Original subtitles

(wind whooshing)

(majestic orchestral music)

(bright music)

- Our journey begins in Missoula,

the only city on our route,

and home to the University of Montana.

We then head deep into the Flathead National Forest,

a refuge for the once endangered bison.

It's then north to the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex,

one of America's finest achievements in conservation.

We fly north along the vast range of the Rocky Mountains.

They make up the Continental Divide

from which water flows to either the Pacific on one side

or the Atlantic on the other.

Joining the Flathead River,

we arrive at the confluence of its two main branches.

It leads us to the last stop on our journey,

the spectacular Hungry Horse Reservoir and its mighty dam.

(upbeat music)

The state of Montana, affectionately dubbed

Big Sky Country, has moved many an artist and writer.

It was traveling across the county of Missoula

that inspired American poet Robert Bly's "In a Train."

He writes of waking up and looking out of the window.

Realizing where he is, he's filled with utter joy.

(upbeat music)

While Bly enjoyed the views of the river

from a passenger train, we follow this freighter

along the Montana Rail Link.

The line is vital in transporting coal,

as well as grain, across the continent.

It meanders through the Eastern Corridor of the Missoula,

a valley so narrow that Native American tribes

engaged in frequent skirmishes over bison.

The area was covered in so many human bones

that French fur trappers named it Hell's Gate.

We follow both rail and river through this tight gap

to catch our first glimpse of the city of Missoula.

The settlement was founded in 1866,

but its growth was spurred greatly by the arrival

of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883,

which boosted its lumber industry.

This depot, built at the turn of the 20th century,

last serviced passengers in 1979 when Amtrak

discontinued its North Coast route through Southern Montana.

While the logging industry here is long gone,

Missoula thrives today as Montana's

second-most populated city.

The First Interstate Center is one of several

post-modern structures that's part

of a major redevelopment plan.

The ironclad dome of the Missoula County Courthouse

is a towering presence in the Downtown District.

The neoclassical building was originally completed in 1910.

The courthouse is currently one of Montana's

few liberal delegations, having made state history

for including sexual orientation

in its anti-discrimination laws.

This clock tower is part of Main Hall,

the oldest structure at the University of Montana.

It's one of several buildings that lie along

this grassy expanse at the center of the campus,

aptly named The Oval.

The university has been a driving force

in Missoula's economy since its opening in 1895.

It's currently the city's largest employer

and delivers millions in revenue

from schools-sponsored sporting and cultural events.

"Rolling Stone" magazine called it

the most scenic campus in America.

On autumn Saturdays, 25,000 faithful fans

flock to the northwest corner of the campus

to cheer for their football team

here at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

(lively music)

It's the largest all-purpose stadium in the entire state,

hosting multiple championship seasons in American football.

Today though, it's the turn of the school's soccer team

to practice on the field.

Missoula's most recognizable landmark

is the giant letter M that looks over the university.

Runners and hikers enjoy a 1.2 kilometer trail

that zigzags down the steep hillside of Mt. Sentinel.

With 11 hairpin turns, the trail provides

a challenging climb, rising nearly 190 meters

to offer panoramic views of the Missoula landscape.

(gentle music)

During the school's annual homecoming celebration,

lights illuminate the M

as a way of welcoming alumni back to campus.

It faces the Blue Mountains

over to the western edge of the city.

It's where we find the Bitterroot River and Fort Missoula.

Established in 1877, it protected settlements

in Western Montana from hostile tribes of Native Americans.

It features an open-design layout which was favored

over the walled forts for almost every military outpost

west of the Mississippi River.

Today, Fort Missoula operates

as a museum and heritage center.

This site holds particular significance

as it stationed one of the racially segregated

units of the U.S. Army.

Formed after the Civil War, the all-black regiments

were nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers.

The historical museum was established in 1975

in a bid to preserve what remained of the original fort.

A collection of 13 historic structures

and over 25,000 objects, such as this rare

Shay type locomotive, are on display.

Indoor galleries feature exhibits from Missoula's

early exploration to modern times,

while the outdoor area presents original

and relocated structures.

Most prominent is the tall conical structure

called a tipi burner, which sawmills used to burn waste.

From the logging industry to its role as a prison,

the museum captures a slice of regional culture

during the fort's peak years.

Our journey now takes us over the Mission Range

of the Rocky Mountains.

Though it's a diverse habitat, it's probably best known

as the Montana National Bison Range,

the refuge that helped save the species from extinction.

Between 30 and 60 million of these animals

once roamed freely throughout North America.

But in the late 1800s, the wild population reached

a low of only 100 due to

a government-sponsored eradication program.

