Montana
Montana was the 7th colorway in our preorder series, The Outfitter Tour.
Montana is known for its rich diversity of wildlife, and its hotbed of fossils. Here the Rocky Mountains narrow, bringing together a rare dazzling assortment of creatures from the Pacific Coast, the Great Plains, and northern Canada. To the north, Glacier National Park protects 1 million acres of this special place and also a rare Triple Divide, where water flows out to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and Hudson Bay.
A portion of Yellowstone also extends into Montana, the only place where American Bison have roamed free continuously since prehistoric times. In 2012 after nearly a century of absence, Assiniboine and Sioux tribes finally welcomed some of these native Buffalo back to their lands in North Eastern Montana, reviving both the ecosystem and cultural heritage. Bison were hunted from 30 million to only 1000 individuals near extinction as Euro American settlers infiltrated the west and the US Army launched a campaign to kill bison in a strategic effort to control the Native American tribes that relied on them. A newer program has also started diverting Yellowstone buffalo that would have gone to slaughter for population control, and sending them to protected tribal lands instead. These gains were hard won after years of political battles. Help protect buffalo by asking your legislators to protect the Endangered Species Act.
Montana has also been a source of amazing discovery, helping to change our understanding of life on earth. In the 1850's the first named dinosaur fossils were discovered here, where they were received by the public with a lot of awe, but also skepticism and fear. The first T Rex fossil in the world was discovered here in 1902. And later in 1988, a woman on a family camping trip discovered one of the most complete T Rex fossils ever found.
Book Recommendation: Michael Crichton fans may enjoy his page-turning historical fiction novel, Dragon Teeth, where readers are transported back to these landscapes during the wild fossil hunting era of the 1870's.
Featured patterns:
We suggest the following patterns!
- Knit Socks: Autumn Bark Socks Fingering
- Knit Mitts Dragon Hide Mitts DK
- Knit Hat: Dragons Teeth Hat DK
- Crochet Wrap: Crosswinds Wrap Fingering
Inspiration image photo credit: Tony Reid & USFWS