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@ White-Tailed Ptarmigan, Montana
Elsie begins her journey through Montana & the Dakotas!
White-Tailed Ptarmigan, Montana
The White-Tailed Ptarmigan is the smallest grouse in North America. In the summer, the ptarmigan is a brown-grey dappled mix, and in the winter, the feathers turn white except for a few black outer tail feathers. Spending all year in the alpine-arctic zone. Well adapted to cold with feathered nostrils and feet. Because the White Tailed Ptarmigan is so well camouflaged in all seasons, predation by eagles is rare.

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@ Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana

Yellow Daisy Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana
The largest lake in Glacier National Park, Lake McDonald is over 10 miles long and a mile wide. With stunning views of the surrounding glaciers and colourful rocks in the water, Lake McDonald is a popular tourist destination within the National Park.

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@ Fall Colours, Lake McDonald, Montana
Montana’s wildlife is very diverse. Its mountains are home to grizzly and black bears, bighorn sheep, gray wolves, and bison. Animals that live on the plains include pronghorn, coyotes, and badgers.
Fall Colours, Lake McDonald, Montana
Autumn has arrived around Lake McDonald in Montana as the Tamarack (Larch) Trees turn golden in October. Spectacular fall colours are a matter of what the weather is doing at that time of year. If it is too cold, if there is snow, the leaves freeze and die without changing colour, and if there is wind, the leaves are blown off.

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@ White Alpine Flower, Montana
Step into the past in Virginia City, a gold mining town that still looks like it did in the 1800s. You can see 19th-century plays, take a stagecoach tour, and even check out stores with one-hundred-year-old items on display!
White Alpine Flower, Montana
In mountainous regions, wildflowers grow in many colours and can be found sprouting out of rocks and on cliff sides, wherever a bit of soil can be found a seed may find purchase and grow. Because of the harsh environment, cold, lack of soil, and high winds, the plants will keep close to the ground to take advantage of the difference—by a few degrees–in temperature.

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@ Horses Running Across Stream, Montana
Montana’s flag features the state seal on a field of deep blue. The state seal represents symbols of Montana’s natural beauty and history, including hills, cliffs, trees, mountains, and tools that depict the state’s farming and mining history.
Horses Running Across Stream, Montana
The wide open spaces, fresh mountain air, and many trails make Montana a perfect place to raise horses and enjoy riding.

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@ Setting Sun, Pine Trees, Montana
Each spring, roughly 10,000 white pelicans migrate to Medicine Lake, Montana from the Gulf of Mexico. They have a wingspan of nine feet.
Setting Sun, Pine Trees, Montana
The day is drawing to a close. Stand and breathe in the pine-scented air, and reflect on what amazing sights you have seen this day. As the sun sets you may get a chance to capture one last memory on film before the sun disappears.

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@ Bison, Grasslands, Montana
Montana covers a total area of 147,046 mi² (380,847 km²), making it the 4th largest state of the US, between California and New Mexico in terms of size.
Bison, Grasslands, Montana
Bison is the largest of the land animals in North America. They are intelligent, agile, fast, and able to run up to 45 miles per hour, and the bison can jump 6 feet in the air. The bison has a coat so dense that snow won’t melt when it lands on the bison, and the cold is not felt until temperatures reach -40

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@ Oil Pump, Montana
Famous Montanans include actor Gary Cooper, motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel, and Jeannette Rankin, the first woman ever elected to U.S. Congress.
Oil Pump, Montana
There are 45 named oil fields in Montana, and the state ranks 10th in the country for barrels of oil produced. Three hundred and fifty million years ago, Montana and surrounding states were covered in water, and dinosaurs roamed the land and waters. With time, pressure, and heat, oil is formed. It is fascinating to think that where people walk, work, and play today was once a very different environment.

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@ Granary, Montana State Line
The official motto of Montana is “Oro y Plata“, which is Spanish for “Gold and Silver”.
Granary, Montana State Line
Stretching from the Canada border from North Dakota to Idaho border, 1,046 km (65 miles). An iconic symbol, the granary, greets travellers at the state line entering Montana. Ranked fourth in the country for wheat production. Everyone has romantic visions when thinking of particular places in the world; the granary is sure to represent flat, wide-open land under big skies of blue with golden wheat shimmering in the sun.

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@ One-Room School, Masonic Lodge Bannack
Montana’s top natural resources were once copper, gold, silver, and sapphires. People still mine for precious rocks and metals here—but now, the one of the state’s most valuable resources is petroleum. The state is also the world’s leading producer of talc, a mineral used in cosmetics.
One-Room School, Masonic Lodge Bannack
On the main street of Bannack stands a small building—built in 1874– that housed the Masonic lodge and below a one-room school. Masons had a strong presence in the early days of Montana’s history. The building had a double ceiling, and floor between the stories that kept the rooms soundproof to protect the secret rites of the Masons. The only access to the upper story was by the outside stairs.

