A Montana Primer

The Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains rise magnificently in western Montana, defining the shape and character of the state and, incidentally, giving Montana its name. Montana means "mountains" or "mountainous" in both Spanish and Latin. These mountains and their timbered snow-fed valleys comprise the western third of the state. The Rockies, rooted far to the south, are going strong by the time they thrust into Montana and continue north to Canada. Here travelers can marvel at range after range of proud peaks that preside over vast river valleys.

The beautiful Bitterroot Range begins at the southwest tip of the state and defines most of Montana's western border. The majestic Mission Range seems to erupt from the earth as travelers follow US 93 north from Missoula. Other dramatic formations include the Swan and Flathead ranges in the northwest corner of the state and the Garnet and Madison ranges to the southwest. Numerous ranges constitute the Rocky Mountains, sporting intriguing names like the Ruby Range, the Pioneer Mountains and the Tobacco Root Mountains.

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Island Ranges and the Northern Plains

In the center of Montana, east of the Rockies, isolated "island ranges" jut out of the surrounding prairie, providing shelter for abundant wildlife. Rivers meander slowly through fertile farms and rangeland, and towns are farther apart.

The eastern third of the state is primarily northern plains, a land of rolling hills and badlands. Here, roots run deep in both the vegetation and the people.

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Water, Water Everywhere

Montana has more than 9,000 rivers, streams, spring creeks (pronounced ''cricks" out here), lakes and reservoirs, including the headwaters of two major river systems-the Columbia and the Missouri. The Continental Divide determines whether Montana's water will find its way to the Pacific via the Columbia River system, or to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Missouri. A one-of-a-kind landmark in Glacier National Park called Triple Divide Peak splits its snowmelt three ways: besides sending water east and west, Triple Divide steers a portion of its annual runoff north to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean.

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Dramatic Highs and Lows

The lush forests of Montana are drenched annually with 30­40 inches of rainfall; the high plains and badlands might receive eight or nine inches in a good year. Dramatic ups and downs range from a low of 1,820 feet on the Montana-Idaho border in northwest Montana to 12,799 feet at the top of Granite Peak in Montana's magnificent Beartooth Range in the southcentral part of the state. The highest temperature ever recorded was 117 degrees at Medicine Lake in eastern Montana; the lowest broke the thermometer on Rogers Pass north of Helena at 70 degrees below zero. Our greatest single rainfall poured 11.5 inches of water on Circle in 24 hours; the longest severe drought lasted 21 months. Our deepest snowfall in one season dumped more than 33 feet on Kings Hill (now Showdown Ski Area), and workers labored to remove a whopping 60-foot snowdrift on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

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Transportation Network

Montana boasts a transportation network that includes 17,000 miles of modern paved highways, north-south and east-west interstate highway systems, 15 airports with commercial air service, non-stop flights from Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City and Spokane to Montana's larger cities, and Amtrak rail service along Montana's northern east-west route called the "Hi-Line," which parallels US 2.

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The People

Montana land was Indian land for 10,000 years before it felt the footfall of a white man. It belonged to the Blackfeet, the Cheyenne, the Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, Flathead and Absarokas. Montana is still Indian land, with seven vast reservations covering millions of acres throughout the state.

The immigrants who responded to the lure of riches and settled this untamed land in the 1800s came in eager droves from Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, England and a score of other countries. Their history can be traced in the ethnic strongholds of Butte, Anaconda, Red Lodge and the "Hi-Line" communities of Glasgow, Wolf Point, Scobey and Plentywood.

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Natural Resources & the Economy

Montana is a resource-rich state that has rewarded many fortune seekers. Furs, gold, silver, copper, timber, cattle, oil and coal have all had their heyday in Montana and some are still booming.

Agriculture is Montana's largest industry, and it includes both crops and livestock. Other leading industries are travel and tourism, mineral production, wood and paper products, and construction.

Climate has a dramatic influence on the economic makeup of the state. The east side of the Continental Divide is quite arid, with lots of sunshine. The dominant economic forces are grain, livestock, coal, oil and natural gas. The region west of the Continental Divide resembles the Pacific Northwest in both climate and terrain. Plenty of moisture and a moderating climate make this the garden spot of the state. Here, tall stands of fir, pine, spruce and larch are managed and harvested to produce wood products used across the nation. The area includes several million acres of roadless lands that are managed as wilderness.

