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
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from the Lewis and Clark era and told me Lewis and Clark
had a couple of violinists with them, and music was an im-
portant part of the expedition. As I listened, my imagination
ran wild with images of the expedition party dancing to the
music and the haunting tunes echoing across the river.
That night I stayed at the Virgelle Mercantile, built in 1912
for the railroad crews. Don Sorensen runs the Mercantile
now as a bed and breakfast. Over breakfast, we chatted about
the days of Lewis and Clark, and although he didn't have any
wild stories like Frank, he told of how he enjoys living off the
beaten path and giving guests a glimpse into the life of Mon-
tana in the early 1900s.
Next, I was ready to join Nicolle Fugere, who runs the Mis-
souri River Outfitters, on a canoe trip down the Missouri to go
check out a couple of campsites of Lewis and Clark's, when
she told me that the plans had changed and instead asked
if I would like to go help brand cows at a ranch down the
road. I switched gears and followed her down a dirt road that
seemed to go on for miles. As we pulled up, I was taken aback
by the sheer beauty of the place. It felt like I had stepped back
in time as I took in the barns and the home that I found out
were built around the 1860s. It is one of the largest and oldest
working ranches in Montana and used to house the horses
for the cavalry.
I spent the better half of the day with the Kelly family help-
ing brand, and when I say help, I actually mean staying out
of the way and taking photographs. After the calves were
branded and let loose to find their mothers, the dad showed
The Blackfeet
CONSIDERED THIS AREA SACRED.
