More Montana

As I was heading west from Billings, Montana, I caught an interesting tourist pamphlet about a gem mining place near Yellowstone National Park. I needed to procure a "fun" gift for my friend Reggie back in Oregon, so I thought this might do it. She had previously strongly hinted she'd like some Black Hills gold. Meh. Gold.

Now gems...sapphires, in this case, is more my style.

As I got closer to Yellowstone, I briefly toyed with the idea of adding that to my itinerary. Majestic mountains attract me for some reason, and I that is another place I haven't seen since 1959. I decided Yellowstone really deserves an in-depth look, not a simple drive-through, so that passing thought passed away.



This was the place! Gem Valley!

It's not much to look at, just a shop building, parking and 'play area' for digging through gravel. (See their website) Not just any gravel, but gravel trucked in from the actual mine in another part of Montana. This location provides a good trap for tourists on their way to Yellowstone.

Now don't get me wrong. In spite of it being an ambush for your hard currency, it is an interesting travel diversion that actually requires you to do some hands on activity.

There were lots of families there, with their kids eagerly looking through handfuls of wet pebbles to find those elusive sparkly sapphires and garnets.

I talked to the gal at the inside counter about what the deal was in finding the gems, and she was eager to provide me with answers to every question I could think of. She showed me samples of both raw gems (to be able to recognize them) and others that had been cut and faceted. They even had some jewelry featuring their gems, which were also available for purchase. In addition, they even provided contacts for gem cutters that could cut gems you found, and jewelers that could mount your stones in their custom designs. Now how many people wear gems that they themselves found? That'd be a hellava souvenir, no?

I ended up getting a plastic bucket of dirt for Reggie. She can sift through that to find her 'sparkly rocks'. Who knows. Maybe she'll find a 19-carat sapphire, like these folks did. (Click on link for story).

Montana Revisited

After Wyoming, it was time to return to Montana to visit one of my friends that I had passed by on the rush to my High School Reunion in Minnesota (No I haven't covered the Reunion yet, but I will).

Our primary activity was going out to shoot some guns! Yes, I had brought some extras for recreation, or if I found myself in the midst of some civil strife. You never know, these days.

So, we loaded up and headed for the "range". It's actually a glorified "gravel pit" on BLM land. An impromptu site perfect for the #1 shooting sport in America: Plinking.

Before I get to that though, the ride there provided an interesting incident.

On the way there, I decided to show off my HEMI endowed beast a bit and gunned it up to 120 mph on the highway. That was mostly to hear her growl a bit. It must be the air in Montana. I then settled down to the speed limit and cruised along, until...

Yup. The Popo. I saw the lights flashing and pulled over. Needless to say, I thought I got popped for doing 45 over the speed limit. Ugh. This was gonna cost me a bundle.

The conversation with the Montana State Trooper went something like this:

"May I see your license, registration and insurance?"

"Sure" (Handed them over)

"I'll be right back."

Wait while he runs the data. He comes back.

"Where are you all going?"

"Shooting at the BLM at (wherever it was)."

"You have guns?"

"Yup."

"Well I stopped you for speeding. You were going 65 in a 50 back there."

:::GULP:::

"Sorry Officer, I thought the speed limit was 65 before it went to 75."

"Well before it goes to 65, it's only 50."

"Oh, I didn't see that."

"I clocked you just before that. I am only giving you a warning. Now, take care and be safe."

"Thank you Officer, I appreciate that. You be safe, too."

And that was that. Whew!

My friend and I (I'll call him ROM), talked about the stop on the rest of the ride to the range. First of all, I got off lucky. ROM suggested I buy a Lotto ticket before the luck ran out. Then we wondered why the trooper didn't even look at the guns and stuff. He would have found two guys with five handguns an AR rifle with an assault vest & loaded magazines, plus a shotgun. I imagine that's normal in Montana. Perhaps even a mite light. In any event, it was of no concern.

Then, we wondered what the Trooper was thinking while trying to catch up to us. If he clocked me that early on, he must have wondered how we managed to get so far ahead at the speed limit. Or maybe he saw my RETIRED Thin Blue Line sticker on the rear window? Don't know. He was very professional. He never asked about me or my former status.



In any event. We got to the range. ROM had just bought a new shotgun and wanted to try it out, so we did that first. Now I normally don't shoot 20 gauge shotguns. I am used to 12 gauge and combat shooting with it. The 20 gauge seemed a bit like a kid's gun, but it's adequate. I don't know, but I assume 20 gauge ammo is cheaper.