Not all of the 30 million acre-feet of water produced annually in Montana find their way to the sea. Montana's diverse water resources support 81 species of fish. These waters sustain a recreational fishery worth millions of dollars, provide habitat for a number of bird and mammal species, supply water for agriculture, municipalities and industry, support a limited commercial fishery, generate hydroelectric power and attract millions of visitors to the state each year.

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Montana History 101

Geologic Story

Long before the first person set foot in what is now Montana, this land underwent turbulent geologic change. The earth heaved and moaned. Ancient seas and lakes rose and fell.

The mountains of western Montana were formed about 60 million years ago by massive shifts of the earth and the upward surge of liquid rock and lava. One great mass of sedimentary rock slid as a single slab to form what is now Glacier National Park. Other slabs formed the Rocky Mountain Front. A few of the mountain ranges are the result of volcanic activity. One major center of volcanic activity was the Yellowstone National Park area, where a series of violent eruptions built up the Yellowstone Plateau. Great swamps formed east of these mountains as the seas retreated eastward, and were later buried to become thick beds of coal and oil. The geologic activity deep within the earth that created Montana's geographically split personality still goes on today. Volcanoes have been active in the region during most of the past 100 million years, and frequent earthquakes show that some of the mountains and valleys are still moving.

Prehistoric fossils are on display in many areas of Montana, including Bozeman, Choteau, Fort Peck, Jordan and Ekalaka. Some of the finest fossil skeletons ever unearthed were dug from the prairie soils. Triceratops, Trachodon, Tyrannosaurus rex, dinosaur eggs, petrified turtles and fossilized leaves and fish are just some of the specimens on display.

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Early Inhabitants

It is generally agreed that the first inhabitants of this area migrated over a land bridge across the Bering Strait that connected Asian Siberia with Alaska. These Asiatic hunters followed large herds of big game animals across the continent.

About 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, the climate changed dramatically.

The Northern Great Plains became hot and dry, grasslands dried up and the plentiful herds of big game animals disappeared. Hunters turned to antelope and rabbits and augmented their catch with berries and roots.

As the climate grew wetter, about 1,000 to 2,000 years ago, bison herds returned to the plains. About the same time, the bow and arrow appeared in North America. Besides hunting bison singly with this new weapon, the hunters developed another technique called a buffalo drive or a buffalo jump, in which an entire herd was stampeded over a cliff. Two accessible sites where Indian buffalo jumps can be seen are Ulm Pishkun, off I-15, southwest of Great Falls, and the Madison Buffalo Jump, off I-90, between Bozeman and Three Forks.

Few of our contemporary Indian tribes lived in Montana before 1600, when white settlement of the East and Midwest pushed tribes farther and farther west. The Kootenai lived in the Flathead Lake region, while the Salish and Pend d'Oreille ventured east of the Continental Divide along the upper Missouri River. But after 1600, Shoshones and Crows moved onto the eastern plains, only to be ousted in the 1700s by the Blackfeet, who dominated the area until it was settled by whites. The Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, Chippewa and Cree all came to Montana after 1750. Thus, when Lewis and Clark traveled through Montana in 1804-1806, few of the Indian tribes they met had been residents for more than 70 years.

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Lewis and Clark

Montana's first recorded history is preserved eloquently in the journals of Lewis and Clark. The 1804-1806 journey of these two explorers and their "Corps of Discovery" was the greatest expedition in U.S. history. Beginning in St. Louis, the corps followed the Missouri River to its source in what is now Montana, through a vast, newly acquired, unknown tract of land called the Louisiana Purchase. From the Missouri headwaters, they were commissioned to find a water passage to the Pacific Ocean-the long-imagined "northwest passage." Along the way, they were to explore, collect plant and animal specimens, discover what they could of the Indian tribes along their route, map the route, and keep a record of their journey.

The expedition entered Montana April 26, 1805, at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers (at the present Montana-North Dakota border) and traveled west along the Missouri. They portaged around the "Great Falls of the Missouri," just below the present city of Great Falls, continued to the Missouri headwaters near Bozeman, then undertook what must have been the most challenging and discouraging aspect of the journey-the search for a passage over the mountain ranges that comprise the Continental Divide. An arduous, nearly fatal mountain crossing brought them to the Columbia River and the corps spent a hard winter on the coast.

