The Absaroka Mountains are considered the backbone of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. These massive mountains stretch from northern Jackson Hole, through eastern Yellowstone National Park, and terminate just north of Yellowstone as they intersect the Beartooth Mountains. The highest point in Yellowstone National Park is found in these very mountains at Eagle Peak surrounded by a pristine mountain environment. It's in this very area that the mountains also rise above the most remote location in the lower 48, known as The Thoroughfare. The eastern Absarokas give way to the high deserts that make up much of Wyoming as they tower above the town of Cody. They're visible for dozens of miles to the east. The annual Cody Ice Climbing Festival also heads into the Absaroka Mountains up the South Fork of the Shoshone River.