LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERN

Montana

Lewis & Clark Caverns is situated along the Jefferson River Canyon between Whitehall and Three Forks (3,015 acres of hiking, biking, camping, and fishing.   

Beautiful pine forest, sage brush, juniper bushes and cottonwood trees with open pasture land line the Jefferson River.

We arrive in time for the first tour of the season.   

Tours are limited to a few on this day and only the lower cave, short tour, as there is a major shortage of staff with only two tour guides available.   The grand tour is a three hour underground tour (unavailable until further notice).

A short walk uphill from the visitor's centre at the top of the hillside with our guide.  1 1/2 hour tour.

Lewis and Clark were not the discoverers of this cave system.   They passed by twice but were unaware of its presence.  

 

 1898 two deer hunters, noticing steam flowing from a natural vent, discovered passageways and voids filled with geological formations.  

1901, local quarry owner Dan Morrison began 'developing' and publicizing the caverns.   He built 2,000 wooden steps into the caverns and began offering tours, guided with ropes and torches.

1938  ownership of the site was transferred to the State of Montana.  With the aid of 200 crew members Lewis and Clark caverns were fully opened to the public in 1941.    A 538-foot exit tunnel was blasted and the caverns were mapped.

The entrance is at 4,300 feet elevation.   The caverns are 600 feet long x 400 feet deep but appear miles long due to numerous passages and rooms.

Cave Entrance

Townsend's big-eared bats roost inside each year, with pups being born mid-July.    These bats have declined steeply in recent decades due to habitat destruction and introduction of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has wiped out 7 millions bats across eastern US.

The caverns remain a consistent 50 degrees.

About 70 millions years ago there was a tremendous uplift that tilted the once level rock formation which constructed joints in the limestone.  The result of water flowing through limestone, dissolving weak rock and resting cave rooms result in amazing formations. 

Slightly acidic water percolates through cracks, dissolving and collecting calcite.  As water evaporates or gas escapes, the calcite redeposit into formations.

This is known as Flowstone - water flowing down the cave walls or floors created the appearance of drapes.   The dark colours (from different minerals) creates this flowstone called "cave bacon."

Did this in B & W (the lighting is very difficult to deal with - flood lights in shades of pink and our group of about 15 had two or three flashlights given to little children so the lighting was everywhere).

Formations of flowstone, cave popcorn (when water drips and splashes causing loss of carbon dioxide and subsequent precipitation of calcite),  stalactites and stalagmites.

Stalactites are those dripping down from the ceiling.   Stalagmites are rock formations that rise from the cave floor (from deposits from ceiling drippings).

Here are the flood lights.   Beautiful flowstone (cave bacon), cave popcorn, stalactites and stalagmites.

Here's an interesting cave fact: 

These formations grow less that 10 cm (3.94" ) every thousand years.

Here he is (fifteen years ago) when we first went to Lewis & Clark Caves and did the three hour tour.  This tour includes the "beaver slide" where you slide on your butt through a small entry from one cave room to another.   Then the tour guide turns off the lights so you get the 'feel' of what it would have been like for some explorers discovering caves.

Lewis & Clark Cavern State Park is a 3,000 acre public recreation area.     A view of our campsite from above (hiking/biking trails).

Welcome Mr & Mrs Mountain Bluebird.   They are found in mountainous districts of western N. America and are member of the thrush family.   They raise their young in nesting cavities and nesting boxes.   They will nest in cavities previously excavated by woodpeckers.

They share in building the nest and the male will protect the female during nesting.

The male will feed the female while she is incubating and brooding.

They apparently are not incubating yet as they are both guarding their site from swallows and gathering nesting materials.

They feed primarily on insects and fruits and seeds.   Mealworms are a favourite delicacy.

Not sure what sparked this spousal spat.   Mountain bluebirds remain monogamous.  They usually produce two broods of 4-8 pale blue eggs.

Quiet times at the campground

WESTERN MEADOWLARK

I could hear these birds all in the grasslands and up in hillsides.   After watching for them for a couple of days I finally capture pics of them.

They land on sprigs of brush or on the ground, searching for insects.  Very difficult to detect in the grasses as you don't see their bright yellow plumage. 

Full breeding plumage and colours of an adult male Meadowlark., singing his heart out.    Very loud, unique and beautiful songs.

WAY down there, Marc is grilling.  

 A cool burner/grill/griddle system from Cabellas.   One side can be griddle, one grill.  

Before

 

After

Or, a large pot on the burner while the hamburgers are grilling.

THREE FORKS

Just twenty minutes east of Lewis & Clark campground, this small town is the historic place where Lewis and Clark discovered the confluence of the Jefferson,  Madison and Gallatin rivers creating the headwaters of the Missouri River.

Three Forks is home to a talc processing mill which processes 3% of the world's talc supply

PARKER HOMESTEAD

Half way to Three Forks is this old homestead in the middle of the field.   (Old cabins are becoming more and more scarce was they collapse with the years passing).

This homestead was home to the Parker family in the early 1900s.   

They moved closer to town in 1910.

Later a family with four children farmed, hunted, trapped, and sheared sheep through the Depression and WWII on this farm.   At the time the room were white-washed, linoleum covered wide-plank floors, curtains hung on the windows - a true homestead.   

This house is preserved as a heritage building and stabilized to relay deterioration. 

Last evening at Lewis & Clark - raining!   (Close to freezing at night and about 36 F during the day)

Our first rain storm since leaving.    Doesn't slow down nature.   The magpies are busy and I see four each day.

They are quick striking, especially when they are in flight.   They are known for their bold personality and intelligence.   They are also known for their various calls and songs and been known to mimic sounds around them such as wind chimes or a dog's bark.

They like grasslands and feed on beetles, flies, caterpillars, spiders, worms and leatherjackets.   They sound useful to me!

They are omnivorous scavengers which means they will also eat lizards, small mammals (rodents) and other birds and eggs.

We are off to the next place for a week - YELLOWSTONE (yipee for me!)