Thursday, June 21, 2018
“Montana Summer”, That’s Montana at it’s best! On the first
day of summer, we took a day-trip to the southern Mission Valley and enjoyed a magnificent
summer day. At Polson, Lake County seat, located at the south end of beautiful
Flathead Lake, we adored lake, Wild Horse Island, Mission Mountain, and Swan
Mountain views. We relished a picnic lunch at the Flathead Reservation’s Kerr
Dam, the outflow of the Flathead River. Flathead Lake is a natural,
glacial-made lake; however, the 1938 Kerr Dam was built to control the
lake-level and produce hydroelectric energy. The dam facilitates controlling
the lake-level by ten feet to accommodate winter and summer requirements. How
many gallons of water are contained in an area of 200 square-miles by 10 feet
deep?
Opportunely, we met a Kootenai Medicine Man who shared an
interesting story of his life and experiences, on the reservation. A very captivating
and fascinating encounter!
Next, we visited the old Mission at St. Ignatius. Founded by
Jesuit’s in 1854, near the last Hudson Bay trading post, the original Jesuit’s wood
cabin still exists. The present Church was constructed in 1891 and still
celebrates Mass. The Church Art was created by the cook, brother Joseph Carignano.
The Mission Valley today was a huge, flat, green expanse
with stunning views of the snow-capped, craggy peaks of the Mission Mountains.
Monday, 6-25
Today, we made a pull over to Helena for 4 days of
rubber-necking and sightseeing. We traveled MT83, down the Swan Valley, nestled
between the craggy, snow-capped Mission Mountains and the Swan Mountains, to
MT200.
On MT83, we followed the east shore of Swan Lake, south, up
the Swan River, then down the Clearwater River to MT200. Snowmelt was coming
down every run and rivers were whitewater ribbons. The Swan Valley offers
stunning views of Swan Lake, Flathead National Forest, Swan Lake State Forest,
and Lolo National Forest. The region is sparsely settled, with small
communities economically dependent on a mixture of logging and tourism. The
largest communities along the MT83 route are Swan Lake, Condon, and Seeley
Lake. Swan Lake is a popular tourist destination, with all the amenities and
numerous professional guide services. We recalled a dry-camp night that we
spent in Condon, several years back. Around here, there are lots of quiet, free
camp-spots with nice scenery. Seeley Lake is home to the world-record,
1000-year-old Western Larch.
At Clearwater Junction, we took MT200 through the high Blackfoot
River Valley, the perfect scenic blend of old and new. The river is featured in
the 1976 film “A River Runs Through It”, starring Brad Pitt. Western Montana’s
Blackfoot River has become one of the state’s most popular and important
recreational streams. Its natural setting, scenic, features, and the fame
gained from the movie “A River Runs Through It”, have all contributed to its
popularity. At Ovando, one-hundred-year-old buildings nestled onto the
beautiful valley floor, with the Swan and Garnet mountains rising from its distant
edges, perfectly define what the “Big Sky Montana” means. Hundreds of thousands
of acres of open ranch country surround you.
At Nevada Creek, we left MT200 and took MT141 along Nevada
Creek to US 12 at Avon, Montana. Along MT141, we saw Nevada Creek and
reservoir, a Mecca for trout fishing.
Intersecting US12 at Avon, we followed the Little Blackfoot
River up to MacDonald Pass (6320’) at the Continental Divide, and then down to
Helena, on the eastern slope. Picturesque Avon, Montana sits on the banks of
the Little Blackfoot River at the intersection of US Highway 12 and MT Highway
141. The name Avon comes from the Welsh, for river. Perhaps the mountains and
river bottom around Avon reminded a Welsh settler of home. On a sunny, warm
mid-day, we explored the small town for a shady picnic spot but were
unsuccessful, so we continued on up the picturesque river. MacDonald Pass is an
old toll road, turned into an improved US highway, taking us over the pass and
down to Helena.
We took our site at the Lincoln Road RV Park, a convenient
location on MT279 at north Helena. In Helena, we joined the “Last Chance Tour
Train”, a motorized, wheeled, street-train providing a guided tour around the
old downtown area. After a very enjoyable and informative tour, we visited the
State Capitol, Montana History Museum and the Montana State Department of Fish,
Wildlife and Parks (our summer job). The 49ers, an assortment of ethnic
backgrounds from around the world, brought an interesting mix of culture to
Helena. It remains evident today in the architecture, historical monuments,
frescoes, landscaping, and local food. Last Chance Gulch, the Helena historic
district, really sums up the early days of Helena.
