Wordless Wednesday: sunset on the Missouri

Great Falls: the falls

I have been very confused about the Great Falls of the Missouri for most of my life. You would think, going to elementary school in Great Falls, for gosh sakes, I would know what was what concerning the eponymous river features, but if I learned that back then, it surely didn't stick.

At various times, I've thought:

• There was only one falls, and this was probably it (it's not; see below):

everything wasn't pink in the '50's; the photo color has degraded

• There were more falls, but they were almost all covered up by dams
• There wasn't a single Great Falls, but the name refers to the series
• There is a single Great Falls, and the one above (which is actually Rainbow Falls) is it
• The city was built right next to the Great Falls...because this would be logical, right?

All of these suppositions are erroneous, to one degree or another. But it's not too hard to see how I got confused. The city itself doesn't make it really easy to sort them all out, not to mention to even find them all! It's sort of like, I guess, attractions in Vermont: if you don't know where they are and how to get to them, you have no business seeing them (we love Vermont but their directional signage leaves a lot to be desired).

Persistence paid off on this latest trip, however. I finally feel that the order and characteristics of the 5 (yes, five) falls that did and do punctuate this 10-mile stretch of the mighty Missouri are as familiar river markers for me now as the bridges on the Thames. 

I want to share what we learned with you, in case you want to check out these fabulous falls yourself someday.

---

We started our explorations at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, a very nice museum, with interesting exhibits about the expedition (Lewis and Clark's, not ours; see a commemorative marker about their route above on the left).

Here is a map that I found on the Center's website (click to enlarge), but I don't remember seeing it on display there. It does point out the approximate locations of the various falls, but, as we found out, it's a less than ideal guide for how to get to them.

This handy map, though, does single-handedly correct my earlier errors...

• Yes, there is one Great Falls
• But there is also a series of falls (the series aspect is what made the Lewis and Clark portage such an arduous one...it took them a month!)
• There is only one submerged falls
• But only one is unencumbered by a dam

...leaving, however, still unanswered the question of why the city wasn't built next to the Great Falls. Well, I guess all cities have their historical quirks and unsolved mysteries! 

At any rate, we had a very pleasant walk along the river near the Center, which is up on the embankment...

From up there, this is the view of the Missouri, looking upstream, toward town...

As you can see, we had gorgeous weather, which stayed with us for the rest of our trip.

Just a short ways downstream from the Center is Giant Springs, a phenomenal outgushing of clear water that I can remember being entranced by during visits here as a child.

One of the largest springs in the country, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the loveliest...

If you want to read what Lewis and Clark had to say about the clarity of the spring's water, the nifty website Discovering Lewis and Clark has all the info. You can also read their Journals straight through (which I did last year, although in printed form; they really are fascinating) courtesy of the fine folks at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

It's not too hard to find Rainbow Falls, the first falls downstream from the Center and the Springs. The old picture above is of this falls, taken in either 1955 or 1956. Here's how it looks today...not a lot different!

Despite the dam interfering with the vision of how they looked to Lewis and Clark, they really are quite attractive. Especially in the high-water season when we saw them. Here's a section (in the foreground of the shot above) showcasing a shelf that is especially photogenic...

One thing Rainbow Dam has to answer for is the submerging of Colter Falls, just upstream. But, contrary to some of my previous mis-information, that's the only submerged fall in the series.

But there's only one fall not affected by a dam: Crooked Falls, which I remember seeing from the overlook above Rainbow Falls. Fortunately Steve got a picture of it, or at least what you can see of it from the Rainbow Falls overlook, since I apparently did not. (You can see a closer-up photo of it on this website, which, although in need of some proofreading, has nice photos and info about all the falls.)

Unfortunately, we couldn't figure out how to get to Crooked Falls, which is why we don't have a closer shot. There didn't seem to be a public road headed that way, just a bike path, and there's no road close to the river on the other bank. I think the city is missing a tourist opportunity here by not having an easy-to-follow byway to all the falls...