On their return journey, Lewis and Clark re-entered Montana in 1806, divided the corps and explored both the Marias River country in northern Montana and the Yellowstone River valley in southcentral Montana on their way east.

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In the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark

Most of this historic trek can be followed today by modern highway. Eleven states, including Montana, have marked the entire route, from the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers to the Pacific Coast. In Montana, the Missouri River headwaters have been preserved in interpretive detail at the Missouri Headwaters State Park, off I-90, near Three Forks. Before they reached the headwaters, Lewis and Clark passed through a canyon north of Helena, and named the steep cliffs the Gates of the Rocky Mountains, now known as the Gates of the Mountains. The ''Gates" are easily reached off I-15, north of Helena, and can be viewed daily during the summer months on regular, two-hour, scenic cruises. Perhaps the earliest graffiti was left by Captain Clark at what he named Pompeys Pillar, a distinctive rock formation along the Yellowstone River east of Billings. Clark climbed the rock and carved his name and the date­July 25, 1806. He named the formation after Pomp, the infant son of the expedition's Indian interpreter, Sacajawea. The landmark is 28 miles east of Billings, off I-94.

The journey undertaken by these two skilled pathfinders literally unlocked the West. In their footsteps came mountain men, fur traders, gold prospectors, land and cattle barons, cowboys, copper kings and countless other dreamers and fortune seekers. See map showing route.

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Furs

Within just a few years of Lewis and Clark's return to civilization, fur trappers spread into what is now Montana and established a vigorous business. The western fur trade produced the first generation of American heroes whose exploits live on in Western folklore. Mountain men like Jedidiah Smith, Kit Carson, John Colter and Jim Bridger earned larger-than-life reputations and a permanent place in American history. Their exploits, usually exaggerated in the retelling, captured the nation's imagination. There were encounters with grizzly bears, "savages," and perilous journeys through mountains, across deserts and other formidable territory.

One of the best stories comes down to us from John Colter's winter odyssey through what is now the Jackson Hole-Grand Teton-Yellowstone Park area. Colter was a member of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. After the exploration, he returned to the region on his own to trap beaver. His description of the hot pots and geysers that gained national park status for Yellowstone earned him the reputation of a liar, and his credibility is debated even today, regarding his harrowing escape from Blackfeet Indians in the autumn of 1808. Colter claimed to have outrun and outwitted the warriors, then traveled 300 miles in 11 days with only a blanket for clothing, and one captured spear.

Beaver pelts were big business in the early 1800s but faded toward the middle of the century, partially because trappers over-harvested the West's fur-bearing animals and partially because silk garments replaced furs in popularity. By 1869, steamboats had carried more than 750,000 buffalo robes out of Montana, and nearly half that many wolf pelts. One of the best places to revisit the fur trade era is the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana-North Dakota border northeast of Fairview. The Missouri River's pre-eminent fur trading post from the 1830s to the Civil War, Fort Union was a colorful mix of riverboaters, fur traders, Plains Indians, frontier capitalists and distinguished visitors.

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The Rush for Gold

When the boom in pelts died, the gold rush began. At Grasshopper Creek in 1862, the find was so rich it was said the miners could pull up sagebrush and shake a dollar's worth of dust from the roots. A brawling frontier town and Montana's first territorial capital-Bannack-sprang up around this rich gold strike. Its ghostly remains can still be seen at Bannack State Park, south of Dillon.

Towns of the gold rush era grew on gold. Within six years, the town of Confederate Gulch jumped from a population of zero to 10,000. By the seventh year, the gold was gone and the population dropped to 64.

Alder Gulch/Virginia City produced nearly $40 million worth of gold in their first five years. Over $14 million of silver was removed from the Elkhorn area; the Gold Creek claims yielded more than $20 million in gold in just 10 years. Stagecoaches, saddlebags and mule trains carried the gold out of Montana. Steamboats carted 120­150 tons of gold worth $75 million along the 2,385 river miles to St. Louis; today's value would be approximately one billion dollars.

