We spent the day exploring more Lewis and Clark sites in the area. Lemhi Pass is a narrow pass in the Bitterroot Mountains - 7,373 ft above sea level - near where Lewis discovered the spring that begins the present day Missouri River. We drove about 15 miles on a gravel road - the last several miles were one lane - through private ranch land up to the pass. There is also a small memorial park dedicated to Sacawajea, the Indian women who was so instrumental to Lewis and Clark's success. Beautiful but remote country!
Bannack State Park is actually a gold mining ghost town - gold was discovered here in July 1862. As soon as it ran out, the town died! Several buildings are remaining and you can walk along the street and imagine the hustle and bustle of a thriving place. It was the first capital of the territory. When we checked in, the ranger warned us that several previous tourists had warned them of rattlesnake sightings at the outskirts of the town - that dampened my zeal to snoop around too much!
Camp Fortunate was where Lewis and Clark met after they separated to explore different areas. It is now covered by the reservoir. They called it "fortunate" because it was where they were able to trade for horses from the Shoshone Indians. They needed the horses to cross the mountains before winter. It was also where Sacawajea was reunited with her tribe - she had been taken by another Indian tribe several years prior, during a raid. The Lewis and Clark expedition buried supplies here and retrieved them on their return trip. According to the journals, the men were most anxious to get back here because they had stowed away some of their tobacco!
We call it Camp Fortunate for another reason - Roger lost his IPhone and the people that found it chased us down in the car to return it!!!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Dillon, MT
It was 50 degrees this morning and 88 this afternoon! We drove into Dillon to get propane and play golf - a pretty day but the sun is intense at this altitude.
I read in a Montana visitor's guide that you should pack for weather 20 degrees cooler than you anticipate because temperatures can vary 60 degrees in a day! It basically said "casual, layering" - "Gortex not London Fog" - "jeans are accepted everywhere, and when we say jeans we mean Levis, Wranglers and Carhartts!"
My camera battery was dead so we tried to take pictures with Roger's new IPhone - it was hilarious! Many up close pix of us with puzzled looks on our faces - when all else fails: read the directions! I thought about publishing a couple on this blog but they were too embarrassing!
True confessions: I have not used my curling iron or worn make-up since we left Austin! I'm becoming a modern day squaw!
I read in a Montana visitor's guide that you should pack for weather 20 degrees cooler than you anticipate because temperatures can vary 60 degrees in a day! It basically said "casual, layering" - "Gortex not London Fog" - "jeans are accepted everywhere, and when we say jeans we mean Levis, Wranglers and Carhartts!"
My camera battery was dead so we tried to take pictures with Roger's new IPhone - it was hilarious! Many up close pix of us with puzzled looks on our faces - when all else fails: read the directions! I thought about publishing a couple on this blog but they were too embarrassing!
True confessions: I have not used my curling iron or worn make-up since we left Austin! I'm becoming a modern day squaw!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Missouri Headwaters State Park
We spent the night in the Missouri Headwaters State Park (not much of a park!) at the confluence of the 3 rivers that join and make the Missouri River - the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Galatin rivers. Lewis and Clark discovered this area in July 1804 and named all the rivers. This was a primary goal of the expedition - to find the beginning of the Missouri River. We feel like explorers ourselves but can't imagine how they felt seeing this beautiful country for the first time.
We are driving to Clark Reservoir today - just outside of Dillon, MT. We can certainly understand why this is "Big Sky" country - it is also big land country - mile after mile of hills and ranches. There is a lot more agriculture here than we anticipated - mostly hay for the livestock - it is all irrigated from the many rivers and streams so the fields are all a lovely green. Everywhere you look there are snow capped mountains in the distance.
The view of Clark Reservoir from Roger's lawn chair!
