Belt, Montana

July 22 & 23, 2007.

We are staying in Dick's RV Park in Great Falls, Montana. It is a nice enough park with paved FHU sites & Cable for $27. They do charge extra for wifi but we found an open wifi signal in the park. There isn't a lot of choice in Great Falls, it is either Dick's or KOA and we avoid KOA if at all possible. Bottom line, we would recommend Dick's when stopping in Great Falls.

Old river bed exposed in road cut near Belt, Montana

There is a lot to see, do and experience when in Great Falls. The last time we were here we visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and we did it again this time so I will not spend time describing that wonderful center except to say that if you are in the Great Falls area it is a "must see" place.

We headed to the southeast of Great Falls on US 87 to the small town of Belt, Montana. Belt isn't actually on US 87 it is situated a few miles to the east. We are visiting Belt, Montana because it is located to the southeast of Great Falls and we wanted to compare the topography of this area with other areas of Montana.

After driving through Belt we headed north on the only paved road going north out of town. Not long after leaving the business district we came upon this spectacular river cut. I was drawn to the conglomerate layer at the top of this cliff. Long ago a river flowed where those river rocks comprise the top 5' or so of top soil.

Limestone cliff capped by conglomerate near Belt, Montana

Swallows nesting on/in the cliff wall near Belt, Montana

Hundreds, if not thousands, of swallows were nesting on that cliff wall outside Belt, Montana. I could not tell if they were cliff, bank or cave swallows.

Montana wheat fields as far as the eye can see

The area to the southeast of Great Falls, Montana is a grain growing region like the area to the northeast. The light color is wheat while the darker color is native grasses or perhaps one of the darker grains.

East of Great Falls is a grain growing region

Again the light colors are grain while the darker color is a mixture of land at rest, native grasses or one of darker varieties of grain.

Montana wheat as far as the eye can see

In this picture two different types of grain can be seen. The darker area is hard red winter wheat, while the lighter colored grain is spring wheat.

Combine operators have a lonely existance driving up and down long rows of wheat

Combines like this one will continue until they are out of sight before making a turn.

Montana wheat harvest means combines and dust

You have to be very patient to wait for one particular harvester to make a complete round of these huge fields. Harvester watching is much easier in fields with several combines working the same field.

Large farm operations have their own grain storage facilities

Like in other grain growing areas large operations have their own grain storage buildings. Some of the harvested grain is going in these bins while other trucks are delivering loads to area grain elevators located along rail road tracks.

Resting Montana grain field

This land is resting while a nice grain field ready for harvest is located in the distance.

Back in Great Falls we drove along the Missouri River stopping at one of a series of falls Great Falls was named for.

One of the Falls in Great Falls, Montana

This is Upper Rainbow Falls, one of the "Falls" that Great Falls was named for. It is one of the Great Falls of the Missouri.

Not far from here is Black Eagle Falls. The name came from the journal of Captain Meriwether Lewis where he wrote on the 14 day of June 1805: "...below this fall at a little distance a beautiful little Island well timbered is situated about the middle of the river. In this Island on a Cottonwood tree an eagle has placed her nest. A more inaccessible spot I believe she could not have found, for neither man nor beast dare pass those ----- which separate her little domain from the shores".

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Until next time remember how good life is.