The State Capitol was an outstanding overview of Montana
history, art, and culture. At the Montana History Museum, my favorite was the
Charles M. Russell collection. I always associated bronze sculptures with
Russell but the priceless painting collection was mesmerizing. His paintings just convey volumes about the
life and times of the subjects.
Today, it was like going to Europe when we visited the
magnificent Cathedral overlooking Helena and the Helena Valley. Indeed,
materials such as the windows, and marble interior were imported from Europe.
The exterior, with its striking twin-spires, front elevation’s artistic façade
and massive, hand-carved doors, are all framed with gorgeous landscaping. The
Cathedral of Saint Helena is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Helena, Montana. Modeled by architect A.O. Von Herbulis after the Votivkirche
in Vienna, Austria, the construction began on the Cathedral in 1908, and held
its first mass in November 1914.
Next, we visited the original Montana Governor’s Mansion, a
stately, 1888 Queen Anne style mansion. The corner mansion is surrounded by a
neighborhood of architectural wonders. It is important to know what has been to
appreciate what has been preserved, and these homes are a fine example.
Finally, we visited Reeder’s Alley, one of Montana’s oldest
streets, and where miners first found “color” that ushered in the astounding
gold find. Later, women came and turned the cabins and cribs into a fine city,
called Helena. I was so impressed to discover trees that were descendants of
saplings that a young woman brought over the old trail.
Helena, the Montana State Capitol and county seat of Lewis
and Clark County, has a fascinating story and is a great place to visit!
Thursday, June 28, 2018
After a nice visit in Helena, we broke-camp and headed back
to West Shore State Park on Flathead Lake. Taking a slightly different
return-route, we departed Helena on MT279 and climbed up to Flesher Pass
(6130’) then down to MT200, near the headwaters of the Blackfoot River. Montana
200 (East/West) traverses the State, and we highly recommend the route, for a
drive. It connects lots of small towns and is very scenic. MT279 route is very
scenic and quickly climbs to 5000-plus feet, then slowly climbs to the summit
and over the Continental Divide, then along the downslope to intersect MT200.
Following down he Blackfoot River we could just feel the
history! This route was the ancient Nez Perce trail (River of the Road to the
Buffalo”, over the Continental Divide to the Buffalo hunting grounds on the
plains. In meeting, they told the Lewis and Clark Expedition about the route
and cautioned them about the Blackfoot Nation. On their return trip in July
1806, Lewis and Clark split into two parties, agreeing to meet down on the
Missouri River. Unfortunately, the Lewis party and dog Seaman, met-up with a
Blackfoot party and some Indians were killed in the skirmish, with some Indians
escaping. This necessitated a long, exhausting Lewis-party run toward the
Missouri, in order to escape certain death. Today, we saw the confluence of
Seaman Creek with the Blackfoot River and the “Prairie of the knobs” that Clark
described along the route. We also saw the confluence of the Blackfoot River
with the Clark Fork River, near Missoula. I just can’t get enough of “Lewis and
Clark”!
At Lincoln, their “claim to fame” is that Lewis and party
passed here and it’s also the home of the Unabomber. Good and bad history!
The headwaters of the Blackfoot River are “Bull Trout”
country, an elite challenge for serious anglers, but protected by law, and restricted
to “catch and release”. This was the Dolly Varden trout until 1978 when the
inland species were reclassified as Bull Trout. “Spots of black, put it back”!
Here, along the Blackfoot River, you understand the quote from:
A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean;
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs
through it. The river was cut by the worlds great flood and runs over rocks
from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are raindrops. Under the rocks
are words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters”.
Out here, it’s also easy to relate to John Steinbeck’s
quote;
“I’m in love with Montana. For other States I have
admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is
love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you are in it.”
At Missoula, we took US93 to Flathead Lake and West Shore
State Park. Traveling through the Jocko River Valley and the Flathead
Reservation, then into the Mission Valley and the Salish, Kootenai, and Pend
Oreille Reservation. It’s getting to be POW WOW time and we’re planning on
attending at least one, for the food, drumming, singing, dancing, and
story-telling. At Polson, we were back on Flathead Lake and our home-turf. A
good rambling-trip!
