“. . . this horrible mountainous desert” - Idaho
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Volcanoguy
N 46° 20.090 W 115° 20.657
11T E 627429 N 5132582
Lewis & Clark history sign along U.S. Hwy. 12 near the mouth of Fish Creek.
Waymark Code: WMFK67
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 10/28/2012
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member A & W
Views: 3

One of a group of three Forest Service signs near the mouth of Fish Creek, about a mile below the Lochsa Historical Ranger Station. One of the signs deal with Lewis and Clark.
Text of Sign: “. . . this horrible mountainous desert” -- Sargent Patrick Glas, 19 September 1805
The Corps struggles across the Lolo Trail
Westward 1805 -- Look up Fish Creek to your right and you will see into the rugged backcountry traveled by the Corps of Discovery. The expedition journeyed through the upper portions of this drainage, which Clark called “Hungery Creek.”
Hungry, dejected and desperate, the men of the Corps crossed this endless sea of mountains. Today, you see no trail through this area. Downed trees and bogs make travel treacherous on foot or by horse.
Eastward 1806 -- Against the advice of their Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) hosts, the Corps left Kamiah before the snow left the mountains.
Drenched by rain and unable to locate the trail because of deep snow at Cache Mountain, they retreated for the first time in their 8000-mile journey. Lewis dispatched Interpreter Drewyer and Private Shannon back to the plains beyond the “Kooskooske” River (to the Camas Prairie) to acquire Nimiipuu guides.
Nimiipuu Guides
While camped with the Corps along Hungery Creek, their Nez Perce guides performed a fire ceremony. They told the Corps the ceremony would provide good weather for the trip.
“last evening the indians entertained us with seting the fir trees on fire, they have a great number of dry lims near their bodies which when set on fire creates a very suddon and immence blaze from bottom to top of thos tall trees. they are a beatifull object in this situation at night. this exhibition, reminded me of a display of fireworks. the natives told us that their object in seting those trees on fire was to bring fair weather for our journey.” -- Captain Meriwether Lewis, 25 June 1806
The guides skillfully led the expedition over the mountains to a gentler landscape in what is now the state of Montana.
“. . . we were entirely surrouned by those mountains from which to one unacquainted with them it would have seemed impossible ever to have escaped, . . . these fellows are most admireable pilots.” -- Captain Meriwether Lewis, 27 June 1806
"Must Sees"at this location":
Interpretive signs


Date Waymark Created: 10/28/2012

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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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Volcanoguy visited “. . . this horrible mountainous desert” - Idaho 10/09/2010 Volcanoguy visited it