July 16, 2013 Great Falls, Montana: Missouri River, waterfalls

We spent another day in Great Falls looking at the Missouri River and the five waterfalls.  Four are now dammed for hydroelectric power, and the fifth falls are forever hidden under one of the dam reservoirs.  It was sort of sad, seeing where the falls WERE, and trying to imagine how beautiful they must have been once.

Just downstream from the great falls is Ryan Island, and we stopped there for a while.  A lovely place, except for the dammed falls.  Must have been mighty awesome, once.

Rainbow Falls, dammed for hydroelectric power.

Enlarge for details.

The mighty MO, Missouri River.

How you get to Ryan Island below the Great Falls....

What's left of the Great Falls

Ryan stone house, near the river.

Ryan stone house, built into the side of the hill.

Long-billed curlew on the side of the road.  He seemed lost!

We headed for the Ryan Dam, and ran out of time before we could get up to the Morony Dam.

The suspension bridge over to Ryan Island.

July 15, 2013 Great Falls, Montana Lewis & Clark

We spent a whole afternoon going thru the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, then the Giant Spring State Park.  Lewis & Clark and their party had been paddling upstream on the Missouri River on their quest for a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean.  L&C had been told to expect a portage past one set of falls, but found that it was actually FIVE different falls!  It took them 11 days to portage their boats 18 miles.  The details recorded include a damaging hail storm (golf ball size hail and no shelter, there were men with wounds) and stepping on prickly pear cactus (thin leather moccasins and very sharp spines, ow...).  All I can say is:  those guys must have been plenty tough!

The Giant Spring was equally interesting.  I don't know the rate of flow, but I can tell you that it left a clear-water plume down the side of the muddy Missouri River for at least five miles.  That is undoubtedly the biggest spring I have ever seen.  Yes I put my feet in, and within 30 seconds the pain and numbness set in.  54 degrees doesn't sound too bad, but it's very COLD!  Reminded me of the cold Atlantic Ocean water off the Maine Coast that I once plunged into.  No, thanks.  Water that cold water is for drinking!

Re-creation of the portage; two stories tall, in the museum.

Doggone it, all these years I've been pronouncing this wrong.....

Interesting, that Mr. Lewis ended up in dead in Mississippi....

What the Great Falls looked like, back when...

Giant spring.  It really is gigantic!

It has greenery growing in it.

Hope you can read the words.  54 degrees is COLD!