Lewis and Clark Trail Photographs

Lewis and Clark in Oregon, October 1805-May 1806

The Lewis and Clark Expedition would spend time on both the Oregon and Washington shores of the Columbia River. Back on the water in dugout canoes near Orofino, Idaho they descended the Clearwater River to its confluence with the Snake River near today's Lewiston, Idaho. From here they would have been in today's Washington state to just below Pasco, Washington near the mouth of the Walla Walla River. They would be frequent visitors to the shores of the Columbia in both states all the way to the Pacific

Travel was relatively swift but dangerous. They encountered many areas of whitewater that today have been covered by waters backed up by multiple damns along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. A lot of time was spent rescuing, repairing, and drying themselves and their equipment and stores. The most notable of these rapids and falls were the "falls of the Columbia" near The Dalles, Oregon. These were a considerable barrier for them. They managed them well with a combination of portage and skillful whitewater tactics that no doubt left the natives in awe. Most of the recorded whitewater disasters were actually from rapids they encountered on the Clearwater and the Snake.The Dalles area was also a large fishing and trading location for the natives. Tribes that inhabited the immediate river area subsisted mainly by fishing the incredible salmon and steelhead runs that once took place in these rivers. The fish was not only consumed by them but also traded with tribes that came from all over the northwest to trade their various goods with one another. After running the most difficult of the rapids they rested and reorganized at "Fort Rock", located not far from downtown in the Dalles, at a site along the river.

Continuing, they were now about to leave the dryer climate and open country of the Columbia Basin and enter the coastal climate. Marked by old growth forest, valley woodlands, ancient volcanoes, and wet weather they now found themselves back on the maps layed down by ocean mariners who preceded them and had braved the Columbia bar (later named the "graveyard of the Pacific" for all the ships lost where the Columbia meets the Pacific ocean) and sailed up river, mapping as they went. This transition was very quick. Within a couple of days their whole world changed. Probably more than once in the coming months would they wish to be back in the dry Basin country. The entire river route from the confluence of the Snake with the Columbia was marked by numerous native villages that lined the river. Upon arriving at the "falls" at The Dalles they encountered natives who had directly or indirectly traded with Europeans on the coast. They knew this by clothing and trade articles in possession of these people. Trading was now much more competitive and the expedition was getting low on trade goods.

As they descended the river they saw large numbers of migratory birds, noting that the noise was on at least one occasion, enough to keep them awake all night. They were now wet almost all the time and would remain so for most of their stay on the coast. They also began noticing the tides and knew that they were now very near the end of their journey west. As they made their way down into the bays near the ocean they were pinned down by the weather on the Washington shore near today's Point Ellice. Pounded by surf and rain and unable to move (and envying the natives who bobbed easily by in their sleek canoes) they sat on a driftwood pile with their indifferent dugout canoes till they could stand it no more and a small group of the better paddlers decided to brave the water for better accommodations. The were successful and eventually came to rest near today's Ilwaco. From here each captain led parties to scout the surrounding countryside and the coast. This would include of course, Cape Disappointment, Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park), the Long Beach area, and areas of Willapa Bay. They were looking for a place to spend the winter and not convinced that this was the ideal location they retreated back upriver, counciled among themselves, the natives, took a vote and decided to try the Oregon side where the natives indicated they would find more game, namely Coastal or Roosevelt Elk. They ended up on the site of today'sFort Clatsop National Memorial. Here they spent a very wet winter mainly among the Clatsops who were frequent visitors. They hunted the spruce bogs and nearby hills with marginal success and traded with natives for other local delicacies, mainly fish. A small detachment of men was put to work making salt on the coast near today's Seaside. There was also a trek over Tillamook Head to the south of Seaside to today's Cannon Beach area to scavenge a whale that had beached there. The natives beat them to it so they ended up trading for as much of it as they could. The captains edited their journals and gathered what they could related to the local area. By the end of March they had more than enough of the coast and prepared for their return home.