People streamed into Montana Territory during the gold rush: the population went from 100 non-Indians in 1860, to 20,595 in 1870, to 40,000 in 1880, to 143,000 in 1890. They were soldiers escaping the carnage of the Civil War, adventurers, ne'er-do-wells, immigrants, successful businessmen, women, merchants, and thrill-seekers. Lawlessness was the rule, rather than the exception. When elected lawmen could not cope with the rampant crime, communities sometimes banded together into groups of ''vigilantes" to combat bandits and road agents. It was during this era that ministers such as Brother Van, a Methodist minister, made the rounds to bring some semblance of comfort and faith into the mining camps.

Miners also contended with Indians, who were pushed to the limits of their endurance by the influx of whites. The most famous confrontation between Indians and non-Indians comes to life at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeast Montana. It was here in 1876 that a Civil War commander named George Armstrong Custer and his troops lost their lives to an underestimated force of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors (see pages 20-21).

Towns sprang up overnight then busted when the veins played out. But a few communities endured the bust cycle. Helena, now the state's capital, was at first typical of other "tent and shack" mining towns. However, its strategic location, agricultural potential and extensive gold deposits contributed to its stability. Helena had at least 188 businesses within two years of the 1864 discovery of gold on Last Chance Gulch. By 1868 about $19 million of gold was taken out of the Helena area.

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Muleskinners and Fire Canoes

Transportation in the raw Montana Territory was slow, and fraught with difficulties. Mules and oxen were laden with supplies of all sorts, and driven from the western cities of Salt Lake, Portland and Walla Walla to the new mining camps. A typical mule train consisting of about 25 animals was led by a bell mare and driven by two "muleskinners,'' famous for their invectives and obscene expletives.

Steamboats, called "fire canoes" by Indians, also carried goods to and from the territory. The treacherous Missouri River from St. Louis to Fort Benton was navigable for only a few months each summer, and captains became men of legend. Despite the hazards and mishaps, steamboats carried enormous quantities of cargo from about 1859 to 1888. More than 40,000 passengers came up the river along with 160,000 tons of freight. One steamer alone carried $1,250,000 in raw gold back to St. Louis. In the process, it is estimated that steamboats burned about 276,000 cords of wood-cottonwood cut by lonely "woodhawkers" from the banks of the Missouri. That is enough wood to build almost 27,000 three-bedroom houses today. The best place in Montana to relive the steamboat era is Fort Benton, where you can still walk along the steamboat levee.

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The Copper Wars

Boom and bust. Boom and bust. The cycle has been repeated over and over again in Montana's history. After gold came silver and copper. Rich copper deposits in Butte lured some of the world's greatest capitalists to Montana in the 1860s and '70s. With names like Hearst, Rockefeller and Standard Oil backing them, three men-William Andrews Clark, Marcus Daly and F. Augustus Heinze built the greatest mining camp in the West. The "War of the Copper Kings" went beyond Butte. Control of Butte meant control of Montana's economy, political system and newspapers. All were abused in the battle for power. It was a rollicking and rough period of Montana's history that had a pervasive impact on the state. Butte is still regarded as "the richest hill on earth" and the trappings of its heyday have been preserved at attractions like the Clark Mansion, the World Museum of Mining, Butte's Historic District and the Berkeley Open Pit Copper Mine.

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The Open Range

While bonanza seekers were duking it out for precious metals fortunes in the western portion of the state, cattle and sheep were driven in waves to the open ranges and rich grasses of central and eastern Montana. In 10 years, the cattle population rose from a few thousand to more than a million. Overcrowding and the cruel winter of 1886-87 killed most of them, and another Montana boom went bust. The era of the stockman is on display year-round at the 216-acre Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge. This pioneer ranch was one of the first in the Northwest. Owned by Johnny Grant in the 1850s and later by Conrad Kohrs, it produced meat for the mining camps and was the early social center of the community. The home ranch, still intact, was eventually unofficial headquarters for a cattle empire that covered more than a million acres.
Rails

