Helena, Dillon - Lewis and Clark Caravan - Part 9 (STR-2022-10)

Thursday, 9 June - Day 30

Today was another travel day - from Great Falls, MT, to Helena, MT, 80 miles away. Sprinty was first out of the campground as he backtracked into town to Sheels, an outdoor store similar to Cabellas.

After shopping, as he traveled south on I-15 towards Helena, the terrain became more rugged and beautiful. We elected to stop at Tower Rock State Park along I-15. As we exited, we were rewarded by seeing a small herd of Bighorn Sheep grazing in a nearby field.

Tower Rock marks the point where the Corps of Discovery left the plains and entered the Rocky Mountains. The point where they left the familiar prairies and entered a new terrain.

Tower Rock, Sentinel of the Rockies

On July 16, 1805- Lewis recorded that "at this place there is a large rock 100 feet high which stands immediately in the gap which the missouri makes on a passage from the mountains; it is insulated from the neighboring mountains by a handsome little plain which surrounds its base on 3 sides and Missouri washes it base on the other… this rock I call the tower. It may be ascended with some difficulty nearly to it's summit, and from it there is a most pleasing view of the country we are now about to leave."

Two miles down the road, we stopped at the Scenic View.

Not in Kansas Anymore

We proceeded on to the KOA Journey Helena North campground. Due to an enroute change of the Gates of the Mountains boat cruise from an enroute stop to a ride-share, most of our group arrived at the campground almost nose-to-tail. Our wagonmasters did an outstanding job of demonstrating flexibility in the face of a significant change, and got everyone checked in faster than parking at a stadium event.

Just after 1pm, we headed out to Gates of the Mountain (gatesofthemountains.com) for a 2pm boat cruise.

The Gates of the Mountains was named by the Meriwether Lewis July 19, 1805. He wrote in his journal "this evening we entered much the most remarkable cliffs that we have yet see. These cliffs rise from the waters edge on either side perpendicularly to the height of 1200 feet. — Lewis

We boarded the boat Canyon Voyager.

Brian was our boat captain and provided a fascinating description of the history, geology and wildlife of the canyon.

Along with many humerous comments that kept everyone laughing. He pointed out two eagle nests, an osprey nest, numerous arches and caves.

We continued downstream on Holter Lake.

Arch

Arch, Eagles Nest

After about an hour, we arrived at Mann Gulch. As the boat floated off the shore of Mann Gulch, Brian recounted the story of the August 1949 fire that claimed the lives of 13 firefighters.

Mann Gulch

13 Fire Fighters Died in Mann Gulch, excerpted from Life Magazine, August 22, 1949

It started with a lightning storm in Montana's Gates of the Mountains area, a wilderness traversed by Lewis and Clark in 1806. A lazy column of smoke curled up from desolate Mann Gulch, which is studded with fir and pine and carpeted with dry "cheat grass. A crew of smokejumpers piled into a C-47 at Missoula and headed east. Soon they were over the fire, and foreman R. Wagner Dodge picked his jump spot near the head of the gulch, "Wag" Dodge jumped first. The landing was routine, and the men signaled that they were safe and set up a cargo camp. At 5 p.m. they headed down the gulch toward the Missouri to fight the fire, joined by Jim Harrison, fire guard from nearby Meriwether Canyon. By now the fire was "heating up," sending up black smoke and gases that exploded high in the air. At 5:45 Dodge saw that it had struck across the gulch and was climbing toward them, cutting off access to the river. Dodge shouted to his men to drop their heavy equipment and retreat. But another pincer of fire had crossed the canyon above them. Advancing like a force of massed flamethrowers, the enemy was rapidly shrinking their grassy pocket, and Dodge saw that they could not get out. He lit a grass fire to burn out a small safety zone, stepped into it and yelled to his men to follow. Instead they fled up the slope, and he heard one say, "The hell with this: I'm getting out of here!" Then the whole superheated canyon seemed to explode. Flat on his burned ground, Dodge felt himself in a huge vacuum... I felt suddenly buoyant." In a few minutes it was over. Two of his men had scaled the ridge above to safety; two were alive but fatally burned; 11 lay dead where the fire had overtaken them, their clothes burned off and their canteens melted. The Mann Gulch fire raced on, to sear 5,000 acres before it was controlled.

