Thunder Jack - Mountain Men Honored in Montana

Just north of the tiny town of Wilsall, Montana is a sculpture dedicated to the region's European fur trappers, traders, and trail guides. In 2006, local artist Gary Kerby created this seven foot tall sculpture. Local school children named the work, "Thunder Jack" in the spirit of the local mountain men whose era is generally defined from 1805 to 1835 for this Montana region. My photo was taken mid-morning on February 16th. Note the lack of snow as the region had experienced four days of unseasonal warm temperatures.

Just below Thunder Jack is the Shields River. Named by Captain William Clark after John Shields, a member of the Lewis & Clark expedition, the river flows into the Yellowstone River to the south. At that junction, the Corps of Discovery guided by Sacajawea, the Shoshone women camped on their return journey from the Pacific. Much later in the 1860s the river valley served as an extension to the Bozeman trail connecting Fort Laramie, Wyoming to the gold fields at Virginia City, Montana. Emigrant wagon trains were guided through this valley using scouts and sometimes old mountain men. Know that.

Office of the Governor - Information Technology

Who says technology has to look new, shiny and edgy? Just look at the Montana Capital Building in Helena to see how they handle bits and bytes in the 21st century. Inside the state house's front doors is the Office of the Governor - Information Technology, clad in oak, marble and faux classical painting. Not too shabby for something that was built in the late 1800s. Know that.

Gold in Virginia City, Montana - Tourist Dollars That Is

Virginia City, Montana is home to about 150 people year round. During the tourist season the town grows each day as hundreds visit this preserved 1860s gold mining spot. 

On August 14th the 42N team headed from Helena to corn country, about a three day drive. As the vehicle drove up a mountain to Virginia City then down a steep incline, the brakes began making thumping sounds. Having driven the car all summer in mountain conditions the junior member of 42N said this was the first time the brakes acted up.

So we took it easy going the rest of the few downhill miles to Virginia City, parked the car, and did a quick inspection of the brakes. Besides being hot, the brakes looked okay, no dripping hydraulic fluids and no flat tires. So we walked through the eight blocks of town looking at the shops, museums and chowing on lunch - allowing time for the brakes to cool in the 50 some degree temperature in August!

The town offers a lot for such a small place. Two teenagers were getting their old West photos taken as we passed by. The photographer instructed one subject to look happy and the other to look stern - must make for a great composition. The girls couldn't stop laughing. Besides small museums of city history, the town offers areas for local and regional artists to display and sell their creations. If you ever find yourself in Virginia City listen to these audio files while walking around the city (click here.) There may be instructions on those recordings on where to find a good brake mechanic. Maybe. Know that. 

Ridin' the Storm Out in Montana - Watch Out for Antelope Down the Road

Somewhere between Toston, Montana and Interstate 90 is this vista of flat grazing land with the Elkhorn Mountain range in the distance. A storm was approaching from the west on the morning of August 14th as the 42N team headed from Helena, Montana to HQ - a three day journey.

On this day we stopped the jam-packed vehicle a number of times to photograph what the land presented. Grain bins are a quite common site in 42N country but not so much in this general location. I am not sure what type of grain is contained here (corn, soy beans, wheat, others?)

The approaching storm only served to keep the air cool and provided just a few drops on the dusty and cracked windshield. In the afternoon we saw Yellowstone Park and the Grand Tetons long before ending up in Rock Springs, Wyoming via the infamous "antelope alley." Take heed when traveling that stretch of road between Pinedale and Rock Springs. We made it and a family from Wisconsin did too without smacking directly into pronghorns. Know that.

Montana Rail Link's Locomotive No. 4300 - Latest Generation of the Iron Horse

At the Helena, Montana rail yard on August 13th the Montana Rail Link locomotive No. 4300 leaves early evening towards the continental divide’s Mullan Pass. I ran into a rail photographer at the road crossing by the station. He and I struck a conversation as I had not seen the line before nor had seen these types of locomotives on any of the 42N country rails.

Although I didn’t get his name he told me he lives nearby, walks the dog by the tracks and likes to photograph the trains leaving the station. As I began taking photos he filled me in on Montana Rail Link history and the probable mission of #4300 that evening.

He said most likely that the three locomotive formation (Nos. 4300, 4313 and 4310) was outward bound some 13 miles west of Helena to help with the transport of a train carrying coal back toward Helena.

Since the locomotives are there to assist loads coming up or down mountainous terrain the local photographer said to check out the sand sprayers located near the front and back set of steel wheels. Sand helps to provide the grit on the rails needed for better traction.

