Butte, MT
©2013 text and photos by LeeZard Tuesday July 16 I’ve been awakening early every morning – usually 6am – eager to begin each day. This morning, as I open my tent flap, I am in awe; a herd of about 30-40 elk is racing across the field right in front of me. I am transfixed. They move too fast and disappear into the woods before I get my hands on my camera. The image is burned into my memory; they are elegant and awesome. I must roust myself from nature's glory, however, and get my ass to work. I drive down from my 7,000 foot mountain aerie and head to town. Butte is a small but proud city. Population in 2012 was 33,720. Its past and present is mining. At one time this was called "The Richest Hill on Earth." The city was born in 1864 when prospectors discovered gold in Silver Bow Creek. By 1870 the placer claims petered out and so did the population, dropping from 500 to 150. The second boom, and the one that cemented the city’s future, came i...