Clearwater River

Today a small group of us went on an adventure to learn about the Corps of Discovery as they made their way down the Clearwater River. They traveled down this river in September and October of 1805 and then back up part of the river in the spring of 1806. Lin, our guide for the day, talked about the amazing tales of the Captains and their party as they navigated the rapids and dangers of the western part of Idaho. The picture is at Canoe Camp. At this spot the explorers spent about 10 days recovering and resting along the banks of the Clearwater. They had been very sick and weak, probably due to a dose of food poisoning from badly dried salmon they got from the Nez Perce Indians. They were also eating camas roots that didn't agree with them. Once they were strong enough to continue they made fast progress down the Clearwater to the Snake and then on to the Columbia River.