Pamela Lowe

September 1 – October 10, 1805
Down the Lolo Trail

As with other great explorers throughout history, there has always been a need to go where only myths and legends exist. When Napoleon Bonaparte refused the offer to purchase New Orleans, and countered with the opportunity for the United States to purchase the entire French claim, it was an offer too great for James Madison to refuse. The offer was taken back to the President and approved by Congress with a vote of twenty-four to seven. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States, which was quickly becoming overcrowded. But since this region had yet to be explored no one knew what exactly they had gotten themselves into. And this would be how history arrived at the Corps of Discovery, and to the Lewis & Clark Expedition. After watching a PBS documentary about Lewis & Clark, (with my dad, who was so excited to share this with me) I chose to summarize the portion of the expedition that traveled over the Rockies. Mainly because my father’s family is from the Missoula, Montana area, my father was born in Tarkio, Montana. My mother was born in Hollywood, Idaho. She spent her childhood in the Kamiah, Weippe and Lapwai, Idaho area. I was also born in Pullman, Washington, and raised in Medical Lake, Washington. My family history is deeply entwined in the region. The expedition prior to the fall of 1805 had been easy in comparison to what lie ahead for Lewis & Clark. It seems as though most of their provisions had been used up during their winter stay in North Dakota and their journey across the Great Plains. They also buried some of their stockpile, to ensure they had it for the return trip. It is in Western Montana that the group would enter into geography they had never seen or explored. These indeed were important times. How exciting it must have been to be part of such an adventure. On September 1st, the Corps of Discovery departed, on what Clark described as a nice day. They had rain around noon and the ground was broken (rock) which flowed together with the river. Finding food was getting difficult, they were only able to hunt one deer, and they purchased four salmon from the Natives. During this part of their travels they came upon many forks in the river, and often had to cut their own roads through the wilderness. The terrain was steep and rocky, making travel very difficult for men and horses alike. More than once did a horse take a tumble down a hill. Around September 4th, it is noted that the temperature was starting to drop. Ice was frozen to their packs, they had to delay their departure on occasion to allow the sun to thaw them. It is around this time that they made acquaintance of some of the Flat Head tribe. They enjoyed hospitality, exchanged gifts, sat together under robes and smoking the peace pipe. They purchased horses to replace some of their exhausted ones. Communications proved difficult to say the least. Tribes to not speak the same dialect. It took time to translate through layers of languages. Their travel during this part was difficult. They faced deep crevices along with sharp peaks. This also make hunting and foraging for food nearly impossible. More than once they had to make the decision to butcher a horse or a dog, just to survive. On occasion the men resorted to eating bear oil and candles. Many of the men were starting to suffer from dysentery. I think at this point I would have wanted to give up, as dysentery does not sound fun at all. It was decided to send Lewis out with a hunting party to find more level ground, in hopes that wild game would be more bountiful. Around mid-September, the Corps encountered snow. Often falling in great amounts overnight which delayed their departure the following morning. The explorers were definitely tired, cold, hungry and wet. If the dysentery hadn’t discouraged me by this point, cold, wet feet would have. It is noteworthy to mention that part of their task was to identify and catalog different types of flora and fauna, along their route. Some of the things they documented were referenced to prior discovery, while some were new and never seen by members of the Corps. They noted huckleberries, alder berries, black berries and choke cherries to name a few. Elaborate and very detailed descriptions of wildlife were a necessity. We as college students have trouble remembering homework assignments and schedules. September 20th it is noted that they came upon a group of Natives called, Cho Pun-nish or pierced nose. Today we call them Nez Perce. Hunting for the group had improved. And a favorable relationship with the Nez Perce was formed. It is the Nez Perce that provided Lewis & Clark with a detailed map that would take them to the mouth of the Columbia River. The men are starting to get very ill, some of them can’t even mount their horses, and therefore they just lay on the side of the trail. This made traveling further and working very difficult. On the bank of the Clearwater River, near the end of September, the weary band of explorers started building dug-out canoes, which were to be used for the remainder of their travels. It is at this point the men were the sickest. They were surviving on a diet of fish and roots, something they were not at all accustomed to, by civilized standards. I imagine fish and roots could be seen as sushi and a salad today, still not to my liking. October 1st, it is increasingly apparent that they men are tired of the dried fish diet they have had to rely on, since hunting was not fruitful. The mornings are cool, followed by warmer afternoons. The explorers are receiving daily visits from the Natives. The Natives are interested in trinkets and beads. Clark did upset a few that wanted pipe tobacco, one was even so brazen as to take the tobacco out of a pack, without asking. October 5, 1805, the horses (numbering 38) were gathered and branded, their care entrusted to the tribe, for the fee of a knife and other small articles. The journey would continue in the canoes. The rivers had unexpected rapids which caused leaks, cracks and splits in the canoes. It was difficult to get all of their provisions dry before the next day. It is on this part of the journey, after the great falls, the Corps arrives at the Snake River, to a point we know today as Lewiston (Idaho) and Clarkston (Washington). To sum this all up, travel was hard, definitely not for the weak. The journey from England to the New World could not prepare future generations for the Lewis & Clark Expedition. These two men and the other members of the Corps of Discovery are heroes and pioneers among men. They endured hardships like no one expected. From wintering in the Dakotas and in the Rockies to crossing the Great Plains. I am truly grateful for their commitment and sacrifice. I have thoroughly enjoyed this assignment.

Works Cited
Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery. Dir. Ken Burns. Perf. Hal Holbrook, Adam Arkin, John Logan Allen. PBS Home Video, 1997. Videocassette.
Lewis, Meriwether, William Clark, Gary E. Moulton, and Thomas W. Dunlay. The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 1983. Print.