CLARK November 9, 1805 "our camp entirely under water during the hight of the tide. every man as wet as water could make them all the last night and to day...at this dismal point we must spend another night as the wind and waves are too high to proceed.
CLARK November 11, 1805 "we are all wet as usial and our Situation is truly a disagreeable one, the great quantities of rain which has loosened the Stones on the hillsides, and the small stones fall down upon us, our canoes is at one place at the mercy of the waves and our baggage in another and our Selves and party Scattered on floating logs and Such dry Spots as can be found on the hill sides and crevices of the rocks....
CLARK November 12, 1805 It would be distressing to See our Situation, all wet and Colde our bedding also wet, (and the robes of the party which Compose half the bedding is rotten,) and we are not in a Situation to supply their places in a wet bottom Scercely large enough to contain us. our baggage half a mile from us and Canoes at the mercy of the waves...
Lewis proceeded by land to see if a safe camp site could be found nearby and found that indeed, right around a point near to them was a sand beach and level ground.
CLARK November 15, 1805 "About 3 o'clock the wind luled, and the river became calm, I had the canoes loaded in great haste and Set Out, from this dismal nitch where we have been confined for 6 days passed, without the possibility of proceeding on, returning to a better Situation, or get out to hunt."
They did find a good place to stay and did so until November 25.
This is a very old bronze plaque designating this place as "Dismal Nich."
And this is the Nitch itself
And this as well
This flat space is where they found the sandy beach (now washed away).
Another shot of the new camp, called Station Camp and a church built when a cannery occupied the spot.
This is a view of Astoria, across the river from Station Camp.
While the Corps were at Station Camp, Cark took a trip over land to Cape Disappointment. The Cape was named by English sea captain John Meares who searched for a large river and failing to find the Columbia, named the cape Cape Disappointment,
The cape is now the site of a very important lighthouse marking the entrance to the Columbia River and the infamous Columbia River Bar.
This is that lighthouse
This is an ocean going vessel crossing the bar in very pleasant weather.
and this is the view Clark would have had of the Pacific Ocean.
Now the view includes a rock jetty and a beach that has formed behind it. The fog bank is beginning to burn off.
Humpback and Grey Whales are seen from this place, but not today.
There are wild flowers in view though
Clark camped near the present location of the small fishing village, Ilwaco.
One of places he visited is now called Beards Bight, named for a Sea Captain whose ship foundered here, all hands lost.
We too are now camped out (in a motel called Heidi's Inn,) in Ilwaco. Tomorrow we plan to cross he river and visit Fort Clapsot, the wintering place of the Corps.
2 comments:
You made it! Who would've thought? Great Journey for each of you.
I presume you'll cross the river on the US 101. That's the Coastal Highway that goes all the way south and passes just down the hill from our daughter's place in Los Angeles! Amazing.
An interesting side note apart from Lewis and Clark: You have passed through a National Forest area named after the first Chief Forester, Gifford Pinchot. His first and enduring True Love was Laura Houghteling. Laura was the daughter of James L. Houghteling, who has been credited with the founding of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.
Yes, we crossed the Columbia on the 101 bridge and have visited Fort Clatsop and the salt works. We are now near the site that the Corps camped after crossing the river, before going downstream to establish Fort Clatsop, but I'm getting ahead of myself, at least ahead of the blog.
Post a Comment