Eastend Auto Tour #1 Frenchman Valley Map

The Frenchman River Valley

Some Pre-Trip Information The Frenchman River Valley is a beautiful yet rugged area that was carved by glaciers many years ago. The Warning : valley begins on the outside edge of the . - The Frenchman River Valley Auto Tour takes Interestingly, the Cypress Hills were missed by place on gravel and dirt roads. Road conditions glaciers, and stand as the highest point between the vary with the weather, and the tour is not Rocky Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s climate recommended in wet conditions. and vegetation is more closely related to the foothills regions then the surrounding prairies. From the - Only leave the main road when the brochure Cypress Hills it loops its way down to , passing mentions it is safe to do so. The prairie through a more traditional prairie environment. After environment is very fragile and must be passing through , it eventually protected. joins the Milk River in northeastern .

- The Frenchman River Valley and surrounding Let’s Get Started… country is filled with wildlife such as whitetail and Eastend Community Tourism Authority mule deer, antelope, coyotes, rabbits, and To begin this 40 kilometer trek, take Grid 614 (the Caution : ECTA is in no way perhaps even moose. While best viewed at dusk Brady Coulee Road) out from the western edge of responsible for the condition of the and dawn, be sure to lower your speed to avoid a town. After only a km or so, you’ll notice a sign tours. Use at your own risk and potential collision. announcing our first attraction. discretion. 1. Chocolate Peak Chocolate Peak is a Bull, and Black Catfish and Crowfoot of the to Ravenscrag (and immediately before the ranch large reddish-brown hill located on the north side of the Blackfoot Nation were also found throughout the yard to the right side of the main grid) is the road. There was originally a large deposit of whitemud Cypress Hills area at various times. Middle Bench Road. This will be the second half (clay) at its base. For this reason, it was once named of your adventure. As you drive by the ranch Wedding Cake Hill. Back in the 1930’s and 40’s, 4. The Hills 49º29.099 / 108º57.631 yard mentioned earlier you can catch a glimpse whitemud (clay) was quite valuable. One miner As you continue to travel through the valley take the of old log buildings that date back to the start of thought his work would be easier if he could burn the time to glance at the beautiful valley hills. Small the century. As you continue along you’ll cross coal layer that rested on top of the whitemud. Well the streams have created these badlands by cutting steep Conglomerate Creek. coal layer did burn, but for years rather then days, ravines into soft shale and sandstone. You will also wrecking the clay in the process and turning the hill notice the many layers that have formed these hills 7. Conglomerate Creek into its present color. over the years. In fact, the first layers were deposited 49º30.380 / 109º02.946 Conglomerate by an inland sea, and thus consist of sand, silt and Creek, named after the conglomerate rock layer 2. Eastend Dam From Chocolate Peak, clay. After the sea receded, you can find the whitemud found throughout the hills, has an interesting continue driving a short distance until you come to a layer (right above this layer is where dinosaur bones beginning. The creek’s source is a spring found in fork in the road. Turn left (south) onto the Ravenscrag are found.) Deposits made by rivers and streams the hills to the northeast. This spring is located Road. From here you should be granted a fine view of coming from the mountains formed additional layers. right on the Continental Divide. This divide the Eastend Dam. The dam was originally built in 1904 The final layer consists of gravel, pebbles, and sand isbasically an imaginary line that decides which by a ranching outfit named Enright and Strong to and is known as the Cypress Hills Conglomerate. way the local waters flow. Those found to the provide irrigation for the surrounding pasture land. south of the lines such as Conglomerate Creek, During 1918 the dam was pushed out by heavy ice. No 5. The White Mud Pits flow south and eventually empty into the Gulf of one rebuilt it until the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation 49º29.370 / 109º01.223 After about 17.5 Mexico. Those north of the line, such as Swift Administration completed the project in 1936. The new km’s you’ll come across a green sign announcing the Current Creek, flow northeast and empty into the dam was much improved and now serves as a popular White Mud Pits. This is the site of amine that had been Hudson Bay. Conglomerate Creek is stocked with recreation area. Perhaps after the tour you could wet a used for years. In the earlier part of the century, white brown trout and is another place to try a little line and try for the abundant pike that lurk in its mud mining was big business. The work was mostly fishing, just be sure to ask the landowners first. waters. done by hand with the use of shovels and dynamite. As you continue your tour heading east, you’ll You are welcome to take a small detour and follow the climb out of the valley. After passing a farmyard, 3. Crazy Horse Camp road north up to the actual site of the mine (after keep an eye out for the sign (located on the right GPS map datum: WGS84 obtaining landowner permission). While exploring, you side of the road) 49º31.424 / 108º56.573 49º29.348 / 108º54.662 Roughly three may even be lucky enough to spy an ancient fossil, just announcing the detour to Jones Peak. From there km’s down the road from the dam you’ll remember the Heritage Property Act that states all you’ll be granted a truly breathtaking view of the encounter a bridge. Just past and to the right fossils belong to the government. valley and countryside. (marked by a sign and interpretation) is a flatland that may have been the site of Crazy 6. Ravenscrag 49º29.754/109º05.240 8. Jones Peak Horse’s Camp. Crazy Horse was a great Sioux As you continue down the valley you’ll eventually 49º30.107 / 108º57.219 Jones Peak is chief that helped Sitting Bull defeat Custer at the come to a junction, at which you turn right named after Harold Saunders ‘Corky” Jones. He was Battle of the Little Big Horn. While Sitting Bull (north). To your left is the small community of a local rancher, amateur palaeontologist and fled north into Canada, Crazy Horse continued to Ravenscrag. 49º29.729 / 109º05.228 historian. He was very knowledgeable about local fight before eventually surrendering and being Though it may not look like much now, history and also found a number of fossils including stabbed at the hands of an American soldier. Ravenscrag was once a bustling western town. It a Triceratops skull. From the peak, you can see most After his death about 200 of his lodges fled had three general stores, two livery barns, a of the earlier attractions. What an amazing valley! As across the Medicine Line (the border between the large stockyard and many other businesses. The you continue along the main road, you’ll come USA and Canada). Many famous Sioux warrior town was an important point for shipping out across another junction. 49º31.971 / chiefs such as Spotted Eagle, Stone Dog, Black cattle and horses. Just across from the entrance 108º52.408 To return to town, turn right.