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Madison Limestone Canyon along Missouri River
Lewis and Clark called this area the "Gates of the Mountains"Tuesday, June 23
We have been on the road now for four weeks and it has been too rainy, cold and buggy to drag out our tent and camping gear. But no matter, our next destination is Jen’s house in Choteau. Before descending on Jen we took the
Gates of the Mountains boat excursion from Holter Dam up the
Missouri River and into the towering white Madison limestone canyon to retrace a small piece of the journey of
Lewis and Clark. The boat stopped near
Meriwether’s chosen campsiteon one of the only areas on the river that wasn’t solid rock. Sweet scented wild roses filled the air along with raucous cawing from many loud ravens at the water’s edge. This combined with the heady scent of fir and pine made me wonder if all this was experienced by Meriwether and Clark.
Thousands of years before Lewis and Clark paddled this river, this pathway through the mountains was called the
Old North Trail and was traveled by ancient peoples over the Rockies to Siberia. Many ancient shamans (both men and women) came to this area as a retreat
and left their pictographs depicting their dreams high on the canyon walls. A bald eagle swooped down near the boat and many varieties of butterflies were on land but no big horned sheep were visible. Leaving this canyon we headed north up the winding roads to
Wolf Creek Canyon where at the foot of the canyon was the center of the historic battleground of the Araphahoes, Sioux, Crows and Cheyenne.
Outside the canyons and back into sunny
Big Sky Country we find that there is little else but cows, wheat, Big Sky and very few restaurants. Dave was convinced that at an exit on the highway we would run across a fast food place where he would want to eat but that was not to be. We drove for miles on his empty stomach through the Front Range passing soft wheat colored rolling plains dotted with wildflowers, clear, cold rushing rivers busy with fly fishermen and canoeists while bordering on our west were the snow capped Rockies. I am sure after several hours with no “food” Dave thought of slaughtering one of the stray cows for his dinner (in spite of the fact that our car was quite
"The Bob"
Clark National Forest on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness well provisioned with sandwich stuffs and snacks).
It was nearly dinner time when we reached Jen’s house in
Choteau and we were tired, hungry and glad of her wonderful hospitality. Jen soon realized Dave’s need for food and after a wonderfully filling meal we headed out for a walkabout in the late evening light.
Wednesday, June 24 Choteau is a tiny western town with most of its activity centered around Main Street and the requisite grocery, bank, library, pool, tennis courts, golf course and park. Jen gave us a personalized tour of Choteau’s highlights including the
Choteau Trading Post where I bought Dave a gentleman’s cowboy hat. By mid-afternoon we collected Jen’s friend Phyllis and headed up to the edge of the wilderness to hike stopping on the way at
Choteau’s Old Trail Museum which helped to ground us in local history. The museum featured dinosaur exhibits and a cabin depicting the lives of the fascinating Metis, a melded French European and Native American people resulting in the
Metis Culture.
Jen drove us up to the
Clark National Forest on the edge of the
Bob Marshall Wilderness (The Bob as it is locally known). Pooh
Bear would have been foiled by the beekeepers here for their hives were protected by electric fencing. We were looking for grizzlies but their habitat was closed off to protect their young and the mating peregrine falcons. Instead we drove further on the loose gravel road to explore rivers, beaver dams, waterfalls and mountain trails until we happened upon a man who had all the attributes of a true
Mountain Man complete with beard and long hair. It turns out our man Frank is an avid outdoorsman and experienced hiker and a recently retired OBGYN. Dr. Miller captivated us with his knowledge of trails and campsites in this region. In his camp near
Mills Falls he showed us his modified 20 lb pack filled with his sleeping bag and many provisions such as his own dried fruits, quinoa, olive oil, spices and powdered peanut butter but special accommodations were made for his coveted French Mimolette cheese.
We left Dr. Miller in his element at Mills Falls to drive back to Choteau passing again the old Gleeson
Circle 8 Ranch (now the Nature Conservancy). I had read Alice Gleeson’s memoirs about building this dude ranch from scratch in the
early ‘30s and her amazing stories about traveling through horrendous snow storms with temperatures hovering in the 40-50 degree below zero mark to teach school some 30 miles from the ranch. It gave me pause after driving this gravel road to imagine what her life must have been like.
We finished the day with a wonderful dinner (including a fresh rhubarb pie) at the
Log Cabin Café in Choteau and returned to Jen’s in time to pack up for Glacier in the late evening light at 10:30pm.
Thursday, June 25 Off to Canada and the
Wateron-Glacier International Peace Park! On our beautiful two hour drive to
Waterton, Canada I had to put the brakes on Destination Dave so I could photograph the grassy plains that hugged the Rockies (the Blackfeet Indians aptly gave the name
Backbone of the World to the boney spires of the Rocky Mountains long before European explorers ever discovered these mountains). I spotted a whole herd of white cows grazing near a pond along side the road. As I got out to photograph, mountain bluebirds and hundreds of swallows darted in the air around me. In
Blackfeet Country, near Browning, a sign
on the road read: “Drinking and driving leads to empty lodges. The alcohol spirit is real.”
