| s/y Nine of Cups Pompey's Pillar National Monument - Montana June 2012 |
| Note that nowadays, William Clark would probably be arrested for graffiti and/or defacing public property. |
| Pompey's Pillar is a massive sandstone outcrop that rises 150' from the banks of the Yellowstone River. The Pillar and ~50 surrounding acres became a national monument in January 2001. Historically, it's been a celebrated landmark and outstanding observation point for more than 11,000 years based on the hundreds of petroglyphs and inscriptions left by visitors over the ages. The most celebrated signature is that of William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition who stopped by here in 1806. We climbed to the top for great views. |
| The Visitor Center offered lots of interesting maps showing the many routes taken by the Lewis & Clark expedition as well as exhibits about the local inhabitants of the area. Above, David looks at maps and Marcie checks out a buffalo skin raft while modeling a buckskin dress. Gotta love those versatile skins. |
| Pompey's Pillar was called "where the mountain lion lies" by the Crow people. |
| William Clark named the rock Pompy's Tower. It was renamed Pompey's Pillar in 1814 when Lewis & Clark's journals were published. Pompy was Clark's nickname for his guide, Sacajawea's son. Pomp translates to "little chief" in Shoshone. |
| The wooded area along the river surrounding the monument was home to lots of critters including yellow warblers, violet green swallows and snakes. |
| More National Parks and Monuments? American Odyssey - Part I? (Las Vegas to Denver) American Odyssey - Part II? (Denver to Boston) Roadside Americana? Birds of North America? Wildflowers of North America? |
Next National Monument on the
itinerary... Devil's Tower in Wyoming.
itinerary... Devil's Tower in Wyoming.