In 1881, only 75 years after Lewis and Clark made the first organized expedition through this area on foot, Montana Territory was linked with the rest of the nation by rail. The first line through Montana, the Northern Pacific, reached from Lake Superior to the Pacific Coast. Within a few years, Jim Hill brought the Great Northern through. A hundred thousand immigrants used sledge hammers to pound down the parallel steel ribbons. The Great Northern advertised free government land in a region of "milk and honey" to lure settlers to its lines. Completion of the railroad sealed the fate of both Indians and the American bison. The bison herds provided an abundance of meat and supplies the Indians depended on. But white railroad builders, hide hunters and sport hunters killed the bison in numbers that can only be described as slaughter. It is estimated that perhaps 13 million bison roamed the West before the hunt of the 1870s and '80s began. By 1883 there were fewer than 200 of the great animals in the entire West. Large numbers of Indians, in turn, died from malnutrition and starvation. Those who survived were confined to the seven Montana reservations that are now home to Assiniboine and Sioux, Blackfeet, Chippewa-Cree, Confederated Salish (Flatheads) and Kootenai, Crow, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, and Northern Cheyenne.

Unperturbed by the slaughter and suffering, the people who settled Montana Territory were ready for statehood. On October 1, 1889, the voters of Montana approved a state constitution, and on November 8, Montana was proclaimed the 41st state of the Union.

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Rails

In 1881, only 75 years after Lewis and Clark made the first organized expedition through this area on foot, Montana Territory was linked with the rest of the nation by rail. The first line through Montana, the Northern Pacific, reached from Lake Superior to the Pacific Coast. Within a few years, Jim Hill brought the Great Northern through. A hundred thousand immigrants used sledge hammers to pound down the parallel steel ribbons. The Great Northern advertised free government land in a region of "milk and honey" to lure settlers to its lines. Completion of the railroad sealed the fate of both Indians and the American bison. The bison herds provided an abundance of meat and supplies the Indians depended on. But white railroad builders, hide hunters and sport hunters killed the bison in numbers that can only be described as slaughter. It is estimated that perhaps 13 million bison roamed the West before the hunt of the 1870s and '80s began. By 1883 there were fewer than 200 of the great animals in the entire West. Large numbers of Indians, in turn, died from malnutrition and starvation. Those who survived were confined to the seven Montana reservations that are now home to Assiniboine and Sioux, Blackfeet, Chippewa-Cree, Confederated Salish (Flatheads) and Kootenai, Crow, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, and Northern Cheyenne.

Unperturbed by the slaughter and suffering, the people who settled Montana Territory were ready for statehood. On October 1, 1889, the voters of Montana approved a state constitution, and on November 8, Montana was proclaimed the 41st state of the Union.

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Sodbusters

The combination of the rails and a worldwide industrial revolution brought the next great wave, the "sodbusters invasion," to Montana after the turn of the century. Montana's homesteaders, a mix of Americans and western Europeans, built what remains part of the state's leading industry. They broke millions of acres of fertile grassland and transformed the Northern Great Plains into a rich grainbelt. But not without cost. First, cattle and sheep ranchers feuded with these newcomers who fenced fields. Then 11,000 farms were abandoned in eastern Montana during the drought years in the late teens and early '20s. Wheat production dropped from an average of 25 bushels an acre to 2.4 bushels an acre in 1919. Between 1921 and 1925 half of all Montana farmers lost their farms by mortgage foreclosure. Rebuilding was slow and cautious. Montana can and still does grow the best wheat in the world. In 1994, the state's wheat harvest brought cash receipts of more than $670 million.

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Conclusion

Less than 200 years have elapsed since Montana was first mapped by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Montana achieved statehood just over a century ago. Its history is a young, accessible, "hands-on'' history. It won't be found on dry parchment under glass. Rather, it lives at the National Bison Range, the Crow Indian Fair, the two-story outhouse at Nevada City, the Charles M. Russell Art Auction, the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Helena's Last Chance Gulch, or at any number of annual festivals and celebrations bearing names like the Wild Horse Stampede, the Northeast Montana Threshing Bee and Antique Show, the Vigilante Parade, the Western Rendezvous of Art and the Festival of Nations.

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Native Montanans

Gary Cooper-Motion picture actor. Born Frank James in Helena on May 7, 1901.

Patrick Duffy-Television actor, star of Dallas and Step by Step. Born in Townsend on March 17, 1949.

Chet Huntley-News commentator of Huntley-Brinkley fame. Born Chester Robert Huntley in Cardwell on December 19, 1911.

Evel Knievel-Daredevil. Born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte on October 17, 1938.

