Part Two
Following in the Footsteps of
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

Exhibit demonstrating the perils Lewis and Clark encountered on their quest. It is located at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center in Great Falls Montana.

For more information on the walks, contact: Lewiston, Idaho: Dick Hodge, 208-883-3157 Great Falls, Montana: David or Linda Hines, 406-453-4969, BigSky@LindaHinds.com Seaside, Oregon: Sam Korff, 503-728-0400, Korffs@clatskanie.com The Dalles, Oregon: Val Tenney, 541-296-8899, valya@gorge.net Ilwaco, Washington: Bill Byrd, 360-892-6758, wbyrdsr@comcast.net

By Dan Friesen

In the May/June issue of Walk About, we retraced the epic journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from its beginning at Camp Wood to North Dakota’s Fort Mandan. In this issue, we’ll follow the intrepid trailblazers to the Pacific Ocean — the end of their westward journey — highlighting sights, interpretive centers, and walks along the way to enhance understanding of this historic feat.

North Dakota
The 1804-05 winter spent at Fort Mandan produced the coldest weather the men had ever experienced, with an average temperature of four degrees above zero. Nevertheless, the long winter offered valuable time to learn from the cooperative Mandan Tribe and make preparations for the rigorous travels that lay ahead. It also resulted in the fortuitous encounter with the Frenchman Charbonneau and his Shoshone wife, Sacagawea. The couple and their newborn son would accompany the expedition westward, acting as interpreters with local tribes, a role to which Lewis attached great significance, since he was relying on trade with the Shoshone to supply horses and provisions for the trek over the Rockies.

Though the Corps of Discovery continued north that spring from Fort Mandan, modern-day damming of the Missouri River has produced a series of massive reservoirs that obstruct access to sites of Lewis and Clark interest between Fort Mandan and central Montana. Instead, detour west on Interstate 94 through North Dakota.

Montana
Beyond the border in Montana, continue along I-94 as it intersects, then parallels the Yellowstone River. You’ll be following, in reverse, the homeward-bound route Clark took in 1806. Just off I-94 at Pompeys Pillar, you’ll find the most tangible evidence of the expedition’s presence anywhere along the 4,000-mile route, a clear inscription in the sandstone formation reading: "W Clark July 25, 1806." From Pompeys Pillar, continue west to Billings, where the freeway becomes I-90, and on to the town of Three Forks. Follow signs there to Missouri Headwaters State Park to view the expedition’s first objective, the source of the Missouri River.

Three Forks is also significant as the area in which the Corps expected to make contact with Sacagawea’s Shoshone Tribe, an encounter that involved the most intense personal drama of the journey. After Lewis forged ahead and clumsily convinced the skeptical Shoshones of his friendly intentions, Sacagawea erupted in a cascade of tearful emotion upon realizing that the Shoshone chief for whom she was translating was the brother she’d been separated from when abducted years earlier by an enemy tribe.

Leaving Three Forks, follow scenic Highway 287 north, and then take I-15 to Great Falls, where the men endured some of their most trying days. Scenically situated along the Missouri, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center does an excellent job of chronicling both the grueling month-long portage around the five falls of the Missouri as well as the scope of the entire 21Ú2-year odyssey. A six-mile walk in Great Falls features stretches of the Missouri and the excellent C.M. Russell Museum presenting the work of the beloved Western artist.

From Great Falls, consider a detour to Glacier National Park for some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery in North America. After a night at rustic Many Glacier Hotel, drink in the wonders of Going-to-the-Sun Road, a kaleidoscope of heart-stopping vistas, then exit out the west side of Glacier toward Missoula.

Idaho
Just south of Missoula, rejoin the expedition’s westward trail at Traveler’s Rest. The Corps recovered here after an arduous crossing of Lost Trail Pass, yet their biggest challenge still lay before them. Your route will follow U.S. 12 west into Idaho’s Bitterroot Mountains. Lewis and Clark, however, followed the ridgeline to the north, a trail fit for neither man nor beast, but a better option than the rugged canyon below, which required extensive dynamiting before accommodating today’s U.S. 12.

When the company finally stumbled into Weippe Prairie after 10 snowy days surviving on slaughtered colts, bear oil, and candle wax, they were entirely at the mercy of yet another Native American group, the Nez Perce. Learn more about this tribe so crucial to the success of the expedition at Nez Perce National Historical Park in Spalding, ID, and then follow U.S. 12 along the Clearwater River until it meets the Snake River in Lewiston. A stop in this border town offers a walk overlooking the Clearwater and opportunities for a Snake River cruise into Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest gorge.

Oregon and Washington
With help from the Nez Perce, the Corps floated the Snake to the Columbia, then into the Columbia River Gorge. A walk in The Dalles, OR passes Rock Fort, a campsite used by the Corps, and many colorful wall murals commemorating the expedition. As you leave The Dalles, don’t miss the impressive Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, a fitting prelude to your passage through the unique beauty of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Just east of Bonneville, exit I-84 onto the Columbia River Scenic Highway for 22 amazing miles of graceful waterfalls, classic mountain road engineering, and spectacular Gorge panoramas.

Rejoin I-84 and continue to I-5, driving north on I-5 across the Columbia River into Washington. At Longview, exit I-5 onto State Route 4 west. This scenic country road parallels the Columbia all the way to the Washington Coast, offering sweeping views of this mighty river.

The Corps arrived at the Pacific Coast in November 1805, overjoyed at finally seeing the magnificent ocean. Their jubilation, however, was short-lived as they spent a week pinned down by Pacific storms, making travel impossible. When they finally made plans for a winter camp, the decision to move to the south side of the Columbia involved a vote of the full company, the first vote in American history cast by either a woman or a black slave.

Before following the expedition across the Columbia, enjoy a walk from the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center near Ilwaco offering great views of Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and the Oregon and Washington coastlines. From Ilwaco, take U.S. Highway 101 to Seaside, OR, your last stop along the trail. A pleasant walk in this resort community features a beachside promenade, the pounding of the majestic Pacific surf, and a re-creation of kilns built by the Corps to replenish their long-depleted supply of salt. Your last Lewis and Clark site is nearby Fort Clatsop, where the Corps endured a soggy Northwest winter with rain on 94 out of 106 days.

In March of 1806, the Corps broke camp and returned home. The eastbound journey went smoothly and the men arrived in St. Louis a mere six months after leaving Fort Clatsop. Though initially welcomed as returning heroes, the contributions of the expedition were not fully recognized at the time.

As the decades pass, however, appreciation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s overwhelming success continues to grow. Yet perhaps the most succinct summary of their accomplishments was given in 1806 by their sponsor, President Thomas Jefferson, when he declared, “They have traced the Missouri nearly to its source, descended the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean, ascertained with accuracy the geography of that interesting communication across our continent, learned the character of the country, of its commerce, and inhabitants; and it is but justice to say that Messrs. Lewis and Clark, and their brave companions, have by this arduous service deserved well of their country.”

Dan Friesen, president of Walking Adventures International, which is a dedicated team that plans and guides tours combining three-hour walks with sightseeing and cultural attractions in North America and around the globe. Call: 800-779-0353; email: fun@walkingadventures.com; www.walkingadventures.com.