June 25, 1806

"last evening the indians entertained us with seting the fir trees on fire.  they have a great number of dry lims near their bodies which when set on fire creates a very suddon and immence blaze from bottom to top of those tall trees.  they are a beatifull object in this situation at night.  this exhibition reminded me of a display of fireworks.  the natives told us that their object in seting those trees on fire was to bring fair weather for our journey - we collected our horses readliy and set out  at an early hour this morning.  one of our guides complained of being unwell, a symptom which I did not much like as such complaints with an indian is generally the prelude to his abandoning any enterprize with which he is not well pleased.    at 11 AM we arrived at the branch of hungary creek where we found R & J Feilds.  they had not killed anything.  here we halted and dined and our guides overtook us.  at this place I met with a plant* the root of which the shoshones eat.  after dinner we continued our rout to hungary creek and emcamped about one and a hlaf miles below our encampment of the 16th inst.**"    Lewis 

a plant* - Western Spring Beauty, Claytonia lancelota Pursh.  It is one of the first species to bloom in spring, and its white flowers would have been evident where snow had recently melted along the trail.   The species was unknown to science at the time, and Lewis collected the type of specimen two days later. 

16th inst.** - Probably at or near the main party camp of September 19, 1805.

June 26, 1806

"This morning we collected our horses and set out after an early breakfast.  we passed by the same rout we had travelled on the 17th inst. to our deposit on the top of the snowey mountain to the NE of hungary creek*.  here we necessarily halted about 2 hours to arrange our baggage and prepare our loads.  we cooked and made a haisty meal of boiled vension and mush of cows.  the snow has subsided near four feet since the 17th inst.  we now measured it accurately and found from a mark which we had made on a tree when we were last here on the 17th that it was the 10 feet 10 inches which appeared to be abut the common debth though it is deeper still in some places.  it is now generallay about 7 feet.   the indians haistened to be off and informed us that it was a considerable distance to the place which they wished to reach this evening where there was grass for our horses.  accordingly we set out ... We assended and desended several steep lofty hights but keeping on the dividing ridge of the Chopunnish** & Kooskooske*** river.  Late in the evening much to the satisfaction of ourselves and the comfort of our horses we arrived at the desired spot and encamped. "   Lewis

hungary creek*- The cache of Willow Ridge in Idaho County, Idaho - June 17, 1806

Chopunnish** – North Fork River

 Kooskooske***– Clearwater River

June 27, 1806

"We collected our horses early and set out.  the road still continue on the hights of the dividing ridge on which we had traveled yesterday for 9 ms.  about 1 m. short of the encampment we halted by the request of the Guides a fiew minits on an ellevated point and smoked a pipe.  on this eminance the nativs have raised a conic mound of stones of 6 or 8 feet high and erected a pine pole of 15 feet long*.  from hence they informed us that when passing over with their families some of the men usually sent on foot by the fishery at the enterance of Colt Creek in order to take fish and again meet the party at the quawmash glade on the head of Kooskoske river**.  from this place we had an extensive view of these stupendeous mountains principally covered with snow like that on which we stood; we were entirely serounded by those mountains from which to one unacquainted with them it would have seemed impossible ever to have escaped, in short without the assistance of our guides, I doubt much whether we who had once passed them could find our way to Travellers rest in their present situation for the marked trees on which we had placed considerable reliance are much fewer and more difficuelt to find than we apprehended."  We renewed our march, proceeding over some of the steepest mountains I ever passed. The snow is so deep that we cannot wind along the sides of these steeps, but must slide straight down."   Clark

pine pole of 15 feet long* - In Idaho County, Idaho, on the first high point west of Indian Grave Peak.  A rock mound stands there today, much smaller than the one described. 

quawmash glade on the head of Kooskoske river** -  A reference to Packer Meadows, in Idaho County, Idaho.

June 28, 1806

"This morning we collected our horses and set out as usual after an early breakfast.  several of our horses had straggled to a considerable distance in surch of food but we were fortunate enough to find them in good time they look extreemly gant this morning, however the indians informed us that at noon we would arrive at a place where there was good food for them.  about  eleven O'clock we arrived at an untimbered side of ta mountain with a southern aspect just above the fishery  here we found an abundance of grass for our horses as the Indians had informed us.  as our horses were very hungary and much fatiegued and from the information no other place where we could obtain grass for them within the reach of this evening's travel we determined to remain at this place* all night having come 3 miles only. "  Lewis

remain at this place*  - The camp was near Powell Junction on the present Forest Road 500 in Idaho County, also near Papoose Saddle and a few miles north of Powell Ranger Station.