Next, we played with my HK's in .40 S&W. ROM likes the caliber, so that was not an issue. I let him try out the USP Compact I carried on duty as well as the P2000 SK mini blaster I got as a retirement present from my BP buddies. Two thumbs up from ROM. He liked the DAO triggers.

We next transitioned to my pet "Jessica": my tricked out COLT law enforcement carbine.

He fell in love with her. How could he not? She's as close to a military grade M4 carbine a civilian can own in the USA...plus, she's as pretty as her namesake.


I was also going to say, "...and just as tight" but I don't know that first hand.





Anyway, ROM wanted to see how well she handled in my hands, so I gave her a go. It must have been the stress of his watching eyes that got me in the groove. After a few close misses I managed to get the two clays we had set up as well as the half empty water bottle in quick succession. Those would be clear head shots in a child sized zombie. Not too shabby for a fat, old warhorse!

Wyoming, Cody

I finally got to Cody, Wyoming to check out the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

It was pretty awesome...at least the sections I visited. I did a pretty extensive tour of the firearms section (no surprise). I was greeted by a Gatling Gun that was actually used in the development of the Vulcan Mini-gun series.

Now I have seen other examples of Gatling guns in other museums and gun shows (Yes, you can buy them), but this one was unusual in that was not only used for development of modern ordinance, but it was also fitted with an armored shield.

To say the museum was huge, is an understatement. They had TONS of guns from the first Medieval era hand cannons to those presently deployed by modern armies worldwide. And yes, they have many, many "sporting" arms.



On the second (!) floor of the firearms section, they were experimenting with a new way to display guns. They had long arms mounted in vertical drawers with glass on both sides. This would enable close inspection on all sides.

This is important as arms are usually asymmetrical and feature differences on both sides. One could also examine small details like proof marks and other bits.

Handguns were displayed in pull out drawers. This type of display is great for scholars and rabid aficionados. It also saves a tremendous amount of floor space. I was lucky in being the only visitor in that area so I could peruse them at my leisure. However, it might be a problem if there were others around trying to do the same thing.







I have always been intrigued by Wheellock firearms. They were a development before the later Flintlocks. They employed a mechanical clockwork, much like a spring powered Zippo lighter. An iron pyrite wedge was lowered by the arm down to a spinning wheel, which caused sparks which then ignited the gun powder, when the trigger was pulled. This method was a huge improvement over earlier methods. It did have its drawbacks. The main one was they were VERY expensive to make. They also had a tendency to misfire if the spring was not fully wound (This required a spanner or wrench to wind the spring between shots). It is from this we get the expression "going off half cocked".

The long arm shown at the bottom of the display, is a hunting musket used by King Louis XIII of France, (The monarch during the Three Musketeers era). It is extremely long and heavy. This was because a long barrel was needed for accuracy. It employed a Y shaped brace to support the barrel. Only the very wealthy could afford such arms, and that means the Nobility.

It was only later when firearms could be mass produced that the common man had a chance to even touch one.

It didn't take long for a ruler to realize that a peasant with an afternoon's musket training, could defeat a Knight who's whole life was in preparation for war. Mass armies of commoners with muskets then destroyed the monopoly of power the noble class enjoyed since the dawn of civilization. This is when the serf became a citizen. Ask Louis XIV about that.

The museum also had some guns used in TV and film westerns. Among them were all of the handguns, holsters and gun belts used by the regular cast of Bonanza as well as Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel. If you are an old time TV western fan, that is not to be missed.

There were other sections of the center as well. However, I only gave them a brief walk through. They appeared well done, but I was mentally burned out from the firearms section. When I visit a great museum, my brain can only absorb so much, and then shuts down. I first noticed this when I traveled in Europe. For example, the Vatican City. At a certain point, no matter the masterpieces before me, it all just started to blur out. That was time to leave and peruse something less mentally challenging, like watching girls pass by on their Vespas while sipping a Peroni at a sidewalk cafe.

In addition, it was very hot that day in Cody and I was concerned about leaving Aleksandra in the car. So, after driving around a bit to get the car cooled off, I went and bought some souvenir T-shirts.

I also looked for a shop where you could take "Old Time" sepia toned portraits in period costume. I couldn't find it, so we headed out of town.

I know I missed a lot of Cody, but I had had enough for one day. I'll go back and check it out another time.

Sorry...

I know I have been negligent in my posting, but the last week or so, I have spent a ton of time visiting friends and family. I will catch up, soon!

Promise!

Meanwhile, Aleksandra says, "Hi!"

Wyoming, Greybull

Next stop: Greybull, Wyoming. Nice name, eh?

