Successful Bitterroot crossing with Nez Perce guides — Patrick Gass: June 27, 1806
The party resumed their march across extremely steep mountains, so deeply covered in snow that they had to descend straight down rather than wind along the slopes. The horses generally sank only a few inches into the snow, though occasionally broke through to their bellies. They traveled without stopping until about 5 o'clock, then camped on a hillside where the snow had melted and a little grass was available. The weather was pleasant, though traveling over six to eight feet of snow in late June struck Gass as remarkable. Most of the men had saved their socks in anticipation of the snow.
we renewed our march, proceeding over some of the steepest
mountains I ever passed. The snow is so deep that we cannot
wind along the sides of these steeps, but must slide straight
down. The horses generally do not sink more than three
inches in the snow; but sometimes they break through to
their bellies. We kept on without halting to about 5 o’clock
LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION — 251
in the evening, when we stopped at the side of a hill where the
snow was off, and where there was a little grass; and we here
encamped for the night. The day was pleasant throughout;
but it appeared to me somewhat extraordinary, to be travel-
ling over snow six or eight feet deep in the latter end of
June. The most of us, however, had saved our socks as we
expected to find snow on these mountains.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We resumed our march, proceeding over some of the steepest mountains I ever passed. The snow is so deep that we cannot wind along the sides of these steeps, but must slide straight down. The horses generally do not sink more than three inches in the snow; but sometimes they break through to their bellies. We kept on without halting until about 5 o'clock in the evening, when we stopped at the side of a hill where the snow was gone, and where there was a little grass; and we camped here for the night. The day was pleasant throughout; but it seemed somewhat extraordinary to me to be traveling over snow six or eight feet deep at the end of June. Most of us, however, had saved our socks, as we expected to find snow on these mountains.
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