The expedition’s voyage up the Missouri from Great Falls, MT, took the explorers through an unusually beautiful and commanding passageway, which Lewis named the Gates of the Mountains (photo 1). Here the river, 100 to 150 yards wide, cut through 1200 foot towering grey-black limestone cliffs (photo 2) interrupted by narrow gulches and canyons descending to the river. In his journal, Lewis noted that it had “a dark and gloomy aspect.”
Further along on the way west, Lewis and Clark passed into the Bitterroot Mountains known only to the local Native Americans. The two leaders of Corps of Discovery sought a water route to the Pacific Ocean. But no such luck! They unsuccessfully tried to pass through the mountains via the Salmon River consuming vital travel time. After skillfully trading with the Shoshones for packhorses and hiring a guide, they ascended through the snows of Lolo Pass (photo 3), summit 5235 feet, and then descended the steep ridges along the Lochsa River (photo 4) to the Clearwater River leading to the Snake River and thence to the Columbia for the last stage of their journey west. This passage through the Bitterroot Mountains was extremely difficult with deep snow, scarce game and limited provisions. Despite all these obstacles, and without losing one member of the expedition, and with the assistance of Sacagewea as translator, they successfully completed the mountain passage before the full blast of winter struck. Having successfully overcome all challenges, they now reached the Pacific coast where they wintered in 1805-06.
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