Clark and a large group pack elk meat out of the dense woods so that it can be hauled in canoes. When darkness falls, several cannot find their way back to the canoes. At the Fort Clatsop site, work continues to complete the captains’ quarters and cover huts.
Bringing in the Meat
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
Elk
© 21 December 2010 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
The Jewell Meadows Wildlife Refuge hosts a large elk herd, especially in winter months, and located about 30 miles southeast of Fort Clatsop. Notice the snow on the higher ridges.
Packing Elk Meat
I Set out with 16 men in 3 Canoes for the Elk proced up the 1st right hand fork 4 miles & pack the meat from the woods to the Cano from 4 mile to 3 miles distance all hands pack not one man exempted from this labour I also pack my Self Some of this meat, and Cook for those out in packing
—William Clark
Stranded Without a Fire
The woods at that place and under brush lay so thick, that the Men got scatter’d & some of them were lost.— Serjeant Ordway, three of the Men & myself were among those that had lost themselves. We were obliged to stay out during the Night. It rained all that night & the wind blew very cold & being without fire, we suffered considerably both from the Rain & wind.
—Joseph Whitehouse
The Captains’ Quarters
myself and 2 others were employed in fixing and finishing the quarters of the Commanding Officers, and 2 more preparing puncheons for covering the huts.
—Patrick Gass
Weather Diary
Day of the Month Winds State of the Weather 15th S W. Cloudy after rain rained all last night and untill 8 A. M to day after which it was Cloudy all day.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has spelled out some abbreviations.
Fort Clatsop is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The site is managed by the Lewis and Clark National and State Historic Parks.
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 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has spelled out some abbreviations. |
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).