The Miraculous 4000 Mile Trip

            In early November, the Corps of Discovery ran into the villages of the Mandan and Hidatsa, where they made Fort Mandan and stayed until the winter was over. Some of the crew would get the information back, but the main crew prepared for the rest of the trip. While they were there they met French-Canadian Trapper Toussaint Charbonneau, where they hired him for the journey and his wife Sacagawea. Sacagawea is a Shoshone indian who was kidnapped by the Hidatsa and married Charbonneau. They hoped Sacagawea could talk with any Shoshone they found. On the journey she gave birth to Jean Baptiste who was respected asset to Lewis and Clark who they nicknamed Pompey.

            The crew soon got over the continental divide and reached Lemhi pass, but they saw ranges of mountains as far as the eye could see. Luckily they bumped into the Shoshone tribe, where Sacagawea reunited with her brother the chief of the Shoshone indians, Cameahwait. They stayed in the village for a while, to restock things for the mountains. 

Old toby talking to Nez Perce members

            After staying for a while they headed off using the Lolo trail, this leg of the expedition was the most dangerous and hard, even with horses from the Shoshone tribe and Old toby a guide for the mountains from the Shoshone. It included frostbite, dehydration, hunger, exhaustion and bad weather, but still after the ruthless trail no lives were lost.  

            The Nez Perce sought pity and the words of wisdom of Watkuweis to friend them, the exhausted crew was fed up and regained strength.  Traveling down the Columbia River with their dugout canoes, they also crossed pathways with the Snake and Clearwater River before hitting the Columbia River. 

            After canoeing on the Columbia River they reached the ocean by the time it was already the next winter, so they had to set up camp where everyone voted(Sacagawea and Slave York) to stay. The stay wasn't pleasant. It had bugs all over the place with raging weather, and everyone struggled to keep supplies good even though mostly everyone was weak and sick with stomach problems.