North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — John Ordway: September 3, 1805
The expedition struggled through rough, rocky mountains all day, with several horses falling backward and rolling down slopes; one was nearly killed. The men cut paths through thickets, crossed spring branches, and passed towering balsam fir trees about 150 feet tall covered with sap-filled warts. They ate the last of their pork at midday, and some hungry men threatened to kill a colt for food but agreed to wait until the next day. After climbing another mountain, they camped in a cove. Light rain left them wet, cold, and hungry after 11 fatiguing miles.
up the branch a Short distance further up the branch then took
the mountain and went up and down rough rockey mountains all
day. Some places so steep and rockey that some of the horses fell
backwards and roled to the bottom, one horse was near being
killed, crossed a nomber of fine Spring branches. Some places
oblidged to cut a road for to git along this thicket &C. Some of
the balsom fer trees on the branches are about 100 and fifty feet
high, and strait, the most of them are covred with warts filled
with the balsom &C. we dined at a branch eat the last of our
pork &.C. some of the men threaten to kill a colt to eat they being
hungry, but puts it off untill tomorrow noon hopeing the hunters
will kill Some game, towards evening we assended a mountain
went Some distance on the top of it then went down in to a cave
near the head of a branch running nearly an opposite course from
the branch we dined on at noon, we Camped in this cove.2 several
small showers of rain, so we lay down wet hungry and cold came
with much fatigue 11 miles this day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We went up the branch a short distance further, then took to the mountain and went up and down rough, rocky mountains all day. Some places were so steep and rocky that some of the horses fell backwards and rolled to the bottom; one horse was nearly killed. We crossed a number of fine spring branches. In some places we were obliged to cut a road in order to get along through the thicket, etc. Some of the balsam fir trees on the branches are about one hundred and fifty feet high and straight, and most of them are covered with warts filled with the balsam, etc.
We dined at a branch and ate the last of our pork, etc. Some of the men threatened to kill a colt to eat, being hungry, but they put it off until tomorrow noon, hoping the hunters will kill some game.
Towards evening we ascended a mountain, went some distance on the top of it, then went down into a cove near the head of a branch running nearly an opposite course from the branch we dined on at noon. We camped in this cove. There were several small showers of rain, so we lay down wet, hungry, and cold. We came with much fatigue 11 miles this day.
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