Day 30, Picking up our guide at the visitor’s center, we saw a Lewis and Clark Diorama there. I give that project an “A.”
As we came out of the visitor’s center, Bill noticed the “Hamilton Free Public Drinking Fountain” so of course we had to take his picture.
We made quite a few Lewis and Clark stops throughout the day. Beaverhead Rock was the first site that Sacajawea recognized, confirming that Lewis and Clark were following the correct trail (or river).
You have to imagine a beaver swimming and all you can see is the top portion of his face and head. Once you can visualize that, you can see that this rock looks like a beaver head. Our guide had to show us an actual picture of a beaver before any of us could visualize it. So look for a picture of a beaver swimming and compare this rock. I wonder how long the Indians sat and starred at this rock to visualize a beaver head…..
Clark’s lookout was located just outside of the town up on some rocks. Our guide show us the exact rock that Clark stood on, so Marcia, one of our guests, Dot, and I just had to stand in the same place.
Rattlesnake Rock had a pictograph from the Indians indicating a rattlesnake. You can see the squiggly line in red. The area is also noted for a LOT of rattlesnakes, so I did not get out of the bus.
Camp Fortunate was a picturesque lake area where the expedition set up camp at the site in the picture below.
We had a prime rib lunch (really it was a dinner) at the Cross Ranch Cookhouse. It is one of the few family owned cattle ranches left. Big businesses have been buying up and running cattle ranches. This ranch has 3,000 heads of cattle (200 bulls) and gets about 500 calves every year! He sells the calves for $800 a piece. That’s a pretty good business! A storm was brewing off in a distance, so of course I had to take a picture of the sky.
After lunch we all wanted to nap on the bus, but off to Lemhi Pass, where the Continental Divide runs between Montana and Idaho. 
We didn’t stay long because of the rain, but while we were there, an Indian tribe was running a 12 mile marathon up the mountain. Not only was it a steep grade, but it was rainy and chilly. They were in short sleeves! Talking to the Indians, we found that they are ancestors of Sacajawea! They held a (Shoshoni) reunion during the 100th year anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition and ever since have made it an annual reunion. They have chosen this area because it is where Sacajawea was born. Pictured in the middle is a direct decendent of Sacajawea.
On our way down the mountain, the road was so narrow that we had to have a lead car for the bus. Luckily, we only ran into one area where a car had to back up for us. We stopped to take pictures at the mouth of the Missouri River, where Bill took a drink. I think he thought it was the fountain of youth.
Bannack is where we ended our day, the local ghost town. We watched a 15 min. film about how the town and had a wonderful tour guide. This was a booming town during the gold rush.
We didn’t stay long because of the rain, but while we were there, an Indian tribe was running a 12 mile marathon up the mountain. Not only was it a steep grade, but it was rainy and chilly. They were in short sleeves! Talking to the Indians, we found that they are ancestors of Sacajawea! They held a (Shoshoni) reunion during the 100th year anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition and ever since have made it an annual reunion. They have chosen this area because it is where Sacajawea was born. Pictured in the middle is a direct decendent of Sacajawea.
On our way down the mountain, the road was so narrow that we had to have a lead car for the bus. Luckily, we only ran into one area where a car had to back up for us. We stopped to take pictures at the mouth of the Missouri River, where Bill took a drink. I think he thought it was the fountain of youth.
Bannack is where we ended our day, the local ghost town. We watched a 15 min. film about how the town and had a wonderful tour guide. This was a booming town during the gold rush.
We learned that it was not the people who mined for gold that got rich, but the merchants selling to the miners, or the “herdy gertie” girls would charge a nickel per dance. They called them “herdy gerdy” girls because they would dance to the musical instrument called a herdy gerdy.
Lolo Hot Springs, Montana
Day 31, we headed for one of our most challenging driving days. Over 2 steep passes. The first was not bad, Big Hole Pass (7,428 Altitude).
We stopped at Big Hole National Battlefield, where we viewed a good film (20 min) of the Nez Perce war. What a sad event. In May, 1877, the U.S. Government told the nontreaty Nez Perce that they would forcibly move them onto a new, smaller reservation if they did not do so willingly by June 14th. After a few small battles at various locations, at Big Hole on Aug. 9-10, the Nez Perce lost between 60-90 people (mostly women and children) in a surprise attack under Col. John Gibbon. After a 1,100 mile chase, the U.S. Army besieged the Nez Perce and their allies at Bear Paw in Northern, Montana. Some fled to Canada, others, exhausted from the ordeal, were forced to surrender. Below is a picture of the area where the Big Hole battle was held. You can see the tipis they have put up to honor the Indians who lost their lives.
