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Description
Cliffs Under a Big Sky
The cliff in the foreground is the edge of a buffalo jump at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park outside of Great Falls, Montana. The jump is a National Historic Landmark and could be the largest jump site in North America.
The visitor center has an extensive historical display, including a brain tan bison hide tipi (my favorite). They tell the story of the buffalo hunt. A young boy, in a display of courage and strength, took on the job of leading the herd over the cliff. Dressed as a calf, he would catch the attention of the herd's leader, a cow, and deliberately stray off toward the cliff. As he got farther away, the cow - annoyed - would start running after the stray calf. The rest of the herd would follow her lead, running faster and faster, until the short-sighted herd reached the edge of the cliff. The boy would jump to a short ledge (pre-scouted of course!) just out of the way of the rest of the herd that would come crashing behind.
The trail around the park still bears signs of the past, including tipi rings and bison bone chips.
In the background is the Square Butte laccolith (igneous rock squeezed between two softer rock layers that have since eroded away). Montana's most famous artist - Charles Russell - used the butte in several of his paintings. In the farthest part of the background are the snow-covered peaks of the Rocky Mountain Front.
explore 6-30-16
Image copyright: ebhenders (Eric Henderson), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.
The cliff in the foreground is the edge of a buffalo jump at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park outside of Great Falls, Montana. The jump is a National Historic Landmark and could be the largest jump site in North America.
The visitor center has an extensive historical display, including a brain tan bison hide tipi (my favorite). They tell the story of the buffalo hunt. A young boy, in a display of courage and strength, took on the job of leading the herd over the cliff. Dressed as a calf, he would catch the attention of the herd's leader, a cow, and deliberately stray off toward the cliff. As he got farther away, the cow - annoyed - would start running after the stray calf. The rest of the herd would follow her lead, running faster and faster, until the short-sighted herd reached the edge of the cliff. The boy would jump to a short ledge (pre-scouted of course!) just out of the way of the rest of the herd that would come crashing behind.
The trail around the park still bears signs of the past, including tipi rings and bison bone chips.
In the background is the Square Butte laccolith (igneous rock squeezed between two softer rock layers that have since eroded away). Montana's most famous artist - Charles Russell - used the butte in several of his paintings. In the farthest part of the background are the snow-covered peaks of the Rocky Mountain Front.
explore 6-30-16
Image copyright: ebhenders (Eric Henderson), hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API.
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