Mann Gulch

The story was particularly moving for Darrell as the Mann Gulch fire of 1949 has been used as an example in a number of books on decision making. "Wag" Dodge's idea of creating a mini-backfire was something neither he nor his fellow firefighters had trained for. 

Most recently, it was an example in the book "Think Again" by Adam Grant. Adam Grant used the tragic story to illustrate how a group of well trained firefighters were unable to rethink their situation when the fire turned against them.

Brian followed up the story of Mann Gulch by playing the song "Cold Missouri Waters" by James Keelaghan, (youtu.be/t37lV_52GKM). A very moving follow up to the Mann Gulch story.

As we cruised back, Brian shared that Canyon Ferry Lake, the lake above Holter Lake, was 24 feet low. An example of the drought conditions in this part of Montana.

Bald Eagle

A wonderful day to be on the water - pleasant temperatures, a nice breeze, sunny, accompanied by beautiful scenery. A must-do if you are ever in the area.

Friday, 10 June - Day 31

The bus picked us up at 8:45 and took us downtown to the Montana Historical Society Museum where we boarded the Last Chance Tour Train (lctours.com/take-a-tour-aboard-helenas-last-chance-tour-train/) for a narrated trip through Helena. Once again, we were reminded how much we learn when we take local trolley tours.

Along to route, we learned about Last Chance Gulch where gold was discovered in July 1864 by party returning to Alder Gulch from an unsuccessful prospecting trip. It is estimated that the gulch produced 30 million in pay dirt and supposedly there's plenty left beneath the present business district.

After our Last Chance Tour Train ride, we walked across the street for a self-guided tour of Montana State Capital Building.

Surprisingly, there was no security/metal detector to go through entering the building. The South Dakota modeled their capital building on Montana's state capital building. But no blue tiles in the floor in Montana.

One of the interest items from our visit to the CM Russell Museum was to find the CM Russell painting. We found it in the House chambers, but the doors were locked, so we were challenged to get a photo through the glass doors in the back of the chambers.

The bus took us to the Last Chance Casino and Restaurant for lunch - surprisingly good and decent service.

After lunch, we visited the St. Helena Cathedral, a gothic cathedral built in the early 20th century.

An architectural feature of gothic cathedrals is their symmetry, and the docent said the St. Helena Cathedral was exceptionally symmetrical.

Such an elegant cathedral seems out of place for a small city like Helena. However, at one time, Helena had over 130 millionaires - more millionaires than anywhere else. Most of the fortune were made in gold mining, cattle, and banking. With a lot of wealth in Helena, they needed a way to show it off. And the St. Helena Cathedral was just one of the ways.

We counted over 40 large stained glass windows which were made in Germany. Each window panel was a biblical story. Just a few of the stained glass windows:

We then visited the Montana Historical Society Museum.

The Museum collects, preserves, and interprets fine art, historical, archaeological, and ethnological artifacts that pertain to Montana and its adjoining geographic region. 

The Museum had a C.M. Russell gallery, and as we now were more familiar with his works, we started there. The Mackay Gallery of Russell Art is a 2,000 square foot exhibit gallery that features the art of Montana's "Cowboy Artist" Charles M. Russell (1864–1926), celebrated artist and illustrator. This exhibit is comprised of approximately 80 art pieces, including major oils, watercolors, pen and inks, pencil sketches, bronzes, sculptures, and illustrated letters. 

Another gallery "Neither Empty Nor Unknown: Montana at the Time of Lewis and Clark", focused on the Native Americans in Montana at the time of Lewis and Clark. One exhibit that really stood out was the diorama of the buffalo jump.

A third gallery, "Montana Homeland" focused on what life was like in Montana's past - focused on how people lived, worked, played, raised families, and built communities, and how they adapted.

Our last stop of the day was the Original Governor's Mansion, also under the Montana Historical Society Museum. 

Anthony, our docent, shared the history of the home, how it became the Governor's Mansion for about 50 years, and the restoration efforts.