When we arrived in Waterton we stopped first at the magnificent
Prince of Wales Hotel perched high on a cliff overlooking the tiny resort town. Forty to fifty mph wind gusts held me nearly aloft at the edge of the cliff while I attempted to steady my camera for photographs. Inside the hotel, Canadian school children on a class trip, lined the balcony above us and sang “Oh Canada ”. In town deer roamed freely among tourists and residents. (After our boat ride on
Upper Waterton Lake, I walked right up to a doe and her two fawns as they were nursing and cavorting in someone’s yard.)
The two hour boat ride to
Goat Haunt on the old wood hulled
MV International took us to back into Montana passing the 49th parallel, the official border between Canada and the US . The journey was really breathtaking not only for the beauty of the scenery but also because of the icy cold wind coming off the mountains. The steep rugged mountains against the beautiful emerald green waters, (whose color is due to “glacial
flowers” or colorful stone particles floating on the water), provided many wonderful photo ops. We passed only one glacier en-route. Glaciers by definition need to be at least sixty feet thick but due to global warming, snow is melting fast and it is expected that by 2020 the glaciers will be gone from Glacier National Park.
The wind picked up again and the temperatures began to drop after our boat trip so cranky and hungry (but considerate) Dave drove ten long miles (one way) up to
Red Rock Canyon River so I could see the beautiful waterfall. It did not disappoint. The beautiful red rocks with grey striations combined with the fast moving blue green waters were some of the most striking color combinations I have ever seen. I was enthralled. Destination Dave was hungry. So we left for
Many Glacier Hotel. By the time we arrived it was blowing hard and quite cold so we quickly checked in to this rustic hotel overlooking
Swiftcurrent Lake. This grand old hotel reminded me of the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone in its commanding wooden presence and rustic gentility of an age that has passed. We explored the inn with its
large central fireplace and three story vaulted ceiling. Large windows opened to the lake and mountains from the central rooms and hallways where game tables and cozy reading areas were plentiful. I borrowed a deck of cards and despite his being half asleep Dave whooped me soundly in gin rummy on the glassed in verandah overlooking the beautiful snowy glaciers.
Friday, June 26 The
Many Glacier Hotel was so nice we decided to take our time in the morning and (finally) just relax. The sun was out but clouds were threatening over the mountains and the wind continued to gust making it too cold for these Florida tenderfeet so we enjoyed a warm hearty breakfast before packing up to head to Lake McDonald . We had been told the night before that there was hope that the Going to the Sun Road would be open today but apparently that had been a promise for some time. We were prepared to drive the long way around Glacier NP to Lake McDonald but when we arrived in
St Mary it was confirmed: The Going to the Sun Road was open today for the first time this year! What wonderful luck!
We gassed up the car, got some sandwiches at the
Park Café to take with us for a picnic and began the slow drive across Glacier National Park . Twice inside the park we encountered people who had “just seen” a family of grizzlies. One such person had the audacity to show me his fabulous photo of a grizzly close up! I was truly jealous but soon I was quite satisfied when Dave pointed out a large white mountain goat close by at the snowy and freezing cold tundra of Logan Pass. This beautiful animal seemed to parade for us then left on a treacherous climb to join his family high on a rocky ledge overlooking the valley below.
On the way to
Logan Pass we had stopped for a picnic overlooking
St Mary Lake. Afterwards I took a hike to
Baring Falls where once again I was captivated by the colorful aqua waters rushing over the rusty red and pale blue river rocks framed by the dark green forest foliage. I love it here!
On the western side of the
Continental Divide the trees grew thicker and beautiful waterfalls gushed down the mountainside from the spring snowmelt.
Since there was no stopping along this road that clung to the cliffs, I took my cue from the
Jammer or
Red Bus and I stood up through our sun roof to photograph the
Weeping Wall and other vistas along the 50 mile Going to the Sun Road.
When we arrived at
Lake McDonald Lodge and Cottages I felt like I was home in NH. This 1914 hunting lodge was a bit smaller than Many Glacier and Old Faithful and therefore seemed more homey and comfortable. The lake, cottages and rustic charm reminded me of my childhood on Lake Winnipesauke in NH.
Our cozy cottage was right on the lake and only a short walk to the lodge. Inside our cottage and throughout the lodge we found copies of paintings and drawings by C.M. Russell, the famous Montana artist. Russell who had lived nearby also painted the pictographs surrounding the huge stone fireplace in the lobby. After dinner we listened to a local author tell stories about the history of this place. The lodge site was established in 1895 by the eccentric visionary George Snyder who homesteaded the land and built a small hotel.
Saturday, June 27 I spent the first part of the morning on the balcony overlooking the lobby of the lodge.
Ornate Indian chandeliers hung from the three story ceiling and a roaring fire brought warmth from the massive fireplace below. A great way to start the day.