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@ Bannack Ghost Town, Beaverhead, Montana
Check the ground for reptiles such as alligator lizards, skinks, and venomous vipers. Amphibians like chorus frogs, giant salamanders, and newts also call Montana home.
Bannack Ghost Town, Beaverhead, Montana
In Beaverhead county, on the Grasshopper Creek, is Bannack— a ghost town—founded in 1862 (Bannock was then in Idaho territory). Bannack—named after the local Bannack indigenous people—was the site of a major gold discovery, bringing miners and businesses to the area.
Bannack is now a National Historic Landmark, the last people to live in Bannack left in the 1970s. With over 60 buildings, the town stands as one of the best-preserved towns representing the old west.

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@ Barn, Montana
Bald eagles, golden eagles, red-winged blackbirds, and mountain bluebirds soar throughout Montana’s skies
Barn, Montana
No one is home in the barn; the usual occupants are enjoying the sunny day and grazing on grasses far over the ridge. The barn may stay empty even at night, but it is there, standing ready if someone needs some shade.

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@ Madison River, Montana
Each spring, roughly 10,000 white pelicans migrate to Medicine Lake, Montana from the Gulf of Mexico. They have a wingspan of nine feet.
Madison River, Montana
The most well-known river in Montana is the Madison River, a tributary of the Missouri River. The Madison starts in Yellowstone National Park with the Gibbon and Firehole rivers converging; once outside the park, it flows into Hebgen Lake, a large reservoir and the river picks up below the dam. Fly fishing is a popular sport all year-round on the Madison River, with brown and rainbow trout being plentiful.

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@ Panorama Glaciers, Montana
Step into the past in Virginia City, a gold mining town that still looks like it did in the 1800s. You can see 19th-century plays, take a stagecoach tour, and even check out stores with one-hundred-year-old items on display!
Panorama Glaciers, Montana
A stunning scene of the sun setting behind the glaciers in Glacier National Park, Montana. At some point in history, there were 150 glaciers in Montana, now there are 25 active glaciers.

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@ Badlands, South Dakota
Oh look ... you won a Frontier pet!
Badlands, South Dakota
Badlands is used to name any arid land with minimal vegetation and steep slopes with features such as buttes, hoodoos, ravines, and gullies. This type of terrain is created when soft sedimentary soil has been eroded. Badlands are found on every continent except Antarctica.

In the U.S.A, Badlands National Park, located in southwest South Dakota, is a protected area of 242,756 acres. A popular destination for visitors from all over the world, the stunning beauty of this arid and imposing land would take the breath of anyone away.

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@ Pronghorn, South Dakota
Check the ground for reptiles such as alligator lizards, skinks, and venomous vipers. Amphibians like chorus frogs, giant salamanders, and newts also call Montana home.
Pronghorn, South Dakota
The pronghorn is not an antelope, being the only surviving member of the Antilocapridae (member of the superfamily Giraffoidea, the pronghorn’s closest living relatives are okapi and giraffe. The pronghorn is indigenous to western and central North America. The pronghorn is the fastest land animal in the Western Hemisphere, reaching a top speed of up to 88.5 km/h (55 mph) and maintaining a high speed longer than a cheetah. Its high speed was thought to have evolved to escape the now-extinct American Cheetah, as the pronghorn can outrun any extant predator.

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@ Sylvan Lake, South Dakota
Gold and silver deposits were mined from the Montana mountains as early as the 1800s, earning the state its nickname, the Treasure State.
Sylvan Lake, South Dakota
In Custer State Park, located in the Black Hills, there are five lakes, Sylvan Lake being the most photographed or painted. The lake was created in 1891 when Theodore Reder built a dam across Sunday Gulch Creek. A popular destination since before the park was formed, visitors can go fishing, swimming, kayaking, and camping, and it is a much sought-after location to hold weddings. The scenery is stunning, and Custer State Park is said to be the best state park in the U.S.A.

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@ Bison Roaming South Dakota Badlands
Montana’s name comes from the Spanish word montaña, roughly meaning “mountainous.” That’s because the state has so many mountains—at least 300 peaks over 9,600 feet tall!
Bison Roaming South Dakota Badlands
Where once 10s of millions of bison roamed, by the 1870s, there were no more herds of bison sweeping over the plains of the Badlands. In the 1960s, 50 bison were introduced to the badlands of South Dakota. After many years of work with conservationists and good stewardship, the herd has grown to around 1,200 bison. It is not just the bison that are at risk; the mixed grass prairie grasslands in the South Dakota badlands are some of the last in the U.S.A. Grazing bison create a healthy land, and in turn, prairie dogs—who prefer to live where bison graze can flourish, thereby flora and fauna of an area are maintained naturally.

