H.A.G. Corps of Discovery Road Trip Days 9 and 10

Typical "Big Sky" in Montana along Route 87

Sorry about no blog post last night.  Yesterday was a very long day, but a very good day.  We left Custer, South Dakota early in the morning and drove north.  We intended to pick back up on the Missouri River in North Dakota, but when we checked availability of rooms in western North Dakota, basic hotel rooms were either not available or getting close to $200 per night!  We were told there is an oil boom which is generating a lot of employment but not sufficient housing which is spilling over to the hotels.

As an alternate, we then decided to visit Devil's Tower National Monument (the first national monument) in northeastern Wyoming.  We've all seen Devil's Tower in photographs and some of us have seen it in movies, but there is nothing like standing at its base and looking up at this giant igneous intrusion that towers over 5000 ft. from its base. Since I had been there before, I had made many images closeup, but I didn't have any that put it in context with its surrounding landscape.  So, that is how I photographed it this time.  One of the neat things at the base of the tower is a prairie dog town.  They are so friendly that, if you stop your car, they will come right over and pose for photographs!

From there, we made the long drive west along I-90 heading to Montana.  Before we made it Montana, we stopped in Gillette, Wyoming and had a tasty lunch in a sports bar and restaurant by the name of Humphrey's. I can recommend it and bring an appetite because you get plenty.  Also, as an aside, they had the largest menus I have ever seen.  They must have weighed about a pound each.

After a long drive, we finally arrived at Little Bighorn National Battlefield, the site of "Custer's Last Stand," as we have known it for most of our lives.  I have wanted to visit this site since my first visit to Montana in 1972.  I had read a lot about what preceded the massacre and why it happened.  I'll leave it up to you to research this battle if you are interested. I found it a fascinating chapter in American history.

Standing on the top of the hill at the battlefield site, I thought that this was one of the most beautiful and serene places I had ever visited.  It was bucolic and peaceful.  At the same time it was the site of a ferocious battle that ended with about 260 U.S. soldiers being killed along with 40-100 Native Americans.  Standing there, one must wonder how something so tragic could have happened at such a beautiful spot on earth.  If you have any interest in United States history and how the U.S. Government persecuted the Native Americans, or military history, I recommend you take some time and visit.  I didn't get enough time at this spot as I didn't get to see many of the museum exhibits nor read the detailed battle descriptions.  That is because we arrived just before closing.  I would like to return some day.  Here are a few of my images from that site.

Looking west down at the battlefield from the top of the hill, the Little Bighorn
River is where the rows of trees are growing in the distance.  The gravestones are the site of the
"Last Stand."  Each gravestone marks as place where a U.S. soldier died.
According to the information, they shot their horses to use a shields as they
were overwhelmed in numbers by the Native American fighters.

The blackened grave stone marks where Lt. Col. Custer fell.  He was only
a brevet major general, or one who received a temporary field promotion and
without the pay of a general officer.

There were headstones scattered all around the site as the battle raged for sometime and soldiers fell in various places.
Additionally, some tried to escape but were cut down as they fled.  In the end, no soldiers lived to tell the tale.

 We all left in a somewhat reverent mood, mostly silent, contemplating the severity of what we had just experienced.  Again, highly recommended.

We ended the day in Billings, Montana, a city I first visited in 1972.  This is not a tourist destination and it is a "working" city with lots of industry.

This morning we headed north and west with our intention of ending our day in Great Falls, Montana. It was another fairly long day, but the scenery was absolutely beautiful.  The snow covered mountains to the south rose out of the prairie while the huge cumulus clouds filled the dark blue sky over the green, green of spring. Here is another image I made out of the window of my vehicle as we traveled.

We arrived in the late afternoon in Great Falls, which reminded me of many military cities with a strip of new and used car dealerships as well as restaurants, pawn shops and other establishments that cater to the young.  That being said, it is a nice place to spend a night and a day.

The adventure continues and just gets better.

Thanks for looking.

Dennis Mook

Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com.  Please pay it a visit.  I add new images regularly.  Thank you.


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