Y'all know they didn't have Kennetreks and Meindle's, right? Walked in moccasins until they wore out, then made their own.
Geno likes hunting in moccasins, probably would have enjoyed that part of the trip.
Living wet like they did in Oregon might not have been so much fun.
The bridge to the right of the elevator crosses Almota Creek, where the group camped one evening. Of course, camp might be underwater now, as the Snake is not in the same condition as that river in Kenny's picture
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
Through Idaho going west they found no game at all. They ate 1 horse.
They lived for more than 2 years on meat and water.
They traded for and survived on lots of roots from the Nez Perce when they were on the return trip and had to wait for the snow to leave so they could get over Lolo Pass. Corps members were down to trading buttons, ribbon, etc.. off their clothing for roots, in some cases. Deer were tough to find when they were in what is now Idaho. They did manage to kill several dozen deer though and they got some bears. They also had what was known as "portable soup" to eat when things go real tough. It had to be real chore feeding 30 plus hungry people with limited resources.
L and C found they could offer medical treatment to the Nez Perce in trade for roots, fish, horses, dogs, all of which were consumed. The Indians thought them great healers.
Lots of places and rivers in this part of the country carry names from the LC Expedition. A few have some memorable names like; Colt Killed Creek, Horse Steak Meadows, Bears Oil and Roots, Hungry Creek, Portable Soup Camp.... You can guess what they ate or didn't eat at those locations.
In one case, the group were so needing food they sent expedition member, John Ordway, and two others to go from their camp on the Clearwater River to the Snake River (a distance of almost 70 miles) to try trading for the salmon that were rumored to be migrating upriver there. The Indians said the trip would take a day, but it took 3 days to get to the Snake River and Ordway was able to trade for 27 large and fresh salmon. Unfortunately, most of the salmon spoiled by the time they got them back to the main camp on the Clearwater River.
"The original Fort Clatsop decayed in the wet climate of the region but was reconstructed for the sesquicentennial in 1955 from sketches in the journals of William Clark. The replica lasted for fifty years, but was severely damaged by fire in early October 2005, weeks before Fort Clatsop's bicentennial. A new replica, more rustic and rough-hewn, was built by about 700 volunteers in 2006; it opened with a dedication ceremony that took place on December 9. The site is currently operated by the National Park Service."
I'll check that one out. I'm pretty sure I've bought something from them before and checked the value of another old book I have.
January thaw here. -2F on the 2nd, today just about all the snow in the yard is melting into the ground or going down our seasonal creek to fill the nearly empty reservoir downstream.
More snow perhaps this weekend, but probably mostly rain at our altitude. We'll take whatever the sky drops on us at this point.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
Chased birds right there a time or two. Place is lousy with rattlers. I guess that’s to be expected in E WA, right next to a grain elevator.
Well there are some birds around, that's for sure. But pheasants weren't on the Corps menu then.
Rattlers? Yeah, a few, but nowhere near what I lived with in the desert below Hoover Dam.
The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men. In it is contentment In it is death and all you seek (Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)
Having seen and ridden along the Upper Missouri from Great Falls Mt west in 2019, I am friggin amazed they poled a boat against that current, the labor required must have been astronomical.
Iron Men and Wooden Ships in those days! Your right, imagine inches at a time, instead of yards!
They kept meticulous records. I read that during their months at Ft. Clatsop, they killed 128 elk. They were trying to dry the meat for the trip home but it was so wet that they couldn't do it. It all spoiled. 'Undaunted Courage' mentioned an event that I've never read anywhere else. On the return trip, a group was hunting elk in a quakie patch when one of the men mistook Lewis for an elk and shot him in the butt. It wasn't serious but Lewis spent a lot of time lying on his stomach in a canoe for a while.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.