Portaging the Falls

On 12 June 1805, Lewis leaves Decision Point at the mouth of the Marias to find the Great Falls of the Missouri. He finds them “truly magnifficent and sublimely grand”.

After traveling separate routes from Decision Point, Clark and Lewis reunite at what would become known as Lower Portage Camp. Clark leaves to survey a portage route, and Lewis attends to Sacagawea whose condition has become “Somewhat dangerous”.

Wheels and trucks are built from cottonwood trees, and the dugouts are hauled two miles up Belt Creek. Lewis leads the first canoe overland to the White Bear Islands where he focuses on construction of the iron-framed boat.

Several trips are needed—as are several truck repairs—to get all the canoes and baggage to the upper portage camp. While site seeing during the last stage, Clark, Sacagawea, and Jean Baptiste are nearly swept away in a flash flood.

Celebrating the Fourth of July, they drink the last of whiskey. Then, due to a lack of pitch pine in the area, the cover of the iron-framed boat leaks too much water to be of practical use and is cached.

Clark moves a few miles up the river and his crew builds two more canoes so that they can continue up the Missouri.

June 1805

1. June 13, 1805 – The Great Falls of the MissouriLeni HollimanDuration: 3:27
2. June 14, 1805 – More and More FallsLeni HollimanDuration: 3:36
3. June 15, 1805 – Clark Arrives at the FallsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:40
4. June 16, 1805 – Clark Surveys a Portage RouteLeni HollimanDuration: 3:05
5. June 17, 1805 – Sacagawea Feeling Much BetterLeni HollimanDuration: 2:55
6. June 20, 1805 – Planning a Portage RouteLeni HollimanDuration: 3:26
7. June 21, 1805 – Getting StartedLeni HollimanDuration: 2:53
8. June 22, 1805 – First Leg of the PortageLeni HollimanDuration: 2:41
9. June 23, 1805 – Problems with Prickly PearsLeni HollimanDuration: 2:29
10. June 24, 1805 – A Spring Hail StormLeni HollimanDuration: 2:21
11. June 27, 1805 – Lewis Does the CookingLeni HollimanDuration: 3:52
12. June 28, 1805 – No Man Sent Out AloneLeni HollimanDuration: 2:51
13. June 29, 1805 – A Fountain and a Flash FloodLeni HollimanDuration: 3:50
14. June 30, 1805 – The Large Compass FoundLeni HollimanDuration: 2:50

July 1805

1. July 1, 1805 – Bears About the Camp All NightLeni HollimanDuration: 3:15
2. July 4, 1805 – A CelebrationLeni HollimanDuration: 3:15
3. July 5, 1805 – Iron Boat TroublesLeni HollimanDuration: 4:12
4. July 6, 1805 – A Hail StormLeni HollimanDuration: 2:25
5. July 7, 1805 – Rotting Clothing, Blowflies & MosquitosLeni HollimanDuration: 2:52
6. July 8, 1805 – Boat Finally DryLeni HollimanDuration: 3:09
7. July 11, 1805 – Leather Boat Finally LaunchedLeni HollimanDuration: 3:17
8. July 12, 1805 – Most Hands Building CanoesLeni HollimanDuration: 2:24

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.