Wanderers in Wonder

In this Valley of the Three Rivers, the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers converge to form the Mighty Missouri. The rivers names seemed odd to me…Jefferson, Madison and what should be next? Of course, Monroe. Well these three rivers were named by the Lewis and Clark expedition. James Madison, Secretary of State negotiated the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson forced the purchase through Congress and Albert Gallatin was the Secretary of the Treasury who came up with the funds to make good on the Purchase and to fund the Lewis and Clark expedition.,

On the Eastern Edge of the Three Rivers Valley is this Buffalo Jump. Before the arrival of the horse in the Americas, Native Americans would herd Buffalo to their doom at Buffalo Jumps. Native American warriors cloaked in wolf hides would crawl near the herds and push them toward the Jumps. Warriors in Buffalo hides would slowly make their way to the front of the herds. When the herds were close to the Jump, Warriors behind the herd would scream and yell the warriors in front dressed in Buffalo skins would run toward the Jump leaping to safety at the last minute and the Buffalo would tumble to their deaths. Weeks were spent skinning and curing the hides, drying the meat, grinding it up, mixing it with crushed nuts and berries creating the first power bars.

Sacagawea statue in front of the hotel carrying her name, Three Forks, MT. Sacagawea was instrumental in the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lewis and Clark were in desperate need of horses and Sacagawea whose husband, the French trapper Toussaint Charbonneau, had joined the expedition in the Dakotas provided them. In this Valley which Sacagawea remembered from her youth as a Shoshone she recognized her brother who was now a respected Warrior. Sacagawea had been taken captive by the Hidasta when she was twelve and taken to North Dakota. She was sold to Charbonneau who made her his wife. Sacagawea’s brother sold horses to Lewis and Clark. The Expedition continued.

The lobby of the Sacagawea Hotel.

The Bar…

and, the porch…a glass of red, a book and a sunset.

Peace…Wanderers in Wonder.