Lewis and Clark Across the Mountains
An Engineer Tracks the Trail
 1997-98 Steve F. Russell. All Rights Reserved

  Hungry at "Hungery" Creek

The Story

September 18 and 19, 1805 were undoubtedly the most desperate times for the explorers. Food was gone and the Bitterroot Mountain winter was rapidly approaching. The night and morning of September 16 brought wet snow and cold. This was the most bitter time of their "Bitter Crossing". The morning of Sept. 18, Clark went ahead with six hunters to scout the route to safety and to secure game to feed the starving expedition. Lewis followed with the main party at a slower pace.

Commentary:

Clark and the six hunters proceeded quickly on from Indian Grave Camp westward over the dividing ridge until they reached the area of Willow Ridge and Bowl Butte. It was here that Clark saw an "emence Plain and leavel Countrey to the S. W. & West at a great distance." He was seeing the Nez Perce Prairie.

They were greatly encouraged but still had a long way to go before reaching safety. They saw no sign of deer and nothing else and still had many weary miles of fallen timber and steep sidehills to travel. Clark followed the Nez Perce trail down into Hungry Creek where he camped the evening of Sept. 18. He followed Hungry Creek westward to where it turns sharply north and then passed over the mountains southward through Fish Creek Meadows and then westward until reaching his camp on Cedar Creek the evening of Sept. 19th. On Hungry Creek, they found a horse which they used for breakfast and left part of it for the main party.

Clark remarks that the temperature increase is very noticable as they decrease in elevation. I have observed this effect many times in traveling from the dividing ridge down to the valleys of Lolo and Eldorado Creeks. The Nez Perce used the Lolo Trail in the summer to excape the heat of the river valleys and gather berrys and roots.

In the two days of travel by Clark, he reports covering between 54 and 62 miles. He actually covered over 36 miles of very difficult trail.

Leading the main party, Lewis followed Clark the morning of September 18th. The reached the area of Sherman Peak that evening and "encamped on the side of a steep mountain." The site of this camp is still in dispute. There was not water at the site so the party had to go down a steep raviene for about 1/2 mile to get it. They were so hungry at this site that they ate bears oil and about 20 pounds of tallow candles from their supplies. While Clark reported covering 32 miles this day, Lewis reports only 18 miles.

Lewis reached a high point the morning of September 19th and reported: "we to our inexpressable joy discovered a large tract of Prairie country lying to the S. W. and widening as it appeared to extend to the W." This was the same scene reported by Clark the previous day. The party eventually reached Hungry Creek and went westward along it to their campsite "on the Stard. side of it in a little raviene."

The next day, the main party started late and didn't reach the Sept. 19th camp of Clark.

The travel along Hungry Creek was extremely difficult. Clark's description is very accurate: "the road was excessively dangerous along this creek being a narrow rockey path generally on the side of the steep precipice, from which in many places if ether man or horse were precipitated they would inevitably be dashed in pieces. Fraziers horse fell from this road in the evening, and roled with his load near a hundred yards into the Creek. we all expected that the horse was killed but to our astonishment when the load was taken off him he arose to his feet & appeard to be but little injured, in 20 minutes he proceeded with his load. this was the most wonderfull escape I ever witnessed, the hill down which he roled was almost perpendicular and broken by large irregular and broken rocks."

From the Journals:

• The Days:   The mornings were cold. Sunrise at 6:56 AM and Sunset at 7:17 PM.
  
  
• Activities:   On the 18th, Clark proceeded on in advance with six hunters to try and find deer or something to kill. They saw no sign of deer or anything to kill and spent a hungry night with nothing to eat encamped on "Hungrey Creek." Lewis followed the same route as Clark. On the 19th, Clark found a horse and directed him killed and hung up for the party.
  
  
• The Route:  On the 18th, they passed over a country similar to the one of September 17th, a dividing ridge and more fallen timber, and passed several runs and springs to the right. From a high mountain they had a view of an immense plain and level country to the S. W. and west. On the 19th, they travelled along Hungry Creek and over ridges westward.
  
  
• The Encampments:   On the 18th, Clark encamped on a bold running creek passing to the left which he called "Hungrey Creek." Lewis encamped on the side of a steep mountain. On the 19th, Clark encamped on a small creek passing to the left. Lewis encamped on the starboard side of "Hungrey Creek" in a little raviene.

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