A Traverse Through the Banded Series in the Contact Mountain Area
Route
Start point
Frog Pond Road on Contact Mountain, accessible via U.S. Forest Service Road 140 (Picket Pin-Iron Mountain Road) or Gallatin National Forest Trail 117 (Graham Creek Trail).
End point
unnamed outcrop on east flank of Contact Mountain
Roads (and Trails)
Frog Pond Road, overland traverse on Contact Mountain
Total distance
unknown
Geology
Summary
This traverse through the Banded Series of the Stillwater Complex follows the section described in detail by McCallum and others (1980). Unusual or particularly interesting features are highlighted by the 22 localities along the traverse. In view of the nearly continuous outcrop, however, there is much of interest to see between localities, and full appreciation of the entire section would require several days. Nonetheless, most of the important rock types can be seen on a 1-day trip.
Key Lithologic Features
- layered ultramafic rocks of the uppermost Ultramafic Series (bronzitites)
- layered mafic rocks of the Banded Series (norites, gabbronorites, gabbros, troctolites, anorthosites, and pegmatoidal pyroxenites)
- Tertiary porphyritic dacite intrusion
Structures
Landforms
Other Features
Reference
McCallum, I.S., Raedeke, L.D., Mathez, E.A., and Criscenti, L.J., 1985, A traverse through the Banded Series in the Contact Mountain Area,
in Czamanske, G.K., and Zientek, M.L., eds.,
The Stillwater Complex, Montana: Geology and Guide : Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 92, p. 293-304.
Availability
Order from the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Search for
this publication's record at the MBMG for ordering information.
