Eastern Montana: The Natural and Cultural

Almost every Thanksgiving Holiday for the past 40+ years, we have headed east to "The Ranch", not far from the N. Dakota border, to spend time with family. In most years, winter has already arrived and the landscape is covered in white. This year, there was no snow and the temperatures were in the shirtsleeve range. These eastern Montana landscapes, while not as physiographically spectacular as the mountains of the western part of the state, have grown on me over the years and they beckon me every day spent there for daily bouts of exploration.

The early winter landscapes are muted in color and contrast compared to other seasons but on close inspection, the wonders of nature reveal themselves to the camera. No, this is not another blog about birds! By this time of year, the diversity of birds is rather minimal and I only saw about 12 species during our stay. But I did find some landscape features that I had not encountered previously, and I will focus on them in this epistle. I also revisited some of the cultural history of he area in the form of relics that recent inhabitants have scattered over the landscape. Some folks might refer to these as junk or trash. I prefer to think of them as photographers' treasures. A pictorial essay of these relics will be posted in a followup blog.

From a distance, these "rough breaks" landscapes effectively hide many of their unique features. Remember to click on the images to enlarge them. But a closer look often reveals remarkably diverse and sometimes moonlike features! OOOPPS! Nineteen month old grand-daughter Railey slipped in here so I guess I'll just leave her to explore on her own! Cap-rocks are a fairly common feature of these breaks areas. A probable bison leg bone protrudes from an eroding bank. Many millions of years ago, large trees occupied these landscapes as evidenced by this petrified tree stump. And then there is "gumbo". Most Montanans are familiar with this stuff. For others who are not, they should experience it at least once. It is as slick as ice but it sticks to shoes or tires or whatever and makes foot or any other type of transportation virtually impossible. Wildlife are an integral and abundant component of this natural landscape. And if you really do want a little more color to heighten your enjoyment of the eastern Montana winter landscape, an occasional brilliant sunset will sometimes fill the bill!