We are driving to Clark Reservoir today - just outside of Dillon, MT. We can certainly understand why this is "Big Sky" country - it is also big land country - mile after mile of hills and ranches. There is a lot more agriculture here than we anticipated - mostly hay for the livestock - it is all irrigated from the many rivers and streams so the fields are all a lovely green. Everywhere you look there are snow capped mountains in the distance.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Pompeys Pillar is a huge sandstone formation where William Clark carved his name and the date (1806) as the expedition paddled down the Yellowstone River. It is the only physical evidence that the Lewis and Clark group was in this area. Clark named the pillar after Sacagawea's son, Jon Baptiste, whom he called "Pomp." Clark mentions in his journals that the mosquitoes were so bad they had to move camp downstream and that when he went hunting he could not see clearly to aim his gun because the bugs made such a cloud!
Oh my goodness, did we get in a "pickle" getting there! Roger put "Pompeys Pillar" in the GPS and it took us to the small village of Pompeys Pillar not the National Monument - if we had read our AAA guide we would have known to get off at Exit 23 and drive into the parking lot! But......we took a circuitous route down a narrow, winding, dirt road for about 3 miles - a huge cloud of dust billowing behind us! Imagine if any farmers saw us they were thinking " dumb ass Texans!" You can not imagine the thick layer of dirt on the car and bikes!
The "jack saga" continues: When we got ready to drive out of the parking lot at the national monument the right front jack dropped down! Roger was able to "tie" it up and then disengage the computer system so they will all stay up until we can get them fixed. He suspects it is the computer board that needs to be replaced but now we also have one with a "sheared pin." They are still under warranty so we have to go to an Atwood repair station. The one in Billings didn't have an opening until August 11th! The one in Great Falls can fit us in August 9th and the one in Kalispell gave us an appointment for August 15th! Obviously, this is their busy season and no one has sympathy for travelers with emergencies. We are hoping we can level the motorhome the old fashioned way until we can get them fixed. We prefer the last appointment because there is a lot to see and do in that area - afraid we will have to wait for a diagnosis and then parts. We realize the situation could be a lot worse and are determined not to let it ruin our trip!
Samantha called on SKYPE last night to tell us she climbed 10 metres up the inside rock wall! "Way more than any of the boys!" She's a little Spiderwoman! Heather said the guy at the gym said "she's a natural!"
Oh my goodness, did we get in a "pickle" getting there! Roger put "Pompeys Pillar" in the GPS and it took us to the small village of Pompeys Pillar not the National Monument - if we had read our AAA guide we would have known to get off at Exit 23 and drive into the parking lot! But......we took a circuitous route down a narrow, winding, dirt road for about 3 miles - a huge cloud of dust billowing behind us! Imagine if any farmers saw us they were thinking " dumb ass Texans!" You can not imagine the thick layer of dirt on the car and bikes!
The "jack saga" continues: When we got ready to drive out of the parking lot at the national monument the right front jack dropped down! Roger was able to "tie" it up and then disengage the computer system so they will all stay up until we can get them fixed. He suspects it is the computer board that needs to be replaced but now we also have one with a "sheared pin." They are still under warranty so we have to go to an Atwood repair station. The one in Billings didn't have an opening until August 11th! The one in Great Falls can fit us in August 9th and the one in Kalispell gave us an appointment for August 15th! Obviously, this is their busy season and no one has sympathy for travelers with emergencies. We are hoping we can level the motorhome the old fashioned way until we can get them fixed. We prefer the last appointment because there is a lot to see and do in that area - afraid we will have to wait for a diagnosis and then parts. We realize the situation could be a lot worse and are determined not to let it ruin our trip!
Samantha called on SKYPE last night to tell us she climbed 10 metres up the inside rock wall! "Way more than any of the boys!" She's a little Spiderwoman! Heather said the guy at the gym said "she's a natural!"
