Wednesday, July 8 - Deer Lodge to Choteau

I left Deer Lodge around 10 after trying in vain to get wifi access at a restaurant.  I headed up the freeway and then turned off to make my way north to a road that would take me back east via Lincoln Pass. I purposely went out of my way again, wanting to see some new country.  It was very pretty.  I love these haystacks that look like loaves of bread.



I also love old, abandoned cabins.





This little tree was standing all by itself on the prairie and had been decorated with tinsel and other things.



I saw several flocks of pelicans flying near a lake.



I followed Hwy 200 through Lincoln.  It crosses the Blackfoot River several times.  This is supposed to be a great river for fly-fishing, at least parts of it.



East of Lincoln I took a less-traveled road that goes S/SE back to Helena.  There was a flock of sheep with the cowboy shepherd taking  a lunch break.  I stopped, snapped a photo and left. I didn't notice until looking at the photo on the computer that he had a guardian dog with him. It looks like a Kuvasz or Maremma, not a Great Pyrenees (which I used to have).



The view looking east from near Flesher Pass, elev. 6131, on the continental divide.



I found a lot of trails I want to hike!  That's the problem with exploring Montana.  The more places I go, the more places I want to go back and spend more time!  I guess I just need to move here!

The highlight of my day was Helena.  I stopped at the Montana Historical Society first, to see my favorite painting...Charlie Russell's "When the Land Belonged to God".  I've always liked Russell, as my grandpa did (he also loved Montana which I didn't know until he died so I never got to talk to him about it and I really regret that).  But after spending time in Montana and hearing Jack Gladstone (a Blackfeet singer/songwriter/historian, known as "Montana's Troubador", who is now a friend) interpret this painting and sing some songs about Russell, I gained a new appreciation for this painting.  The kids and I stopped here last summer to see it in person and it is just very powerful and moving to me.  Russell really gave us a gift because he captured the way of life in the west before it changed and as it was starting to change. He also (unlike Remington) portrayed Indians as humans and in good light.  He was good friends with many Indians.  This particular painting shows a buffalo herd crossing a river (presumably the Missouri, probably near Great Falls) and coming up from it.  I won't get into all the analysis here but I love how the bison in front really draws you into the picture and it just makes me think about life on the plains for thousands of years before the coming of the white man.  This doesn't begin to really explain it.  I couldn't use a flash so the light isn't great.



You can't see here all the very subtle details and you can't appreciate the colors of the painting.  I wish I could use a flash!

Here's a quote from Russell:



I then went across the street to the capitol building.  They have a Russell painting that I really wanted to see but they won't always allow you to see. I was lucky, a nice lady named Jane from the historical society was giving tours and offered to show it to me.  It is in one of the legislature chambers.  Russell was commissioned to paint this to the dimensions of the room.  He completed it in 5 1/2 months! It is so large that they had to add 4 layers of logs to the top of his log cabin studio to accommodate the canvas.  Having been to the studio, I still don't know how it fit...the studio was quite small.  When he completed it, they had to ship it by boxcar to Helena.

The painting is of Lewis and Clark meeting the Salish Indians at Ross's Hole in SW Montana.  You can see the Bitteroot Mountains in the distance. It was early September and the mountains already had snow.  The L and C expedition was low on food and very discouraged and was asking for help.  Historians have established that the Salish Indians were the last tribe to see white men, and that the L and C group was their first.  They were ready to leave on a buffalo hunt when the L and C group showed up.  It took 1 1/2 days for the translation of what they wanted to be completed.



Here is a detail showing Lewis and Clark standing behind the interpreter, with York (Clark's slave) behind them.  Sacagawea is sitting in the grass.



It was so nice to see this in person!  I think the dimensions are something like 12 feet by 11 feet.  It was completed in 1912.

I then drove on to Choteau. I saw this fawn on the way.  I've seen more fawns this year than the rest of my life...the deer population is thriving.



I watched this storm as I drove north along the front on back roads.



I finally reached my friend Ralph's house around 8. I was delighted to learn that his wife Nancy is a history enthusiast like I am!  It was great meeting and talking with her.
© 2009 Tara Morrison