Ringing Rocks, Deep Pits, and a 90‑Foot Lady.
Today was packed from start to finish — Ringing Rocks in the morning, the Berkeley Pit in the afternoon, and an evening tour of Our Lady of the Rockies to close out the day.
Lynn was up late at 0700, still dealing with the toothache that’s been wrecking her sleep. She worked on the blog while Kirk slept in, then he made breakfast around 9am. Lynn had to cut her sausage‑and‑egg muffin with a knife and fork and chew on one side. Tooth pain sucks!
By 11:30am we were on the road toward the Ringing Rocks near Whitehall, about a 30‑minute drive east. Lynn’s dentist told us about this place. The rocks ‘ring’ when hit with a hammer. Of course we had to check out this oddity. The gravel road is fine at first, but the last quarter mile is brutal — steep, narrow, and littered with boulders. A high‑clearance vehicle is a must. The rocks themselves are a natural pile of boulders that “ring” like metal when struck. No hammers were available when we arrived, but thankfully Kirk had tools in the truck. The rocks show clear discoloration from years of tapping, so it’s easy to find the sweet spots. It’s quirky, fun, and one of the strangest geological surprises around. Most people reach the base on motorcycles or Razors. One guy was amazed that Kirk drove the truck all the way up and even complimented him — he had just bought the same truck and was thrilled to see what it could handle. There is another parking lot for lower clearance vehicles but you then have to walk up the road to the rocks. There is no cost to visit this site.
We wrapped up around 1pm and headed back to Butte for lunch. Not many places were still open, but the M&M Bar & Cafe was serving until 2pm. Lynn ordered French toast — soft and easy on the tooth — but the first batch came out completely undercooked. One of the cooks spotted it, shook his head (in disbelief that it came out that way), and immediately fixed the issue. The replacement was perfect.
After lunch, we explored Butte and stopped at the Berkeley Pit, the massive open‑pit copper mine that operated from 1955 to 1982. It’s one mile long, half a mile wide, and 1,780 feet deep. When mining stopped, the pumps were shut off and the pit began filling with groundwater, creating a 900‑foot‑deep lake of bright blue‑green, highly acidic water loaded with heavy metals. Admission is $6 ($3 per person). The site is part of the Superfund cleanup, and a treatment plant has been running since 2019 to keep the water from reaching a dangerous level. The viewing platform offers great views and detailed signs, including the sobering story of the 1995 snow goose incident, when a sudden snow storm forced thousands of migrating geese to land on the toxic water. Roughly 342 died. Today, noise cannons, lights, and patrols keep birds away.
By 3pm we were back at the RV to rest before our 6pm tour of Our Lady of the Rockies. Lynn blogged, Kirk napped, and we headed out at 5:30pm.
We arrived just before 6pm and even saw two people we’d met earlier at the pit — one had booked the tour because of Kirk’s recommendation. The statue is a 90‑foot Virgin Mary standing on the Continental Divide at 8,500 feet, built entirely by volunteers in the 1980s as a symbol of love and hope after a local woman survived a serious illness. The tour is three hours: one hour up the nine‑mile mountain road, about an hour at the site, and one hour back down.
Our Lady of the Rockies was erected in 1985. Her four massive sections were air‑lifted one by one to the ridge by a Chinook helicopter, then assembled by volunteers — one of Butte’s most dramatic community efforts.
Below the statue is a small chapel dedicated especially to women and mothers. The walls are lined with more than 15,000 names, honoring women who were loved, remembered, or lifted up in prayer. Outside, a grove of memorial trees has been planted in tribute — hundreds of them, each representing someone’s mother or loved one. Inside the base of the statue is a small shrine with candles and tributes, a quiet place to pause and reflect.
While we were there, we learned the story of Joyce and Bill, the couple whose love and determination helped bring the statue into existence. Joyce had battled a serious illness, and Bill made a promise: if she recovered, he would build a monument in her honor. She did — and he kept his word. What began as one man’s vow grew into a massive community project, with volunteers from all over Butte stepping in to help. Their story is woven into every part of the site, from the chapel walls to the memorial trees to the statue itself.
The statue is enormous — bright white and towering over Butte. It’s impossible not to be impressed.
There were about ten of us in the van. The driver… well, let’s just say he could use a little skill refinement. Lynn sat up front next to a friendly woman who talked nonstop both up and down the mountain. She now knows her entire life story. Meanwhile, Kirk sat quietly beside her, enjoying the peace.
By 9pm we were back at the RV. Dinner was simple: chicken salad for Kirk and ramen noodles for Lynn.
A long day, but a wonderfully explorative one.
Weather – High 85*, Low 55*. Winds 1-17/30 mph. No rain. No humidity.
Traffic – None.
Food – Nothing to report – other than undercooked french toast.
Notable – Ringing Rocks, Berkeley Pit, Our Lady of the Rockies.