Lake McDonald ’s beautiful aqua blue glacial waters extend ten miles and drop 472 feet at the deepest part of the lake making this the largest lake in the park. In the bright morning light the lake’s aqua color really exploded. We had breakfast in the main lodge overlooking the lake and then mid morning I finally tore myself away to hike up to
Avalanche Lake. The four hour climb took us through an ancient cedar forest passing a beautiful river with a series of waterfalls until the cedar scented forest opened up to reveal the rugged rocky peaks mirrored in the spectacular glacial lake.
For a short while I had been alone in this grizzly occupied territory walking occasionally with people carrying bells or bear spray but at one point when I was all alone I was totally surprised when I rounded a bend and confronted a mule deer with his
new fuzzy rack. He looked as startled as me! We spent a while sizing each other up until he blithely walked right past me. By mid-afternoon we retreated back to Lake McDonald for a picnic lunch on the water before heading to
Apgar for a last long view of this beautiful lake. Someday I would love to return here to spend a week hiking, boating and just reading along this lovely shore.
Goat Lick is along route 2 about forty miles east of West Glacier. We did see a family of goats on the small cliff across the river but they were too far for a good photo. Perhaps I was spoiled up on Logan Pass. We pressed on to
East Glacier and our little cottage at
Jacobson’s then took a short tour of town, stopping by East Glacier Lodge and ultimately ending up at Jenifer’s recommended place for dinner: The “World Famous”
Whistle Stop Restaurant known for their remarkable huckleberry pies. I am hoping the four mile hike will offset the calories.
Sunday, June 28 Fortified with a late breakfast we drove twelve miles to Two Medicine where we were just in time for the
boat to take us across
Two Medicine Lake. Mountains of red, yellow and green stone surround deep lakes here. Two Medicine got its name from two Indian tribes whose vision quest led them to the same location for their ceremonies. The 83 year-old wooden boat took us to the other side of the wind swept lake where we got off to hike to
Twin Falls. We followed the sound of rushing water along our woodland journey until deep in the woods we found two falls, one high and narrow, one low and wide. Before heading back on the boat we watched the funny little
American Dipper or Water Ousel dive in and over the water from its nest in the rock wall beneath the falls.
The winds had picked up to gusts of 50mph on the return leg so when we got on land we searched for some shelter at the lake’s edge for a picnic with our yummy Whistle Stop sandwiches.
The woodland path to
Running Eagle Falls (named after a woman warrior for her skill in battle), was a short drive from the lake so after our chilly picnic we headed inland on a much warmer
Twin Falls at Two Medicine Lake
Look carefully to see the lower falls beneath the main falls walk sheltered from the winds. Running Eagle would come here on her vision quests among deer, bear and rattlesnakes. These amazing falls are also named
Trick Falls because midway beneath the upper falls a second falls gushes out of a hidden cavern to create these unusual double falls. For the third time in so many days we arrived to be told we had “just missed” a bear and her cubs.
Reluctantly we left the amazing diversity of Glacier National Park and drove to
Browning, in the
Blackfeet Nation to visit the
Museum of the Plains Indians. This small museum packed in a wealth of information about the Indians who traveled throughout this region as well as profiling their arts.
It felt like home coming back to Jen’s house in Choteau. She prepared a nice meal after which we took a walk to see the red and orange sun set over the prairie and the Rockies .
Monday, June 29 The sun rises early and sets late in the North Country and so sleeping through a 5am sunrise after an 11pm twilight is a challenge but still we were refreshed and ready for our hearty breakfast in
Fairfield,
on our way to
Great Falls.
Lewis and Clark portaged around the five beautiful falls here pulling their heavy boats through prickly pear cactus and rattlesnake habitats. The
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and Interpretive Center does a thorough job detailing the encounters and challenges these men and their Corps had to face in their journey west and the return back east. After absorbing the historic details of their trip we walked along the banks of the Missouri River enjoying the native landscape and trying to imagine ourselves as these strong intrepid people fording rivers, portaging for miles over steep and rough terrain as they encountered new lands, new plants and new people.
A beautiful quarter mile walk along the
River Edge Trail on the Missouri River led us to
Giant Springs State Park where the highlight for me was
Rainbow Falls, a small spring that pours over yellow and green colored layered rocks and into the Roe River , the shortest river in the world.
The
CM Russell Museum was next on our list of must-dos in Great Falls . This wonderful museum houses a large collection of Russell’s oils, watercolors and sculptures along with
letters and other historical memorabilia. Since we had a deadline and little time, we flew through this museum at record speed embracing the western art and history of Russell and many others before heading over to join Jen’s friends Russ, Linda and Spencer for a wonderful home cooked buffalo barbeque.
Back in Choteau at 10pm, after a hefty huckleberry ice cream cone, we drove out to the prairie’s edge to watch the sun set over the Rockies . It was then that Dave spotted a great horned owl landing on a fence post. We stopped to watch as red winged blackbirds and northern orioles struck the owl in the chest and back in their failed attempts to frighten the great hunter away.
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