Saturday, 11 June - Day 32

Another travel day from Helena, MT to to Dillon, MT following the Missouri River (and Journey of Lewis and Clark) to its headwaters, then the Jefferson River, one of three rivers that make up the Missouri River. With rain in the forecast, we had little hope of playing golf enroute.

As we left Helena on Highway 12 East/Highway 287, we encountered a stretch of road construction. While the posted speed limit was 35mph, Sprinty was reduced to less than 15mph. We figured it was just practice for travel to Alaska.

As we traveled south, we stopped briefly at the roadside stand for Colter's Run.

Our first enroute stop was Headwaters State Park where the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers merge to form the 2,300 mile Missouri River.

The Missouri River is 2,341 miles long from here to its confluence with the Mississippi River.

The Missouri river is the longest river in the United States.

We first checked out where the Gallatin River flowed into the Missouri.

The Gallatin River was flowing briskly, along with debris. We found it hard to reconcile with out boat guides comment about the reservoir downstream being 24 feet low.

Gallatin River flowing into Missouri

Kris floated the Gallatin River back when she was in collage.

View Upstream, Gallatin River

We stopped at the confluence of the Jefferson and Madison Rivers.

Lewis and Clark reached the headwaters in late July 1805.

Considering it an essential point in the geography of this western part of the continent, Meriwether Lewis wrote the country opens suddenly to extensive and beautiful plains and meadows which appear to be surrounded in every direction with distant and lofty mountains. The legendary Sacajawea was captured here as a child and eventually returned as a member of the Corps of Discovery. Another member of this expedition, John Colter, later made several trips to this area in search of furs and began his famous run nearby. Pioneers slowly settled the surrounding area and transformed it into profitable grazing and farming land.

Confluence of the Jefferson and Madison Rivers

After our brief visit to Headwaters State Park, we headed back to the intersection of I-90 and Highway 287, where the Wheat Montana Bakery and Deli was located. We got two cinnamon rolls, ate one for lunch.

The decadent cinnamon roll reminded us of the Beavertails in Prince Edward Island during our Canadian Maritimes caravan in 2019.

Beavertail treat from 2019

And saved the other one for tomorrow. Just another practice for going to Alaska as the cinnamon rolls along the route are legendary.

One of the optional enroute stops listed in our trip log was Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. There are no self-guided cavern tours, and the available tours consisted of the Paradise at 1.5 hours and Classic at 2 hours. Reservations were recommended, and when we tried to make arrangements for either of the tours yesterday, the tours were fully booked. So we just dove on past.

As we made our way along the Jefferson River, the cliffs got more pronounced, and we hit rain. Many chose to ride the center of the narrow road rather than risk a rock encounter. One of our caravan mates shared later that the narrow road with rock faces in the pouring rain was like Alaska. Others commented the whole drive today reminded them of Alaska.

We stopped at the pullout for Beaverhead Rock.

Beaverhead Rock

Beaverhead Rock served as an important landmark not only for Lewis and Clark, but also for the trappers, miners, and traders who followed them into this area. It was known to many of them as Point of Rocks. In 1863, a man named Goetschius built a stage station on the "well-traveled, deep rutted road" between Bannack and Alder Gulch near here. It was part of the Montana-Utah Road, but was also known as Road Agents Trail because of all the robberies that occurred along it during the 1860s. In addition to changing tired horses for fresh animals for the stagecoaches, the station also served meals and provided a place to sleep for stagecoach travelers. 

Beaverhead Rock was also a familiar landmark to Sakakawea as she was of the Shoshone tribe.

Twice on todays drive we passed turnoffs to West Yellowstone only a couple of hours away. Sprinty was up for the side excursion, but the schedule was unyielding.

Our campground for the night is Beaverhead River RV Park & Campground in Dillon, MT.

At 5:30, we had our trip briefing and social.

After dinner, Eric and Julie, our tailgunners, had a fire and introduced wahdingers to the adventurous. A sort of cowboy cannoli, biscuit dough is cooked on a round wood form, then filled with goodies. Poor technique in applying/cooking the biscuit dough was rewarded by the opportunity to wear some of the filling as it leaked out of holes in the dough.

