Clark‘s group kills three grizzlies, measures the Missouri river’s width, and heads back to Decision Point via the Teton River valley. From the Marias River, Lewis sees the Sweet Grass Hills. At the main camp, the men make leather and Goodrich fishes.
Sweet Grass Hills
© 2013 June 28 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Above: In this view of the Sweet Grass Hills, the mountains are real, but sage brush has replaced cultivated fields via artificial intelligence.
Dry Soil near the Teton River
© 21 July 2011 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Lewis Scouts the Marias
The Sweet Grass Hills
I discovered a lofty single mountain which appeard to be at a great distance, perhaps 80 or more miles it boar N. 52 W. from it’s conic figure I called it tower Mountain.
—Meriwether Lewis
Dry Cracked Soil
it is astonishing what a quantity of water it takes to saturate the soil of this country, the earth of the plains are now opened in large crivices in many places and yet looks like a rich loam from the entrance of this Creek (which I called Lark C.)
—Meriwether Lewis
Rocky Mountain Grouse
saw a flock of the mountain cock [grouse], or a large species of heath hen with a long pointed tail which the Indians informed us were common to the Rockey Mountains
—Meriwether Lewis
Clark Scouts the Teton
Blue Flax
Linum Lewisii
Photo © 2009 by Walter Siegmund. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.
Lewis’s Blue Flax
In these bottoms I saw the stalks of a plant resembling flax in every particular.
—Patrick Gass
Cold Night and Morning
This morning was cloudy and so could that I was obleged to have recourse to a blanket coat in order to keep myself comfortable altho’ walking.
—Meriwether LewisSome little rain & Snow last night the mountains to our S E. covered with Snow this morning air verry Cold & raining a little
—William Clark
Three Grizzlies for Breakfast
about the time we were Setting out three white bear approached our Camp we killed the three & eate part of one & Set out & proceeded on
—William Clark
Measuring the Missouri
I could discover that the river run west of South a long distance, and has a Strong rapid Current, as this river Continued its width debth & rapidity and the Course west of South, going up further would be useless
—William Clark
Teton River Wildlife
I Saw great numbers of Elk & white tale deer, Some beaver, antelope mule deer & wolves & one bear on this little river [Teton River] marked my name in a tree N. Side near the ridge where the little river brakes thro’
—William Clark
Main Camp Activities
the men engaged Dressing Skins for to make themselves moccasons leggins &C. one man by the name of Goodrich has caught a considerable quantity of fish. Some of which are Shell fish, but the most part are Small cat fish. we have caught none as large this Season as we did last as yet, as we have a great pleanty of meat we do not trouble ourselves for to catch fish.—
—John Ordway
Weather Diary
State of the thermometer at rise
Weather Wind at State of the thermometer at 4 OC. P.M. Weather Wind at 4 OC. P. M. State of river 40 [above 0] rain S. W 42 [above 0] cloudy after rain N.E. fall ¾ in. rained considerably some Snow fell on the mounts. great numbers of the sparrows larks, Curloos and other small birds common to praries are now laying their eggs and seting, their nests are in great abundance. the large batt, or night hawk appears. the Turkey buzzard appears.— first saw the mountain cock near the entrance of Maria’s river.—
—Meriwether Lewis[1]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations.
Decision Point 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 open to the public and managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Notes
| ↑1 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column, merged the “State of the river” columns, and spelled out some abbreviations. |
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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
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- 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).