Teton Mountain Range
Les Trois Teton or, The Three Breasts
John Colter after serving with the Lewis and Clark Expedition journeyed to the Teton
Yellowstone Country in 1907, and became the first mountain man to see the Teton Mountain Range. Early fur trappers gathered in the valley at the base of the Teton Range
at the site known as Pierre's Hole for their annual rendezvous.
The Teton Range, approximately 100 million years old, is the youngest mountain range in
the Rockies. The three “Tetons” were once a single massive mountain of granite. Over
the millennia, graciers up to 3,000 feet thick carved the steep canyons into U-shaped
valleys. Freezing water broke of slabs of rock creating the sharp ridges and pinnacles you
see today. Early explorers called the mountains the Pilot Peaks. Late the more romantic
French trappers called the main peaks “Les Trois Teton” or, “The Three Breasts.”
[Picture Captions]
“Beaver” Dick Leigh was a well-known Idaho Mountain
Man who lived and raied his family at the base of the
Teton Mountain Range. The Teton Peaks served as a
beacon. Visible for miles, the peaks guided mountain men
to the Teton Valley which became home for their annual
rendezvous. The first rendezvous dates back to 1832 when
more than 200 mountain men gathered near the Teton
River with the Nez Perce and the Flatheads to trade and
celebate in the wilderness.
Nearly 40 miles in the distance from this
overlook, the Teton Mountain Range is
clearly visible from much of eastern Idaho.