Little Bighorn Battlefield
We got a good American history lesson yesterday when we toured the Little Bighorn Battlefield and learned all about "Custer's Last Stand." Trivia: Custer was born and married in Monroe, Michigan! Custer and other military regiments were tasked with gathering Indians and forcing them to move to a reservation. They heard about an encampment of Indians (of several different tribes) near the Little Bighorn River (not far from Billings, MT now) and thought they could surround them and force them to move. But....there were close to 7,000 Indians with an estimated 1,800 warriors - the Calvary was caught by surprise and overwhelmed. Custer and his command were all killed but some of the other troops survived. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were victors of that battle but not the war - as we know, all the Indians eventually were killed or surrendered to the reservations.
We bought a CD and took the auto tour of the battlefield. It is amazing how the archaeologists piece together what happened by examining the artifacts. They can tell by the shell casings, that fell to the ground, what type of rifle was fired and whether it was a military or Indian gun. The shell casings have unique markings that allow them to determine individual guns. Therefore, they can trace the whereabouts of the user. Using this method they can plot the movements of the soldiers and Indians. Painstaking work!
I bought "Dances with Wolves" and we watched it again last night - a great movie and appropriate for us as we travel through this Indian country. Love the music!
Anyone know about "Pompeys Pillar?" Hint - it is on the Lewis and Clark Trail. Going there tomorrow.
We bought a CD and took the auto tour of the battlefield. It is amazing how the archaeologists piece together what happened by examining the artifacts. They can tell by the shell casings, that fell to the ground, what type of rifle was fired and whether it was a military or Indian gun. The shell casings have unique markings that allow them to determine individual guns. Therefore, they can trace the whereabouts of the user. Using this method they can plot the movements of the soldiers and Indians. Painstaking work!
I bought "Dances with Wolves" and we watched it again last night - a great movie and appropriate for us as we travel through this Indian country. Love the music!
Anyone know about "Pompeys Pillar?" Hint - it is on the Lewis and Clark Trail. Going there tomorrow.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Devil's Tower
We drove about 2 hours northwest today through the rolling plains of Wyoming to Devil's Tower. Through the town of Sundance and the sign said "Sundance - Where the Kid Got His Name."
Hard to imagine living out here - this is the home of the several mile driveway! Don't know where they shop for groceries let alone anything else!
We are overnighting in a KOA campground - needed full hook-ups to recharge our batteries; do laundry and for electricity - it's in the 90's again!
Devil's Tower Monument is really unique - a huge tower of stone in the middle of the plains - pushed up by volcanic activity. We took the 1.3 mile trail around the base - a very nice paved walkway that meanders around the fallen rocks - and watched the rock climbers way above us. All of the Indian tribes in the area consider it sacred ground and it is closed to climbers during the month of June, the summer solstice, in honor of their customs.
We are having a problem with one of the motorhome jacks - it is stuck in the"up" position (better than being stuck in the "down" position!) Apparently, the computer disengages all of them when it senses a malfunction. Roger called and got some technical support but no luck in fixing it. The closest repair place is in Sheridan, Wyoming but they are booked until the end of next week! Not a show stopper but definitely something we need to get repaired!
Hard to imagine living out here - this is the home of the several mile driveway! Don't know where they shop for groceries let alone anything else!
We are overnighting in a KOA campground - needed full hook-ups to recharge our batteries; do laundry and for electricity - it's in the 90's again!
Devil's Tower Monument is really unique - a huge tower of stone in the middle of the plains - pushed up by volcanic activity. We took the 1.3 mile trail around the base - a very nice paved walkway that meanders around the fallen rocks - and watched the rock climbers way above us. All of the Indian tribes in the area consider it sacred ground and it is closed to climbers during the month of June, the summer solstice, in honor of their customs.
We are having a problem with one of the motorhome jacks - it is stuck in the"up" position (better than being stuck in the "down" position!) Apparently, the computer disengages all of them when it senses a malfunction. Roger called and got some technical support but no luck in fixing it. The closest repair place is in Sheridan, Wyoming but they are booked until the end of next week! Not a show stopper but definitely something we need to get repaired!
Bufflalo Art
Anyone remember the painted cows on the streets of downtown Chicago? We had them in San Antonio too. Well, in Custer, SD they have buffalo art!
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