But the next falls we saw is right in the middle of town (where you'd expect to find the Great Falls, wouldn't you?). Much easier to find, and pretty spectacular, it's called Black Eagle...

Now, it might be argued that these falls look so stupendous because 1) it's high water season, and 2) the river's so wide, any rapids would be an eyeful. But still, that's a very impressive fall of water!

At Black Eagle we opted to go down to the park that lets you see the falls from river level...

And, just for fun, I'm including an old photo of this falls, seen during considerably different weather conditions!

I'm assuming the river was frozen solid, because those sure look like tire tracks on the ice!

After a fruitless search for the Great Falls (cut short due to a need for dinner) that evening, we were finally

successful the next day.

What's required is a more careful reading of the maps on our phones, a realization that the dam at the falls is Ryan Dam (not Great Falls Dam), and a willingness to drive through what seems like an awfully lot of empty countryside (5+ miles) before reaching the goal.

Why the heck did they make the town so far away from its namesake falls? As tripadvisor puts it, it's "tucked away so nicely." I'll say. It's been given more prominence on various official Montana artwork: on the right is the territorial seal (Montana became a state in 1889). Isn't that a lovely scene?

As it turns out, there's a very nice little park and picnic area on Ryan Island just below the dam, with lots of fabulous views on offer. As much trouble as it was to find, it's a real gem and worth the drive.

Here's a panoramic shot of the falls, especially impressive with the dam releasing so much water. This season is probably the best time to see them most like Lewis first did...

There's a series of informative signs, perfectly placed for contrasting some old photos with the current sight, that tell about the falls' and dam's geological, cultural, and industrial history. Of course connected, intimately, with good old Lewis and Clark. Click on this image to enlarge it and you can read a little about their first glimpse of the cascade, expressed in Lewis' wonderful early American language, as well as see a pre-dam photo:

The "gorge" mentioned in the sign is pretty impressive by itself. Here's a shot looking downstream from the falls:

This photo was taken from the middle of a little suspension bridge that leads to the island picnic grounds. The place wasn't too crowded when we were there; I wonder if this—much needed—warning sign sometimes results in traffic jams?

And that's not the only alarming sign on the property. There's a duplicate of the one below, too. Henry took this photo of the sibs the day before, at Black Eagle Dam, but the "8 blasts" seems to be some sort of standard. Which led us to wonder, "Why eight?" and, "What if, when you start hearing blasts, you panic and lose count?"

Fortunately, no blasts were heard while we were there, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visits to all 4 extant falls. You can't help wishing you could see them in their natural state, but even straight-jacketed as they are, they're impressive pieces of river scenery.

Besides, we were able to see lots and lots and lots of unfettered river frontage, and natural falls, in the course of our time in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. I've already showed you the eponymous Idaho Falls, and, of course, that other Great Falls, on the Yellowstone. Next time I'll take you on a tour of all the rivers and falls, famous and not, that we got to see in their full spring finery.

Wordless Wednesday: spilled paint

Great Falls: the town and the base

 We flew into and out of Great Falls, Montana, because it made the most logistical sense (and we got good fares, too). But it was the heart of our vacation for other reasons as well.

We lived there for 5 years back in the 1950's, when this smokestack was the city's landmark feature. Now a Superfund site, with no picturesque smokestack, this neighborhood isn't the only part of the area to have undergone a lot of changes since we moved back to Texas in 1960.

But, as we found out during our delightful and multi-faceted visit, there is much about the place that has stayed the same. Bear with me, if you will, for some walks down memory lane as well as some 21st century observations about this fine town where the plains begin to meet the mountains.

---

Our biggest surprise, and most gratifying stop, came at our old house. Here's a (unfortunately rather blurry—but, I suspect, it was taken by a 7-year-old, after all) photo of my mom, dad and baby brother and myself on the porch of our house, taken in the summer of 1959...

...and here are some of the same folks, on the same porch, in 2014...

