The Mighty Missouri

The second morning we were at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park we took the short drive to the Missouri Headwaters State Park.

This is where the U.S.Geological Survey has designated the Missouri River begins.

It is at the point where the Madison River and the Jefferson River converge. The park also encompasses the area about a mile downstream where the Gallatin River enters. Lewis and Clark explored this area in 1805. Sacajawea, who was part of the expedition, recognized the place as the homeland of her tribe, the Shoshone. She had not seen it since she was kidnapped by a rival tribe as a young girl.

It was a lovely land, with trails wide enough for Matey to walk without battling the grass. This trail led along the newly formed Missouri.

From a high point you could just see the convergence of the Madison, along the left, with the Jefferson, coming from the right. Jefferson was President when he commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the Missouri, looking for a water route to the Pacific. Madison was Secretary of State and Gallatin was Secretary of the Treasury, hence the rivers’ names. Some think the Jefferson should really be considered the upper reaches of the Missouri. I wonder if having three supporters of the expedition to honor influenced the decision to name the Jefferson a separate river.

We walked just a little ways east across that high ground and then we were walking the high bank of the Gallatin.

Here I’m standing near the Gallatin looking downstream to where it joins the Missouri.

The signs at the State Park named the Missouri as the longest river in North America. I read that after some of its riverbed was straightened for hydroelectric projects and the like it might be shorter than the Mississippi. There’s no doubt that it’s an important river.

This sign about high water temperatures along the Gallatin, along with the shrinking glaciers at Glacier National Park, make me wonder how long those waters will flow with the abundance needed to support our food source.

We are still along the Missouri here. Last time we visited we drove out to see the “great cascades” that gave Great Falls its name. Unfortunately most of the falls are dammed for hydro power.

After knocking about in the northwest for a while we plan to come back to the Missouri on September 9th and continue our journey downstream. I’ll no doubt post more about the mighty river then.