The Crazy Mountains, often called the Crazies, are a mountain range in the northern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Owned and operated by Peter and Cheryl Marchi, the Crazy Mountain Inn is perfect … “We appreciate the good work of crews contracted by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in getting this done,” … The Crazies. Crazy Mountains Montana, Montana, Hunting disappearances Aaron Joseph Hedges, Disappeared September 7, 2014, Remains Found August 8, 2016, Crazy Mountains, Northern Rocky Mountains, Montana. The highest peak is known as Crazy Peak. How the Crazies Got Their Name By Shannon Kelley, Summer 2003 It was a bright, warm day in the summer of 1846 when the Morgan family decided to take a break from their wagon travels. In 1847, Chief Plenty Coup, a great chief of the Crow Nation, climbed Crazy Peak to seek a vision so he might properly lead and guide his people. The northern flanks of the Crazy Mountains are gentler, and the vegetation more lush, than the rocky and precipitous southern reaches. Rick and Susie Graetz | University of Montana | Department of Geography, Ranching Agreements Help Conserve Arctic Grayling, A Visual History: Visiting the Big Hole National Battlefield, The Big Belt Mountains – Helena’s and Townsend’s Home Ranges, 307C Stone Hall, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812. The Crazies support a healthy herd of mountain goats and the occasional elusive wolverine. Beginning at Half Moon Campground, the trail climbs to the high areas around Conical Peak and the Twin Lakes area and then crosses a pass before lowering to Sweetgrass Creek and another trailhead. At lower altitudes, they contain thick forest and lush drainages. // SKI RESORTS // SKI AREAS. Since the Crazies are a patchwork of public and private lands, download the South Crazy Mountains trail map and obey posted No Trespassing and Private Property signs. The Crazy Mountains’ numerous isolated basins offer some of the most productive mountain goat habitat in the state, sustaining a population of approximately 450. Rising over 7,000 feet (2,130 m) above the Great plains to the east, the Crazies dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90. Crazy Mountains from Wilsall, Mont. ), Judith Mountains, North and South Moccasin Mountains, Highwood Mountains, Little Rocky Mountains, Sweet Grass Hills, Preliminary geologic map of the Ringling 30' x 60' quadrangle, central Montana, "Failed National Parks in the Last Best Place", "Class war in the American west: the rich landowners blocking access to public lands", "Foundation Document for Honoring Tribal Legacies: An Epic Journey of Healing", Fishing, Hiking and Camping in the Crazy Mountains, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Vosikajm/sandbox, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crazy_Mountains&oldid=1018747672, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox mountain with deprecated parameters, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 April 2021, at 17:17. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place. The highest peak is Crazy Peak at 11,214 feet (3,418 m). They range in elevation from 5,590 feet to 11,214 feet. At Upper Twin Lake the trail skirts the lake on the north and continues on toward the interior of the Crazy Mountains. Enjoy all the comforts of home (plus a hot tub!) Gatchell said the Crazies also serve as an important migration corridor for wildlife, including the potential to connect grizzly bears of Greater Yellowstone with those of the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem. Rising like ramparts from the high rolling plains of Central Montana, the Crazy Mountains are the highest and most rugged of Montana’s “island” mountain ranges. Today, only one ice-age remnant remains, Grasshopper Glacier, which clings to a north facing headwall between Cottonwood and Rock lakes on the west perimeter. Crazy Mountains, mountain segment of the northern Rocky Mountains in south-central Montana, U.S. George A. Romero, who wrote and directed the original, served as an executive producer.. A pretty clean country where a man can see a long way and have something to see.”   – Spike Van Cleve’s words from “Forty Years’ Gatherin’s,” speaking of the view from his ranch   Considered an island range owing to their location separate of the main Northern Rockies, the Crazy Mountains of south central Montana are more akin to the Rockies than they are to the state’s other rounded and more forested isolated ranges. Nearly vertical slopes lead to the highest summits and windswept barren ridges. New Trail Opens Hunter, Hiker Access to Crazy Mountains. “It’s a good country. Where a man can sit in his saddle and see … all across to the west stretch the Crazies, and, swinging in the stirrups, a man has to throw back his head to follow their abrupt shoulders up to the white crests of the peaks. The Big Timber Stock, a large igneous intrusion, forms the bedrock in the Crazy Mountains. They span nearly 600 square miles. In a 20-mile span from the river bottoms of the Yellowstone to the pinnacle of Crazy Peak, the terrain rises more than 7,000 feet. Spanning a distance of 40 miles (64 km), the Crazy Mountains are located between the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. Hiking Montana, by Bill and Russ Schneider, rates the climbs in their book on a scale that starts at Category 5 and ends with Category H. Category 5 hills are defined as “a slight upgrade, while Category H hills are ones “that make you wonder if the person who laid out the trail was on drugs. The Crazies are significant to Native American culture. Recommended Routes in Crazy Mountains - 2 Hiking Project is built by hikers like you. While technically part of the greater Rocky Mountains, they’re less of range and more of an island of mountains in a sea of farmland. October 15, 2019. BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Creekside Cabin is a true mountain getaway with amazing views of the Crazies and private frontage on Big Timber Creek; all on 160 acres of land. (Photo by Rick and Susie Graetz). Here, the transition from prairie to mountains is dramatic. Phil Knight | Monday Mar. The Crazy Mountains are an isolated mountain range in South Central Montana. The Crazies is a 2010 American science fiction horror film directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay from Scott Kosar and Ray Wright. while experiencing everything Montana's wild country has to offer. The Crazies are characterized by extremely jagged summits and steep … Tracks also lead to the west side of the range from Wilsall and Clyde Park. [6], Crazy Peak (left background) rises above a relatively barren region, Peaks in the Crazy Mountains as viewed from Wilsall, Montana, The northern reaches of the Crazy Mountains as seen from the foothills of the Castle Mountains, * (This is an apocryphal account likely based more on myth than reality. Location/ Directions The Crazy Mountains MT are completely surrounded by private land, thus making access to the area difficult. estled between the Crazies, Castle, and Little Belt Mountains, Martinsdale, Montana is a small town teeming with history. See for yourself! There are about 66 miles of horse and walking byways within the Crazy Mountains. South Crazies Land Exchange. A part of the greater Rocky Mountains, the Crazy Mountains stand alone, spanning over 40 miles. According to the most popular legend – and the one that is perhaps least politically correct—the mountains were anointed in memory of a woman whose family of homesteaders were massacred by Indians while she was out walking at the base of the … Another has it that a woman settler was separated from her wagontrain and wandered into these peaks. Red Lodge Mountain WEBCAM. People thought that she couldn’t survive without going mad, so the range was dubbed the “Crazy Woman Mountains.” Others claimed it was because they popped up in the middle of nowhere or because of the convoluted geologic formations found there. "[2], The Crazies are almost completely surrounded by private lands making access into the mountains somewhat difficult, especially in the southern section where the highest peaks are located. The highest peak is Crazy Peak at 11,214 feet (3,418 m). Trespass-Sweetgrass-Cottonwood Loop 23.1 mi 37.1 km • 6,840' Up 2084.96 m Up • 6,844' Down 2086.01 m Down. Surrounded by large working ranches, the Crazies remain relatively undeveloped compared to other ranges in our growing corner of Montana. The setting for this strange case is the rather ominously named the Crazy Mountains, in the northern part of the Rocky Mountains of Montana, in the United States, where in September of 2014 a 38-year-old elk hunter by the name of Aaron Joseph Hedges was out on a … Crazy About the Crazies. The Crazy Mountains, viewed from the Shields River on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Zillow has 4 homes for sale in Big Timber MT matching Crazy Mountains. Photo by Joseph Bullington. Yellowstone River near Crazy Mountains: Montana’s iconic Crazy Mountains are seen in the background of this Yellowstone River scene. In the middle of it all is the