Mud-on-the-tires Full-time RV Adventure: MT -- Dillon, 15-19 Oct 2018

Four days in Dillon, Montana…

Why we came…

To see Bannack.

The campground…

Countryside RV Park, five miles south of Dillon, was pretty good. The sites are good-sized with a mix of back-ins and pull-throughs. We would have had full hook-ups, but the water was turned off for the winter. Wi-fi was pretty good and we had a reliable Verizon 4G phone signal. The facilities were maintained well and clean. There were two washers and two dryers that were a $1.50 each. The campground was about half full. The highway was a half mile away and traffic noise was faint. A railroad track was on the opposite side of the highway and we heard the distant train once or twice a day. The campgrounds in town were much closer to both the highway and railroad tracks.

We were comfortable at Countryside RV Park, five south of Dillon MT

The RV park was about half full during most of our stay

Nearby towns…

Dillon, population 4,134 and elevation 5,240 feet, is the bustling head of Beaverhead County. The namesake Beaverhead River runs through town and is popular for its good trout fishing. There are a couple of grocery stores, including a nice Safeway. According to Trip Advisor there are 29 restaurants, though we didn’t check any out.

Butte, population 36,400 and elevation 5,538 feet, 65 miles north of Dillon, is the nearest major supply and service center.

Adventures…

Bannack…

On Tuesday, we took the 20 mile drive to Bannack.

“Bannack was founded in 1862 when John White discovered gold on Grasshopper Creek. In 1864, Bannack was named as the first Territorial Capital of Montana.”

“At its peak, Bannack had a population of about ten thousand. Extremely remote, it was connected to the rest of the world only by the Montana Trail. There were three hotels, three bakeries, three blacksmith shops, two stables, two meat markets, a grocery store, a restaurant, a brewery, a billiard hall, and four saloons.”

Bannack survived an infamous time period when the Sheriff Henry Plummer and his deputies were in actuality thieves and murderers of the struggling miners. The Montana Vigilantes group took control of the area and hung 22 individuals for crimes before calm was restored.

Slowly, over the next hundred years, as other gold was discovered, the population of Bannack dwindled until no one was left and the remains of the town became a Montana State Park.

We were able to go into several of the surviving structures. The hotel and the school are still in fair condition. As we poked our heads into buildings or strode down the board walk, we tried to put ourselves in the mindset of a struggling miner, a young doctor, or a Hurdy Gurdy girl, all trying to survive in the boom town.

Finally, we walked above the town, through the cemetery, and into the hills where the vigilantes tracked down the outlaws. Only sagebrush, cactus and some grasses survive in the dry hills. We could see the Beaverhead Mountains to the west, cottonwoods lining Grasshopper Creek below us, and the remnants of the old ghost town strung out along the lush creek.

Walk route around Bannack / We played on these kinds of merry-go-rounds and somehow we’re still alive!

A few of the old buildings in Bannack, including the Hotel Meade / The stairwell in the Hotel Meade

More old buildings and a wagon in Bannack

Somebody is in jail! / Another relic from the past

In the old saloon. Take a swig!

The town’s classroom

Posing above the ghost town / A few of the original citizens were buried above town

Cliff Loop Trail and the “M”…

As we drove south on I-15 near Dillon, we could barely see a “M” on a hill to the west. “M”? The town is Dillon and the county is Beaverhead so the “M” must be for Montana. We read there was a trail to get there so we had to check that out!

The trail is part of the Dillon High Trails system. They have a 15K and 5K “Climb the M” Fund Run in April. We parked near the Beaverhead River and the Cliff Trail Loop trailhead sign.

The beginning of the trail was sketchy as it shot straight up through loose rocks and scree. We missed a turn where we would have ascended about 50 more feet to the north and that would have made it easier. We figured that out on descent.

Arleen remarked, “Here we go following the snowboarder again.” She was hesitant because of the “PROCEED AT OWN RISK” sign. But she stayed with me!

Once we had ascended the short cliff area, the trail was well marked through the grass and sagebrush with little blue flags. The trail gets some love.

After we had ascended 550 feet in ¾ of a mile, we were at the top of the “M”. They have small solar lights distributed around it for illumination at night.

We completed a lollipop route by continuing to follow the blue flags. On the descent on the northeast side, we were shocked to find snow. It was 68 degrees outside! How is there snow?

After making it safely to the bottom, Arleen proclaimed, “Look, I’m not missing any skin!”

Hike route on the Cliff Loop Trail near Dillon / It’s steep and rocky. Proceed with caution!

No room more mistakes / Climbing above the Beaverhead River

Dillon and the Beaverhead Valley

The “M” was our goal / Arleen making her own “M” at the top

Pondering how the heck there’s snow when it was 70 degrees

Clark’s Overlook…

After we conquered the “M”, we went to Clark’s Overlook State Park. “On August 13, 1805, Captain William Clark climbed this hill overlooking the Beaverhead River to get a sense of his surroundings and document the location.”

We made the short walk to the top of the lookout and discovered “a magnificent view of the Beaverhead Valley and a monument showing the three compass readings that Captain Clark took on that day.”

We could see the Blacktail Deer Range and the Tendoy Mountains to the south, the Sweetwater and Ruby Ranges to the east, the Tobacco Root and Highland Mountains to the north and the Pioneer Mountains to the west.

Below us we could see the meandering Beaverhead River. “Clark noted in his journal that August 11^th they traveled 14 miles by water for 5 miles in a direct line. Clark wrote, ‘…men complain verry much of the emence labour they are obliged to undergo and wish verry much to leave the river. I passify them.’ ”

We’ve read quite a bit about Lewis. There seems to be less information about Clark so we were intrigued to learn a few facts about him at the park.

Clark’s “brother George Rogers Clark recommended him to Thomas Jefferson after turning down Jefferson’s offer to lead the expedition. Jefferson then recruited Meriwether Lewis. Lewis had served under Clark in the military, after which the two men became friends. Lewis Offered Clark the opportunity to join the Corps. Clark responded to Lewis accepting the offer. ‘I will cheerfully join you in an ‘official Carrector’ as mentioned in your letter and partake of the dangers, difficulties and fatigues and I anticipate the honors and rewards of the result of such an enterprise…’ ”

Based on what we learned at Clark’s Overlook, Captain William Clark was an amazing “Carrector”.

Learning about William Clark at Clark’s Overlook State Park / One of the 4 or 5 very informative signs

Maybe I could have been part of the historic expedition

Next…

We spent a few days near Arco ID and are currently in Boise ID. Our next stops are Pendleton OR, Nehalem Bay OR and Sheridan OR. Then we’ll make our way to Sequim WA for the winter.

Parting shots…