Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 22 As we walked into the house, I was taken back to my grandparents' home, with the elec- tric coffee pot on the counter and its smell of coffee that's been on for too long in the air, doilies on every surface, and everything in its place. Lois asked if I want some coffee. It would be an insult to say no, so while the coffee brewed, we made small talk about the river, the weather, and Frank's days as a plumber. Lois's coffee was as strong as her attitude, and I enjoyed the under-the-breath comments she made during Frank's storytelling. I asked them if they had any personal stories of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Lois said, "No, and quite frankly, I am getting a bit sick and tired of them," like they were a guest who had overstayed their welcome. I got the sense she'd heard Frank's stories before. Then, right on cue, Frank said, "The only thing I know is that rock outside across the river, you see, is in their journal, and they called it Mountain Palace. And do you remem- ber the rapids they couldn't get over? Well, I ran them once in a canoe..." I perked up in- stantly, which was probably a combination of interest and Lois's coffee begin- ning to take. Frank recounted his experience. "We had talked to Lois's dad, who worked at Black Eagle Dam, and asked if he knew of anything dangerous down the river that could do you in. My friend, of all things, had a 12 gauge shotgun that had nev- er even been fired yet. We loaded everything into my 1977 Grand Prix Pontiac, put the canoe into the river at Maroney Dam, tied everything off real good. Well, Sacagawea..." DEARBORN RIVER FORT BENTON BIG SANDY My recollections of the Lewis and Clark Expedition ARE FROM HISTORY BOOKS AND INTERPRETIVE CENTERS. SO I DECIDED TO HEAD OUT INTO PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS AND BREWERIES.

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