7-1-18
Back at West Shore State Park, and the Flathead Valley, the
landscape is changing. The explosion of radiant Spring flowers is now “going to
seed”, the wildlife is busy raising young, and like all living things, asking
the age-old question, “what’s for dinner”? Our spring
has been a time of unsurpassed wonder and beauty. This Spring, the sunny skies
and warming temperatures of the season worked their miracles on this verdant
valley, turning snow to water and beckoning buds from bare branches. Winter’s
white blanket transformed into a rainbow of wildflowers. You have to experience
it to believe it!
Most vacationers come to Northwest Montana during the long,
dry, warm days of summer. The Region is home to two of the most popular travel
destinations of the Pacific Northwest, Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.
Now, Northwest Montana puts on its summer show. July is the busiest month of
the season, and our computer reservations are booked solid. We see people from
around the US and the world, all coming to see the wonders of the “Shining
Mountains” in NW Montana. We enjoy meeting and talking to the diversity of
people. I never fail to learn something in talking to people, especially about
the special places in the world we call home. An artist, in a lifetime could
not paint all the images in my mind, gained as a result of our ramblings.
Monday, July 9, 2018
On a recent day-trip, we traveled to Thompson Falls, on the
Clark Fork River.
From Flathead Lake, we took the backroads to Pablo
Reservoir, for some waterfowl viewing. The refuge is nesting habitat for
numerous bird species such as the green-winged teal, Canada goose, bittern, and
great blue heron. Our special treat was seeing Trumpeter Swans. The reservoir
is situated on Trust Lands of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
At Charlo, we saw Ninepipe NWR and a good example of the
Flathead Indian Reservation. Originally used as a trail crossing in the lush
Mission Valley, Charlo was named after Chief Charlo of the Flathead Indian
Tribe. Charlo upholds the history of the region, most notably with the Ninepipe
Museum of Early Montana and the nearby National Bison Range. The valley also
offers stunning views of the Mission and Swan Mountains and is ideal for
bird-watching on Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge.
The vast Flathead Indian Reservation, located west of the
Continental Divide, in western Montana, on the Flathead River, is home to the
Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreille Tribes. Ninepipe NWR, another
wildlife refuge situated on the Flathead Reservation, is a unit of the National
Bison Range Complex. The National Bison Range Complex includes four
National Wildlife Refuges and the Northwest Montana Wetland Management
District, all located on the Reservation.
At Moiese, we saw bison on the National Bison Range and the
confluence of the Little Bitterroot River and Jocko River, with the lower
Flathead River. Moiese is located within the Flathead Indian Reservation, in
northwestern Montana. A nearby attraction is the National Bison Range
established in 1908 to provide a sanctuary for the American bison and it is one
of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the US. It also provides habitat for
elk, deer, pronghorn, black bears, and coyotes. More than 200 species of birds
also call this home and include eagles, hawks, meadowlarks, bluebirds, ducks,
and geese. It has some high, frightening roads, and it’s a (take-your-time)
must-see in NW Montana.
The Jocko River descending from the Mission Mountains, and
the Little Bitterroot River, flowing from the Salish Mountains, are tributaries
of the Flathead River in northwestern Montana. The Jocko, from its headwaters
in the Mission Mountains, to its confluence with the Flathead to the west, is
situated entirely within the Flathead Indian Reservation. A very scenic River. There
are three primary tributaries of the mainstream Jocko River: the North, Middle,
and South Forks. The picturesque Little Bitterroot River is impounded by two
large lakes, but flows through some remote gorges.
From Dixon, we followed the Flathead River downstream through
Perma to Paradise, its confluence with the Clark Fork River. Dixon, a division
point along the Northern Pacific Railroad, sits on the Flathead Indian
Reservation along the Flathead River. The railroad is very conspicuous, with
frequent, lengthy trains, and the Dixon claim-to-fame is “Dixon melons”, best
melons in Montana.
Perma is
Paradise is
Following down the Clark Fork River, we visited Plains and
Snider.
