Old Toby’s guidance was invaluable, though not infallible. At one point during the mountain crossing, he took a wrong turn that cost the expedition a day’s travel. The mistake led the party into particularly difficult terrain but was ultimately corrected.

Old Toby and his son left the expedition abruptly when they reached Nez Perce territory, departing without collecting the payment the captains had promised. Clark believed they were frightened by the Nez Perce, with whom the Shoshone had an uneasy relationship. The captains regretted not being able to compensate Old Toby for his services.

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“Those people received us friendly, threw white robes over our Shoulders and smoked in the pipes of peace.”

The Salish generously traded horses with the expedition and shared information about the route ahead through the Bitterroot Mountains. Private Joseph Whitehouse noted that their language contained sounds “as if they had an Impediment in their Speech or a brogue on their Tongue.”

The Salish oral tradition preserves their own account of this encounter — they had never before seen Euro-Americans and were fascinated by the strangers’ appearance and trade goods.

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“I have been wet and as cold in every part as I ever was in my life. Indeed I was at one time fearfull my feet would freeze in the thin Mockersons which I wore.”

The expedition was reduced to eating candles, portable soup (a concentrated meat broth), and eventually slaughtering some of their pack horses. Game was virtually nonexistent in the high mountains. Several men became too sick and exhausted to travel. This 11-day ordeal through the Bitterroots was the closest the expedition came to complete failure.

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