The mass slaughter intended to remove

a vital food source from the Plains Indians

and to ensure their relocation to reservations.

Close to extinction, President Ted Roosevelt

chartered the Montana National Bison Range in 1908

as a sanctuary for their conservation.

It marked the first time Congress authorized

public funds to protect wildlife.

Today, it's estimated that up to 500 bison

make this range their home, a real achievement

for the nation's wildlife refuge system.

The Flathead River borders the western edge

of the Bison Range.

And continuing north, a stretch of river well-known

to whitewater rafters comes into view, the Buffalo Rapids.

The 11-kilometer track courses through a canyon

that's fed by a nearby dam.

This extra flow can sometimes turn these waters

into raging torrents, making them suitable

only for the most skilled paddlers.

This flat valley gives way to the massive peaks

of the Mission Mountain Wilderness.

Commonly referred to as the American Alps,

this cluster of imposing summits on the western face

of the range reach over 2,000 meters.

Its highest point is McDonald Peak,

soaring almost 3,000 meters above the valley.

The rock here was formed billions of years ago.

It's so old that the only fossils to be found here

are of primordial plants.

Today, the ragged peaks are snow-covered

almost all year round.

(majestic music)

A confederation of Native American tribes

manages much of the range, representing the only designated

tribal wilderness actually established by its own people.

In doing so, the committee stated, "These mountains

"belong to our children, and when our children grow old,

"they will belong to their children.

"And this way, and for this reason,

"these mountains are sacred."

The vast Flathead National Forest

continues beyond the icy peaks.

It's a veritable wonderland for outdoors enthusiasts.

Over 3 1/2 thousand kilometers of trails

provide path for motor vehicles, cross-country skiing,

horse riding, and mountain biking.

(mellow music)

Nestled in the pristine valley between the Mission

and the Swan Mountains is the Seeley-Swan Corridor,

a 150-kilometer scenic drive along the Clearwater River.

The dense willow marsh of the river

is also a favorite for canoeing and fishing.

(mellow music)

The river flows into the tranquil Salmon Lake,

one of the many natural bodies of water

that link up along the valley.

Rich in wildlife, visitors are encouraged

to look out for migratory birds,

from common goldeneyes to marsh-loving songbirds.

At the north end of the corridor is Seeley Lake,

a vibrant yet quaint town in Clearwater Valley's

chain of lakes.

Though it does have a local timber industry,

it's first and foremost a resort town.

The year-round population of around 2,000

doubles in the summer months as seasonal residents

return to enjoy their mountain cabins

along the 400-hectare lake.

(bright music)

The town is also renowned for having

one of the best fisheries in the state.

The rainbow trout here are stocked several times a year,

not least because the lake is home

to a particularly voracious breed of pike

known as the Loch Ness Godzilla.

These aggressive eaters can deplete their food sources

in only a few years.

The beasts draw in pike fishers from all over the country

hoping to catch the fish that's over a meter long

and can weigh up to 11 kilos,

what a local once called a fish with attitude.

(mellow music)

Continuing north, we head off into the mountains once more

to a wild and undisturbed terrain that's less accessible

than its neighboring valley.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness, considered the crown jewel

of America's conservation lands,

is the virtual backbone of the Rocky Mountains.

Here, an array of ridges descend into gently sloping

alpine meadows and thick forests.

The Wilderness extends 95 kilometers

along the Continental Divide, separating two major

Montana watersheds, the Flathead and the Sun Rivers.

It was designated a preservation area in 1964

and named in honor of Bob Marshall, a forester who was noted

for his pioneering conservation work in the 1930s.

Today, this 400,000-hectare range is simply referred to

as The Bob, and is the third-largest wilderness area

in the lower 48 states.

Though there are no roads,

there are a few permanent structures,

including some old ranger stations and horse bridges.

Not only are motorized vehicles prohibited here,

but also mechanical ones, such as bicycles and hang gliders.

Despite this, or most likely because of these restrictions,

The Bob is a popular holiday destination

providing ample leisure opportunities

such as camping and fishing.

(lively music)

With the highest population density of grizzly bears

in the United States outside Alaska, The Bob

has been vital to the survival of the species.

It also provides a crucial habitat

for the endangered gray wolf and bald eagle.

(deep orchestral music)

Soaring high over the ridges and peaks with only clouds

for company, we catch the almost mystical quality

that must've so impassioned Bob Marshall.

