On this day in Lewis & Clark history...
Clark looks for a route to portage the pirogues and finds two large ravines that must be navigated. He camps at Rainbow Falls. Below present Belt Creek, Lewis builds carts to carry the pirogues, and he attends to the ill Sacagawea.
From the journals...
June 17th Monday 1805
a fine morning wind as usial Capt. Lewis with the party unloaded the Perogue & he determined to keep the party employed in getting the loading to the Creek about 1 mile over a low hill in my absence on the Portage.
Hill below Lower Portage Camp
Monday June 17th 1805.
we were fortunate enough to find one cottonwood tree just below the entrance of portage creek that was large enough to make our carrage wheels about 22 Inches in diameter; fortunate I say because I do not beleive that we could find another of the same size perfectly sound within 20 miles of us.
Cottonwood Tree at the mouth of Belt Creek
Monday June 17th 1805.
I set six men at work to pepare four sets of truck wheels with couplings, toungs and bodies, that they might either be used without the bodies for transporting our canoes, or with them in transporting our baggage
Building carts to haul the pirogues
Monday June 17th 1805.
from this place ther is a gradual ascent to the top of the high plain to which we can now take them with ease; the bluffs of this creek below and those of the river above it's entrance are so steep that it would be almost impracticable to have gotten them on the plain.
Portage Hill
June 17th Monday 1805
we found much difficulty in geting the canoes up this creek to the distance we were compelled to take them, in consequence of the rappids and rocks which obstruct the channel of the creek.
Belt Creek downstream from Portage Hill
Monday June 17th 1805.
just above the canoes the creek has a perpendicular fall of 5 feet and the cliffts again become very steep and high.
Belt Creek upstream from Portage Hill
June 17th Monday 1805
I beheld those Cateracts with astonishment
Great Falls of the Missouri
June 17th Monday 1805
this fall is diaguanally across the river from the Lard Side, forming an angle of ¾ of the width from the Lard. from which Side it pitches for 2/3 of that distance. on the Stard Side is a rapid decline
Crooked Falls
