The Journals of Lewis & Clark: Clark, June 30, 1806

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Clark, June 30, 1806

Descended the mountain to Travellers rest leaveing those tremendious mountanes behind us-in passing of which we have experiensed Cold and hunger of which I shall ever remember. in passing over this part of the Rocky mountains from Clarks river, to the quawmash flats from the 14th to the 19th of Septr. 1805 we marched through Snow, which fell on us on the night of the 14th and nearly all the day of the 15 in addition to the cold rendered the air cool and the way difficuelt. our food was horses of which we eate three.- On our return we Set out from the quawmash flats on the 15th of June and commenes the assent of the rocky mountains; the air became cool and vigitation backward- on the 16th we met with banks of Snow and in the hollars and maney of the hill Sides the Snow was from 3 to 4 feet deep and Scercely any grass vegitation just commencing where the Snow had melted- on the 17th at meridian, the Snow became So deep in every derection from 6 to 8 feet deep we could not prosue the road there being no grass for our horses we were obliged to return to the quawmash flatts to precure meat to live on as well as grass for our horses- leaveing our baggage on the mountains We precured 5 Indians as pilots and on the 24th of June 1806 we again under took those Snowey regn. on the 26th we with our baggage arived at an open plain serounded with Snow where there was grass for horses on the 27th & 28th also passing over Snow 6 or 8 feet deep all the way on 29th passed over but little Snow- but saw great masses of it lying in different directions