Everything about Marias Pass totally explained
Marias Pass (el. 5213 ft./1588 m.) 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. The pass forms the southern limit of the
Continental Ranges, a major grouping of the
Rocky Mountains which extends as far north as
McGregor Pass in the
Northern Rockies of the
Canadian province of
British Columbia. The
Great Bear Wilderness in Lewis and Clark National Forest is south of the pass and
Glacier National Park is to the north. During the Winter, the pass is the only way to cross the continental divide in the United States north of
Rogers Pass.
History
The pass was discovered by
John Frank Stevens, principal engineer of the
Great Northern Railway, in December of
1889. The location of the pass had been rumored for several years beforehand, but it took Stevens and a
Blackfeet Indian guide named Coonsah to discover it. The pass proved ideal for a railroad, because its approach was broad and open, within a valley ranging from one to six miles wide, and at a gentle grade that wouldn't require extensive excavation or rockwork. Construction of the railroad through the pass began on August 1, 1890, starting from
Fort Assinniboine to Marias Pass. The railroad followed the North Fork of the
Flathead River west of the continental divide.
Today,
U.S. Highway 2, the
BNSF Railway, successor to the Great Northern, and
Amtrak's
Empire Builder passenger train use the pass. The railway line is still the principal BNSF northern transcontinental line. A statue of John Frank Stevens stands at the summit of Marias Pass.
The route forms part of the
Microsoft Train Simulator game
(External Link
)
Image:Marias_Pass.JPG|Marias Pass highway marker along US Route 2.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Marias Pass'.
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