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@ Deadwood Town, South Dakota
"Have you seen this in our tour guide, Elsie?" remarked Snowflake. "In 1856, the US Camel Corps was an experiment by the United States Army to use camels as pack animals. Shortly after the Civil War started, this experiment was abandoned."
"That's remarkable, Snowflake!" responded Elsie.
Deadwood Town, South Dakota
Infamous Deadwood Town—named because of the dead trees found in the gulch—was created as an illegal town in the 1870s. The land had been granted to the Lakota people. Gold was discovered in 1874, and by 1877 12,000 people had moved to the area. The area was lawless, and justice was not always impartial. Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried in the Mount Moriah Cemetary. Interestingly the person who murdered Bill Hickok was tried twice despite double jeopardy. The town has been designated a National Historic Landmark as it showcases well-preserved Gold Rush-era architecture.

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@ Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Step into the past in Virginia City, a gold mining town that still looks like it did in the 1800s. You can see 19th-century plays, take a stagecoach tour, and even check out stores with one-hundred-year-old items on display!
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
On Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota stands an iconic sculpture carved in stone that most people recognize. Originally historian Doane Robinson wanted Oglala Lakota leader Red Cloud, explorers Lewis and Clark, and Buffalo Bill Cody to be carved on the Needles, the pinnacles near the mountain. Gutzon Borglum, the artist, thought the Needles were too small and the mountain had better sunlight. Borglum also thought that the sculpture should have a national focus, so four presidents were chosen who had made significant contributions to the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the country.

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@ Lone Bison, Badlands, South Dakota
Bald eagles, golden eagles, red-winged blackbirds, and mountain bluebirds soar throughout Montana’s skies
Lone Bison, Badlands, South Dakota
A wonderful closeup of a lone bison as it looks over the land. The American bison is the largest land animal in North America, it can stand 1.8m (6 feet tall), and a male can weigh 900kg (one ton). The female bison will be roughly half the weight of the male. The bison is the only wild cattle species native to North America. Bison use their heads to plow snow away from grasses in the winter so they can forage. Bison eat on the move, thereby keeping the land healthy. The bison is not a buffalo and are not closely related to the true buffalo of Asia and Africa.

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@ Lake Oahe, South Dakota
The official motto of Montana is “Oro y Plata“, which is Spanish for “Gold and Silver”.
Lake Oahe, South Dakota
Lake Oahe is a reservoir on the Missouri River, starting in South Dakota and ending in North Dakota. It is the fourth-largest reservoir, by volume, in the U.S.A. and encompasses 370,000 acres. Prehistoric sites have been explored in the area, including Molstad village which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. Fishing, hiking trails, camping, and hunting bring many tourists to the area each year to enjoy the outdoors.

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@ Badlands, North Dakota
Step into the past in Virginia City, a gold mining town that still looks like it did in the 1800s. You can see 19th-century plays, take a stagecoach tour, and even check out stores with one-hundred-year-old items on display!
Badlands, North Dakota
The Badlands in North Dakota in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park is not the same as the famous Badlands in South Dakota. The South Dakota Badlands have whiter clay, no vegetation to speak of, and is more rugged. North Dakota Badlands have prairie dogs, bison, wild horses, and a lot of vegetation.
Badlands is used to name any arid land with minimal vegetation and steep slopes with features such as buttes, hoodoos, ravines, and gullies. This type of terrain is created when soft sedimentary soil has been eroded. Badlands are found on every continent except Antarctica.

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@ Bighorn Ram, North Dakota
Montana is known for having two very different geographic regions. The Rocky Mountain region covers the western two-fifths of the state. It’s home to Glacier National Park, which contains 7000-year-old glaciers. The region is also where you’ll find Granite Peak, the state’s highest point.
Bighorn Ram, North Dakota
By 1905 the last recorded Bighorn sheep had been hunted. It was not until 1956 that the Bighorn sheep were reintroduced to North Dakota when a small population of Bighorn sheep was brought from British Columbia, Canada. The Bighorn has had its challenges in the 90s a type of pneumonia all but decimated the herd. The current population, in 2022 stands at 450.

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@ Prairie Grass, North Dakota
Elsie has now completed her journey through Montana & the Dakotas! As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Old Train Wagon And Snake
Yeehaw! Howdy partner. Hop on up here and grab a seat. As soon as this here wagon is hitched up to the engine, we will be ready to roll. A piece of advice for you; make sure to hang onto the sides when we head ‘round a corner, and you might want to keep your mouth closed when we get going; the wind in these parts whips up the dirt, and it gets in your teeth.

Prairie Grass, North Dakota
Prairie grass holds the soil in place and the grass roots can extend deep to find water sources. North Dakota has three types of grasslands, and the grasses found in these areas can include more than 200 species, some of which are indiangrass, switchgrass, big bluestem, and prairie dropseed. Imagine the sound the grasses make when the wind sweeps over them.
Elsie has enjoyed her journey through Montana & the Dakotas, but it is time to go home now! "The American Frontier" is over now, but there will be more events in PnF soon!