Lewis: June 28, 1806

Saturday June 28th 1806. This morning we collected our horses and set out
as usual after an early breakfast. several of our horses had straggled to
a considersble 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. we continued our rout along the dividing ridge
passing one very deep hollow and at the distance of six miles passed our
encampment of the 16 of September last, one and a half miles further we
passed the road which leads by the fishery falling in on the wright
immediately on the dividing ridge about eleven O’clock we arrived at an
untimbered side of a 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 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 13 miles only. the water was distant from our
encampment we therefore melted snow and used the water principally. the
whole of the rout of this day was over deep snows. we find the traveling
on the snow not worse than without it, as the easy passage it gives us
over rocks and fallen timber fully compensate for the inconvenience of
sliping, certain it is that we travel considerably faster on the snow than
without it. the snow sinks from 2 to 3 inches with a hors, is coarse and
firm and seems to be formed of the larger and more dense particles of the
snow; the surface of the snow is reather harder in the morning than after
the sun shines on it a few hours, but it is not in that situation so dense
as to prevent the horse from obtaining good foothold. we killed a small
black pheasant; this bird is generally found in the snowey region of the
mountains and feeds on the leaves of the pine and fir. there is a speceis
of small whortleburry common to the hights of the mountains, and a speceis
of grass with a broad succulent leaf which looks not unlike a flag; of the
latter the horses are very fond, but as yet it is generally under the snow
or mearly making it’s appearance as it confined to the upper parts of the
highest mountains.