Bitterroot crossing attempt, turned back by snow — Patrick Gass: June 17, 1806

rain. We early continued our march; took down Hungry
creek about six miles, and then took up a large mountain.
When we got about half way up the mountain the ground
was entirely covered with snow three feet deep; and as we
ascended it still became deeper, until we arrived at the top,
where it was twelve or fifteen feet deep; but it in general car-
ried our horses. Here there was not the appearance of a
green shrub, or any thing for our horses to subsist on; and
we know it cannot be better for four days march even could
we find the road or course, which appears almost impossible,
246 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
without a guide perfectly acquainted with the mountains.
We therefore halted to determine what was best to be done,
as it appeared not only imprudent but highly dangerous to
proceed without a guide of any kind. After remaining about
two hours we concluded it would be most adviseable to go
back to some place where there was food for our horses. We
therefore hung up our loading on poles, tied to and extended
between trees, covered it all safe with deer skins, and turned
back melancholy and disappointed. At this time it began to
rain; and we proceeded down to Hungry creek again; went
up it about two miles, and encamped for the night where our
horses could get something to eat. The grass and plants
here are just putting out, and the shrubs budding. It rained
hard during the afternoon. .
WV ednesday 18th. The morning was cloudy and several
showers of rain fell during the day. We started about eight
o’clock, and found the road very slippery and bad. Two men
went on ahead to the village to enquire for a guide, and two
more remained to look for two horses that could not be
found. We proceeded on with four men in front to cut some
bushes out of the path; but did not go far till one of the men
cut himself very badly with a large knife; when we had to halt
and bind up his wound. We again went forward, and in
crossing the creek the horse of one of our men fell with him,
threw him off, hurt his leg and lost his blanket. We halted
for dinner at the same place where we dined on the 16th and
had a gust of rain, hail, thunder and lightning, which lasted
an hour, when the weather cleared and we had a fine afternoon.
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 247
We continued our march till we came to a small glade on the
branch of a creek, where we encamped, and some hunters
went out in the evening; we had left two men to hunt at
the place where we dined. We found the musquitoes very
troublesome on the creek, notwithstanding the snow is at so
short a distance up the mountains. At night our hunters
came to camp, having killed nothing; but saw some large
fish in the creek, which they supposed were salmon.