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Picture Gallery: Great Falls, MT Signature Event -
"Explore the Big Sky"

Photo: Exterior view of the USDA/Forest Service’s Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center located at Giant Springs just outside Great Falls, Montana. This is a truly an outstanding facility located near the site of the expedition’s Upper Portage Camp and a “must visit” for anyone following the expedition’s travels through the region.
Exterior view of the USDA/Forest Service’s Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive ... [more]

 

Photo: Another view of the USDA/FS Historic Trail Interpretive Center, which is located on Giant Springs Road off River Drive (Routes 89/87) just outside Great Falls. Lewis and Clark camped near here are they prepared their canoes for an overland trip in order to bypass the Great Falls of the Missouri River. There, at the beginning of the Rocky Mountains, within a few miles the river levels dropped hundreds of feet in frothing, seething, torrents of water and foam that prevented the explorers from continuing their westward journey until calmer waters could be located.
Another view of the USDA/FS Historic Trail Interpretive Center, which is located on Giant Springs ... [more]

Photo: Jeffersonian uniform items on display at the Historic Trail Interpretive Center. One of the tremendous things about this interpretive center is that visitors can actually “try on” replicas of the uniforms that the Lewis and Clark expedition wore.
Jeffersonian uniform items on display at the Historic Trail Interpretive Center. One of the ... [more]

Photo: Additional Jeffersonian Army uniform items on display in the main lobby. Most of the expedition’s dress uniforms, however, had deteriorated to the point of being virtually unusable by this time. Even if they had still possessed their original clothes, the members of the expedition would not have worn those items while hauling heavy portage wagons across the Montana landscape in the 100 plus degree heat of Montana in June – July 1805.
Additional Jeffersonian Army uniform items on display in the main lobby. Most of the ... [more]

Photo: This is what Lewis and Clark experienced when conducting the portage. Their canoes, loaded down with their remaining supplies, were mounted on hand fashioned wheeled carriages and were then pulled or pushed overland.
This is what Lewis and Clark experienced when conducting the portage. Their canoes ... [more]

 

Photo: The strain on the faces of the expedition’s members as they haul a heavy canoe carved out of a tree trunk up a steep slope is accurately captured in this Interpretive Center exhibit.
The strain on the faces of the expedition’s members as they haul a heavy canoe carved ... [more]

Photo: Close up of the rear of the same canoe which also shows a portion of the hand made wheeled carriage. The expedition did not haul all of their canoes over the eighteen mile route; instead they carried an experimental iron framed boat with them to the “Lower Portage Camp” which they planned to use in lieu of additional canoes for their journey further westward. The Red and White Pirogues had already cached above the falls to await the expedition’s eventual return.
Close up of the rear of the same canoe which also shows a portion of the hand made ... [more]

Photo: Some of the expedition’s members sensibly wore as little as possible during the portage in order to preserve their remaining garments and also to avoid heat exhaustion.
Some of the expedition’s members sensibly wore as little as possible during the portage ... [more]

Photo: The Department of the Interior’s Corps II Traveling Exhibit on display at Great Falls, MT.
The Department of the Interior’s Corps II Traveling Exhibit on display at Great Falls, MT.

 

Photo: The Montana Army National Guard is providing a detail of soldiers to assist the DOI personnel with erecting, manning, and tearing down the traveling display as it makes it way across the state.
The Montana Army National Guard is providing a detail of soldiers to assist the DOI personnel ... [more]

Photo: The Montana Army National Guard has their own historical display that accompanies the traveling exhibit for the purpose of providing visitors with additional insights into the past accomplishments of American citizen soldiers.
The Montana Army National Guard has their own historical display that accompanies the ... [more]

 

Photo: Interior of the Montana Army National Guard exhibit tent.
Interior of the Montana Army National Guard exhibit tent.

Photo: Exterior of the Montana Army National Guard exhibit tent.
Exterior of the Montana Army National Guard exhibit tent.

Photo: Prickly pear cactus – something you did not want to step on while wearing moccasins and hauling a canoe across the Montana landscape. Yet it happened almost every day during the month long portage and the men were continually pulling its quills from the soles of their feet.
Prickly pear cactus – something you did not want to step on while wearing moccasins and ... [more]

 

Photo: Terrain typical of the Montana landscape that the expedition hauled its canoes across.
Terrain typical of the Montana landscape that the expedition hauled its canoes across.

Photo: Reenactors from the Montana Honor Guard established a replica campsite at the Lower (downstream) Portage Camp situated several miles south of modern day Great Falls.
Reenactors from the Montana Honor Guard established a replica campsite at the Lower (downstream) ... [more]

Photo: Another view of the replica encampment at the Lower Portage Camp.
Another view of the replica encampment at the Lower Portage Camp.

 

Photo: One of the Montana Honor Guard’s replica canoes with hand-carved wheeled carriage.
One of the Montana Honor Guard’s replica canoes with hand-carved wheeled carriage.

Photo: Close up of the opposite side of the canoe and carriage.
Close up of the opposite side of the canoe and carriage.

Photo: Another view of the front axle of the carriage.
Another view of the front axle of the carriage.

Photo: Lewis and Clark’s “Air Rifle” - it is shown here disassembled into three basic components – stock (air reservoir), barrel and receiver, and air pump.
Lewis and Clark’s “Air Rifle” - it is shown here disassembled into three basic components... [more]

 

Photo: Bow view of the assembled frame of the “iron boat” that Lewis and Clark hoped to use for the remainder of their trip to the Pacific Ocean rather than carve out two new canoes at the Lower Portage Camp.
Bow view of the assembled frame of the “iron boat” that Lewis and Clarkhoped to use for the ... [more]

Photo: Walt Walker of the Montana Honor Guard demonstrates how the expedition attempted to cover the experimental iron framed boat with animal hides laid atop thin strips of wood.
Walt Walker of the Montana Honor Guard demonstrates how the expedition attempted to ... [more]

 

Photo: A close up view of how the expedition hoped to construct a “hull” for the iron framed boat.
A close up view of how the expedition hoped to construct a “hull” for the iron framed boat.

Photo: Another perspective of the iron frame boat looking from bow to stern. As you can see for yourself, it was much longer than most people supposed.
Another perspective of the iron frame boat looking from bow to stern. As you can see for ... [more]

Photo: The Great Falls fairgrounds also hosted a number of indoor Lewis and Clark displays, to include one manned by dedicated members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Great Falls fairgrounds also hosted a number of indoor Lewis and Clark displays, to include ... [more]

Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees garbed in period clothing at the Great Falls fairgrounds exhibit. The gentleman dressed in gray and black is wearing the uniform of a newly recruited member of the expedition while the other is dressed as engagé Pierre Cruzatte.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees garbed in period clothing at the Great Falls ... [more]

 
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