At Weippe Prairie in present Idaho, the expedition members wait for the Bitterroot Mountain snow to melt. The warmer weather brings camas blooms and mosquitoes. Lewis collects specimens of prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) and American bistort (Polygonum bistortoides).
A New Camp
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
Beautiful Prairie
nothing interesting occurred in the course of this day. our camp is agreeable Situated in a point of timbered land on the eastern borders of an extensive leavel and butifull prarie [Weippe Prairie] which is intersected by Several Small branches near the bank of one of which our Camp is placed.
—William Clark
Blooming Camas at Mussellshell Meadow
Camassia quamash
© 7 June 2009 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Camas Blooms
the quawmash is now in blume and from the colour of its bloom at a short distance it resembles lakes of fine clear water, so complete is this deseption that on first sight I could have swoarn it was water.
—Meriwether Lewis
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Moose Creek, Big Hole River valley, 25 July 2011. © by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Prairie Smoke
On open ground common on the waters of the Kooskooskee [Clearwater River] Jun: 12th 1806. No: 2.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]Geum triflorum. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 75.
American Bistort
In moist grounds On the quamash flats [Weippe Prairie]. Jun: 12th 1806
—Meriwether Lewis[3]Polygonum bistortoides. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 137.
Troublesome Mosquitoes
the days are now very warm and the Musquetoes our old companions have become very troublesome.
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
State of the weather at rise
Wind at State of the weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. fair after rain, thunder, lightning S E fair N W slight sprinkle of rain in the forepart of the night.—
—Meriwether Lewis[4]To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out.
Weippe Prairie is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. A 274-acre tract in the prairie is managed by the Nez Perce National Historic Park.
Notes
| ↑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. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Geum triflorum. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 75. |
| ↑3 | Polygonum bistortoides. Moulton, ed. Herbarium, specimen 137. |
| ↑4 | To assist the reader of this web page, the date column is omitted and some abbreviations have been spelled out. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).