New paint job and windows, but same address. And the most amazing thing is that the gentleman who bought if from us in 1960, is still living there!! We had a nice visit with him, and he took this picture for us. So this little house has had only two owners in 60 years!

Although most of the houses on the street weren't unrecognizable, the neighborhood overall is. Talk about being made to feel old...take a look at these two photos...

me with newly planted tree (and cool "skating skirt"), probably 1959

the same tree (the big one!) today

Another compare and contrast can be made with this picture of a church being constructed, one block over, probably in 1957 or 1958...(I remember having so much fun playing in the construction site—something my parents could be arrested for allowing today!)

...and the church today...

For more plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, the church is not only still there and still looks basically the same, but the space between our street and it is still a vacant lot! That used to be our major playground area, and I hope it still is for kids in the neighborhood.

I don't have an old picture of our school to show you (Lewis and Clark Elementary—like "Alamo" in San Antonio, you can't walk a block in Great Falls without seeing something named "Lewis and Clark"!). But, take my word for it, the outside, at least, hasn't changed much since I started first grade there in 1955.

---

But Great Falls isn't just a memory repository for us anymore. We had a great visit there, in other places than our old haunts.

One place that sort of counts as an old haunt (we lived there for a year when we first moved to Montana) is Malmstrom Air Force Base, where our Dad was stationed. Not long after we left the area, it became home to a fleet (is this the right word?) of ICBMs in silos. (The gentleman who bought our house worked on the construction of roads and other infrastructure for the missile installations.) And they're still there.

museum exhibit*

However, the base has a long and varied history, from a WWII training facility, to simulating Berlin for the pilots to practice landing for the Berlin Airlift, to housing a fighter escort squadron (when Dad was there) and then an aircraft re-fueling wing. The full history of the base is written up here, but if you're in the neighborhood, you should drop by their museum, which is worth a visit even if you have no personal connection to the base.

The museum was our target, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We had previously been in contact with its learned and genial curator, about donating some of our Dad's photos and artifacts, which were much appreciated. So he gave us a fine guided tour of the facility. Here's Curtis, the curator, in a photo with Kathy in the "hot seat," an alcove that simulates a missile silo control area. (It's normally roped off, but Curtis allowed me to enter it for photos.)

He was a great guide, and runs a great little museum. With a sense of humor as well as a sense of history, as you can see from *the photo above. In with the uniforms worn by airmen at Malmstrom throughout history, he displays this funky outfit that sports pins and other memorabilia from past commanders.

Here's another control panel on display at the museum. I think it's pretty cool that they let you take photos of this stuff, even though it's superseded! To be honest, I felt a little cloak-and-daggery!

In addition to these indoor exhibits, the museum grounds have several vintage aircraft on display:

Henry took a picture of the Lewis sibs in front of that impressive ICBM:

so glad this never has been used!

---

There is plenty more to see in Great Falls. For one thing, we were rather keen to see the Falls (all of them!) themselves, and that's not as easy as you would think. But I'm going to save those explorations for a separate post.

We got to partake of other great sight-seeing opportunities as well as the local cuisine. On the left is dessert after our best meal, at Bert and Ernie's (a Curtis recommendation) downtown.

We found plenty of food for the soul at the Charles M. Russell Museum. Our parents were big fans, and no doubt visited the museum; it opened just two years before we moved to Great Falls. It's undergone massive expansions since then, though, and we think the AAA book's "allow 2 hours minimum" might be a bit inadequate.

No photography is allowed in the Museum, but right next door is the home and studio where Russell lived and worked from 1900 until his death in 1926. The studio is fascinating and the home is a delightful example of American Victoriana...and you can take photos there! Henry took this lovely shot of an upstairs bedroom:

After a very busy day of museum-ing and waterfall-hunting, we retired to our extremely well-situated motel, right on the Missouri with a park in the backyard...

view from the park behind our motel...the Missouri River, upstream of the falls

Next time I'll share our Great Falls falls-finding knowledge with you. Stay tuned!