My lodging was this quaint, old-timey motel. It was to be my stepping stone for my upcoming item on my itinerary, Cody, Wyoming.

The only problem: They had a NO PET policy.

When I told the owner/manager lady my pet was 'jus a liddle kitty', she paused. Thought about it. Then she gave me a room because she had never seen someone travel with a kitty-cat before. The charm worked.



They also had the mudder trays I spoke of before, and these cool, log, 'rustic cabins' for rent at $40 night. They had no bedding or facilities. You had to bring your own sleeping bag or rent one of their bedrolls. And you had to poop outside in one of their porta-potties. How cool is that?

But the BEST part of this town was to come, when I had breakfast at the downtown cafe the motel manager told me about. And here it is: The Uptown Cafe. Pretty catchy, eh?

What made this place so special? They allowed SMOKING! Yes, you read that right. The cafe permitted patrons to light up with their morning coffee. I had a glorious breakfast that I haven't enjoyed for decades. I was so enamored with the unexpected LIBERTY, I had a cigarette before and after the meal.

I asked the waitress why they allowed it. She answered, "Well, my Gramma owns the place, and she smokes, so there you are." I can't argue that. The funny thing is, half of the place was a cafe, and the other half was a bar where smoking wasn't permitted.



Just down the avenue from my favorite cafe in the entire known universe, was the old town hotel...still in operation. If I ever pass this way again, I just may check that place out.

But wait, there's MORE!

As I was heading out of town to the highway, I saw a small airport and espied this:





A genuine WWII era Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol aircraft.

Now it had been demilitarized (darn) and converted to a fire suppression airtanker, but it was still cool. I later learned it had belonged to a defunct aerial fire control company, but was still in flying condition. Due to a crash of one in 2002, all air tankers in the region were grounded temporarily. I suppose the company didn't survive that, and there she stands.

Perhaps some WWII aviation enthusiast(s) could restore her war face.

Wyoming, The Big Horns

After the magnificent Devils Tower, I set out on my way to the next target, Cody, Wyoming when I noticed I had to cross a little mountain range--The Big Horns.

Now all three highways that traverse the mountains are designated Scenic Byways, so I couldn't go wrong, right?

Wow.

I missed a lot of really fantastic scenery because I was too busy driving and didn't want to plunge off a cliff or smack into a concrete or steel barrier. The geology was unbelievable. On various roadway cut-throughs, they marked what geological epoch the rock formations represented. A ride up the mountains displayed billions of years of geological history (and reminded me of how much I had forgotten from Geology 101).

Take a look see. My photos do not do this route justice.

Looking back

Looking ahead

Looking way back

Fallen City
Cluster of tumbled rocks that resemble a ruined city that formed along an enormous fault

Rock formation observation stop & passing bikers.

Hummingbird in flight @ wayside stop

There's a waterfall down there, somewhere.

I cannot stress more, how very dramatic scenery has been omitted because I had my eyes mostly on the road. If I had a human passenger, they would have been agog. (Aleksandra snoozed through it all)

I have never seen the Grand Canyon (yet), but this may well be a Mini-Me version...covered with trees.

AGAIN:
Please click on the images to see them unblurred (why they do that on posts, I don't know) and in full size. You won't regret it.

The Devils Tower

Ten miles from Hulett, WY was my next goal: Devils Tower.

Now I have wanted to see this monument, since I learned about it back in 1959 when I was just a little kid. My family did the car camping thing then, and we went past this without visiting it at all.

I had seen a postcard in some tourist trap that illustrated one of the Indian legends regarding it. It showed a giant bear trying to climb the tower to eat some Indians at the top: hence, the claw marks along the sides.

It reminded me of the Godzilla movies I so loved, then. Since then it has always held a spot in my heart to really see...someday. Well, this was that day.

I was not disappointed. It was breathtaking.



While I was there, there were several climbers attempting to scale it. I guess anyone can register a climb, and it is a fairly common activity. It takes about eight hours for a skilled climber to get to the top. I don't know how long it takes to get down, but I suspect anything quicker than an hour or so, would not be a good idea. The top is supposedly crawling with rattlesnakes. I'll take their word for it.



































More pix!






As you can see, the shape of the Tower varies, as well as the lighting throughout the day, giving it a very different perspective, depending where you are viewing it from.

As for the Close Encounters of the Third Kind angle, I can see why it was selected for the site of the first contact with our new Galactic Brothers. It is indeed a very impressive sight. No small wonder why it was our first National Monument.

I think the movie would have been cooler if a giant bear tried to eat the aliens, though.

That would have been awesome.