My host told me that five years ago, Montana Rail Link purchased locomotive number 4300, the first of 16 new locomotives. The purchase was intended to replace aging locomotives on trains crossing the Rocky Mountains over the continental divide at Mullan Pass and Bozeman Pass.

That's a lot of effort involved to move material. But without that effort the wheat, coal and other producers from this region would not have an affordable method to transport goods in bulk. Know that.

Pipestone Example in Montana - A Little Bit of Minnesota or Utah

The Montana Historical Society museum in Helena, Montana has many displays from natural history to various human habitation eras of the state. On display is a beautiful arrow shaped red pipe tip carved by Natives.

Red pipestone is also called, catlinite, an iron-rich, reddish, soft quartzite slate harvested from below groundwater level. According to the Wikipedia site for caitlin, "Red pipestone was used by the Eastern Tribes, Western and Great Basin Tribes, and the Plains Tribes, with sources of the stone in Tennessee (South Central), Minnesota (Pipestone), and Utah (Delta, Uinta). Sacred pipestone comes from Pipestone, Minnesota. The quarry itself is located just north of the town at the Pipestone National Monument. Today only people of Native American ancestry are allowed to quarry the pipestone from this quarry."

Given the Montana's proxitity to Utah this display item may be from there or Minnesota. From the Minnesota samples that I have seen in museums in Iowa and Minnesota it looks like this arrow shape pipestone matches Minnesota quarry features - basically the color and lighter colored speck patterns. Regardless of where this piece was gathered and later carved, it is quite fancy and probably was used during important times.

Pipestone can be found in 42N country. I have purchased a piece at an antique store a number of years ago. I also have found some small flakes near local creek beds, hills and rivers bottoms. Quite cool. Know that.

Discovering C.M. Russell in Montana

Western painter C.M. Russell's expansive volume of work is highly collected, exhibited and used to illustrate the old American West. In the place where Montana's past is celebrated, the painter's 1896 work, "Indians Discovering Lewis and Clark" is among the collection at the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana.

Russell drew a lot of subjects. He also was known to illustrate letters to friends. This two page letter from Russell, also exhibited at the Montana Historical Society shows a modern day hiking scene with an encounter with a mama grizzly bear.

While reading the letter from Russell I noticed its date - August 12, 1912. That was 98 years and 1 day before I saw it. Cosmic.

Today I found a book on paintings of the Old West in Muscatine, Iowa. It contained a chapter on C.M Russell which also highlighted the Discovery painting. Must be epic.

Russell is also celebrated in the nearby Montana Capitol building. In one of the chambers there is an enormous painting of his of the Lewis and Clark talking to Indians about navigating further west to the Pacific.

If you find yourself in Helena, go check out the Russell display and other pieces of Montana's past. Also saddle up to the Windbag Saloon for a burger - it used to be a bordello in downtown Helena. Then take a walk up Last Chance Gulch, stopping to visit the Bullwhacker statue. Lively. Know that.

Thistles At MacDonald Pass - Continental Divide

Last Friday I came across some kind of thistle blooming at MacDonald Pass 46°33.6N, 112°18.5W) near the Continental Divide at 6,325 feet above sea level. The view was spectacular, overlooking more mountains and the city of Helena, Montana to the east - about 17 miles away. Look closely at the photo and you'll see tens of thousands dead or dying pine trees that have succumbed to some type of pine boring inspect.

That afternoon's temperature dropped from 58 degrees at Helena to 51 degrees at the pass. 

Access to the observation area has two man-made components besides a road; one being the cell tower perched at the highest point and the second being a right of way for a gas pipeline. Cell phone reception at the Pass was great as you would expect. Still, the 360 degree view is outstanding giving more meaning to the notion of Montana's big sky country. Know that.

Guardian of the Gates of the Mountains

Greeting visitors to Montana's Gates of the Mountains is this sculpture of a man and dog. The metal work is centered in an area filled with explanatory displays of the Gates region. Located behind the sculpture is a valley with a water way (the Missouri River) surrounded by sheer cliffs - the Gates.

Lewis and Clark and company traveled through this region. On July 19, 1805 Caption Lewis described the area as "this evening we entered much the most remarkable clifts that we have yet seen. these clifts rise from the waters edge on either side perpendicularly to the hight of 1200 feet. ... the river appears to have forced its way through this immense body of solid rock for the distance of 5-3/4 Miles ... I called it the gates of the rocky mountains."

Last Friday evening I was the only person at the sculpture park halfway between the interstate and water. Two hours earlier, the last boat ride had returned for the day so most visitors had already left. If you want to hear only the wind and birds (and occasional semi-truck on I-15 some 17 miles north of Helena, MT) seek this place out. Know that.