The Caverns Lewis and Clark NEVER visited

So, if you are ever driving through Montana, just east of Butte, you really should stop at a place called the Lewis and Clark Caverns.  You might think that it is named such because the famous Lewis and Clark found the caverns, perhaps with Sacajawea herself.  You'd be wrong.  They never even knew the caverns existed.  Instead, many years after Lewis, Clark and Sacajawea had passed through the area two cowboys were hunting a deer and found an opening into a mountain, and in that mountain they found a cavern, and in that cavern they found... some pretty cool limestone, which, 118 years later we found too. Too bad the park wasn't named after those guys, or I might know their names.  I don't.  But, I like them all the same.

The last leg of our Paxton-Wiebe adventure took us to the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.  It was really cool.  We went on a 2 hour guided tour through the limestone caverns. We hiked up the mountain to the opening of the caves, and then descended down 600+ stairs inside the mountain to come out level to where we started.  It was truly awe inspiring.  Here's some shots.


Outside the mouth of the caverns:

Down, down, down:

 Check out the couple behind us.  I think they are making out.

Nursed Silas half the time:

Amazing what millions of years can create:

This tunnel took no time at all. Only 18 months in the 1930s and a bunch of guys with sledge hammers, so we were told.  I like those guys too, seeing as how it meant we didn't need to hike back up those 600 stairs. 

And, from their we said goodbye. Boy oh boy are we going to miss those girls (not to mention their parents, and Baby North).