Patrick Gass: September 20, 1805

All our horses except one was collected early: Six hunters
went on ahead; one man to look for the horse; and all the
rest of us proceeded on our journey over the mountains,
which are very high and rough. About 12 we passed a part
where the snow was off, and no appearance that much had
lately fallen. At 3 we came to snow again, and halted to take
some soup, which we made with snow water, as no other could
be found. Here the man, who had been sent for the horse
came up, but had not found him. Except on the sides of hills
where it has fallen, the country is closely timbered with pitch
and spruce pine, and what some call balsam-fir. We can see
no prospect of getting off these desert mountains yet, except
the appearance of a deep cove on each side of the ridge we
are passing along. We remained here an hour and an half, and
then proceeded on down a steep mountain, and encamped
after travelling 18 miles. We had great difficulty in getting
water, being obliged to go half a mile for it down a very
steep precipice.