At Horse Steak meadows on Hungery Creek, Clark‘s advance party kills a stray horse. They take some but leave most of it hanging where Lewis will eventually see it. His small group continues to a small creek with tall cedar trees—Clark’s Grove.
Traveling on the Northern Nez Perce Trail, Lewis and main group climb Spirit Revival Ridge where they can see the plains. They hope that the “horrible mountainous desert” will soon end. They then descend to Hungery Creek.
A Glimmer of Hope
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
Clark: Horse Steak and Windfalls
Horsesteak Meadow
© 8 August 2008 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
at 6 miles found a horse on the head of the Creek in Some glades, he was not fat the me[n] beg leave to kill him which I granted, after they filled themselves, I had the ballance hung up for Capt Lewis and proceeded on
—William Clark
“road bad”
passed over a mountain, and the heads of branch of hungary Creek, two high mountains, ridges and through much falling timber (which caused our road of to day to be double the derect distance on the Course[)] . . . road bad.
—William Clark
Lewis: Spirits Revived
© c. 2004 by Gene Eastman. Used by permission.
the ridge terminated and we to our inexpressable joy discovered a large tract of Prairie . . . . the appearance of this country, our only hope for subsistance greately revived the sperits of the party already reduced and much weakened for the want of food.
—Meriwether Lewis
The location of the ridge where Clark, and a day later Lewis, stood to view the plains is highly debated. Above, Gene and Molly Eastman has documented this view of both the Camas Prairie (left label) and Weippe Prairie (right label) from No-See-Um Ridge that correlates well with journal descriptions. The Forest Service places Spirit Revival Ridge a few miles to the west of No-See-Um Ridge, and Steve Russell points out that still further west, the prairies can also be seen from Willow Ridge and Bowl Butte. Precise location of many of the Lewis and Clark sites on these days is difficult. See Northern Nez Perce Trail by Steve F. Russell.
Horse Sweat Pass
we descended down the mountn. which was verry Steep descent, for about three miles. then assended another as bad as any we have ever been up before. it made the Sweat run off of our horses & ourselves. on the top the ground was froze a little and the ground mostly covred with Snow.
—Joseph Whitehouse
Common Illnesses
we took a small quantity of portable soup, and retired to rest much fatiegued. several of the men are unwell of the disentary. brakings out, or irruptions of the Skin, have also been common with us for some time.
—Meriwether Lewis
High Above Hungery Creek
© 2010 by Gene Eastman. Use by permission.
the road was excessively dangerous along this creek being a narow rockey path generally on the side of steep precipice, from which in many places if ether man or horse were precipitated they would inevitably be dashed in pieces.
—Meriwether Lewis
Frazier’s Rolling Horse
Fraziers [Frazer’s] horse fell from this road in the evening, and roled with his load near a hundred yards into the Creek. we all expected that the horse was killed but to our astonishment when the load was taken off him he arose to his feet & appeared to be but little injured, in 20 minutes he proceeded with his load. this was the most wonderfull escape I ever witnessed . . . .
—Meriwether Lewis
Weather Diary
Weather at rise
Wind at Weather at 4 P.M. Wind at 4 P.M. fair S W fair S W. rose raspberry ripe and abundant.
—Meriwether Lewis[2]To assist the reader, the editor of this web page has omitted the date column and spelled out some abbreviations.
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).