Myrna Loy-Motion picture actress. Born Myrna Williams in Radersburg on August 2, 1905.

Montie Montana-Member, Cowboy Hall of Fame. Born in Wolf Point.

George Montgomery-Motion picture and television actor. Born George Letz in Brady in 1916.

Kenneth J. Ralston-Western artist born in Choteau in 1896. Went by J.K. Ralston.

Jeanette Rankin-First woman elected to U.S. House of Representatives and only person to vote against U.S. entry into both WWI and WWII. Born near Missoula on June 11, 1880.

Martha Ray-Motion picture actress. Born Margie Yvonne Reed in Butte on August 27, 1916.

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Adopted Montanans

A.B. Guthrie, Jr.-Writer. Born in Indiana, he lived in Montana as a child. Graduated from Montana State University. Had a newspaper career in Kentucky but retired and returned to Montana to write. Won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "The Way West.'' Also wrote "The Big Sky" and the screenplay for "Shane."

Norman Maclean-Author, A River Runs Through It and Young Men and Fire. Born in 1902 in Iowa, grew up in Missoula, and lived on Seeley Lake after his retirement from the University of Chicago, where he was an English professor. He loved to fish the Blackfoot River.

Mike Mansfield-Statesman. Born in New York, then sent at an early age to live with relatives in Montana. Formerly a U.S. Senator from Montana and Senate Majority Leader, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan for 11 years.

Charlie Russell-Painter and sculptor. Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1864, he came to Montana at the age of 15 to be a cowboy. He sketched, painted and sculpted the frontier he saw and became one of the most famous Western artists. His log cabin studio and home in Great Falls are open to the public. His art pieces are on display at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls and the Historical Society in Helena.

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New Montanans

Pablo Alvira-Opera singer. Divides his time between Bozeman and the New York Metropolitan Opera.

Hoyt Axton-Singer-songwriter-actor. Bitterroot Valley.

Tom Brokaw-NBC News anchor. Divides his time between the Boulder Valley south of Big Timber and New York City.

Russell Chatham-Artist-writer. Livingston.

Liz Claiborne-Retired fashion designer and philanthropist. Helena and Seeley-Swan Valley.

Jane Fonda-Actress, fitness guru, wife of Ted Turner. Southwestern Montana.

Richard Ford-Novelist. Divides his time between Chester and New Orleans.

Tom McGuane-Novelist and cutting horse rancher. Boulder Valley south of Big Timber.

Ted Turner-Cable television magnate and rancher. Southwestern Montana.

Hank Williams, Jr.-Country-western singer. Big Hole Valley.

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The Seasons of Montana

An optimist once said there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. In Montana, we have it all ...snowy white winters, cool wet springs, warm dry summers, and magnificent lingering autumns.

Montana's dry western climate combined with brisk winter temperatures and high elevations make unbeatable powder snow. In the spring, all that snow rushes down the mountains to feed the valleys below. The result is a dazzling splash of color painted in field after field of wildflowers. In the summer, Montanans relax and enjoy long, sunny days with warm, dry temperatures. Autumn is a favorite because the days are warm, the nights cool and the air unbelievably fresh.

The hallmark of Montana's weather system is its changeability. It is not uncommon to experience a 60-degree spread from one day to the next. Because of its location in a chinook belt, central Montana's weather is the most changeable, on average, of any area in the nation.

A chinook is a warm, dry, southwesterly wind that occurs on the downwind slope of any major mountain range. Montana's chinook belt extends about 150 miles east from the eastern slopes of the Rockies, making central Montana a highly changeable boundary layer between cold and warm air. When a good strong chinook replaces retreating arctic air, temperatures rise dramatically. Once, during a chinook, the temperature in Havre (in northcentral Montana) rose 26 degrees in 45 seconds. Montana is also on record as having the greatest temperature spread. The difference between our lowest recorded temperature, minus 70 degrees, and our highest, 117 degrees is 187 degrees.

