Today our destinations were Pompeys Pillar and The Little Bighorn National Battlefield. (See our complete route here.) Out of the mountains we traveled into the plains, and picked up the interstate in Billings. More wide-open country you will never find--it is, after all, called Big Sky country. I can't think of any place in NH that has a continuous 360 degree view of the horizon--rolling hills cover in sweet clover, as far as the eye could see, a yellow blanket.
After stopping in Billings to buy more groceries, we continued on to Pompeys Pillar. The pillar is a large stone formation near the Yellowtone River. After having reached the Pacific, Lewis and Clark started their return home, but their aim was not just to return home as quickly as possible. They wanted to explore as much of this new part of the US as possible, and decided to split up the Corps of Discovery to cover more ground. Clark was to take the Yellowstone River and meet Lewis at the meeting of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers further east. On this return trip, Clark saw the outcropping that is now called Pompeys Pillar, climbed it, and left the only tangible evidence of the great expedition--he scribed his name and the date in the rock of the Pillar. See our photo above. In his journal, he wrote: "…arrived at a remarkable rock situated in an extensive bottom… this rock I ascended and from it's top had a most extensive view in every direction. This rock which I shall call Pompy's Tower is 200 feet high and 400 paces in secumpherance and only axcessable on one Side … The nativs have ingraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals & near which I marked my name and the day of the month & year." (Underlining added)
Both Ray and I were inspired to actually be at the spot where this history was made. Lewis and Clark changed the face of this country by charting what was then the territory purchased from France that gave the US a western boundary on the Pacific Ocean. This one expedition essentially helped make America what it has become. And we were privileged to be at the only place where there was tangible evidence of their passing. Awesome. (BTW, the pillar is named for Sacagawea's baby son, who accompanied her on the expedition. Pomp was William Clark's pet name for the boy.)
On to another historically significant spot, only 1 1/2 hours away form the Pillar. The Little Bighorn Nation Battlefield is the place where, in 1876, 263 soldiers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer, met death at the hands of several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. The site is very well presented, with a clear explanation of how the battle occurred. We were privileged to arrive in time to hear a wonderful presentation by park ranger Gerald Jasper, on exactly what led up to the battle and the historic significance of the battle. His passion for the subject and vivid description was riveting. Again, being in the actual location of the event added great meaning to what he described. Coming here was a real treat.
By now, it was 4:30, and we had not yet decided where we would stay for the evening. Lo and behold, there was no cell signal in the area we were traveling (Verizon COULDN'T hear us now...) Eventually, we hit a signal, called a KOA, and I now write to you from the KOA cabin in Buffalo, Wyoming.
Not sure yet what tomorrow may bring...Sending love...
See pictures of the day here.
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