On the Northern Nez Perce Trail, the expedition stops at Lolo Hot Springs, and then after some difficulty finding the right trail, climbs to a divide between the Bitterroot River and Lochsa River drainages. They cross Packer Meadows and camp on Glade Creek.
Pausing at a Hot Springs
by Yellowstone Public Radio[1]Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © … Continue reading
Trapping Beaver, Travelers’ Rest Creek
10″ x 12″ oil on board
© 2009 by Charles Fritz. Used by permission.
Searching for Horses
Capt Lewis and one of our guides lost their horses, Capt Lewis & 4 men detained to hunt the horses, I proceeded on with the partey up the Creek
—William Clark
Lolo Hot Springs
came to a warm Spring which run from a ledge of rocks and nearly boiled and issued out in several places it had been frequented by the Savages. a little dam was fixed and had been used for a bathing place. we drank a little of the water and washed our faces in it.
—John Ordway
Searching for the Trail
as Several roads led from these Springs in different derections, my Guide [Toby] took a wrong road and took us out of our rout 3 miles through intolerable rout, after falling into the right road I proceeded on thro tolerabl rout for abt. 4 or 5 miles and halted to let our horses graze as well as waite for Capt Lewis who has not yet Come up
—William Clark
Glade Creek in Packer Meadows
© 10 September 2009 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Packer Meadows
We proceeded on, and crossed the dividing ridge, & found it only about half a mile from the head of a spring where the Water run an east Course, to a branch of Water which run a West course, each heading in an Open Swamp which lies level & abounds with Springs.
—Joseph Whitehouse
Glade Creek Camp
We came only 18 Miles this day & encamped on the branch which run a West course; where we found good Grass for our Horses.—
—Joseph Whitehouse
Weather Diary
Weather at rise
Wind at Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. cloudy N E rain N E a hot Spring
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
Packer Meadow is a High Potential Historic Site along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The Clearwater National Forest manages the site and the nearby Lolo Pass Visitor Center.
Notes
| ↑1 | Originally aired weekdays by Yellowstone Public Radio during the Bicentennial observance of 2003-2006. Narrated by Hal Hansen. Scripts by Whit Hansen and Ed Jacobson. Produced by Leni Holliman. © 2003 by Yellowstone Public Radio. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations. |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
This page was funded in part by the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, U.S. National Park Service.
This site is provided as a public service by the
Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance
with cooperation and funding from the following organizations:
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
- Montana Committee for the Humanities
- Idaho Governor's Lewis and Clark Trail Committee
- The Capital Gallery (Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation)
- Yellowstone Public Radio
Unless otherwise noted, journal excerpts are from The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, edited by Gary E. Moulton, 13 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1983-2001).