June 27, 2021, Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, Montana

 High of 89, sunny and hot.

Big Hole River near our campground in Wisdom, Montana. We are now parked at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, near Whitehall, Montana. Nice campground, but it was 90 degrees and no shade. Good thing the AC now works. 

The Jefferson River across the street from the campground. I went on the Caverns tour. This is the view from the cavern mouth of the campground below. 

Lewis and Clark Caverns. Lewis and Clark never saw or were in these caverns. But they did camp down on the river a ways back. Our tour guide Sam near the Fallen idol you can see behind him laying on the ground. 

A cave bacon formation.  Beautiful columns. 

The CCC hand carved 600 stairs out of the rock in the caverns. We went down most of them. Here we are on our way down. There was even a place where you had to slide down. This is the deepest lake in the caverns. It is 4 feet deep. 

We crossed the contenintal divide twice. It snakes around in western Montana. Where Lewis and Clark camped is now an RV Park and campground, A model of the caverns, A cross section of a stalagmite. The stiars that the CCC hand cut in the cavern are now polished marble from all the feet walking on them over the years. A cool formation. The red color comes from a red light on it. 

Progress on the masterpiece. John preparing dinner.  It says on the can of spray oil to not spray an open flame with it, but John says he can since he is a trained firefighter. . .

Sunset tonight.