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Most Lofty Mountain Ever Seen

By: LC200 staff

Clark and the main party of the Expedition reached Camp Fortunate where Lewis was camped along with a group of Shoshones on August 17, 1805. There was much to be done because winter was rapidly coming on. The two Captains decided that Clark would take eleven men and a Shoshone guide on an advance scouting trip to determine whether they would need only enough horses to make a modest portage over the continental divide to the Lemhi River (Lewis called it the Columbia) where they could travel by canoe down the river or if they would need to purchase many horses and make a longer overland trip. As soon as Clark could make that determination he would send a messenger back so Lewis would know how many horses were needed.

While Clark was scouting the route Lewis, with help from the Indians, would move the Expedition’s camp over Lemhi Pass and join the main camp of the Shoshones on the Lemhi River. He would then buy the needed horses and catch up with Clark who would be building dugout canoes if the trip was to be by water or would be retracing his route to meet Lewis if the trip was to be overland. Lewis noted in his journal entry for the day “the men are in high spirits at the thought of getting horses.”

Clark set out the next day, August 18th. The Indians had described the country ahead telling Lewis that it was very rugged land and difficult traveling and game was scarce for food. But they also said there were some trails to take the Expedition through the mountains.

Clark’s course took him from Camp Fortunate through Shoshone Cove and over Lemhi Pass then down to the main Shoshone camp on the Lemhi River, a distance of about 40 miles. This was the same route Lewis had taken a few days earlier when he first found Sacajawea’s tribe. At the main Shoshone camp (near the present day town of Tendoy, Idaho) Clark picked up his guide, “Old Toby,” and continued on down the Lemhi River. Clark intended to follow the Lemhi River, which Clark called the east fork of the Lewis River, until it joined the Salmon River, Clark’s west fork of the Lewis River. From there he would follow the Salmon until it flowed into the Columbia River. The purpose of this scouting trip was for Clark to determine if this water route could be traversed by canoe.

The Lemhi River just below the Shoshone camp was an area frequently used by several tribes. At a place in the river where three islands create a number of small channels, some Indians had fish weirs, or traps, set up and were busily hauling in their catch. A little further down at the confluence with the Salmon River was a favorite place to “gig”, or spear, fish. This looked so simple some of Clark’s men tried it, but all they could get was one small salmon. Clark termed their attempts very unsuccessful.

From the confluence of the Lemhi River (near present day Salmon, Idaho) Clark’s route became increasingly steep and rocky. They continued their march northward past the north fork of the Salmon River. There the river curved to the west; it soon became impossible to follow the shoreline as the steep cliffs of solid rock came down to the edge of the water. Clark stopped at a small bottom where he divided his group. He would take three men and continue on foot to see if there was a way to get horse and equipment around this obstacle. The rest would stay in place to hunt, repair clothes, etc while waiting Clark’s return.

Clark’s little party scrambled over the rocks for 12 miles to a creek that had an Indian road running along it. Old Toby told Clark the road led to a large river that ran north and was used by another tribe to get to the fishing areas they had recently passed. A short half mile further they reached another creek where they turned onto an Indian road that took them over a ridge across a well-timebered bottom then up a steep mountain. Clark could see the river they had been following for 20 miles ahead ending with “one of the most lofty mountains he had ever seen.” Clark noted in his journal that he was “perfectly satisfied as to the impracticability of this route either by land or water.” At the base of that mountain the route became impossible just as the Indians had said. This lookout point is some three miles from the present day town of Shoup, Idaho. Clark was looking west into some of the ruggedest country in the Rockies. It is still primitive and mostly roadless today. He could have been seeing Mount McGuire, which has an evevation of 10,000 feet

With that decision made Clark starts retracing his route back to where he left the rest of his group and then up the Salmon River to the Shoshone’s camp on the Lemhi. When he reached the little bottom where his men were waiting, Clark wrote a description of the country and told Lewis to buy horses and prepare for an overland trip. This letter he gave to Colter with the instructions to get it to Lewis.

