The Volcanoes of Lewis and ClarkMay 1 - 3, 1806
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-- The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark Map of the Journey -- Volcanoes, Basalt Plateaus, Major Rivers, etc. CALENDAR of the Journey -- October 1805 to June 1806 Along the Journey -- Pacific Northwest Maps - Columbia River, Volcanoes, Flood Basalts, Missoula Floods, Geology, etc. The Corps of Discovery -- The Journey of Lewis and Clark About the Reference Materials -- The Journals, Biddle/Allen, DeVoto, Gass, Moulton, Topo Maps, and others USGS Lewis and Clark Links -- Links to USGS Websites highlighting the Lewis and Clark Journey Resources Publications Referenced and Websites Visited |
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April 30 The Walla Walla Shortcut, Overland, Walla Walla to the Touchet |
May 1-3
The Walla Walla Shortcut, Overland, Touchet to the Snake River Touchet River, Eureka Flats, Palouse Loess (Sand) and the Palouse Hills, Bolles, Touchet River and Waitsburg, Lewis and Clark Trail State Park, Patit Creek and Dayton, Tucannon River, Pataha Creek, Pomeroy and Pataha City, Snake River and Highway-12 |
May 4 - June
To the Rockies, Snake River to Long Camp |
| On October 7, 1805, Lewis and Clark and the "Corps of Discovery" began their journey down the Clearwater River and into the volcanics of the Pacific Northwest. The Corps travelled from the Clearwater to the Snake and down the "Great Columbia", finally reaching the Pacific Ocean on November 15, 1805. Along the journey they encountered the lava flows of the Columbia Plateau, river channels carved by the great "Missoula Floods", and the awesome beauty of five Cascade Range volcanoes. |
| The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark |
| Heading Home - May 1806 |
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The Walla Walla Shortcut Overland, Touchet to the Snake River |
| The camp of April 30, 1806, was on the Touchet River, 12 miles north of today's Touchet, Washington. |
| We collected our horses, and after breakfast set out about seven o'clock, and followed the road up the creek [Touchet River]. |
| "... we proceeded up the Creek on the N. E. Side through a Countrey of less sand and Some rich bottoms on the Creek which is partially Supplyed with Small Cotton trees, willow, red willow, choke Cherry, white thorn, birch, elder, [blank], rose & honey suckle. ..." [Clark, May 1, 1806] |
| "... Some rain fell during the night, and the morning continues cloudy. We set out early and travelled up the branch, which is a fine stream about twenty yards wide, with some cotton-wood, birch and willows on its banks ... ..." [Gass, May 1, 1806] |
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Touchet River:
Touchet River: The Walla Walla River flows out of the Blue Mountains, originating at nearly 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) and flows through narrow, well-defined canyons. After it leaves the mountains it flows through broad valleys that drain low, rolling lands. The principle tributaries of the Walla Walla River include the Touchet River, Mill Creek, and the North and South Forks of the Walla Walla River. The Touchet (at Bolles) drains approximately 935 square kilometers. -- Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority Website, 2003 |
| "... we Set out as usal & proceeded on up this river [Touchet River] over high plains [the vast plains to the west of the Touchet are known as the "Eureka Flats"] and river bottom which is partly covred with cotton & other timber ..." [Ordway, May 1, 1806] |
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Eureka Flats:
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| The low grounds and plains presented the same appearance as that of yesterday, except that the latter were less sandy. |
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Palouse Loess (Sand):
Fertile soils formed from Pleistocene silt and sand blanket the Walla Walla basin. During the Pleistocene ice ages, the region underwent severe change as the continental glaciers advanced and retreated to the north, and valley glaciers carved channels in the higher elevations. Massive floods swept through the Columbia basin periodically through the Quaternary era, bringing vast amounts of sediment into the region. Wind, intensified by the expanse of glacial ice, piled the sand and silt known as loess into dunes that spread across much of central and southeastern Washington. These dunes characterize the region known as the Palouse, and can be seen throughout the Walla Walla basin. -- Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority Website, 2002 
Palouse Hills:
Palouse Hills: The most characteristic feature of the Palouse is its rolling hills. Early geologists in the area first thought the Palouse deposits were formed by the weathering of basalt. Later studies showed that, based on the particle size and composition of the silt, or loess, the deposits were primarily transported here rather than formed in place. The best evidence shows that the Palouse loess was blown here as fine silt particles that collected in the dune-like shapes we see today. Loess is not particularly unique since nearly 10 percent of the earth's land surface is made up of accumulations of this wind-blown dust. Besides the Palouse, parts of the Mississippi Valley as well as large parts of Asia and central Europe are made up of loess deposits. These are regions of rich farmlands. In fact, most of the world's best agricultural soils are in loess. Loess is mostly associated with cool climates and usually forms in arid areas near glacial regions. Interestingly, no pre-Pleistocene loess has been recognized in the geologic record, although numerous pre-Pleistocene glaciations have been documented. The source area of the Palouse loess has been debated. Both volcanic ash from the Cascades and glacial flour from the ice margins of glaciated regions to the north have been deposited. Most likely, the Palouse loess was blown in from the fine-grained Ringold Formation on the eastern margins of the Cascades and perhaps from the Touchet Beds in the Pasco Basin. The composition of loess throughout the world is predominantly quartz and feldspar. The Palouse is no exception, but it also contains mica and small amounts of volcanic glass and dark minerals. Studies of the Palouse loess have shown that while the deposits of silt may look homogenous, or all of the same source and age, they are really composed of a complex series of layers formed in different episodes. Recent profiles have shown that the stratigraphy, or order of deposition, of these hills has been altered many times. These hills have not been stable, but are in a constant state of fluctuation. They were formed not once, but many times. The Palouse hills show a distinct alignment and dune-like form. This is due not only to the original dunes, but also to a number of factors that tend to steepen north-facing slopes and flatten the south-facing ones. From the air, or a vantage point on a "steptoe," the dune form of the rolling hills is dramatic -- gentle south-facing slopes and steep north-facing slopes aligned parallel to the prevailing southwesterly winds. More than one observer has likened the view to a sea of waves. -- Idaho Geological Survey Website, 2003 Geology of the Palouse: The Palouse, geologically, lies on the eastern edge of the Columbia Plateau. Between the surface of this plateau and much older "basement" rocks deep below is a great layer of 6- to 17-milion-year-old basalt. This basalt is what remains of a series of tremendous lava flows that once poured across the land. Fed by large cracks or fissures in the earth's crust, this lava ranged in thickness from a few feet to several hundred feet. In some places it traveled at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. And spread across 100 miles of terrain. The pre-basalt landscape -- whatever was here before the lava flows -- was completely engulfed in molten rock. Only a few small steptoes, the tops of the highest mountains, were spared. The Pliocene Epoch, about 2 to 5 million years ago, was a time of uplift and erosion in western North America. The Rocky Mountains were being pushed higher and the rising of the Cascades had begun. The Columbia Plateau, meanwhile, was being warped downward beneath the weight of the dense basalt. In this basin, stream and lake sediments were being deposited, particularly on the west side of the plateau near the Cascades in what today is known as the Ringold Formation. This period of deformation marked the end of the Tertiary Era and the onset of the Pleistocene Epoch, the time of the most recent Ice Age. During the late Pleistocene, near the end of the most recent Ice Age, glaciers had advanced from Canada into northern Washington sate and, in Idaho, down through the Purcell Trench to near where Coeur d'Alene is today. Glacial lakes were impounded at the margins of these huge lobes of ice. The largest known glacial lake in North America at that time was Lake Missoula. More than 13,000 years ago it emptied catastrophically because of a failure in an ice dam located near what is now Clark Fork, Idaho. A huge wall of floodwater cascaded down through the Spokane and Columbia River valleys in a torrent that probably lasted about a week. The famous channeled scablands of central Washington were carved by the terrible erosive force of this flood. The loess ground cover and some of the basalt layer beneath were washed away. The largest continuous scabland scoured by water is named the Cheney-Palouse tract and is over 80 miles long. Boulders, sand, and silt carried by the Missoula floodwaters were deposited in large bars on the Columbia River, and huge ripple marks along the drainages are visible from the air. As farmland, the most productive soil on the Palouse is that deposited most recently, in the Holocene Epoch. This soil, however, is also the most susceptible to erosion. Soil studies show that much of the Holocene topsoil has been lost through erosion, a constant problem in the fine-grained deposits. -- Idaho Geological Survey Website, 2003 |
