Finally the Pacific Ocean (CoD November, 1805)

The CoD could notice the effects of the ocean on the Columbia River almost 100 miles before seeing the ocean. They could see sea gulls, the changing tides and taste the salinity of the water. The CoD stayed on the north (Washington) side of the river as they approached the coast, as the river was getting wide (4 miles at Astoria) and rough. They were pinned down by storms on the Washington side and could find very little to eat. The first photo is of John and Pris on the beach at Disappointment State Park, Washington. This is few miles west of where the CoD camped in Washington. The second photo is of us, with a washed up boat above the beach with our RV in the background.
The local Indians told the CoD that there were plentiful elk on the south side of the river, so on November 24th, the CoD actually voted to cross the river to set up their winter quarters. On December 10, they started construction of what they would call Fort Clatsop, named after the local Indian tribe. The fort is southwest of current day Astoria, Oregon. The third photo shows us in front of the fort.
The winter would be a wet and miserable one for the CoD. It rained every day but 12. They did find ample elk for meat and bartered with the Indians for everything else.
The CoD left Fort Clatsop on March 23, 1806, homeward bound for the United States. They used their acquired knowledge to speed up their journey. They bargained for horses just above Portland and rode from there over the Bitterroots to traveler’s rest in Idaho. There they split into 3 groups. Lewis led a group north to explore the upper reaches of the Marias River, after which they floated down the Missouri to the confluence with the Yellowstone. Clark led a group down to the Yellowstone River and followed it to the confluence with the Missouri. The third group went back to the Great Falls, dug up the cached canoes and went down the Missouri to the confluence with the Yellowstone. Remarkably, they all arrived safely at the confluence and continued down the Missouri. They arrived at the Mandan villages on August 14th and said good bye to Charbonneau, Sacagawea and their son Pomp (Clark’s nickname for Jean Baptiste), now 19 months old. On September 23 the CoD arrived at St. Louis to one big party. No one in town thought they were still alive.
We did not follow the CoD back to St. Louis, as we also want to get home. What is so impressive is the audacity of their undertaking. They took on the unknown and seemed to do it in stride. It is an adventure today, even with our modern transportation.