Clark: July 6, 1806

Sunday 6th July 1806 Some frost this morning the last night was so cold
that I could not Sleep. we Collected our horses which were much scattered
which detained us untill 9 A.M. at which time we Set out and proceeded up
the Creek on which we camped 3 Miles and left the road which we came on
last fall to our right and assended a ridge with a gentle Slope to the
dividing mountain which Seperates the waters from the Middle fork of
Clarks river from those and Lewis’s river and passed over prosueing the
rout of the Oat lash shute band which we met last fall to the head of a
branch of Wisdom R and down the Said branch crossing it frequently on each
Side of this handsom glades in which I observe great quantities of
quawmash just beginning to blume on each side of those glades the timber
is small and a great propotion of it Killed by the fires. I observe the
appearance of old buffalow roads and some heads on this part of the
mountain. The Snow appears to lying in considerable masses on the mountain
from which we decended on the 4th of Septr. last. I observe great numbers
of the whistleing Squirel which burrows their holes Scattered on each Side
of the glades through which we passed. Shields killed a hare of the large
mountain Species. the after part of the day we passed on the hill Side N
of the Creek for 6 Ms. Creek and entered an extensive open Leavel plain in
which the Indian trail Scattered in Such a manner that we Could not pursue
it. the Indian woman wife to Shabono informed me that she had been in this
plain frequently and knew it well that the Creek which we decended was a
branch of Wisdom river and when we assended the higher part of the plain
we would discover a gap in the mountains in our direction to the Canoes,
and when we arived at that gap we would See a high point of a mountain
covered with snow in our direction to the canoes. we proceeded on 1 mile
and Crossd. a large Creek from the right which heads in a Snow Mountain
and Fish Creek over which there was a road thro a gap. we assended a Small
rise and beheld an open boutifull Leavel Vally or plain of about 20 Miles
wide and near 60 long extending N & S. in every direction around which
I could see high points of Mountains Covered with Snow. I discovered one
at a distance very high covered with Snow which bore S. 80° E. The Squar
pointed to the gap through which she said we must pass which was S. 56° E.
She said we would pass the river before we reached the gap. we had not
proceeded more than 2 Miles in the last Creek, before a violent Storm of
wind accompand. with hard rain from the S W. imediately from off the Snow
Mountains this rain was Cold and lasted 11/2 hours. I discovd. the rain
wind as it approached and halted and formd. a solid column to protect our
Selves from the Violency of the gust. after it was over I proceeded on
about 5 Miles to Some Small dry timber on a Small Creek and encampd. made
large fires and dryed our Selves. here I observed Some fresh Indian Signs
where they had been gathering quawmash.