Gates of the Mountains!

Today we took a beautiful boat trip into "Gates of the Mountains!"

The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1964, the wilderness is managed by Helena National Forest. A day use campground near the Gates of the Mountains, Meriwether Picnic site, is named in honor of Meriwether Lewis.
Gates of the Mountains Wilderness (then known as the Gates of the Mountains Wild Area) was the site of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire, which claimed the lives of 13 firefighters and which was the subject of Norman Maclean's book Young Men and Fire.
The Gates of the Rocky Mountains were named by Lewis and Clark. Captain Lewis wrote on July 19, 1805,

"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."

The prominent gray cliffs along the Missouri River in the Gates of the Mountains are formed by Madison Limestone. At the southern entrance to the canyon the trace of the Eldorado thrust fault juxtaposes Proterozoic Belt Supergroup Greyson Shale over much younger Madison Limestone; this faulting was part of the Sevier orogeny. Within the canyon, caves and folded layers of Madison Limestone are found. Near the north end of the canyon, at Mann Gulch and further north, alternating ridges and valleys reflect the alternating resistance of younger rock layers overlying the Madison Limestone. The entire canyon is an example of a superposed or antecedent stream, in which the river pre-dates the uplift of the rocks and kept pace with erosion as uplift occurred.

It is amazing as you cruise along what appears to be more like a small lake then a river - The boat looks like it is headed into the rocks - and then it appears!

Lots of Bald Eagles!

Beautiful endless towering stone walls on both sides

Interesting formations caused by hot lava flowing up years ago.

Large Eagles nest with two chicks almost ready to fly!

Interesting hole in the side of the rock face.

Indian pictographs painted on the rock wall. Proof that indigenous people lived here long before Meriwether named it the Gates of the Mountains.

Location of the infamous Fire!

This was definitely a must see place!

Virginia City!

All of Montana has the deepest pride and affection for Virginia City. No more colorful pioneer mining camp ever existed. Dramatic tales of the early days in this vicinity are legion. Rich placer diggings were discovered in Alder Gulch in the spring of 1863 and the stampede of gold seekers and their parasites was on! Sluices soon lined the gulch and various "cities" blossomed forth as trading and amusement centers for free handed miners. Virginia City, the best known of these and the sole survivor, became the Capitol of the Territory.
The very much alive ghost town, Virginia City, Montana, is frozen in time. It is a remarkably well preserved old west Victorian gold mining town just 20 miles west of Yellowstone National Park (90 miles by road). When the gold ran out, there was still enough left so that homes and businesses were occupied, but there was not enough wealth to remodel the buildings. So it froze, and now represents the whole Victorian era. It is the true and original Old West. It is a gem, held within an incredibly rich area of natural beauty, recreation and history.

Population then & now...

With a population of over 10,000 in 1864, Virginia City was the largest town in the inland Northwest. The communities strung out along Alder Gulch were known as the "Fourteen-mile City."
The 2nd most commonly asked question here in Virginia City is: How many people live here now? According to the latest population survey... 132 very hardy souls.

Striking Gold in Alder Gulch...

The gold rush in Alder Gulch produced the largest amount of placer gold in the Northwest an estimated $120 million. Placer gold mining, or free gold prospecting, should not be confused with hard rock gold mining. Placer mining involves dust, flakes, and nuggets, while hard rock mining involves veins of ore.
Alder Gulch yielded an estimated $30 million in gold just in the three short years between 1863 and 1866, but not everyone got rich here. The typical miner at Alder Gulch struggled, got blisters and a sore back, and barely made living wages. They would often work a few days at one job and soon quit to try another.

Yesterday & Today's Mining...

Some small-scale mining operations continue to this day, and evidence of past mining operations are visible everywhere - prospect pits, trenches, shafts, adits (generally collapsed tunnels), mill tailings, and waste-rock dumps scatter the hills of Virginia City.

Who Came to Claim Gold...

Western miners came from the California gold rush to Virginia City traveling up the Columbia River and overland on the Mullan Road during the 1860's. Businessmen and homesteaders traveled the Bozeman Trail, portions of which have recently been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Virginia City Firsts...

