi) of water, half the volume of Lake Michigan
.
These dramatic drops in water levels caused the distinct glacial lake shoreline marks that are still visible from the floor of the Missoula Valley on the face of Mount Jumbo and neighboring Mount Sentinel
.
, an English-Canadian fur trader, named the hill 'Brown Knowl' when he climbed in on February 26, 1812. Later, eastern settlers thought Mount Jumbo looked like a sleeping elephant. Locals saw the landform as a reclining elephant with its rump in the Clark Fork and its trunk pointing north toward the Rattlesnake Mountains; the round grassy mountain became known as 'Elephant Hill.' Miners christened a nearby copper mine 'Jumbo Lode' in honor of Barnum and Bailey's most famous attraction Jumbo
, the largest elephant in the world, which Barnum acquired in 1882. The feature was later renamed Mount Jumbo.
and local residents was used to purchase the majority of the mountain. This initial portion included 1,465 acres. Since then, additional land purchases have opened a total of 1,800 acres across Mount Jumbo to public access as well as wildlife preservation.
The primary reason for protecting Mount Jumbo in 1996 was that a dense subdivision had been approved for the mountain’s saddle.
Mount Jumbo's saddle is identified as an essential winter-feeding habitat for urban elk herds. Of the elk herds living near Missoula the herd on Jumbo is considered the most restricted in its movements.
Most parts of the mountain are closed during the winter to protect the elk that are under more stress at this time of year due to harsh weather and decreased food availability. The northern portion of Mount Jumbo is closed Dec. 1 until May 1, while the southern part is closed Dec. 1 to March 15.
A stabilization in Jumbo's herd size has been observed since the winter closures began in 1997.
Invasive weeds such as spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, cheatgrass, sulfur cinquefoil and Dalmatian toadflax are established across Mount Jumbo. Numerous management programs are working to combat the invasive species spread. Community weed-pulls organized by Missoula City as well as student, conservation and other private groups work to remove thousands of pounds of weeds from the mountain’s face every year. Sheep have also been used as a management tool to graze on the unwanted species.
Mountain Biking
Flora and Fauna
Fauna of interest seen on Mount Jumbo include: whitetail deer, mule deer, black bear, elk, mountain lions, red fox, swallowtail butterflies, Blue Grouse, Lazuli Buntings, blue birds and falcons.
Flora highlights include: service berry, hawthorn, ninebark, bluebunch wheatgrass, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir.
Evidence of pine beetle infestation in conifers has been observed on Mount Jumbo.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. The mountain is northeast of the city’s downtown and, in its majority, is publicly owned. In 1996, Jumbo was purchased from private landowners and protected from development. Funding for this purchase came from an open space bond, federal and non-profit agencies and thousands of local contributors. Additional land parcels have been purchased since then, increasing the easement to its current 1,800 acres.
Natural History
Glacial Lake MissoulaBetween 15,000 and 13,000 years ago, Glacial Lake Missoula
Glacial Lake Missoula
Glacial Lake Missoula was a prehistoric proglacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago...
formed when an ice sheet blocked the Clark Fork River, damming up the river’s water back into the valleys of western Montana. The dam would periodically burst causing a flood of water to rush across Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. This lake contained about 2100 cubic kilometres (503.8 cu mi) of water, half the volume of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
.
These dramatic drops in water levels caused the distinct glacial lake shoreline marks that are still visible from the floor of the Missoula Valley on the face of Mount Jumbo and neighboring Mount Sentinel
Mount Sentinel
Mount Sentinel, originally known as "Mount Woody," is a small mountain located to the east of the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. At a height of 1,958 feet and an elevation of 5,158 feet, Mount Sentinel also features the hillside letter "M", a large concrete structure 620 feet up its...
.
Naming
David ThompsonDavid Thompson
David Thompson may refer to:In exploration:*David Thompson , founder of the first European settlement in New Hampshire, United States...
, an English-Canadian fur trader, named the hill 'Brown Knowl' when he climbed in on February 26, 1812. Later, eastern settlers thought Mount Jumbo looked like a sleeping elephant. Locals saw the landform as a reclining elephant with its rump in the Clark Fork and its trunk pointing north toward the Rattlesnake Mountains; the round grassy mountain became known as 'Elephant Hill.' Miners christened a nearby copper mine 'Jumbo Lode' in honor of Barnum and Bailey's most famous attraction Jumbo
Jumbo
Jumbo was a large African Bush Elephant, born 1861 in the French Sudan – present-day Mali – imported to a Paris zoo, transferred to the London Zoo in 1865, and sold in 1882 to P. T...
, the largest elephant in the world, which Barnum acquired in 1882. The feature was later renamed Mount Jumbo.
Protecting Mount Jumbo
In 1995, Missoula citizens approved a $5 million bond to preserve open, natural areas in the county. A year later, $2 million from that bond and another $1.5 million raised by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, Five Valleys Land Trust, the Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationRocky Mountain Elk Foundation
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a conservationist organization, founded in the United States in 1984 by four hunters from Troy, Montana with the mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, and their habitat...
and local residents was used to purchase the majority of the mountain. This initial portion included 1,465 acres. Since then, additional land purchases have opened a total of 1,800 acres across Mount Jumbo to public access as well as wildlife preservation.
The primary reason for protecting Mount Jumbo in 1996 was that a dense subdivision had been approved for the mountain’s saddle.
Mount Jumbo's saddle is identified as an essential winter-feeding habitat for urban elk herds. Of the elk herds living near Missoula the herd on Jumbo is considered the most restricted in its movements.
Most parts of the mountain are closed during the winter to protect the elk that are under more stress at this time of year due to harsh weather and decreased food availability. The northern portion of Mount Jumbo is closed Dec. 1 until May 1, while the southern part is closed Dec. 1 to March 15.
A stabilization in Jumbo's herd size has been observed since the winter closures began in 1997.
Invasive weeds such as spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, cheatgrass, sulfur cinquefoil and Dalmatian toadflax are established across Mount Jumbo. Numerous management programs are working to combat the invasive species spread. Community weed-pulls organized by Missoula City as well as student, conservation and other private groups work to remove thousands of pounds of weeds from the mountain’s face every year. Sheep have also been used as a management tool to graze on the unwanted species.
Recreation
Hiking- The "L" – The letter “L” cemented onto the face of Mount Jumbo represents Loyola Sacred Heart Catholic High School, situated at the base of the mountain. The trail to the “L” gains 500 feet in elevation over 1.5 miles.
- U.S. West Trail – Beginning at Cherry Street, the trail climbs the southwest face of Mount Jumbo and then extends east, paralleling interstate 90, with access to East Missoula.
- Lincoln Hills Trailhead access to the Rattlesnake National Recreation AreaRattlesnake National Recreation AreaRattlesnake National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located 4 miles north of Missoula, Montana in the Rattlesnake Creek drainage area. It is administered by the Lolo National Forest and is adjacent to the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Both the recreation area and the...
.
Mountain Biking
- Woods Gulch Loop
- Marshall Canyon Loop
Flora and Fauna
Fauna of interest seen on Mount Jumbo include: whitetail deer, mule deer, black bear, elk, mountain lions, red fox, swallowtail butterflies, Blue Grouse, Lazuli Buntings, blue birds and falcons.
Flora highlights include: service berry, hawthorn, ninebark, bluebunch wheatgrass, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir.
Evidence of pine beetle infestation in conifers has been observed on Mount Jumbo.