Sunday, 12 June - Day 33

We had an overnight low of 41 degrees, the third or fourth day in a row that the actual low temperature experienced was lower than the weather apps forecast.

We had an early start at 8am with rain forecast all day. Todays's bus was a yellow school bus.

Our step-on guide joined us at the campground. Our first stop was Clarks Lookout State Park, another place where we know definitively that members of the Corps of Discovery actually stood. In August 1804, Clark stood atop this rocky outcrop. 

The exact location was verified as he recorded three compass reading of prominent landmarks, including Beaverhead Rock we passed yesterday. Skilled navigators know that shooting three compass headings will accurately determine your position.

Most of us chose to brave the drizzle and walk up the short path to the top of the rocky outcrop.

We then headed south, briefly stopping to view Rattlesnake Rock at a roadside pull off on I-15 south of Dillon. We then went down a gravel one-lane frontage road (our guide said it was the highway before the interstate) to view some Native American pictographs.

Our next stop was near Camp Fortunate, the name of the Lewis and Clark camp when they finally met the Shoshone whom they sought to trade for horses for the overland travel across the Rockies. Where the Corps of Discovery went from paddles to saddles. The exact location of Camp Fortunate is underwater now.

Also at the site was a replica of a dugout canoe used by the Corps.

We then headed for Lemhi Pass, where Lewis and Clark crossed the Continental Divide in 1805. After traveling down a bumpy paved road, we turned onto a pretty well maintained, bumpy gravel road that passed through the Bar Double T Ranch.

After passing through the ranch, we entered National Forest land and the lane-and-a-half gravel road transitioned into a one-lane gravel road with turnouts. The road and scenery reminded us of our four wheeling adventure in Ouray, CO, last summer when we went to Yankee Boy Basin.

We continued to climb to 7,284 feet elevation to Lemhi Pass. Most of us walked the short path to the marker in the drizzle.

Our next stop was the nearby Sacajawea Memorial Picnic Area where we were originally supposed to have a picnic lunch. Our caravan leaders wisely decided to serve lunch in the bus.

The Sacajawea Memorial Picnic Area is also adjacent to the "most distant fountain spring" that is considered to be the actual origin point of the Missouri River at 7,284 feet elevation.

Some of the group took advantage of being able to straddle the Missouri River.

Straddling the Mighty Missouri River

Our guide said it was possible to continue over the Continental Divide into Idaho, but the road was not adequate for a school bus. So we headed back down to the Bar Double T Ranch.

Our last stop of the day was Bannock State Park. Our guide decided to see if the gravel cut-off road to Bannack was adequate given the rain. It was bumpy, but passable.

The town of Bannack sprung up in 1862 when gold was discovered. The town grew to 3,000 people within a year, and like many gold boom towns, was a lawless city. Even the sheriff, Henry Plummer, was the leader of a ruthless band of road agents responsible for over a hundred murders in the Virginia City and Bennett gold fields and trails to Salt Lake City. Although modern historians debate the exact number of murders, Plummer, and two compatriots, both deputies, were hanged, without trial, by a vigilante committee.

Bannack served as the capital of Montana Territory briefly in 1864. Bannack continued as a mining town, though with a dwindling population. The last residents left in the 1970s.

The group braved the light drizzle as our Montana State Park guide shared the history of the town.

A building built as the county courthouse was later operated as the Hotel Meade. It was one of the buildings we could go into.

Another of the building suggested to check out were the two jail buildings.

Bannack was just one of several locations in the area where gold was successfully prospected.

As a result of the rain, we did not stay as long at the stops, so we returned to the campground early. As most took advantage of the stops to see and learn, everyone was pretty damp and chilled in the drizzly, 50 degree weather. No one complained about returning early to our nice warm homes on wheels earlier than planned. Some even took naps.

Some might even say that today was just continuing our practice for Alaska. Yesterday, it was road construction, scenery, and sheer rock faces carved right along the narrow road. Today it was riding in a school bus on bumpy, gravel roads looking for wildlife in cool, drizzly weather like the Denali National Park bus tours.