[Lewis, June 26, 1806]
Thursday June 26th 1806. This morning we collected our horses and set out after an early breakfast or at 6 A.M. we passed by the same rout we had travelled on the 17th inst. to our deposit on the top of the snowey mountain to the N. E. of hungary Creek. here we necessarily halted about 2 hours to arrange our baggage and prepare our loads. we cooked and made a haisty meal of boiled venison and mush of cows. the snow has subsided near four feet since the 17th inst. we now measured it accurately and found from a mark which we had made on a tree when we were last here on the 17th that it was then 10 feet 10 inches which appeared to be about the common debth though it is deeper still in some places. it is now generally about 7 feet. on our way up this mountain about the border of the snowey region we killed 2 of the small black pheasant and a female of the large dommanicker or speckled pheasant, the former have 16 fathers in their tail and the latter 20 while the common pheasant have only 18. the indians informed us that neither of these speceis drumed; they appear to be very silent birds for I never heared either of them make a noise in any situation. the indians haistened to be off and informed us that it was a considerable distance to the place which they wished to reach this evening where there was grass for our horses. accordingly we set out with our guides who lead us over and along the steep sides of tremendious mountains entirely covered with snow except about the roots of the trees where the snow had sometimes melted and exposed a few square feet of the earth. we ascended and decended severall lofty and steep hights but keeping on the dividing ridge between the Chopunnish and Kooskooske rivers we passed no stream of water. late in the evening much to the satisfaction of ourselves and the comfort of our horses we arrived at the desired spot and encamped on the steep side of a mountain convenient to a good spring. having passed a few miles our camp of 18 Sepr 1805 here we found an abundance of fine grass for our horses. this situation was the side of an untimbered mountain with a fair southern aspect where the snows from appearance had been desolved about 10 days. the grass was young and tender of course and had much the appearance of the greenswoard. there is a great abundance of a speceis of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains it's growth is luxouriant and continues green all winter but the horses will not eat it. soon after we had encamped we were overtaken by a Chopunnish man who had pursued us with a view to accompany me to the falls of the Missouri. we were now informed that the two young men whom we met on the 21st and detained several days are going on a party of pleasure mearly to the Oote-lash-shoots or as they call them Sha-lees a band of the Tush-she-pah nation who reside on Clark's river in the neighbourhood of traveller's rest. one of our guides lost 2 of his horses, which he returned in surch of; he found them and rejoined us a little before dark.
[Clark, June 26, 1806]
Thursday June 26th 1806 We collected our horses and Set out early and proceeded on Down hungary Creek a fiew miles and assended to the Summit of the mountain where we deposited our baggage on the 17th inst. found every thing Safe and as we had left them. the Snow which was 10 feet 10 inches deep on the top of the mountain, had sunk to 7 feet tho perfectly hard and firm. we made Some fire Cooked dinner and dined, while our horses Stood on snow 7 feet deep at least. after dinner we packed up and proceeded on. about the borders of the Snowey region we killed 2 Small black pheasents and a female of the large dommanicker or Speckled pheasent, the former have 16 feathers in the tail and the latter 20 while the common Pheasent have 18. the indians informed us that neither of these Speces drumed; they appear to be very Silent birds for I never heard any of them make any noise. the Indians hastened us off and informed us that it was a considerable distance to the place they wished to reach this evening where there was grass for our horses. accordingly we Set out with our guides who led us over and along the Steep Sides of tremendious Mountains entirely covered with Snow except about the roots of the trees where the Snow was partially melted and exposed a Small Spot of earth. we assended and decended Several Steep lofty hights but keeping on the dividing ridge of the Chopunnish & Kooskooske river we passed no Stream of water. late in the evening much to the Satisfaction of ourselves and the Comfort of the horses we arived at the desired Spot and Encamped on the Steep Side of a Mountain Convenient to a good Spring. here we found an abundance of fine grass for our horses. this Situation was the Side of an untimbered mountain with a fair Southern aspect where the Snow from appearance had been disolved about 10 days, the grass was young and tender of course and had much the appearance of the Green Swoard. there is a great abundance of Species of bear grass which grows on every part of those Mountains, its growth is luxurient and continues green all winter but the horses will not eate it. Soon after we had encamped we were over taken by a Chopunnish man who had pursued us with a view to accompany Capt Lewis to the falls of Missouri. we were now informed that the two young men we met on the 21st and detained Several days were going on a party of pleasure mearly to the Oat-lash-shoots or as they call them Sha-lees a band of the Tush-she-pah Nation who reside on Clarks river in the neighbourhood of the Mouth of Travelers rest. one of our Guides lost 2 of his horses, he returned in Serch of them he found them & rejoined us at Dark. all of the Indians with us have two & 3 horses each. I was taken yesterday with a violent pain in my head which has tormented me ever Since, most violently
[Lewis, June 27, 1806]
Friday June 27th 1806. We collected our horses early and set out. the road still continued on the heights of the same dividing ridge on which we had traveled yesterday for nine miles or to our encampment of the 18th of September last. about one mile short of this encampment on an elivated point we halted by the request of the Indians a few minutes and smoked the pipe. on this eminence the natives have raised a conic mound of stones of 6 or eight feet high and on it's summit erected a pine pole of 15 feet long from hence they informed us that when passing over with their familes some of the men were usually sent on foot by the fishery at the entrance of Colt Creek in order to take fish and again met the main party at the Quawmash glade on the head of the Kooskooske river. from this place we had an extensive view of these stupendous mountains principally covered with snow like that on which we stood; we were entirely surrounded by those mountains from which to one unacquainted with them it would have seemed impossible ever to have escaped; in short without the assistance of our guides I doubt much whether we who had once passed them could find our way to Travellers rest in their present situation for the marked trees on which we had placed considerable reliance are much fewer and more difficult to find than we had apprehended. these fellows are most admireable pilots; we find the road wherever the snow has disappeared though it be only for a few hundred paces. after smoking the pipe and contemplating this seene sufficient to have damp the sperits of any except such hardy travellers as we have become, we continued our march and at the distance of 3 ms. decended a steep mountain and passed two small branches of the Chopunnish river just above their forks and again ascended the ridge on which we passed several miles and at a distance of 7 ms. arrived at our encampment of September near which we passed 3 small branches of the Chopunnish river and again ascended to the dividing ridge on which we continued nine miles when the ridge became lower and we arrived at a situation very similar to our encampment of the last evening tho the ridge was somewhat higher and the snow had not been so long desolved of course there was but little grass. here we encamped for the night having traveled 28 miles over these mountains without releiving the horses from their packs or their having any food. the indians inform us that there is an abundance of the mountain sheep or what they call white buffaloe. we saw three black-tailed or mule deer this evening but were unable to get a shoot at them. we also saw several tracks of those animals in the snow. the indians inform that there is great abundance of Elk in the vally about the Fishery on the Kooskooske River. our meat being exhausted we issued a pint of bears oil to a mess which with their boiled roots made an agreeable dish. Potts's legg which has been much swolen and inflamed for several days is much better this evening and gives him but little pain. we applyed the pounded roots and leaves of the wild ginger & from which he found great relief.—neare our encampment we saw a great number of the yellow lilly with reflected petals in blume; this plant was just as forward here at this time as it was in the plains on the 10th of may.