| At the distance of nine miles, the Chopunnish Indian, who was in front, pointed out an old unbeaten road to the left, which he informed us was our shortest route. [The Corps is at the juction of today's Greenville Road and State Highway 124.] Before venturing, however, to quit our present road, which was level, and not only led us in the proper direction, but was well supplied with wood and water, we halted to let our horses graze till the arrival of our other guide, who happened to be at some distance behind. On coming up he seemed much displeased with the other Indian, and declared that the road we were pursuing was the proper one [today's Washington State Highway 124]; that if we decided on taking the left road, it would be necessary to remain till to-morrow morning, and then make an entire day's march before we could reach either water or wood. ...... at one o'clock, and pursued our route up the creek [Touchet River], through a country similar to that we had passed in the morning. But at the distance of three miles, the hills on the north side became lower, and the bottoms of the creek widened into a pleasant country, two or three miles in extent. The timber too, is now more abundant, and our guide tells us that we shall not want either wood or game from this place as far as the Kooskooskee [Clearwater River]. |
| "... we proceed. on up the branch over Smooth handsom plains and bottoms. Saw a timbred country a long distance to the S.E. & Mount of Snow ..." [Ordway, May 1, 1806] |
| We have already seen a number of deer, of which we killed one, and observed great quantities of the curlew, as well as some cranes, ducks, prairie larks, and several species of sparrow, common to the prairies. There is, in fact, very little difference in the general face of the country here from that of the plains on the Missouri, except that the latter are enlivened by vast herds of buffaloe, elk and other animals, which give it an additional interest. Over these wide bottoms we continued on a course north, 75° east, till, at the distance of seventeen miles from where we dined, and twenty-six from our last encampment, we halted for the night [Touchet River, near Bolles, west of Waitsburg]. ...... |
| "... we traviled 17 miles this evening makeing a total of 26 mls, and encamped. the first 3 miles of our afternoons march was through a Simaler Country of that of the fore noon; the Creek bottoms then became higher and wider; to the extent of from 2 to 3 miles. ... The Courses & distances of this day are N. 45o E. 9 mls. & N. 75o E. 17 Miles allong the North Side of this Creek to our encampment. ..." [Clark, May 1, 1806] |
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Bolles, Washington:
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| "... We travelled about twenty-five miles, and encamped without any of the natives, except our guide, who generally keeps with the hunters, one of whom killed a deer this evening. The higher we go up the creek the cotton-wood is more large and plenty; and the plains beautiful. ..." [Gass, May 1, 1806] |
| "... So we Camped by the branch having made 26 miles this day ..." [Ordway, May 1, 1806] |
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The Camp - May 1, 1806:
On the Touchet River, near Bolles, 3 miles west of Waitsburg, Washington. |
| We despatched two hunters ahead; but the horse we had yesterday purchased from the Chopunnish, although closely hobbled, contrived to break loose in the night, and went back to rejoin his companions. He was however overtaken and brought to us about one o'clock, and we then set forward. For three miles we followed a hilly road on the north side of the creek [Touchet River], opposite to a wide bottom, where a branch falls in [Coppei Creek] from the southwest mountains [Blue Mountains], which, though covered with snow, are about twenty-five miles distant, and do not appear high. |
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Blue Mountains:
Blue Mountains: The Blue Mountains area is made up of separate "exotic terranes," areas that were created elsewhere and scooped up by North America as it moved west toward the Pacific. Fossils found in this province reveal their foreign origins. Placer and lode gold mines were active here in the past, and towns such as John Day and Baker City, together with the Sumpter gold dredge, are vivid reminders of the Blue Mountains gold mining heritage. The Blue Mountains are bordered on the north by the Columbia Basin, on the south by the Harney-Owyhee Broken Lands, and on the east by the Northern Rocky Mountains. The climate is subhumid to semiarid. The Blue Mountains were arched upward and faulted since Miocene time; subsequent rapid erosion has cut steep gorges that are