charming Crazy Mountain Inn. These “Crazy Woman Mountains,” as the Native Americans sometimes called them, are crowned by 11,214-foot Crazy Peak. The Crazy Mountains sit in both Gallatin National Forest and Lewis and Clark National Forest. [3][4], The name Crazy Mountains is said to be a shortened form of the name "Crazy Woman Mountains" given them, in complement to their original Crow name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement. Whitefish Mountain … The Crazy Mountain Access Project is a group of hikers and hunters, environmentalists and ranchers — who are working locally to find common ground in the Crazies. They are only about 30 miles by 15 miles in size, but serve as sentinels on the horizon from many points east. The valleys of the Yellowstone and Shields rivers set them well apart from the Absarokas to the south – and the Bridgers on the west. Crossing the vast eastern plains of Montana on their way to resettle in Oregon, the hardy family of five came under the shadow of the vast Crazy Mountain range. The rugged and unforgiving Crazy Mountains have always held their share of secrets. Although they do not enjoy the lasting protection wilderness status would give them, the extremely rough terrain and the attitude of local ranchers – and lately of the Forest Service – has kept this country pristine and relatively free of roads. Add Your Recommended Routes. One of the most popular routes into the Crazies is reached from Highway 191 between Big Timber and Harlowton via Big Timber Canyon. Take your pick. The Crazy Mountains form an isolated island range east of the Continental Divide. Excerpt from "The Crazies: A Dramatic Island of Mountains in Central Montana" by Rick and Susie Graetz: "Considered an island range owing to their location separate of the main Northern Rockies, the Crazy Mountains of south-central Montana are more akin to the Rockies than they are to the state’s other rounded and more forested isolated ranges. The Crazies, as we often refer to them locally, are an island range and remote alpine ecosystem in southwest Montana. The McFarland - White Ranch, which was established in 1907, controls the only vehicular access into the northeastern corner of the Crazy Mountains. Geological features of the Crazy Mountains include: Due to the eastern location, these mountains are drier and less densely forested than other mountain ranges in Montana. Showdown Mountain Ski Area WEBCAM. Ice, wind and water erosion sculptured them and created the more than 40 jewel-like lakes scattered amongst the sharp saw-toothed ridges and alpine basins. There are several stories on how the mountains got their name. 1st, 2021. Rising over 7,000 feet (2,130 m) above the Great plains to the east, the Crazies dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90. With 25 pinnacles soaring to more than 10,000 feet, they are the third highest range in the state. Unlike most Montana mountain ranges, the Crazies are checkerboarded with private inholdings — a legacy of the every-other-section land grants given by the federal government to the Northern Pacific Railroad to subsidize the railroad’s construction. With 25 pinnacles soaring to more than 10,000 feet, they are the third highest range in the state. Check out the weather at these Montana Ski Areas & Resorts! The film is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name and stars Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson and Danielle Panabaker. Spanning a distance of 40 miles (64 km), the Crazy Mountains are located between the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. There isn’t an access shortage, as most of the footpaths traverse Gallatin National Forest ground. A Crow Suggests How The Crazies Should Remain Wild And Sacred In his op-ed, Apsáalooke tribal member and scholar Shane Doyle asks Forest Service to tighten up protections and forbid expansion of proposed mountain biking trails Discovery Ski Area WEBCAM. Here, the transition from prairie to mountains is dramatic. RECOMMENDED ROUTE Difficult. Up high, steep, jagged peaks top out at the 11,214-foot Crazy Peak. Take the name, for instance. The exchange was initially controversial because a portion of the swap gave up some high-value, lower-elevation public land habitat. The … They attempted to convey this to the explorers, who, likely confused by the notions of vision quest, came to understand the Crazies as a place where one goes crazy. Backpackers often use this trail to other Crazy Mountain destination or even to do a full crossing of the mountain range. These “Crazy Woman Mountains,” as the Native Americans sometimes called them, are crowned by 11,214-foot Crazy Peak. Credit: Joseph Bullington / MTFP. Any trail with a Category H hill is steeper than any trail should be.”