North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — John Ordway: September 1, 1805

and proceeded on up a high mountain at the first put one of the
horses fell backward and roled over, but did not hurt him much,
we proceeded on up and down the high mountains Crossed Sev-
1 On the south bank of Lemhi River, about eight miles above the forks of
Salmon River. Coues.
2 He “fled with great Speed to Some lodges below & informed them that
the Enemies were Coming down, arm’1 with guns &c.” Clark.
3 For the route traversed this day see Wheeler, II, 58, and Coues, II, 575-76.
In leaving the Lemhi River country the main party followed the route already
pursued by Captain Clark down Salmon River to a point eight or ten miles
below the junction of the Lemhi with that Stream, to a stream called by them
Tower Creek, supposed to be modern Boyle’s Creek. They ascended this
Stream about four miles and then set out across the mountains in a general
northwestern direction. Today’s camp was four miles above the mouth of
Tower (or Boyle’s) Creek.
1805] SERGEANT ORDWAY’S JOURNAL 279
eral Creeks the water of which was verry cold, considerable of
pine and cotton timber along each of those branches, and pleanty
of Servis berrys which are verry Sweet and good at this time, in
the afternoon we had several Shower of rain and a little hail, we
descended a mountain1 down into a valley through which runs
a large creek we went on a short distance up the valley and
Camped2 at some old lodges, we giged several Sammon in this
Creek, three men went down to the mouth of the creek and
bought about 25 pounds of dryed Sammon and Sammon rose
with a fiew small articles, our hunters killed a Deer and wounded
2 bear, at dusk we Came 23 miles this day. we find abundance
of wild or choke Cherries which are now ripe in this bottom we
gethered and boiled Some which eat verry well. Several Small
Showers of rain this evening.