North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Joseph Whitehouse: September 3, 1805
Under cloudy skies, the party retrieved a load left behind the previous night and set out, traveling up and down steep, rocky mountains for the day. They crossed many fine springs and cut paths through thick balsam fir, some trees reaching 160 feet tall. Several horses fell among rocks and were nearly killed. After crossing a dividing ridge and descending into a cove, they camped after only 11 grueling miles. With nothing killed but a few pheasants, the men slept wet, hungry, and cold as hard rain set in. Snow was visible on nearby peaks.
cloudy. we Set out as usal after the load was brought up
which was left last night. we proceeded on up the branch a
Short distance, then took the mountains and w[ent] up and
down the mountains all day. passed and crossed an a bundance
of fine Springs and Spring runs. Some of the mountains was
So Steep and rockey that Several of the horses fell back among
the rocks and was near killing them. Some places we had to
cut the road through thickets of bolsom fer Some of that
kind of timber in the vallies of these mountains is verry high
about 100 & 60 feet, and verry Strait and handsom. the most
of them are covred with warts full of the bolsom towards
evening we crossed a dividing ridge went some distance on the
top of it which was tollarable good and Smoth going. then
passed down a Steep hill in to the head of a cove and branch
where we Camped after a dissagreeable days march of only 11
miles with much fatigue and hunger as nothing has been killed
this day only 2 or 3 fessents, and have no meat of any kind.
Set in to raining hard at dark So we lay down and Slept, wet
hungry and cold. Saw Snow on the tops of Some of these
mountains this day.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Cloudy. We set out as usual after the load that was left last night was brought up. We proceeded on up the branch a short distance, then took to the mountains and went up and down the mountains all day. We passed and crossed an abundance of fine springs and spring runs. Some of the mountains were so steep and rocky that several of the horses fell back among the rocks and were nearly killed. In some places we had to cut the road through thickets of balsam fir. Some of that kind of timber in the valleys of these mountains is very high, about 100 and 60 feet, and very straight and handsome. Most of them are covered with warts full of the balsam.
Toward evening we crossed a dividing ridge and went some distance on the top of it, which was tolerably good and smooth going. Then we passed down a steep hill into the head of a cove and branch, where we camped after a disagreeable day's march of only 11 miles with much fatigue and hunger, as nothing has been killed this day except 2 or 3 pheasants, and we have no meat of any kind. It set in to raining hard at dark, so we lay down and slept, wet, hungry, and cold. Saw snow on the tops of some of these mountains this day.
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