Lewis’s small detachment crosses the Continental Divide following a good Indian trail and enters present Idaho. Pvt. McNeal bestrides the “mighty & heretofore deemed endless Missouri” and they see many more mountains to cross.
Back on the Beaverhead River, the men complain to Clark about the near-impossible task of dragging the heavy dugout canoes up the shallow and rapid river.
The Continental Divide
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Hugh McNeal Exulting at the Headwaters
© Michael Haynes, https://www.mhaynesart.com. Used with permission.
Lewis: Across the Continental Divide
Most Distant Fountain
the road took us to the most distant fountain of the waters of the mighty Missouri in surch of which we have spent so many toilsome days and wristless nights. thus far I had accomplished one of those great objects on which my mind has been unalterably fixed for many years, judge then of the pleasure I felt in allying my thirst with this pure and ice cold water
—Meriwether Lewis
McNeal Bestrides the Missouri
two miles below McNeal had exultingly stood with a foot on each side of this little rivulet and thanked his god that he had lived to bestride the mighty & heretofore deemed endless Missouri.
—Meriwether Lewis
More Mountains in View
Bitterroot Mountains Seen from Lemhi Pass
Courtesy U.S. National Park Service, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
after refreshing ourselves we proceeded on to the top of the dividing ridge from which I discovered immence ranges of high mountains still to the West of us with their tops partially covered with snow. I now decended the mountain about ¾ of a mile which I found much steeper than on the opposite side, to a handsome bold running Creek of cold Clear water. here I first tasted the water of the great Columbia river.
—Meriwether Lewis
Wolverine?
we saw an animal which we took to be of the fox kind as large or reather larger than the small wolf of the plains. it’s colours were a curious mixture of black, redis-brown and yellow. Drewyer shot at him about 130 yards and knocked him dow bet he recovered and got out of our reach. it is certainly a different animal from any that we have yet seen.
—Meriwether Lewis
Clark: Beaverhead River Struggles
Dangerous Rapids
we Set out as usal and proceeded on. the current verry rapid the River verry crooked. Some of these rapids is deep and dangerous to pass up one of the large canoes was near turning over.
—John Ordway
Men Much Fatigued
men much fatigued and weakened by being continualy in the water drawing the Canoes over the Sholes encamped on the Lard Side men complain verry much of the emence labour they are obliged to undergo & wish much to leave the river. I passify them.
—William Clark
Weather Diary
State of the Thermometer at rise
Weather at Wind at State of the Thermometer at 4 P.M. Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. 58 [above 0] fair after rain & hail W. 72 [above 0] fair after rain and hail N W —Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Lemair’s Receipt
Washington City 12 August 1805
Sir
. . . . This is to inform you that I have just received by Baltimore a barrel and 4 boxes, and a kind of cage in which there is a little animal very much resembling the squirrel [prairie dog, and in the other a bird resembling the magpie of Europe.
. . . . .
Etienne Lemaire[3]Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with Related Documents: 1783–1854, 2nd ed., ed. Donald Jackson (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1978), 253–54.
Lemhi Pass is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The pass is managed by the US Forest Service.
