6-8-2023 Three Forks, MT

 

“Into each life some rain must fall.”  Today, Rob’s and my lives must make it “some rain times 2” because it’s raining endlessly.  Sooner or later on these trips, we are bound to encounter weather.  Since the sky was black, I casually asked a clerk, “Do you get tornadoes, here?”  She said, “No.”  All good.

 

We ran between the clouds and managed to gather up a few stories, nevertheless.  First, why is it named “Three Forks?”  Imagine what a fork looks like:  a handle and 3 tines.  The handle is the Missouri River, the three tines are the Jefferson River, Madison River and Gallatin River.  Since we are east of the continental divide, all the rivers are flowing west to east, so the three tines converge here at Three Forks and form the Missouri River which continues east and dumps into the Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO.  Three Forks, then, grew up at the confluence of the three smaller rivers that came together to create the mighty Missouri.  Chalk up another headwaters for us.

Missouri to Rob's left, the Jefferson
behind Rob and to the far right,
the Madison.  The Gallatin hooks up
a little farther north.

Lindy in the headwaters of the Missouri
River.  A molecule of water that swirled
around my feet will wind up in New 
Orleans and ultimately dump
into the Gulf of Mexico!  

 

The community of Three Forks was originally formed by the fur traders.  The Indians weren’t happy about all these white guys showing up and raiding their natural resources.  They soon discovered, though, that they could trade for stuff they wanted, like guns.  So basically, Three Forks became a trading post. 

 

Thomas Jefferson engaged Lewis and Clark to find a waterway across the country to the Pacific Ocean.  Three Forks is where the effort ended.  No more continuing waterways.  They arrived here and said, “Oh great.  Now what?”  (Well, words to that effect.)  They faced travel with horses and by foot over the looming snowcapped mountain ranges.  They made it.  On the west side of the mountains, they ran into the Clearwater, Snake and Columbia Rivers and continued westward.  How they got past our country’s border into Spanish territory is not clear to me.  Did they need a passport?

 

“Colter’s Run” happened nearby and has been the subject of many a novel and Hollywood movie.  The Blackfeet Indians were a deadly tribe and didn’t like the white guys at all.  In 1809, they captured John Colter who was trapping on the Jefferson River.  They killed his partner, John Potts, but for a little hunting fun, they decided to let Colter go.  First, they stripped him naked, though, and forced him to run east through the cactus brush.  He hid in the river and the Indians were dumbfounded.  He didn’t get caught and finally reappeared at a fur trading post 200 miles away, exhausted and half-starved.

 

Sacajawea, her husband and pup accompanied Lewis and Clark.  She was a great guide, hunter, liaison and interpreter.  In 1882, a boarding house, Madison House, was built about 5 miles out of town to house train workers and travelers.  In 1910, it was moved on rolling logs to its current location in Three Forks and architect Fred Wilson added onto the core building creating the Sacajawea Hotel.  A grand structure of delicious dark, polished wood and beautiful, rich upholstery, it is still open today to guests who wish to stay in luxury hotel rooms or dine in the restaurant or downstairs bar.  However, be ready for ghosts.  The young lady at the front desk tells of a prostitute who committed sideways on the third floor and still roams the halls.  She herself has seen with her very own eyes a guy who walked right through a wall!  So c’mon out and stay!  (Bring money.)

Sacajawea Hotel

The beautiful parlor

 

Our intentions to pay Bozeman a visit were dashed by the stormy weather.  The Jeepster gets a little squirrely on wet roads.  Driving 30 miles each way with the nutcases on the road for a cold brew, fish and chips was a bridge to far.  We hunkered down to wait out this persistent weather with a cocktail, cozy and warm by the fire.

 

Tomorrow, we continue heading east to Billings, MT.  At last, Big Sky country is sunny, green and blue.  Lovely. 

I love Montana

Spotted in the Three Forks Museum