8/5/2024 – dropped Helen off at the Portland Airport at 5:45am. Her flight flew east over Ohio to Washington DC’s Dulles Airport (in Virginia). After a three-hour layover, she flew back west to Dayton OH – that’s what happens when you use Reward Pts!
Meanwhile, I drove to Spalding ID and the Nez Perce National Historical Park. – see Blog entry for September 2016 for first visit.
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Slept in the Sequoia in the parking lot of a Courtyard Marriott in Bozeman MT
8/6 Tu – 3hr drive to Little Bighorn Battlefield NM and “Custer’s Last Stand.” Our first visit here was in 1969; I have included some of those photos below. The rangers let us camp on the grass outside the visitor center overnight (not possible today!) – 2024
The Army was there to force the Indians back on their reservation. On June 25, 1876, there were about 7,000 Indians camped along the Little Bighorn River including 1500-2000 braves. Led by Sitting Bull. Blue represents movements of the Army and red Indian movements.
The battle began when Custer ordered Reno’s battalion to attack the encampment. They were routed and retreated to these bluffs. Reno was joined by Benteen’s battalion, and they were able to make a determined stand until the next afternoon, when the Indians withdrew. We walked the Entrenchment Trail in 1969.
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When we were there in 1969, a filming crew had recreated the Indian encampment and were filming the movie “Little Big Man” with Dustin Hoffman.
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Custer continued north trying to locate the lower end of the encampment. There were skirmishes with Indians all the way to Last Stand Hill. National Cemetery with the 7th Cavalry Memorial (1881) on the hill in the middle of the photo.
Red granite markers were placed on the battlefield in 1999 to indicate where Indians fell. This marker is for “White Black Man” a Lakota warrior.
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Last Stand Hill
Looking downhill toward the Little Bighorn River. It is estimated that about 210 of Custer’s men were killed. An additional 53 of Reno-Benteen’s men were killed on the hilltop one mile south.
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Lt. Col George A. Custer died and was buried here but in 1877 Custer’s remains were reinterred at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point NY.
7th Cavalry Memorial 2024
Horse Cemetery – many horses were also killed during the battle. Custer’s last horses were purposely killed and used for a breastwork against the attacking Indians.
Sunset 1969
A large memorial to the Indians killed (60-100) in the battle was completed in 1999.
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One of several monuments to the Indian tribes who were involved in the Little Bighorn Battle.
Peace Through Unity
My next stop was the Painted Canyon Visitor Center in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP. See Blog dated September 2019 for my visit to the North Unit.
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My main objective this afternoon was to measure the trail distance from the parking lot to the top of White Butte (3,506ft), North Dakota’s highest point.
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The trail has been significantly improved since my last visit. It starts at this gate. Note the measuring wheel to determine how far it is from there to the top.
The top, with cairn, USGS marker, and registration box. One-way distance – 4,591ft. Gain in elevation – about 400ft.
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LONG – 400mi drive to Detroit Lakes MN –
8/7 W – 3.5hrs to Kabetogama Visitor Center in Voyageurs NP
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The Visitor Center overlooked Lake Kabetogama
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History
The park is noted for its river and lakes system that provided passage for “Voyageurs” – French-Canadian canoe men, who moved beaver and other pelts from the Canadian Northwest to Montreal and trade goods in the opposite direction. The fur trade peaked during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Note the categories of NP Units that are on the top of this photo.
Peter and I plied some of these same waters in 1989 on a three-day canoe adventure. This was one activity on Peter’s 15-yr-old bonding road trip with Dad. We paddled from Ash River to Crane Lake camping on islands between the U.S. (Minnesota) and Canada. Our stops (short red lines) and campsites (circled) are marked on this map.
Ash River – start. Owner of Corcoran’s Pine Point Lodge on Crane Lake drove us and our rental canoe 65-miles to get to this put-in. Charged us $15 for three-day canoe rental, $30 for 3hrs of travel time, $13.09 for 11 gallons of gas, and $6.70 for a pizza and 2 drinks!
Stop on McManus Island
Island Campers
Wolf Pack Island Camp – Day 1
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Morning Haze
Break Time
Rest Stop – Pike Bay
My Island Camp – Day 2. A bear destroyed a campsite here the night before. All food, toiletries, etc. were supposed to be placed in metal lockers. The campers neglected to do that!
These islands are in Canada – one of them is called “Your Island.”
Sunrise
Large Voyageur Canoes
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14-mile paddle to Crane Lake on Day 3 – returned canoe here
2018 MN National Park quarter
It took 4.5hrs to drive to Grand Portage MN on the western shore of Lake Superior. In 1989, Peter and I took the ferry Wenonah (3hrs) to Isle Royale NP.
We passed the Rock of Ages Lighthouse as we approached the island.
Sailing through the North Gap
Entering Washington Harbor
Landing at Windigo
Shipwrecks around Isle Royale
We hiked the loop trail to Huginnin Cove in a light drizzle. On the way back to the Visitor Center, we passed the Wendigo Mines. The trail presented us with the greatest array of green colors that I have experienced in my life.
Wenonah waiting for departure –
This is a photo of the North West Company’s Headquarters, in Grand Portage Bay, taken from the ferry as we returned.
We arrived back in time for a visit to Grand Portage NM. It was the first NP Unit to be co-managed with a Tribal Nation – the Lake Superior and Minnesota bands of the Chippewa Tribe.
The North Men (Winterers) and Montreal Men (Pork Eaters) met at the Grand Portage for trading. The North West Company ran the largest fur trading depot in the heart of the continent.
Fur trading took place here in the early 1700s. In 1722, the Grand Portage became the standard route to bypass rapids on the lower Pigeon River. The North West Company built its headquarters here in 1784. In 1803, they relocated north to Fort William (now Canada) to avoid complications of citizenship, licensing, and import duties. To avoid paying taxes!
In 1989, the Visitor Center was in the Stockade.
Inside the Great Hall 1989
2024 – 35 years later
This was my first visit to the “new” Heritage Center.
The voyageurs had to carry all their trade goods, about 90lb packs, over an 8.5-mile portage between Fort Charlotte and the Stockade on Lake Superior. That way they were able to avoid the waterfalls and rapids on the last 20-miles of the Pigeon River. Voyageurs is a French word meaning “travelers.”
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Ojibwe Village – Gichi Onigamiing – The Great Carrying Place
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Canoe Warehouse
Kitchen left and Great Hall right
Reenactors in Kitchen
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Approaching Canoe Brigades
Ready to tour the Great Hall – interior circa 1797.
Most trading took place during the Rendezvous in July of each year.
Dock, stockade, and sailboat Paul LaPlante. Boats like this Mackinaw boat were the “pickup trucks” of the Lakes and also served the fishing industry in the mid-1800s.
Boat named for Paul LaPlante; a local French-Canadian/Ojibwe who lived in Grand Portage. He was a well- known skilled boat builder. Numerous descendants of his still live on the Reservation here.
Lake Superior Maritime Highway
Start of Grand Portage Trail (17- miles round trip). I did a short walk!
Drove through Deluth MN in a pouring rain, then onto US-53, and then I-94 stopping outside of Eau Claire WI.
8/8 – 4hrs to Chad, Liz, Drago, Seamus, and Lena in Milwaukee. I enjoyed telling/showing the grandkids the route of my travel and the NP Units I visited.
Drove through Chicago so I could take my brother Mike to lunch and then continued to Springfield arriving about 8pm. Trip mileage was 6,246-miles.
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