Successful Bitterroot crossing with Nez Perce guides — John Ordway: June 29, 1806
Two hunters set out early through thick fog as the party traveled along a ridge and descended to a fork of Collins Creek, picking up deer meat the hunters had killed. They climbed a high mountain, rejoined the previous year's trail, and endured a hail and thunder shower. After reaching the glades of the Rocky Mountains and crossing Glade Creek, they halted to dine. Two men retrieved horses left behind, while Shields killed two cranes. They camped that evening at hot springs near the headwaters of Travelers Rest Creek, where several men, including Ordway, bathed in the scalding water.
eairly two hunters went on a head, the fog rose up thick from
the hollars we proceeded on a ridge desended down on a fork of
Collinses Creek took the meat of a deer the hunters had killed
crossed the creek above the forks some distance ascended a high
mount” came in the old road we went in last year & proceed on
had a Shower of hail and Thunder, about 1 oClock P. M. we
arived at the glades of the rockey mount0 Crossed glade Creek
Several times and halted at a handsom flat of grass and Corn-
mass, found that 2 of our horses got left back on the road 2
men went back for them Shields killed 2 crains we dined and
proceed on Soon came on the head waters of fcravvellers rest
Creek.3 towards evening we arived at the hot Stream where we
Camped.4 the 2 men came up with the 2 horses, had killed
one deer, a number of the party as well as myself bathed in
these hot Springs, but the water so hot that it makes the Skin
Smart when I first entered it. I drank Some of the water also.
1 Today’s camp was a few miles beyond that of Sept. 18, 1805, and nine
mdes short of the camp of September 17.
2 They were now retracing the portion of the Lolo Trail first passed over
on Sept. If), 1805. For the detour made on that occasion see ante, 286. note 4.
3 Modern Lolo Creek, or Lolo Fork of the Bitter Root, which the party had
ascended upon turning off from the last-named stream the preceding autumn.
4 Boyle’s Springs, first visited on the morning of Sept. 13, 1805. The dreaded
passage of the mountains was now completed. Wheeler remarks that if the
explorers did not break forth into the long-meter doxology “they should have
done SO.” With the crossing of the mountains the party is once more in the
State of Montana.
1806] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 371
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Early, two hunters went on ahead. The fog rose up thick from the hollows. We proceeded on a ridge, descended down to a fork of Collinses Creek (Collins Creek), took the meat of a deer the hunters had killed, crossed the creek above the forks some distance, ascended a high mountain, came onto the old road we traveled last year, and proceeded on. We had a shower of hail and thunder.
About 1 o'clock P.M. we arrived at the glades of the Rocky Mountains. We crossed Glade Creek several times and halted at a handsome flat of grass and cornmass. We found that 2 of our horses had been left back on the road, so 2 men went back for them. Shields killed 2 cranes. We dined and proceeded on, and soon came on the head waters of Travellers Rest Creek.
Towards evening we arrived at the hot stream, where we camped. The 2 men came up with the 2 horses, having killed one deer. A number of the party, as well as myself, bathed in these hot springs, but the water was so hot that it made the skin smart when I first entered it. I drank some of the water also.
This modernization is AI-generated for accessibility. The original above is the authoritative version.
Entities mentioned in this entry
Auto-extracted from the entry text. Hover any entity for context.
