Montana: Little Bighorn 1

The Journeys trip this year was a lot of fun. A smaller group than usual -- just nineteen participants -- but that can make my job a bit easier and certainly means that we get more time to know each person better. This was the third year that I was doing this trip, and the fourth time that I'd be working with Ed Bearrs. I was looking forward to it.

It was a trying start, though. My flight was delayed out of Washington, so much so that I was certain that I'd be spending the time of the opening dinner still sitting in the Minneapolis airport. But we made up a bit of time on the flight, and they literally closed the airline doors behind my connecting group. That left me a flight to contemplate how inappropriate it was going to be to host the opening reception in my jeans and sneakers, and to wonder at what time my luggage would make the hotel that evening and what I needed to get at the store in the meantime. However, it was with great surprise that I saw my bag on the carousel in Billings!

This year's weather was much cooler. The first year, it was hot. Last year, it was brutal. This year.... mid-70s with a breeze and cloud cover. People wore sweaters and jackets on some of the walks! But it made a tremendous difference.

I'll tackle it more like a photo essay, making a couple of posts this week. Next weekend, I'll aim to return to Australia, and share that trip with everyone.


On the first full day, we head out of Billings towards Wyoming. We make a quick stop at the commemorative spot by the Little Bighorn Battlefield. These are the markers, and Ed always lectures here.


We continue on to Fort Phil Kearney and the Wagon Box fight and the site of the Fetterman defeat. This part of the country is beautiful--lots of rolling green hills. But the terrain is deceptive, and it's easy to see why some of the battles were so difficult.



Sage is everywhere. I love its smell. If you just run a spike through your hands, the smell will stay on your skin for some time. I can't get enough of it when I'm out there.


The group sets out on one of the long ridge walks. Again, the weather really helped this year! Nearly everyone made the walk. At the end, they uncovered a marker that Ed had never seen before, noting where several of the U.S. Cavalry members had fallen in the battle.


These last three are from the site of the Wagon Box Fight. Both of these two battles were part of the Indian, or Great Sioux, Wars that led up to Little Bighorn. In the case of the Fetterman fight, Fetterman strayed from his orders, and all of his party were killed by the Indians. (Hence, the history books call it the Fetterman Massacre.) By the time of the Wagon Box, the army had changed tactics somewhat and changed guns, and the earlier advantage of the Indians was somewhat reversed.