Distinctly Montana Magazine

65 w w w. d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m to believe him, then may as well make them absolutely fantastic. And so, his reputation for storytelling grew. On that first trip, it seems Bridger led his troupe through Syl- van Pass from the east to the canyons of the Yellowstone River. He told friends that there was a river that was hot on the bottom (Firehole River), petrified trees (with petrified birds still roosting on petrified branches), a dark glass cliff (Obsidian Cliff), and a place on a great lake where one could catch fish in the cold wa- ter, then cook them in the hot springs without having to move or take the fish off the hook. But Bridger could be quite factual and accurate when he want- ed to be. Captain John Gunnison, who helped survey the valley of the Great Salt Lake in 1849, spoke of Bridger's descriptions of Yellowstone Country: "A picture most romantic and enticing…. A lake 60 miles long, cold and pellucid... The rivers issue from this lake and for 15 miles roars through the perpendicular can- yons...Waterfalls are sparkling, leaping and thundering down the precipices, and collect in the pools below. "On the west side...the ground resounds to the tread of horses. Geysers spout up 70 feet, with a terrible hissing noise, at regular intervals (Old Faithful). In this section are the great springs, so hot that meat is readily cooked in them; and as they descend on the successive terraces, afford at length delightful baths." At other times he could spin his experiences into quite fanciful yarns. While not all the crazy stories that have been attributed to Bridger were actually his, there are three or four that do seem to be verifiably from Bridger himself. Those concerned petrified forests, "Hell-close-below" and the stream-heated-by-friction. Overlooking the Lamar Valley in the northeast of the park is Specimen Ridge. This is where you will find Yellowstone's pet- rified forest. One of Bridger's fireside yarns he liked to tell in- volved a mountain that was cursed by a Crow medicine man. The curse instantly petrified everything on the mountain. All forms of life remain as they were at the instant of the curse—trees, sagebrush, grass, prairie fowl, elk, antelope and bears. The flow- ers were even caught in blooming colors of crystal, birds soared with wings in motionless flight. Torrents of water and the mist from them were caught in arrested motion, as if carved from rock by a sculptor's chisel. The air floated with music and perfume, and even the sun and moon shone with petrified light! Bridger would also sometimes tell a story of watching a couple of Indian braves riding on horseback in front of him, crossing a thermal area presumably. "They hadn't gone very far before the W ith unparalleled industry knowledge, experience, and lo- cal experts, we're the Western Montana Real Estate expert you've been looking for. Whether you're buying or selling, we are here to assist you with local and professional knowledge through- out. Use our website to assist with your search. Once you sign up, you'll be able to save listings, save your search criteria, get auto- mated email updates for new homes matching your saved search criteria, and more. Please do call or email us any time you would like any additional information on any property(s) you have inter- est in or would like to schedule a viewing. Thanks so much and we do look forward to hearing from you soon. We know Montana! Winner: Best Executive Services Finalist: Best Ranch Brokers, Best Realtor in Western Montana Montana Residential Ranch Properties Montana Ranch Properties • 120 S. 5th Street, Suite 201 • Hamilton, MT 59840 406-369-0320 • Email: Rod@bitterroothorseproperty.com • www.bitterroothorseproperty.com Rod Freeman, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services — Montana Properties CAPTAIN JOHN GUNNISON SPOKE OF BRIDGER'S DESCRIPTIONS OF YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY: "A PICTURE MOST ROMANTIC AND ENTICING…"

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