Rogers Pass (Montana)
Encyclopedia
Rogers Pass rises 5610 feet (1,709.9 m) above sea level
and is located on the continental divide
in the U.S. state
of Montana
. The pass is adjacent to Helena National Forest
and is traversed by Montana Highway 200. Wide shoulders provide parking for those wishing to hike the Continental Divide Trail
. The pass is the best route between the cities of Great Falls
and Missoula, Montana
, more than 800 feet (244 m) lower than Lewis and Clark Pass 5.3 miles (8.5 km) to the northwest that was used by Meriwether Lewis
of the eponymous expedition
on July 7, 1806.
Rogers Pass is more than 100 miles (160.9 km) south of Marias Pass
and there are no other roads that cross the continental divide between these two passes. The region between the two passes is mostly wilderness, and the majority of it has been set aside and protected from future development. The Great Bear
, Scapegoat
and Bob Marshall Wilderness
es have been consolidated into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
, and permanently protect 1535352 acres (6,213.4 km²). The region is noted for its inaccessibility and as one of the last strongholds for the grizzly bear
in the lower 48 states. The Scapegoat Wilderness
is a 10 miles (16.1 km) hike north of Rogers Pass via the Continental Divide Trail.
in British Colombia Canada. In 1881 and 1882 A.B. Rogers was a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and he located Rogers Pass
in British Columbia, Canada, which was then used by the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) on its transcontinental line across Canada. The CPR named the pass after Rogers. James Jerome Hill, who controlled both the CPR and the Great Northern then hired Rogers as a locating engineer on his Great Northern Railroad which built into Montana in 1887. Shortly after Rogers had located the pass in Montana that bears his name, his career ended when he was badly injured falling from his horse. Although Hill and the Great Northern Railroad eventually chose Marias pass, 100 miles to the north, as the pass over the continental divide for their transcontinental railroad route, Hill saw to it that Rogers Pass in Montana was named after the surveyor.
. On January 20, 1954 a low temperature of -70 °F was recorded during a severe cold wave
.
s and to a lesser extent, Bald Eagle
s. During the months of March and April, strong westerly winds help migrating
flocks of eagles cross the continental divide so they can spend the summer on the great plains
. During these months, over 800 Golden Eagles and 129 Bald Eagles have been observed heading east. From mid-September through October, a similar migration occurs, except in the opposite direction. This is also a migration route used by other raptor
s such as Northern Goshawks, Red-tailed Hawk
s, and Rough-legged Hawks. Canada Geese, Tundra Swans and Snow Geese also use the pass during migration periods. The Golden Eagles and other birds can be observed from a distance as close as 100 to 500 ft (30.5 to 152.4 m).
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and is located on the continental divide
Continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
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 pass is adjacent to Helena National Forest
Helena National Forest
Helena National Forest is located in west-central Montana, in the United States. Covering 976,000 acres , the forest is broken into several separate sections. The eastern regions are dominated by the Big Belt Mountains, and are the location of the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, which remains...
and is traversed by Montana Highway 200. Wide shoulders provide parking for those wishing to hike the Continental Divide Trail
Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a United States National Scenic Trail running 3,100 miles between Mexico and Canada. It follows the Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states — Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico...
. The pass is the best route between the cities of Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
and Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
, more than 800 feet (244 m) lower than Lewis and Clark Pass 5.3 miles (8.5 km) to the northwest that was used by Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark...
of the eponymous expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
on July 7, 1806.
Rogers Pass is more than 100 miles (160.9 km) south of Marias Pass
Marias Pass
Marias Pass is a high mountain pass near Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide in the Lewis Range, along the boundary between the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Flathead National Forest...
and there are no other roads that cross the continental divide between these two passes. The region between the two passes is mostly wilderness, and the majority of it has been set aside and protected from future development. The Great Bear
Great Bear Wilderness
The Great Bear Wilderness is located in northern Montana, United States, within Flathead National Forest Created by an act of Congress in 1978, the wilderness comprises 286,700 acres and borders the Bob Marshall Wilderness on the north...
, Scapegoat
Scapegoat Wilderness
The Scapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres spread across three different National Forests in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1972, the wilderness is located in Lewis and Clark, Helena and Lolo National Forests...
and Bob Marshall Wilderness
Bob Marshall Wilderness
The Bob Marshall Wilderness is a wilderness area in Flathead National Forest of western Montana in the United States. It is named after Bob Marshall , an early forester, conservationist, and co-founder of The Wilderness Society. The Bob Marshall Wilderness extends for 60 miles along the...
es have been consolidated into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex consists of three wilderness areas, all within the U.S. state of Montana totalling over 1.5 million acres . The largest wilderness area is the Bob Marshall consisting of 1 million acres...
, and permanently protect 1535352 acres (6,213.4 km²). The region is noted for its inaccessibility and as one of the last strongholds for the grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
in the lower 48 states. The Scapegoat Wilderness
Scapegoat Wilderness
The Scapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres spread across three different National Forests in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1972, the wilderness is located in Lewis and Clark, Helena and Lolo National Forests...
is a 10 miles (16.1 km) hike north of Rogers Pass via the Continental Divide Trail.
Origin of Name
Rogers Pass in Montana was named by the Great Northern Railroad for one of the line's locating surveyors, A.B. Rogers, who located the pass in 1887. Rogers has the distinction of having two passes named after him, this one in Montana, and another Rogers PassRogers Pass
Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
in British Colombia Canada. In 1881 and 1882 A.B. Rogers was a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and he located Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass
Rogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
in British Columbia, Canada, which was then used by the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) on its transcontinental line across Canada. The CPR named the pass after Rogers. James Jerome Hill, who controlled both the CPR and the Great Northern then hired Rogers as a locating engineer on his Great Northern Railroad which built into Montana in 1887. Shortly after Rogers had located the pass in Montana that bears his name, his career ended when he was badly injured falling from his horse. Although Hill and the Great Northern Railroad eventually chose Marias pass, 100 miles to the north, as the pass over the continental divide for their transcontinental railroad route, Hill saw to it that Rogers Pass in Montana was named after the surveyor.
Record cold temperature
Rogers Pass is the location of the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States outside of AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. On January 20, 1954 a low temperature of -70 °F was recorded during a severe cold wave
Cold wave
A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24 hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and...
.
Golden Eagle migration route
The region is a noted location for observation of Golden EagleGolden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s and to a lesser extent, Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s. During the months of March and April, strong westerly winds help migrating
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
flocks of eagles cross the continental divide so they can spend the summer on the great plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. During these months, over 800 Golden Eagles and 129 Bald Eagles have been observed heading east. From mid-September through October, a similar migration occurs, except in the opposite direction. This is also a migration route used by other raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s such as Northern Goshawks, Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
s, and Rough-legged Hawks. Canada Geese, Tundra Swans and Snow Geese also use the pass during migration periods. The Golden Eagles and other birds can be observed from a distance as close as 100 to 500 ft (30.5 to 152.4 m).