This day dawned bright and clear at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River – a far cry from the weather experienced by the Corps of Discovery when they reached this place in November, 1805. Nevertheless, we shared in their excitement about reaching the “mighty Pacific Ocean”. Many good times and a real sense of camaraderie from shared adventure marked both their journey and ours.
Our first stop was the reconstructed Fort Clatsop, their winter camp of 1805-06. That winter was a long and wet one, with almost continual rain and fog, dampness and mud. The men were sick with colds and flu most of the time. Hunting was difficult, and many meals consisted of spoiled, boiled elk meat and roots. They managed to keep their spirits up, but were eager to head home in March 1806.
The Fort Clatsop winter was a busy one for the captains. They carefully reviewed and edited their notes and journal entries for the previous year, and made annotated lists of places and things recorded earlier. Also, the goal of collecting natural history information still was before them. Among many botanical observations made by Captain Lewis, two particularly interesting and important ones are illustrated in the upper photograph. The broad leaf plant is salal (Gaultheria shalon), a very important food plant for the coastal peoples. Its berries, rich in vitamin C, were dipped in whale or bear oil to make a high-energy snack. They also were used in stews and pemmican. The feathery foliage is from western red cedar (Thuja plicata). This plant was a botanical equivalent to the bison of the plains people. It was used as food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. The beautiful straight grained wood split into long boards, and was malleable when heated to form the graceful canoes, which the Corps so much admired. Shredded bark and fine roots formed fabric and cordage used for such varied purposes as fishing nets and rainwear.
When Captain Clark first viewed the ocean, his words were “Ocean in View – Oh, the joy!” We knew how he felt; an adventure had come to fruition. Our shared reaction is shown in the lower photograph – bare feet in the wet sand of the Pacific.