. MISSOULA, Mont.— Thanks to the construction of a new trail, hunters now have access to the west side of Montana’s Crazy Mountains just in time for Montana’s youth hunt and general rifle season. Sweet Grass Creek, heading toward the Yellowstone, rushes out of one of the deep eastern canyons. Aaron Joseph Hedges, a 38-year-old hunter from Bozeman, went elk hunting in the Crazy Mountains in Montana in early September 2014 with his two friends, Greg Leitner of Idaho and Joe Depew of Bozeman. Checkerboard ownership places a good portion of the landscape in private hands, including favorite climbing places such as Conical, Granite and Crazy peaks and Rock Lake. National Park Service officials considered the area again in 1935, but reported that a national park would not be feasible because "half of the land, every alternate section, is owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad or is in private hands. Mountain goats find this terrain to their liking and frequent the steepest areas. The Crazies — an island range of sharp peaks, glacier-carved cirques, and forested drainages that juts from the sagebrush prairie of south-central Montana near the confluence of the Shields River and the Yellowstone — were once at the spiritual and geographical heart of Crow country. The same goes for much of the public land. working with neighbors to protect the wild and working landscapes of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. Considered an island of mountains, The Crazies are a lonesome mass of rock surrounded by a sea of plains. Bridger Bowl Ski Area WEBCAM. Aaron Joseph Hedges, a 38-year-old hunter from Bozeman, went elk hunting in the Crazy Mountains in Montana in early September 2014 with his two friends, Greg Leitner of Idaho and … In a 20-mile span from the river bottoms of the Yellowstone to the pinnacle of Crazy Peak, the terrain rises more than 7,000 feet. Other isolated ranges in Montana include the Castle Mountains, Little Belt Mountains, Big Snowy Mountains, Little Snowy Mountains, Bears Paw Mountains, Judith Mountains, North and South Moccasin Mountains, Highwood Mountains, Little Rocky Mountains, Sweet Grass Hills, Bull Mountains and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka, the Long Pines. They were famous to the Crow people for having metaphysical powers and being unpredictable—a place used for vision quests. Some owners will give permission to enter, but most will not allow motorized use of this wild country ... foot and horse travel only! of steep ridges and plunging streams is a beacon to those traveling WEBCAMS & WEATHER. The Crazy Mountains. One was that a wagon train, coming through the Mussellshell Valley, was attacked by Indians. The Crazies extend for 30 miles (48 km) between the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. Crossing the vast eastern plains of Montana on their way to resettle in Oregon, the hardy family of five came under the shadow of the vast Crazy Mountain range. The thing about the Crazy Mountains, which are simply referred to as the “Crazies”, is they’re a bit of an anomaly in the state’s southern central landscape. There are at least 40 alpine lakes in the range, 15 of which are named. How the Crazies Got Their Name By Shannon Kelley, Summer 2003 It was a bright, warm day in the summer of 1846 when the Morgan family decided to take a break from their wagon travels. The historic Mussellshell River has its headwaters here in the north, and the Shields River begins its flow from the sheerer west ramparts. The Crazies are a maze of nearly vertical peaks and sawtooth ridges. A woman’s family was killed, and it is said, she ran into the mountains to haunt the tribe. Into The Crazies. [5], The Crow people called the mountains Awaxaawapìa Pìa, roughly translated as "Ominous Mountains", or even rougher and less accurately, "Crazy Mountains". [1] The stock is of Tertiary age, and consists of diorite and gabbro with zones of Quartz Monzodiorite, and which has been intruded by many dikes and sills. The name is said to have arisen out of a translation error between early white explorers and the Crow natives who valued the Crazy Mountains as a location for vision quests. Last year, the Forest Service made progress toward consolidating lands on the southern end of the range with their South Crazy Mountains Land Exchange proposal. 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