Tuesday, Sept. 24 - I have good memories of spending time in Great Falls with my family when I was a mere stripling. So I was anxious to spend a little time at the shore of the Missouri River, which runs through the city. The Lewis and Clark Center seemed like a good place to start, so we found a very nice walkway along the river. A good little hike led to the Giant Spring, a bubbling pool which pumps 124,000 gallons of 64 degree water (F) all year round into the river. Part of it leaves the spring via the Roe River, which is one of the shortest rivers in North America (about a sand wedge shot long). A picture of the Missouri, the spring and the Roe is at the bottom below. The Missouri is a fine, strong, river, and claims to be the longest river in the U.S., even longer than the Mississippi. So you have right before your eyes the long and the short of it.

From Great Falls we headed through interesting but very windy country, with beautiful hills, old volcanic areas, mountains and plains, to Helena.  We went to the State Capital, where we toured the grounds and building. As with most state capitals, it is elaborate, beautifully designed, and is housed on lovely grounds. The Senate and House weren't in session, so we were able to peer in through the doors at the legislative chambers. Helena seems like a nice city, located in a big bowl surrounded by hills and mountains. A shot of the Capital is below.

In contrast to Helena, we now come to Butte. Labelled as having the richest mountain in the world (gold, copper and other precious mineral deposits), it took on the atmosphere of other get-rich-quick places, like Dawson, for example. The population swelled to 90,000 in its long-ago heyday, but although the population has dropped a lot, it is still a rough-around-the-edges busy city, as the mine is still producing, but to a much lesser degree, copper and meligdenum (sp?). The frontier aspect of the city is described best on an information panel put together by the State, which says "She (Butte) was a bold, unashamed rootin', tootin', hell-roaring camp in days gone by, and still drinks her liquor straight". Pretty interesting language from a government source. A picture of part of the open-pit mine is below.

We went on to easier driving, as we'd crossed the Continental Divide to flatter land bordered by lower hills, (although the wind was still blowing like hell), and arrived at Dillon in late afternoon sunshine. We're camped in the country on a property that has an old unused saloon as its feature oddity. Plus a pile of rocks in which is stuck a cemetery marker, which reads "Heer lies Les More, shot 4 times with a Colt 44..no Les, no More...rip". Montana humour.

Enough nonsense. It was a good day, some miles gained, the wind now gone, the evening cool but pleasant. We hope to head into Idaho tomorrow as we continue south. So stay tuned. More later.