Saturday, Sep 9 2023
Today’s weather was perfect for a day outdoors so I drove about 20 miles (32 km) north from Helena to the Gates of the Mountains National Recreation Area and took a boat tour along the Missouri river where it runs in a limestone canyon explored by Meriwether Lewis and his crew as part of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1805. At times the vertical canyon wall towered 1,200 feet (366 m) above us as we made our way to the northern end of the canyon and the point that Lewis named “The Gates to the Rocky Mountains”.
Our journey was easy, on smooth, deep water (created by the Holter Dam completed in 1918) in a motor boat but the Lewis crew were battling upstream over fast moving, shallow water and rapids in dugout canoes. The Gates of the Mountains were named on July 19, 1805 and signaled the beginning of the most perilous part of their journey which was completed in late November when they arrived at the Pacific Ocean.
The very brief video below is the tour boat captain/guide reading from Meriwether Lewis’ journal as we passed through the gate.
I had lunch at the marina where the boat had departed from and then drove back into Helena. I rarely visit cathedral churches but the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Helena had a Tripadvisor Travelers Choice award so I decided that Saturday, rather than Sunday, was a good time to visit. It is a small cathedral and, unfortunately, major structural repairs are in progress.
Inside, the church looks much more modern than its 1914 completion date would suggest while retaining a traditional layout and containing beautiful stained glass windows.
It was a restful and calm way to spend some time but, to me, it did not stand out as particularly special. Helena is the capital city of Montana so a visit to the Capitol will be on tomorrow’s agenda.
The boat cruise looks amazing! So peaceful.
It was peaceful, comfortable and informative. Perfect!
That church definitely looks like it was created in a whole different era.
I’m checking out the maps to see where you’re going but this is the first trip I’m not planning on watching all your videos soon after you do them. The new job has started out well, and I’m enjoying it but am having to give some things up to stay balanced. It still feels like being on a road trip reading your narratives and seeing the photos.
Glad to have you following along, reading or watching. I know you normally watch the videos, you have commented to me on things in them that only viewers would see, but I’m sure you have better things to do with your time. To be honest, I only noticed yesterday that the elevation of photos was messed up on the web page since I switched to different geolocation software back in 2022. Fixed now, but it shows how carelessly I watch my own videos. Glad you are enjoying the new job.