On Sept 2 the weather cleared so we could finally see how big the sky really is in Montana. The land was beautiful - from plains of just-harvested wheat and apricot-colored prairiy grass to stands of cottonwood trees hugging the rivers in the ravines of gently rolling hills.
Two planned side trips were well worthwhile: First was a stop at Pompy's Pillar - a limestone rock discovered by William Clark in 1806 during his return from the Pacific and named for the baby of Sacagawea - Lewis & Clarks's teenage Indian (Shoshone) guide. Clark carved his name & the date into the rock - the graffiti is the only mark the Corps of Discovery left upon the land to note their passage. BTW, Pompy is the Shoshone word for "Little Chief"...just in case you were wondering.
W Clark, July 25 1806
In SE Montana a must-see stop for us both was the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where Gen. Custer made his famous last stand - part of the Army's summer campaign against the Cheyenne and Lakota in 1876. We walked the site and drove it as well. The 7th cavalry had approx. 600 men on those hillsides, while the Indians had around 2000 warriors in the field that day. Once the dust cleared Custer and about 241 troopers with him had been annihilated. It was touching to see the markers placed where each soldier and Indian fell that day. The site is really quite well done. We
recommend it to anyone with an interest in this part of US history.
Looking towards Indian Village from Last Stand Hill
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