Lolo Trail, ascending into Bitterroot Mountains — John Ordway: September 14, 1805
The party traveled through rugged Bitter Root Mountain terrain, climbing and descending steep slopes for several miles. They crossed a rocky, rapid creek and observed a Native fishing weir built of willows, used by local people to catch large quantities of salmon in spring, as their guide explained. The group passed several old camps and followed the main creek for about four miles. With provisions exhausted except for portable soup, they killed and ate a colt, finding it satisfying. Weather brought thunder, hail, and rain, and snow-covered, timbered mountains were visible.
tain about 4 miles, then descended it down to on the forks of the
1 Twenty-three miles, according to Clark. Wheeler locates the camp about
two miles below the mouth of Granite Creek.
2 Modern Boyle’s Springs, on Lolo Creek a short distance above the mouth
of Granite Creek. Wheeler (II, 81-82) describes the locality in considerable
detail. The springs are now a health resort, “largely patronized,” even as
they were by the red man of old.
3 The main divide of the Bitter Root Mountains, separating the Bitter
Root Valley on the east from the basin of the Clearwater, a tributary of Snake
River, on the west. At the same time they again crossed the boundary from
Montana into Idaho.
4 Glade Creek, so called from the mountain glades which are found along
its course. The precise route of the party across the mountains, while parallel-
ing in a general way the Lolo Trail, is a matter of some obscurity. Wheeler
furnishes (II, 82-112) the most satisfactory discussion of this portion of the
expedition’s travels.
286 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 15
creek1 where it ran verry rapid and is full of rocks, we then as-
sended a verry high mountain about 4 miles further to the top of it and
verry steep, came some distance on the top then descended down
about 6 miles some places verry steep, came down on another
fork2 where the creek is got to be verry large, the Savages had a
place fixed across the River and worked in with willows where they
catch a great quantity of Sammon in the Spring, as our guide tells
us. we crossed the right hand fork where it was very rapid, we
proceed on passed several old camps, we followed down the main
creek about 4 miles had nothing to eat but Some portable Soup
we being hungry for a fat colt which eat verry well at this time3 a
little Thunder hail and rain. Saw high Mountains covred with
Snow and timber.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
...about 4 miles, then descended down to the forks of the creek, where it ran very rapid and is full of rocks. We then ascended a very high mountain about 4 miles further to the top of it, and very steep. Came some distance along the top, then descended about 6 miles, some places very steep, and came down on another fork where the creek has become very large. The natives had a place fixed across the river, worked in with willows, where they catch a great quantity of salmon in the spring, as our guide tells us.
We crossed the right-hand fork where it was very rapid. We proceeded on, passed several old camps, and followed down the main creek about 4 miles. We had nothing to eat but some portable soup, being hungry for a fat colt, which ate very well at this time. A little thunder, hail, and rain. Saw high mountains covered with snow and timber.
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