Near Plains, we entered the narrow valley and gorge, with
the Clark Fork River winding gracefully through this lush valley, there are
abundant opportunities for fishing, kayaking and rafting. It was founded as
Horse Plains and sometimes called Wild Horse Plains, as the local American
Indians historically wintered their horses here to feed on the grasses in the
valley. The name was later shortened to Plains when the US Postal Service
established a presence in 1905. This river route was part of the ancient “Road
to the Buffalo” used by Native Americans traveling to Buffalo hunts on the
eastern-slope plains. In a light rain, we observed a large herd of Elk, feeding
nonchalantly in a green pasture.
Just up from the mouth of Thompson River, is the site of “Saleesh
House”, the old North West Company fur trading post, founded by David Thompson in
1809. Lost to history but now rediscovered, thanks to the University of Montana
Archaeology Department. This had prompted me to read two very fascinating books
on David Thompson, an incredible fur trader, explorer, cartographer, and
astronomer. In 1807, David Thompson retraced Lewis and Clark’s route to the
Pacific via the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers, in search of fur-trade
opportunities. Unfortunately, the Indians were much less friendly, on that
occasion!
Bad Rock Trail, following the Clark Fork and Flathead River
canyons, was, for centuries part of the buffalo trail leading through the Rocky
Mountains to the buffalo hunting grounds on the Great Plains. The plateau
tribes—Kalispel, Pend d'Oreilles (Upper Kalispel), Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and
Kootenai—as well as the nearby Flathead tribe would pass through this area for
their buffalo hunts. Plains tribes, primarily the Blackfeet, would travel
through the area seeking to capture the good horses raised by the western
tribes. Needless to say, they had bad conflicts. We were glad to see the historical
marker and understood why David Thompson established his NWC trading post near
here.
Clark Fork Dam
Thompson Falls was named after British explorer, geographer
and fur trader David Thompson, who founded a North West Company fur trading
post called Saleesh House, in 1809. The community is located next to natural
waterfalls on the Clark Fork River. The arrival of the railroad in 1881 brought
the first real activity to the area. Two years later, when the gold rush hit
nearby Cœur d'Alene, the town grew to accommodate the men going over the Murray
Trail to the mines. We enjoyed the charming area and our day-trip.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Thinking Tuesday at GNP would be less-crowded, we packed a
picnic lunch and drove over to Glacier National Park. Wrong, we enjoyed the
park, took some good pictures, but we found no picnic spot. We drove the
Going-to-the-Sun Road up to Logan Pass and the VC lot was full, so we drove
down the eastern slope to Jackson Glacier Overlook, where we reversed
direction. Driving back west, re-crossing the pass, I found myself crowded by
acrophobic, upslope drivers, hugging the center line. Traveling back down the
western slope, we encountered the predicted high winds, so we found a pull-out
and had lunch in the truck. The GTTS road is spectacular, as it hugs the cliffs
and traverses the high precipices, in climbing to Logan Pass (6646’).
Next, we found a quiet, scenic spot adjacent to a Western
Cedar grove, on Lake McDonald. Daisy swam in the cold, clear water and we took
a rest, sitting on a large log, with a picturesque view of the pass. As usual,
we learned something new; we knew the Continental Divide bisected the park, and
Logan Pass crosses it, but we learned that the Continental Divide, southeast of
Logan Pass, runs east-west about 45 miles in the Lewis Range, creating a
triple-divide. From that three-slope point, water ultimately runs down a north
slope to Hudson Bay, down a west slope to the Pacific, and down an east slope
to the Gulf. Terry saw a bear and we had a fantastic day at the park!
Friday, July 20, 2018
Boy, is the summer flying by! Today, we checked-out the
annual “Event at Rebecca Farm”, in Kalispell. The Event is a four-day,
world-class equine triathlon, where riders and their mounts tackle the
disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. The three sports make-up
“eventing”, a formidable test of athleticism for both horse and rider.
Set in the verdant, northern Flathead Valley, surrounded by
majestic Northwest Montana mountain ranges, the courses are extraordinary, challenging,
entertaining, and educational. From a hilltop, we could observe the entire complex
of courses and arenas, getting a good understanding of the trust and discipline
between the riders and horses.
One special observation was a young lady and her Clydesdale
horse. The untraditional pair performed, jumping the obstacles, with the
determination and discipline of the competing thoroughbreds.
With a large vendor
area, we were able to shop, buy food and drinks, and relax in the shade of the
tents, like a County Fair. We enjoyed
the experience, on a cool, clear day, under a big, blue Montana sky. 