Camels arrived in Virginia City in 1865 for freighting. Electricity arrived in Virginia City in 1892 for lighting.

Montana Territory's Firsts in Virginia City...

The first public school in Montana opened in Virginia City in 1866. The Madison County Courthouse was built in 1876. The first company of the Montana National Guard organized in Virginia City in 1885.
The first newspaper in the territory, the Montana Post, printed its first issue in August of 1864. Today's local newspaper, the Madisonian, began publication in 1873.

Shopping in 1865...

Merchants established the first businesses in Virginia City in wagons, tents, and wickiups (brush shacks) during the summer of 1863. Gold dust was the preferred medium of exchange, which was valued at $16 - $18/ounce.
The occupants of many of the buildings in Virginia City changed frequently, especially during the boom years of the 1860's. Buildings were converted from residential to commercial and back again quite often.

Virginia City's Role in Yellowstone Park

Virginia City was the outfitting point for trips to the Yellowstone area during the 1860's and 1870's, and Virginia City served as the first administrative site for the park when it was designated as America's first National Park in 1872.

Montana Territory's Capitol City...

Virginia City became the capitol of the Montana Territory in 1865. Thomas Meagher was the acting governor that year. Today, the capitol of Montana is in Helena; our governor's name is Brian Schweitzer.

The resilient little building commonly known as the "Hangman's Building," has had a long and colorful existence. It's story intertwines with some of the most famous and infamous characters of Virginia City's history.
The building was constructed by Joseph Griffith and William Thompson during the winter of 1863-64. Mr. Griffith was a native of Germany who emigrated to the United States in 1846, at the age of 13. He worked as a bridge builder and carpenter for both the Union and Confederate armies before moving west to escape the appalling death and destruction of the conflict.
William Thompson was born and raised in Canada. He was employed as a carpenter in the construction of the capitol building for the Dakota Territory, in Yankton, when his lumber was confiscated by federal government officers for the Civil War effort. Mr. Thompson made the decision to move west, and arrived in Virginia City during September of 1863. He soon formed a partnership with Joseph Griffith and they quickly became a very successful construction firm.
One of the new partnership's earliest projects was a 20' x 40' frame building at the northeast corner of Wallace and Van Buren Streets. While under construction, on January 14, 1864, the building was used for the execution of five men. As depicted in the diorama exhibit in the building, the Alder Gulch Vigilantes used the massive mid-section roof truss (typical of bridge construction) to hang the alleged road agents.

This is downtown main street the day we visited!

The stores were all stocked with items from the period!

Time to leave and continue our travels heading towards Dillon Montana!

More Spring Flowers!

And Beautiful Scenery!

Joan and Tania enjoying the views!

On our way up to Lemhi Pass!

Lemhi Pass is a high mountain pass in the Beaverhead Mountains, part of the Bitterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains and within Salmon-Challis National Forest. The pass lies on the Montana-Idaho border on the continental divide, at an elevation of 7373 feet (2247 m) above sea level.

The pass gained importance in the 18th century, when the Lemhi Shoshone acquired horses and used the route to travel between the two main parts of their homeland. From the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 until the Oregon Treaty in 1846 the pass marked the western border of the United States. On August 12, 1805 Meriwether Lewis and three other members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass. Lewis found a "large and plain Indian road" over the pass. This was the first time that white men had seen present-day Idaho:

We proceeded to the top of the dividing ridge from which I discovered immense ranges of high mountains still to the West of us with their tops partially covered in snow

The next day Lewis met Cameahwait and his band of Shoshone, and returned with them across the pass to meet Clark. On August 26, 1805 the entire expedition crossed the pass.
In the early 19th century the pass was regularly used by the Blackfoot people, so that in 1824 Alexander Ross referred to the route as the Blackfoot route. At that time the pass itself was known as North Pass, to distinguish from South Pass.The pass derives its present name from Fort Lemhi, founded in 1855 by Mormon missionaries who were the first non-Indians to establish a sustained relationship with the Salmon River Indian people.
During the mining era the pass was used by stagecoaches, but the route fell into disuse after 1910, when the Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad was built through the nearby Bannock Pass. Only a single track dirt road now crosses the pass.
The pass was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.