Outlaws Run 2018. Act 2: Grand Island and the Upper Missouri River Breaks

Once out of the Little Rockies, we mad our way towards the Upper Missouri River Breaks and Grand Island. Stopping first at the DY store. An awesome store in the middle of nowhere. It had gravity fed gas, two pallets of pelts, a bear skin coat, Gremlins playing on the TV and old cars sitting out in back with horses wandering around. We spent some time here.

Jackson making friends with the locals.

Matt R.

Once we entered the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, we left the main road (that headed west) for a two track that would hopefully get us closer to Grand Island.

A few miles in, we got our first views of the Missouri River.

Becoming a trusty steed.

Drew, Matt, Mat and Marco.

Our first view of Grand Island. Along the Missouri River.

Upper Missouri River Breaks.

Taking in the views.

After getting camp situated, we set out on a hike down to the Missouri. We wanted to check out the small channel of the Missouri River and the Grand Island. With hopes that it would be cross able so that we could get to Grand Island.

Down the breaks and almost to the Missouri.

Once at the small channel of the Missouri, we found it to be pass able. Then hiked back up to the rigs for camp.

Camp that evening.

A goal of mine this trip was to be up every morning in time for the sunrise. This morning’s sunrise was probably the best one i’ve seen to date! I got to the ridge overlooking Grand Island and the River Breaks just in time to watch the inversion roll into camp.

Looking SE towards the Charles M Russell National Wild Life Refuge- named after the famous Cowboy Artist. Charles Russel and Kid Curry would ride the Montana range for some time together. Becoming good friends.

Christian.

Martin. A lover of the West, stuck in a bunch of corn in Iowa.

Camp.

Marco and his brother parted ways with us this morning.

Matt Ralston and Martin Huber joined me for the overnight hike to Grand Island.

Hiking down the breaks.

Even the spiders are big in Montana.

It seemed that all the smoke and haze from the fires cleared long enough for us to enjoy our time on Grand Island.

So why all this talk of Grand Island?

After robbing the Great Northern out of Malta, Mt at Exeter Creek, Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid and Kid Curry headed south towards Kid Curry’s hide out in Hide A Way Coulee, where he had a cabin. Kid Curry’s partner in their horse ranch outside of the Little Rockies, Jim Thornhill, stocked the cabin with provisions and also had a boat waiting at the southern end of Hide A Way Coulee, hidden in the willows. From Kid’s hidden cabin, the three bandit’s would take the boat across the river to Grand Island. Spending some time there while thing’s cooled down after the robbery. It’s a nice remote spot. Almost the same as it was the day Lewis and Clark sailed by. While hiding on the Island, Kid Curry would make a visit in Great Falls to his friend Charles M Russell, with the hopes that he could pass signing the stolen back notes.

Matt and Martin fording the small channel of the Missouri River.

Back on dry land and Grand Island.

While looking down upon Grand Island from the ridge line next to camp, it looked like a nicely manicured city park. Once on Grand Island, we’d find it to be overgrown with brush.

The Missouri River from Grand Island.

Exploring the Western end of Grand Island.

Looking North towards Hide a Way Coulee. We will be back here (at the northern end) in the later part of the trip, with the rigs.

Matt took a liking to this old tree.

Martin doing what he does best. Rock hounding.

I dragged friends down with me to camp on Grand Island. The hopes of maybe finding remnants from the Wild Bunch days. To be honest, it was a way for me to say goodbye to Grandpa. My hero. On top of being the foreman to Great Grandpas Ranch in NM ( The Diamond A), he was a ski bum, horse racer, foreman, and river rat. Along with tying his own flies and making his own rods, he was a river guide on the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. A week at a time in the summer while growing up, i’d float the Missouri with Grandpa. This camp on Grand Island was something wonderful.

Martin found an old Eagles nest close to camp.

Evening sets in.

One of my favorite views of the trip.

Looking west from Grand Island. For the folks that didn’t want to do the hike, set out to explore the old two track to Cow Island, just west of here. As evening set in, we could pick them up on the Ham Radio handheld, but we got nothing in return.