Sheep Mountain is a 10,097-foot (3,078-metre) mountain summit in Park County, Montana, United States.
| Sheep Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Southwest aspect | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 10,097 ft (3,078 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 1,574 ft (480 m)[1] |
| Parent peak | Ramshorn Peak (10,296 ft)[2] |
| Isolation | 5.99 mi (9.64 km)[2] |
| Coordinates | 45°05′52″N 110°59′58″W / 45.0978875°N 110.9994725°W[3] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep |
| Geography | |
  Sheep Mountain Location in Montana  Sheep Mountain Sheep Mountain (the United States) | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Park |
| Protected area | Yellowstone National Park |
| Parent range | Gallatin Range Rocky Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Sportsman Lake |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | class 1[2] trail |
Description
editSheep Mountain is located 39 miles (63 km) south of Bozeman in the Gallatin Range, which is a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.[1] It is set on the common boundary shared by Yellowstone National Park and the Gallatin National Forest. The mountain is also within the Gallatin Petrified Forest which is one of the largest petrified forests of the Eocene Epoch. Precipitation runoff from the mountain's north slope drains to the Yellowstone River via Tom Miner Creek, whereas the south slope drains to Specimen Creek which is a tributary of the nearby Gallatin River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises approximately 1,800 feet (549 meters) above headwaters of North Fork Specimen Creek in one mile (1.6 km). The approach to the remote summit is made from the Sky Rim Trail and Gallatin Skyline Trail.[4] There is a microwave reflector stationed at the summit. The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.[3] This peak should not be confused with the other Sheep Mountain also in Park County, Montana, but in the Absaroka Range.
Climate
editBased on the Köppen climate classification, Sheep Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and mild summers.[5] Winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F with wind chill factors below −10 °F.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c "Sheep Mountain, Montana". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ a b c "Sheep Mountain - 10,100' MT". listsofjohn.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ a b "Sheep Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ Bill Schneider, Hiking Yellowstone National Park: A Guide to More than 100 Great Hikes, Rowman & Littlefield, 2012, ISBN 9780762786145, p. 99.
- ^ Peel, M. C.; Finlayson, B. L.; McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11 (5): 1633–1644. Bibcode:2007HESS...11.1633P. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. ISSN 1027-5606. S2CID 9654551.
