Lewis: June 16, 1806

Monday June 16th 1806. We collected our horses very readily this morning,
took breakfast and set out at 6 A.M.; proceeded up the creek about 2 miles
through some handsom meadows of fine grass abounding with quawmash, here
we passed the creek & ascended a ridge which led us to the N. E. about
seven miles when we arrived at a small branch of hungry creek. the
difficulty we met with from the fallen timber detained us untill 11 oC
before we reached this place. here is a handsome little glade in which we
found some grass for our horses we therefore halted to let them graize and
took dinner knowing that there was no other convenient situation for that
purpose short of the glaids on hungry creek where we intended to encamp,
as the last probable place, at which we shall find a sufficient quantity
of grass for many days. this morning Windsor busted his rifle near the
muzzle. before we reached this little branch on which we dined we saw in
the hollows and N. hillsides large quatities of snow yet undisolved; in
some places it was from two to three feet deep. vegetation is
proportionably backward; the dogtooth violet is just in blume, the
honeysuckle, huckburry and a small speceis of white maple are begining to
put fourth their leaves; these appearances in this comparatively low
region augers but unfavourably with rispect to the practibility of passing
the mountains, however we determined to proceed, accordingly after taking
a haisty meal we set out and continued our rout though a thick wood much
obstructed with fallen timber, and intersepted by many steep ravines and
high hills. the snow has increased in quantity so much that the greater
part of our rout this evening was over the snow which has become
sufficiently firm to bear our horshes, otherwise it would have been
impossible for us to proceed as it lay in immence masses in some places 8
or ten feet deep. we found much difficulty in pursuing the road as it was
so frequently covered with snow. we arrived early in the evening at the
place that Capt. C. had killed and left the flesh of a horse for us last
September. here is a small glade in which there was some grass, not a
sufficiency for our horses but we thought it most advisable to remain here
all night as we apprehended if we proceeded further we should find less
grass. the air is pleasent in the course of the day but becomes very cold
before morning notwithstanding the shortness of the nights. Hungry creek
is but small at this place but is deep and runs a perfect torrent; the
water is perfectly transparent and as cold as ice. the pitch pine, white
pine some larch and firs constite the timber; the long leafed pine extends
a little distance on this side of the main branch of Collins’s creek, and
the white cedar not further than the branch of hungry creek on which we
dined. I killed a small brown pheasant today, it feeds on the tender
leaves and buds of the fir and pitch pine. in the fore part of the day I
observed the Cullumbine the blue bells and the yelow flowering pea in
blume. there is an abundance of a speceis of anjelico in these mountains,
much stonger to the taist and more highly scented than that speceis common
to the U States. know of no particular virtue or property it possesses;
the natives dry it cut it in small peices which they string on a small
cord and place about their necks; it smells very pleasantly. we came 15
miles today.