Decades before Congress passed the Wilderness Act of 1964,

he wrote, "Anyone who has stood upon a lofty summit

"and gazed over an inchoate tangle of deep canyons

"and cragged mountains, of sunlit lakelets

"and black expanses of forest, has become aware

"of a certain giddy sensation that there are no distances,

"no measures, simply unrelated matter rising and falling

"without any analogy to the banal geometry

"of breadth, thickness, and height."

This northern section is the Great Bear Wilderness,

lying west of the Continental Divide.

Living up to its name, it hosts a dense habitat

of both grizzly and black bears.

Whilst there are only a handful of lakes here,

there are over 800 kilometers of rivers and streams.

A remote landscape, Great Bear offers

a challenging adventure for both daring and skilled hikers.

The middle fork of the Flathead River

forms a natural border between the Great Bear Wilderness

and Glacier National Park.

After traveling a long, narrow path,

the waterway arrives at this wide open valley

where its course begins to snake

between meadows and forested slopes.

This section is a seemingly unending series of bends

and is popular among rafters for it's lively white water.

The river is joined by this railway

which takes a splendid route through the coniferous forest

at the base of the mountain.

(upbeat music)

The line dates back to the late 19th century

when America created a cross-country rail system.

It made this spectacular scenery more accessible

to those hungry for a taste of the great outdoors.

The early success of Glacier National Park

as a tourist destination owes much to the pioneering

rail line conceived by industrialist James Hill

who viewed the alpine forest as a little Switzerland.

Today, Amtrak continues to operate a daily train

called the Empire Builder in Hill's honor.

Like this freight carrier, it follows the original

transcontinental route of the Great Northern Railway.

It stretches 3 1/2 thousand kilometers

from Chicago to Seattle.

It makes two stops at the East and West Glacier stations,

hearkening its passengers back

to the golden years of train travel.

In addition to Amtrak's Empire Builder,

the Flathead River is accompanied by a track

for a different breed of transport.

Mule.

Since most of this forest was only accessible

by rail during its early years,

the rangers relied heavily on pack animals.

(mellow music)

The trails were designed for fire control,

administration, grazing, and recreation.

Because of budget constraints and the rugged terrain,

trails were built instead of roads.

On the whole though, these routes were made up

as they went along.

Rangers would hack away at the undergrowth

as they traveled through the woods.

(lively music)

Mules were preferred over horses as pack animals

as they were more surefooted, able to carry

heavier loads, and required less feed.

The packers and their stock were the early

lifeblood of the Forest Service.

A park employee during that era once stated,

"If a lookout, ranger, or a firefighter is without tobacco,

"coffee, or even his mail, he is a discontented human being.

"The mule packs in whatever is necessary

"for his peace of mind and body."

(birds chirping)

After taking a westward course to Glacier National Park,

the Middle Fork of the Flathead River heads southwest

until it finally joins the North Fork.

The confluence of these two rivers is a remarkable sight.

(majestic orchestral music)

One of the striking features is the manner

in which the icy blue waters combine with a colorful gravel

that accumulates over the course of the river.

(gentle orchestral music)

Circling back over the embankment, we find this unique

rock formation just south of the confluence.

This section has fallen cleanly away

to expose the reddish rock beneath.

What's left is this striking single cliff

that's just one of many incredible sights

found along the Flathead River.

And following the waterway south, we near the end

of our journey at the Hungry Horse Reservoir.

Stretching 56 kilometers through remote national forest,

it figures that such a massive body of water

could only be held in by a mighty dam to match.

At 172 meters in height, Hungry Horse

was the third-largest dam in the world

when construction finished in 1953.

(majestic orchestral music)

It had taken over nine years to complete.

Around one billion kilowatt hours

are generated annually from the dam.

While its main purpose is to provide electricity,

the reservoir and surrounding areas

are also used for recreation.

The name Hungry Horse comes from two freight horses

that had wandered away from their sleigh

during a severe winter in 1900.

They were found a month later deep in snow,

starved and weak.

But miraculously they were nursed back to health.

(deep orchestral music)

The blue sky reddens as the sun begins to set

over the majestic landscape of Northwest Montana.

We catch our last glimpse of Swan and Flathead Mountains

immersed in this undisturbed wilderness.

(grandiose orchestral music)

These mountains represent the antithesis to an era

where change is constant, frequent, and tangible.

They were here long before the Native Americans

settled at their feet, before early European explorers

from the East traversed their corridors

in search of the Pacific, before tracks were laid down

and streets were paved.

The sun makes its final gesture over the horizon

in Big Sky Country, darkening the wondrous landscape

as day turns to night.

A perfect moment to end this journey.

(bright orchestral music)

(pulsating music)

(whooshing)