Radersburg, south of Helena, was home...
...but they had looked forward to the beauty of mountains and lakes.
. We see below us, glistening in the bright sunlight like a mirror, a beautiful sheet of water, dotted here and there with little islands of green. Pelicans, swans, sea gulls and geese floated upon its surface....
We found a good camping ground near the ranch of Mr Sawtell, which was then unoccupied. We found boats moored near us, and ... started to visit an island about a mile from shore. As we rowed out we saw some fine trout below us that were distinctly visible through the clear water, and swimming near us, we saw a number of swans with their young....
Our camp is delightfully situated about three hundred yards from the lake on the mountain side, and we have a beautiful view of it as it lies calmly sleeping in the moonlight....
During the night the wild birds on the lake kept up a continual chorus of discordant sounds, swans, pelicans, cranes and geese vying with each other in their efforts to make the night hideous.
Frank Carpenter
tourist-Radersburg party