The day Clark left on his scouting trip was Lewis’ 31st birthday. On that day Lewis reflected on his worth and what he had done for society. He ended his reflections with a vow to live the rest of his life “for mankind” rather than “for himself.” During the time Clark was gone Lewis busied himself with the preparations for moving the Expedition. The canoes were sunk in a pond for use when the Expedition returned the following year and some provisions were deposited in a cache. The rest of the baggage was repacked into bundles that could be carried by pack horses. Lewis described the steelhead trout which was new to science. On the same day Lewis described the steelhead, Clark noted in his journal a bird that was new to science. What he called a new kind of woodpecker, we now know as Clark’s nutcracker.

Lewis’ journals for this period of about a week is very rich. He wrote over a dozen pages describing details about the Shoshone Indians that were around him. He went into detail on many facets of their life, clothes, and customs. This is probably the best example of Lewis trying to fulfill Jefferson’s instructions as far as learning about the native people he encountered. It also gives good insight into the prevalent thought of the day concerning the status of Indians as savages.

A large group of Shoshones who were to help Lewis transport the Expedition’s main camp across the continental divide to the Lemhi River arrived on August 22nd. Everything was packed up and Lewis set out on the 24th accompanied by the Shoshones, they reached the Lemhi two days later. Lewis noted when they reached a hill overlooking the Shoshones’ main camp, at Cameahwait’s request, he had the Expedition fire a volley. “I drew up the party at open order in a single rank and gave them a running fire discharging two rounds.” Translating this from the military terms of that time, what Lewis did was put his 18 enlisted men in a single line then on the order the first man fired then in quick succession and without further orders the second then third, etc fired, until each man had fired two shots. This drill can be very impressive when done by a group that has become proficient. Lewis reported that the Indians were pleased with the demonstration.

As soon as Lewis reached the Shoshone camp he made arrangements to purchase horses the Expedition would need. Although he had his men bring out the fiddle for dancing and merriment, Lewis did not take part and was in no mood for frivolities. He was very worried that the Indians would not give them an adequate number; a fear he would harbor until he actually had the horses in his control. He knew the Indians were very eager to get back over the mountains and onto the Missouri where they could hunt buffalo and build up their food supply.

Lewis’ journal entry for August 26 was the last entry he would make until September 8th.

By August 26th Lewis was camped on the Lemhi with the Shoshone. Clark had reached the confluence of the Lemhi where he camped at the fish weir place. He needed to hunt and fish to get enough food for the trip through the Rockies. The two camps were about 15 miles apart. During the next three days Clark joined Lewis and concluded business with the Shoshones, buying a total of 29 horses. The Expedition left the Shoshones on August 30th, traveling down the Lemhi to the Salmon then turning up Tower Creek on an Indian road where they stopped for the night.

For the next nine days the Expedition struck an overland route to the north. They followed an Indian road along the north fork of the Salmon River passing to the east of the most lofty mountain and area Clark had said to be impossible to travel through. But much of the time there was no trail to follow so traveling was, as Sergt Ordway termed it “with much fatigue.” Their route generally follows what is now U.S. highway 93 from Salmon, Idaho through Lost Trail Pass to Missoula. At Missoula they turned west to Lolo Creek and camped at Travelers Rest, reaching there on September 9th. They stayed there the next day resting and finding game to restock their meager food supplies.

The exact route they followed is nearly impossible to mark. In fact the Expedition’s route of September 3 is one of the most disputed areas of the entire Expedition with no less than four viable opinions on where they went. Whichever route was actually used it was tough going. Ordway referred to it as “a very lonesome place” with no game of any kind to be found. Clark said they “passed over immense hills and some of the worst rad that ever horses passed.” To make matters even worse, the expedition survived this part of the trip on extremely minimal rations; some days a few handfuls of berries was all there was to eat.

On September 4th the Expedition met a band of Flatheads at Ross Hole who befriended them. Lewis was able to buy thirteen horses and exchange seven more. These Flatheads were on their way to the Three Forks to join with the Shoshones in hunting buffalo.

When the Expedition reached the area of present day Missoula their guide told them about a well worn road through the mountains to the east that would take them to the buffalo at the Gates of the Mountains in four days. This was the same road the Captains had heard about while at Fort Mandan the winter before.

While the Expedition was at the Travelers Rest they met three Indians who were tracking stolen horses. One of the Indians agreed to guide the Expedition through the mountains to the navigable waters of the Columbia where he had many relatives. The trip would take six days. Lewis, who had started keeping his journal again, called the Indians Flatheads, but they were probably Nez Perce. With everything now ready the Expedition would set off to the west the next day, September 12th.