We first detour to view spectacular Chief Mountain, a world renowned example of a klippe. The Lewis Thrust, exposed at the slope break near talus line, is a 170 million year old thrust fault that carried Proterozoic rocks several miles thick, and hundreds of miles wide, over 50 miles (80 km) horizontally over much younger Cretaceous rocks. It is a humbling testament to the inexorable power of the Earth's tectonic forces.
All images copyright © 2016 F.W. Vollmer and may not be used without permission.