As 1806 began, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was camped in dreary winter quarters at "Fort Clatsop," along the Pacific Coast. As spring came the Corps of Discovery made preparations to begin traveling back toward the east, to the young nation they had left behind nearly two years earlier.
March 23, 1806: Canoes Into the Water
In late March the Corps of Discovery put its canoes into the Columbia River and began the journey eastward, back to civilization.April 1806: Moving Eastward Quickly
The men traveled along in their canoes, occasionally having to "portage," or carry the canoes overland, when they came to difficult rapids. Despite the difficulties, they tend to move quickly, encountering friendly Indians along the way.May 9, 1806: Reunion With the Nez Perce
The Corps of Discovery meets up with the Nez Perce Indians, who had kept the expedition's horses healthy and fed throughout the winter.May 1806: Forced to Wait
The expedition is forced to stay among the Nez Perce for a few weeks while waiting for the snow to melt in the mountains ahead of them.June 1806: Travel Resumes
The Corps of Discovery gets underway again, setting off to cross the mountains. When they encounter snow that is 10 to 15 feet deep, they turn back. At the end of June they once again set off to travel eastward, this time taking three Nez Perce guides along to help them navigate the mountains.July 3, 1806: Splitting the Expedition
Having successfully crossed the mountains, Lewis and Clark decide to split the Corps of Discovery so they can accomplish more scouting and perhaps find other mountain passes. Lewis will follow the Missouri River, and Clark will follow the Yellowstone until it meets up with the Missouri, and the parties will then reunite.July 1806: Finding Ruined Scientific Samples
Lewis find a cache of material he had left the year before, and discovers that some of his scientific samples have been ruined by moisture.July 15, 1806: Fighting a Grizzly
While exploring with a small party, Lewis is attacked by a grizzly bear and fights it off by breaking his musket over the bear's head and then climbing a tree.July 25, 1806: A Scientific Discovery
Clark, exploring separately from Lewis's party, finds a dinosaur skeleton.July 26, 1806: Escape From the Blackfeet
Lewis and his men meet up with some Blackfeet warriors, and they all camp together. The Indians attempt to steal some rifles, and in a confrontation one Indian is killed and another possibly wounded. Lewis rallies the men and has them travel quickly, covering nearly 100 miles by horseback as they fear retaliation from the Blackfeet.
