North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — Patrick Gass: September 2, 1805
The party pushed up a creek through dense spruce and pine forest, struggling against thick bushes, narrow paths, and sharp stones that hurt the unshod horses. They shot some pheasants, ducks, and a squirrel in the morning, but heavy afternoon rain made an already terrible route worse. Steep hillsides forced detours, and falling horses were injured—one so badly its load had to be abandoned. Provisions were nearly gone except for dried salmon traded from natives. The guide's son joined the group. They covered 13 miles before camping, with stragglers arriving late.
proceeded up the creek, and passed some part closely tim-
bered with spruce and pine. We went on with difficulty on
account of the bushes, the narrowness of the way and stones
that injured our horses feet, they being without shoes. In the
136 GASS’S JOURNAL OF THE
forenoon we killed some pheasants and ducks, and a small
squirrel. In the afternoon we had a good deal of rain, and
the worst road (if road it can be called) that was ever trav-
elled. The creek is become small and the hills come close in
upon the banks of it, covered thick with standing timber and
fallen trees ; so that in some places we were obliged to go up
the sides of the hills, which are very steep, and then down
again in order to get along at all. In going up these ascents
the horses would sometimes fall backwards, which injured
them very much ; and one was so badly hurt that the driver
was obliged to leave his load on the side of one of the hills. In
the low ground there are most beautiful tall straight pine trees
of different kinds, except of white pine. Game is scarce ; and a
small quantity of dried salmon, which we got from the natives
is almost our whole stock of provisions. A son of our guide
joined us to-day and is going on. We went 13 miles and en-
camped; but some of the men did not come up till late at night.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We proceeded up the creek and passed some areas closely timbered with spruce and pine. We went on with difficulty because of the bushes, the narrowness of the way, and stones that injured our horses' feet, since they were without shoes. In the forenoon we killed some pheasants and ducks, and a small squirrel. In the afternoon we had a good deal of rain, and the worst road (if it can be called a road) that was ever traveled. The creek has become small, and the hills come close in upon its banks, covered thickly with standing timber and fallen trees; so in some places we were obliged to go up the sides of the hills, which are very steep, and then down again in order to get along at all.
In going up these ascents the horses would sometimes fall backwards, which injured them very much; and one was so badly hurt that the driver was obliged to leave his load on the side of one of the hills. In the low ground there are most beautiful tall, straight pine trees of different kinds, except white pine. Game is scarce; and a small quantity of dried salmon, which we got from the natives, is almost our whole stock of provisions. A son of our guide joined us today and is going on. We went 13 miles and camped; but some of the men did not come up until late at night.
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