Down the Columbia

In five battered dugout canoes, the expedition paddles down the Columbia River—a river that they know will take them to the Pacific Ocean.

They safely pass a series of rapids and falls between Celilo Falls and the Cascades of the Columbia. In the Columbia River Gorge, they see stunning geologic features.

The river calms, now affected by tides, and they enter one of the most populated areas of their entire journey with numerous villages of Upper and Lower Chinook.

They find the Columbia River Estuary is miles long and miles wide. Everyone must hunker down in small niches several days before they can reach the end of their water journey at Baker Bay.

At Station Camp, the captains survey the party as to where they would like to spend the winter. Everyone’s opinion—including York and Sacagawea—are written down. They decide to cross the river where according to the Clatsops, there are many elk.

They set up a camp on a narrow spit of land on the opposite side—present Tongue Point at Astoria, Oregon. Lewis takes a small party to find a suitable location to build a fort, but when he fails to return after five days, Clark begins to worry.

October 1805

1. Oct 18, 1805 – Finally, Down the ColumbiaLeni HollimanDuration: 2:39
2. Oct 19, 1805 – The Umatilla IndiansLeni HollimanDuration: 3:54
3. Oct 20, 1805 – An Indian Burial SiteLeni HollimanDuration: 2:49
4. Oct 21, 1805 – Collins Makes BeerLeni HollimanDuration: 3:18
5. Oct 24, 1805 – Wild RiverLeni HollimanDuration: 3:34
6. Oct 25, 1805 – RumorsLeni HollimanDuration: 3:04
7. Oct 26, 1805 – Red Meat, Trout & FleasLeni HollimanDuration: 3:10
8. Oct 27, 1805 – Trade Goods Out to DryLeni HollimanDuration: 2:54
9. Oct 28, 1805 – Cooking in BasketsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:56
10. Oct 31, 1805 – Exploring Abandoned HousesLeni HollimanDuration: 3:21

November 1806

1. Nov 1, 1805 – Through the Great ChuteLeni HollimanDuration: 2:34
2. Nov 2, 1805 – Final Leg to the SeaLeni HollimanDuration: 2:30
3. Nov 3, 1805 – Fog and QuicksandLeni HollimanDuration: 2:54
4. Nov 4, 1805 – Roasted WapatoLeni HollimanDuration: 3:04
5. Nov 7, 1805 – In View of the Ocean?Leni HollimanDuration: 3:01
6. Nov 8, 1805 – The Mouth of the ColumbiaLeni HollimanDuration: 2:56
7. Nov 9, 1805 – Camp Entirely Under WaterLeni HollimanDuration: 3:01
8. Nov 10, 1805 – A Good Start StalledLeni HollimanDuration: 2:53
9. Nov 11, 1805 – Indians: Expert NavigatorsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:53
10. Nov 14, 1805 – Situation MiserableLeni HollimanDuration: 3:57
11. Nov 15, 1805 – A False StartLeni HollimanDuration: 3:09
12. Nov 16, 1805 – Finally Moving on DownLeni HollimanDuration: 2:42
13. Nov 17, 1805 – The Trip Up the CoastLeni HollimanDuration: 2:47
14. Nov 18, 1805 – Clark as a Tour GuideLeni HollimanDuration: 3:13
15. Nov 21, 1805 – Where to Put Winter CampLeni HollimanDuration: 2:53
16. Nov 22, 1805 – A Stormy, Miserable DayLeni HollimanDuration: 2:25
17. Nov 23, 1805 – Sea Otter Skins for SaleLeni HollimanDuration: 2:42
18. Nov 24, 1805 – A Democratic DecisionLeni HollimanDuration: 2:55
19. Nov 25, 1805 – How to Get Across the RiverLeni HollimanDuration: 2:19
20. Nov 28, 1805 – Very Stormy WeatherLeni HollimanDuration: 3:17
21. Nov 29, 1805 – Lewis in an Indian CanoeLeni HollimanDuration: 3:05
22. Nov 30, 1805 – Burial VaultsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:56

December 1805

1. Dec 1, 1805 – Still SearchingLeni HollimanDuration: 2:33
2. Dec 2, 1805 – Finally! Meat on the TableLeni HollimanDuration: 2:46
3. Dec 5, 1805 – Captain Lewis ReturnsLeni HollimanDuration: 3:16
4. Dec 6, 1805 – High Winds & High TideLeni HollimanDuration: 2:21

Originally aired by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial observance in 2004–2006, these 627 radio episodes parallel the expedition dates starting 14 May 1804 and ending 25 September 1806. They aired only on weekdays with four introductory vignettes and four episodes about events after the expedition. They are narrated by Hal Hansen, scripted by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson, and produced by Leni Holliman.