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Montana Is Milder than Perceived

Generally, here is what you can expect of Montana's weather on a season-by-season basis:

Winter (December through early March) Cold spells in December usually don't last long because they are replaced by warm, chinook winds. In January and February, storms become more vigorous and winter gets down to business. While it can stay cold, the usual pattern alternates between cold and mild spells. Cold weather is more frequent over the eastern third of the state, while milder weather prevails to the west. Winter in this northern climate lends itself to ideal skiing conditions because the snow that blankets the Rockies is generally dry powder. And, while cold is not uncommon in the mountain valleys, ski slopes can extend into the mild air above, making Montana a skier's paradise.

Spring (late March through June) This is the season of wind and rain. Montana can still get snow in March and April, but by this time the sun is far enough north that our days are becoming warm. In May and June, the winds die down, the rain picks up, the sun is benign and the earth comes back to life. Buds appear, birds return to their summer home and wildflowers transform the winter landscape into a burst of color. Spring in Montana is an artist gone berserk.

Summer (late June through August) Summer is generally hot over the plains and mild in the mountainous west. Late afternoon thunderstorms are typical over the entire state. In the higher elevations, hikers and backpackers enjoy mild days and cool nights. The days are long because of Montana's northern location. In summer, Montana's famed rivers run clear.

Autumn (September through November) Following a first cool, wet hint of winter around Labor Day is Montana's most enchanting season-a period of unseasonably warm weather that frequently extends into late November. It's Indian Summer, characterized by warm days, cool nights, fresh, crisp air and brilliant colors. Time to be outdoors. Time to hunt and fish. Time to wax skis, sharpen edges, chop wood and prepare for the next glorious cycle.

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What to Wear

Bring a variety of clothing to stay comfortable in our changeable weather. Montana is seldom consistently hot or consistently cold. Every season holds some surprises. Montanans like to dress in layers so they can peel clothes off or add them until they are comfortable.

In the summer, shorts or light-weight slacks, sun dresses and short-sleeve shirts are the rule. If you spend much time outdoors, it's always wise to bring a jacket. In the fall and again in the spring, wardrobes run from shorts and tops to wool pants and flannel shirts. The weather is variable so the Boy Scout rule applies here: Be prepared. The only way to beat wool or polypropylene in the winter is with layers of them. You will find the best-dressed Montanans wearing insulated boots, socks, long underwear, pants, shirts, jackets, mittens and caps. Lighter-weight clothing is never out of reach, however, because mild periods are expected.

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How To Watch a Rodeo

Practically every weekend during the summer, a rodeo can be found somewhere in Montana. This truly Western sport began as the result of activities performed by working cowboys on their day-to-day jobs. Calf roping was done when a calf had to be caught for doctoring and branding, and saddle bronc riding was performed when breaking a horse to ride. It wasn't long before cowboys began gathering regularly to test their skills and prove who was the toughest cowboy and best rider. This contest usually took place after the annual roundup, and it was called a rodeo, the Spanish word for roundup.

In the 1880s, admission was charged for the first time and the sport developed rapidly as professional entertainment. Cowboys began traveling from rodeo to rodeo, and soon formed their own association. Over the years rodeo has developed into a series of eight events: bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, the wild horse race and girls' barrel racing. A time limit of eight seconds was set for all riding events to maintain the health of the bucking stock.

An important part of the modern rodeo is the parade preceding it that generally features horse-drawn vehicles, equestrian units, floats, drill teams, clowns, bands and antique cars. The parade provides an opportunity for the whole community to participate in rodeo activities. The rodeo itself opens with the "grand entry." Mounted drill teams and rodeo royalty enter the arena and display the "colors." Then, the announcer's voice booms from the loudspeaker, "Let's go, let's show, let's rodeo!" and the events begin.

The stock used in the rodeo plays an important role. A good bucking horse or a mean bull add considerably to the excitement of the contest. On the average, rodeo stock works about one hour out of the entire year.

Today's rodeo cowboy is a professional athlete. He competes for personal pride. It's man against animal, and skills like strength, balance, timing and coordination are all required.

Friendship runs deep among rodeo cowboys. Danger and luck draw them together. They know no financial security and seek none. Cowboys pay their own way, putting up to $200 to enter a single event. Some only compete part-time and others will enter more than 100 rodeos in a single year. Rodeo contestants compete for a "purse," and the top money-winning cowboys attend the National Finals Rodeo each December to compete for world championship titles.

