Lewis and Clark on Lolo Creek - Montana - Lewis and Clark Trail on Waymarking.com

Interpretive sign at the Fort Fizzle site west of Lolo, Montana. Sign deals with the Lewis & Clark Expedition on Lolo Creek.
Text of Sign:
Westbound, the trip up Lolo Creek was the start of a remarkably arduous and life-threatening part of the expedition’s journey. Eastbound, the passage down Lolo Creek represented victory over one of the most formidable barriers to cross-country travel they had encountered.
Heading West: September 11-22, 1805
When Meriwether Lewis reached the Continental Divide south of the Bitterroot Valley on August 12, 1805, he expected to see a plain descending toward the Pacific Ocean; instead, the dream of a Northwest Passage was shattered when he saw “immence ranges of high mountains still to the West of us.” The captains enlisted the services of a Shoshone guide they called Old Toby, who told them of a rugged Indian road through the mountains leading to the west. They decided to give it a try.
Lewis and Clark had planned to be at the Pacific by this time, so they must have felt a growing sense of urgency when they saw the snow-covered mountains. The Corps of Discovery stopped for a few days just east of here at a place Lewis named Travelers’ Rest, where they prepared for the difficult journey ahead. The expedition was about to face the last and most intense test of their abilities before reaching the Pacific.
The expedition left Travelers’ Rest on September 11, 1805, following a trail along the ridges above the brush-choked creek bottom. Clark’s journal entry on September 12, 1805, described the road as “verry bad passing over hills & ‘thro’ Steep hollows.” Several of the expedition’s horses were injured when they rolled down steep hillsides. Snow fell, almost obliterating the trail and turning what had been a difficult journey into a nightmare. By the time they emerged from the mountains on September 22, 1805, members of the expedition were plagued by diarrhea, skin rashes, lethargy, and other symptoms of malnutrition. They found themselves in the home of the Nez Perce, who generously assisted the expedition with their journey west.
Returning East: June 24-30, 1806
After wintering at Fort Clatsop near the Oregon COast, the expedition came back across the Bitterroots, arriving at Travelers’ Rest on June 30, 1806. The captains had decided earlier to split the group into two parties to explore more of the Louisiana Territory on their way home. Leaving Travelers’ Rest on July 3, 1806, Captain Lewis led nine mounted soldiers, seventeen horses, and his Newfoundland dog, Seaman, north to the Clark Fork and up the Blackfoot River. Clark led the rest of the party south down the Bitterroot Valley. They promised to meet in a month at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers.

"Must Sees"at this location": Interpretive sign. Date Waymark Created: 10/22/2012 Do they allow dogs at this location?: Don't Know Rate this waymark as to importance:

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Visits only will be logged if there is a picture of the individual at the location, with their GPS in hand submitted as proof of the visit or not having a camera, the person making the find must submit a reasonable "proof" of having visited the site. Examples include: Two or three sentence quote from historical/interpretive signage at the location; adequate descriptive language about the location that provides evidence of a visit; verification by another party present at the find; e-mail sent from the location of the waymark.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/09/2010 Volcanoguy visited it