BUT Chief Joseph Pass was quite steep. We held back at 25 miles per hour, as the suggested by the highway signs, with the exception of one switchback, which was 20 miles per hour.
Our brakes on the truck and trailer did fine, although it would have been nice to have that D brake. Before getting to the bottom, we had to make a right hand turn at a T intersection. To the left was Idaho and to the right was Montana.
After coming down Chief Joseph Pass, the rain helped to cool off our tires. We were told that Montana only gets about an inch and a half in the Dillon area, and I think they got their year’s supply while we were there.
At the bottom of the grade, the road straightened out and was a beautiful scenic drive along Bitterroot Creek,
with the exception of one thing. The remnants of a forest fire which spanned 15 miles (360,000 acres). How devastating.
We arrived at our campground just in time for a trip meeting for our next day of travel and time to jump in the hot springs. We did find out that this side of Montana gets a lot of rain, and it is proving true tonight. We hope the weather clears for our drive tomorrow and more importantly for our boat rise on Tuesday.
Day 32, it rained all night and the creek alongside the campground raised up a bit. Bill kept checking throughout the night prepared to wake everyone and evacuate.
I took a few pictures of the canyon where Lewis and Clark began their climb from the river canyon to the ridge (Lolo Trail) on their journey west in 1805.
Once over the LoLo Pass, we saw the Warm Springs suspension bridge which Bill decided to shake while I was walking across it…..
Most of the day was spent driving through Idaho along the Clearwater River. What a beautiful river and it looks like it would be fun to raft down.
Once we got close to Clarkston, Washington, the mountains (or hills) looked totally different.
Lolo Hot Springs, Montana
Day 31, we headed for one of our most challenging driving days. Over 2 steep passes. The first was not bad, Big Hole Pass (7,428 Altitude).
We stopped at Big Hole National Battlefield, where we viewed a good film (20 min) of the Nez Perce war. What a sad event. In May, 1877, the U.S. Government told the nontreaty Nez Perce that they would forcibly move them onto a new, smaller reservation if they did not do so willingly by June 14th. After a few small battles at various locations, at Big Hole on Aug. 9-10, the Nez Perce lost between 60-90 people (mostly women and children) in a surprise attack under Col. John Gibbon. After a 1,100 mile chase, the U.S. Army besieged the Nez Perce and their allies at Bear Paw in Northern, Montana. Some fled to Canada, others, exhausted from the ordeal, were forced to surrender. Below is a picture of the area where the Big Hole battle was held. You can see the tipis they have put up to honor the Indians who lost their lives.
BUT Chief Joseph Pass was quite steep. We held back at 25 miles per hour, as the suggested by the highway signs, with the exception of one switchback, which was 20 miles per hour.
Our brakes on the truck and trailer did fine, although it would have been nice to have that D brake. Before getting to the bottom, we had to make a right hand turn at a T intersection. To the left was Idaho and to the right was Montana.
After coming down Chief Joseph Pass, the rain helped to cool off our tires. We were told that Montana only gets about an inch and a half in the Dillon area, and I think they got their year’s supply while we were there.
At the bottom of the grade, the road straightened out and was a beautiful scenic drive along Bitterroot Creek,
with the exception of one thing. The remnants of a forest fire which spanned 15 miles (360,000 acres). How devastating.
We arrived at our campground just in time for a trip meeting for our next day of travel and time to jump in the hot springs. We did find out that this side of Montana gets a lot of rain, and it is proving true tonight. We hope the weather clears for our drive tomorrow and more importantly for our boat rise on Tuesday.
Day 32, it rained all night and the creek alongside the campground raised up a bit. Bill kept checking throughout the night prepared to wake everyone and evacuate.
I took a few pictures of the canyon where Lewis and Clark began their climb from the river canyon to the ridge (Lolo Trail) on their journey west in 1805.
Once over the LoLo Pass, we saw the Warm Springs suspension bridge which Bill decided to shake while I was walking across it…..
Most of the day was spent driving through Idaho along the Clearwater River. What a beautiful river and it looks like it would be fun to raft down.
Once we got close to Clarkston, Washington, the mountains (or hills) looked totally different.
"I wonder how long the Indians sat and stared at this rock to visualize a beaver head….."
ReplyDeleteProbably one of the few things they saw all day was beaver. That *would* explain it.