Montana is the home of such unique rodeos as the All Girls Rodeo in Jackson, the All Indian Rodeo in Wolf Point, the Old Timers Rodeo in Roundup (where contestants must be at least 40 to enter), the College National Finals Rodeo in Bozeman and the Wild Horse Stampede in Wolf Point, the granddaddy of 'em all.

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Saddle Bronc Riding originated on the ranch when it was necessary for the cowboy to obtain transportation the hard way. Saddle broncs are not trained to buck, but do so instinctively. The leather flank strap is an added inducement to buck. It is not painful, just annoying. The rider uses a braided rope called a "buck rein" and standard Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) saddle. He uses a swinging leg motion called a "lick" to keep rhythm and one hand in the air to keep his balance. A good rider will look as if he's in a rocking chair. Back on the ranch, cowboys would ride the broncs until they broke the horse or were bucked off. Today, in the rodeo arena, they have to stay on for only eight seconds. The bronc rider is judged on how well he rides and the animal on how well he bucks. Each can score up to 50 points with maximum for the ride being 100 points. Two men on horseback, called "pick-up men," are in the arena to help the cowboy dismount when the ride is over.

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Bareback Riding horses are generally smaller, shiftier and faster than those used for saddle broncs. No stirrups or reins are used in this event. The rider has only a stiff leather strap that goes around the horse's belly, called a "rigging." The handhold on the rigging provides the cowboy his only means of staying on. The rider must spur the horse the entire 8 seconds and is disqualified if he touches the horse with his free hand or misses the horse with his spurs on the first jump. Again, a cowboy can receive a maximum of 100 points for his ride.

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Calf Roping is a timed event and depends on harmony between the cowboy and his horse. The calf is given a 10-foot lead in this race. The cowboy must not break his rope barrier prematurely when coming out of the "box'' or he will be penalized. It is the horse's job to position the cowboy near the speeding calf and enable the roper to bring him to a halt. Once the cowboy dismounts, the horse must work the rope to keep it taut while the cowboy downs the calf and ties three legs together.

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Steer Wrestling is sometimes called "bull dogging." This event requires two people, a "dogger" and a "hazer." Doggers are among the most physical athletes in a very physical sport. While the hazer keeps the steer running in a straight line down the arena, the dogger must leap from a horse sprinting up to 25 miles per hour onto a 700-pound Mexican steer, grab it by the horns, stop it and wrestle it to the ground. This is a timed event, and the cowboy who can perform this task in the shortest amount of time wins.

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Bull Riding is the ultimate contest between man and beast. A bull rider averaging 5'8" and 150 pounds is pitted against a 1,500-pound bull. PRCA rules require a one-handed ride with a loose rope. This flat, braided rope is placed around the bull's belly and then wrapped around the rider's hand so that it will fall off when the cowboy dismounts. The cowboy is not required to spur the bull during his eight-second ride, but spurring will add to his score. To a bull rider, rodeo clowns represent life itself. While they take time for fun and games, the clowns have one primary mission-to rescue cowboys. These "matadors" distract the bull once the cowboy is off, allowing him to escape any way he can.

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Barrel Racing is a test of women's skills. In this event, women run highly-trained horses through a cloverleaf pattern at breakneck speeds. The main requirement of the barrel racer is to recognize the conditions of the arena, then ride her horse in such a way that she can trim every hundredth of a second off her time. Barrel racing is a close, exacting, exciting contest and beautiful to watch. It takes a fast, agile horse and a skillful rider with exceptional horse sense.

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The Wild Horse Race is a thrilling event included in many Montana rodeos. Unlike the bucking stock used in the standard riding event, these horses are truly wild. A team of two "muggers" must hold the horse long enough to saddle him and allow a third man to mount and ride him. There are usually two lines at opposite ends of the arena which the rider must cross. The excitement of the other horses, muggers, riders and spectators adds to the fireworks.

 

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Those White Crosses Are There for a Reason

The white roadside crosses along Montana's highways were put in place by the American Legion as a memorial to persons killed in highway accidents. The statewide program was launched by the legion in 1953, and today it is up to the 127 individual posts to continue the program in their area. The Montana Highway Department furnishes the Legion with the names of traffic accident victims and the location of the accidents. If more than one person died in an accident, all the crosses are mounted on a single pole. The crosses cannot be placed along interstate highways because of highway department regulations.

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