Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 20 Setting out to explore all three of Mon- tana's ferries, our journey began in the river canyon of the rugged, broken and relatively unspoiled country known as the Missouri Breaks. Lewis and Clark came through this part of central Montana on their epic jour- ney to the Pacific. A dirt road offers modern day adventurers a scenic drive through this beautiful area, much of which is now pro- tected as a National Monument. In fact, this part of the world is so isolated, that when the dirt road reaches the water's edge, you'll discover there's no bridge—only a ferry. e setting sun softens the rough terrain, painting the hills in the warm glow that makes for great photographs. e ferry is on the far side of the river when we pull up. But soon, the diesel-powered barge chugs across the water with friendly operator Jack Carr at the wheel. "ey planted bighorn sheep, reintro- duced 'em here about 30, 35 years ago," Jack tells us. "ey are the predominant animal around here right now." Dressed in a baggy T-shirt and shorts, Jack is a former small- town school teacher, who genuinely enjoys piloting the ferry. "Just visiting with people is interesting," he says. "And I always ask, 'Where you coming from and where you going?' And everyone's got a story to tell ya. And they want to know about the history of the ferry." Homesteader Jack McClelland put the original ferry in back in 1921, and later sold it to the Stafford family. Today the McClelland/ Stafford Ferry is owned by the county. e boat runs from the first of May to the end of November. "ere's a bridge up river about 13 miles," Jack replies, when asked why there's no bridge here. "But they just don't want to disrupt this section of the river." Just eight to 10 vehicles cross on an average day, many of them tourists. But local ranchers use the ferry as well, which cuts off an hour on the trip to Billings for those north of the Missouri. Montana's two other working ferries are upstream from here. Furthest away is the Carter Ferry, outside the tiny town of Carter, 25 miles northeast of Great Falls. e placid stretch of river there runs through country not nearly as dramatic as the Breaks. But it's beautiful in its own way. After all, we're in Montana! article and photos by MARK BEDOR A J O U R N E Y O N M O N T A N A ' S F EW OF US GIVE A THOUGHT TO CROSSING WATER, AS WE CRUISE THE HIGHWAYS AND CROSS MODERN BRIDGES. But in the 1800s, fording a river could be a dangerous and even deadly ordeal. River ferries were the first major improvement to make that task much easier. Today in Montana, three ferries still operate on remote stretches of the Missouri River, giving travelers a chance to slow down, experience a taste of history, and soak in some beautiful country. Ferry pilot Jimmy Griffin at the controls, as the Virgelle Ferry crosses the Missiour River.

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