Along the Lewis and Clark Trail

 

 

 

Along the Lewis and Clark Trail

May 26^th 2019

In response to The Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, and their men were the first Americans to discover a path across the West to the Pacific. In their wake came the mountain men, prospectors, cattlemen, sodbusters, tracklayers and then finally, the city builders.

Our journey this day, started on Highway Thirty on the Washington side of the Mighty Columbia. Along the old “Lewis and Clark Trail.”

 

 

“Ocian in view! O! The joy.”

These words are written in Captain William Clark’s journal dated November 7, 1805.

On that day though, he was not standing on the shores the Pacific Ocean, but rather the banks of the Columbia River Estuary. “The Corps of Discovery” entered these marshes and was forced to its banks for days do to rough weather. It would be another couple of weeks before Captains Lewis and Clark would actually reach the Pacific Ocean.

The explorers passed this site on November 26^th, 1805 and found hundreds of migratory birds. “They were immensely numerous and their noise horrid!” Captain Clark was quoted.

 

 

But seriously folks, I never saw a thing.

 

 

 

In the autumn of 1804, The Corps of Discovery wintered near the mouth of The Knife River in what today is the state of North Dakota. Captains Lewis and Clark befriended the Indians in residence there, and recruited two new members to join their corps. One was a French-Canadian named Toussaint Charbonneau, the other his Indian wife Sacajawea. She was familiar with the territory ahead, and helped to point out the landmarks that guided them into the mountains and to the Continental Divide. At last Lewis and Clark were on the Pacific slope.

 

By December 7, 1805 Lewis and Clark were camped on the south bank of the Columbia River near its mouth and could keep watch over the Pacific seas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By January 1, 1806 the Corps had its winter quarters built.

 

 

 

 

 

They named it Fort Clatsop; after the local Indian Tribe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But by then, (Just 24 days in) Clark had already ‘fallen out of love’ with the Pacific Ocean. “The sea” he wrote “…roars like a repeeted roling thunder and have rored in that way ever since our arrival…”

 

But the noise for which Clark could hardly bear, has provided a wealth of peace, tranquility and fun for all the generations to come…

 

Traditions are things families do together that stir from the heart warm and lasting memories. Here’s a peak into a couple of ours…

 

 

Dad and Cassidy Cannon Beach, Or.

May 8th, 1996

 

 

 

 

Cassidy and Dad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a look at just some of the years in between…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our mission. To explore all of the Oregon Coast Lighthouses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All on Oregon’s Coast

 

 

 

Lewis and Clark had gone into the unknown and brought back with them a record of their  knowledge and experience, that was enough to spark                  the curiosity of the countless thousands that eventually followed.

 

Until the next…

May God Bless you with a wall for the wind, a roof for the rain and a warm cup of coffee by the campfire

-Will