separated by sharp ridges or tablelands. The area is underlain predominantly by Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks, with lesser amounts of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. -- Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries Website, 2002, and Radbruch-Hall, et.al., 1982, USGS Professional Paper 1183 Geology of the Blue Mountains: The Blue Mountains are a complex of mountain ranges and intermontane basins and valleys which extend from the northeast corner of Oregon southwestward into Central Oregon near Prineville. The Blue Mountains are not a cohesive range but a cluster of smaller ranges of varying relief and orientation. The western portion of the province is part of a wide uplifted plateau, while the eastern section contains a striking array of ice sculped mountain peaks, deep canyons, and broad valleys. In Central Oregon the Ochoco Mountains form the western end of the province. The unique aspect of the Blue Mountains province is that it is a patchwork of massive pieces of the earth's crust. Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic rocks (300 to 200 million years old) were transported by the Pacific Plate and accreated to the late Mesozoic shoreline, which at that time (about a 100 million years ago) lay across what is today eastern Washington and Idaho. Following the accretion of the terranes there was a vast shallow seaway during covering much of the area during the remainder of the Mesozoic and then slow uplift began. From about 50 to 37 million years ago, eruptions of volcanoes in the western part of the province formed the Clarno Formation. From 37 to 17 million years ago eruptions in the Western Cascades spread ash across the province to form the John Day Formation. From 17 to 14 million years ago major basaltic eruptions covered much of the province with basalt flows to form the Columbia River Group. Continued faulting and uplift has resulted in a deeply eroded landscape. In Central Oregon, at the western end of the province, some deposits of middle Cretaceous age are exposed in the Mitchell area but predominately the area is made up of Tertiary volcanics of the Clarno and John Day Formations and the Columbia River Group. -- U.S. Forest Service Website, Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, 2002 |
| We then entered an extensive level bottom, [passing thru the location of today's Waitsburg, Washington] with about fifty acres of land well covered with pine near the creek, and the long-leafed pine occasionally on the sides of the hills along its banks [vicinity of Lewis and Clark State Park]. |
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Waitsburg, Washington:
Lewis & Clark Trail State Park:
Lewis and Clark Trail State Park: Lewis and Clark Trail State Park is a 37-acre camping park with 1,333 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Touchet River. Located about halfway between Waitsburg and Dayton (about 1.5 miles east of Huntsville), the park is a rare treasure of old-growth forest and river in the midst of the surrounding arid grassland. "Long-leafed" ponderosa pine still grow here, as Lewis and Clark recorded in their journals. The ponderosa are old-growth trees, as are the cottonwood that abound in the park. The park is located on the historic Nez Perce trail that extends from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Remnants of the trail can be observed near the park. The explorers Lewis & Clark (for whom the park is named) passed through the property in 1806 and commented on the unusual character of the vegetation. The park was originally homesteaded by the Bateman family in 1864 and was the site for neighboring farmers' post-harvest picnics and games. Homesteading began in the region in 1859. Some of the original homestead sites still remain. Woolly mammoth fossils have been found near the park. The woolly mammoth fossil is the official fossil of Washington state. -- Washington State Parks and Recreation Website, 2002 |
| After crossing the creek at the distance of seven miles from our camp, we repassed it seven miles further, near the junction of one of its branches from the northeast [Patit Creek]. The main stream here [Touchet River] bears to the south, towards the mountains where it rises [Blue Mountains], and its bottoms then become narrow, as the hills are higher. [Today, Dayton (Washington) is located at the junction of Patit Creek with the Touchet River.] |
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Patit Creek, Touchet River, Dayton:
Dayton, Washington: Lewis and Clark walked ground that would later become Dayton's Main Street while following the Nez Perce Indian trail stretching from the Columbia River through Lolo Pass to the Missouri River. They camped east of the future town site on Patit Creek. A Lewis and Clark memorial is located just two miles out of town. -- Dayton Visitor Center Website, 2002 |
| We followed the course of this northeast branch [Patit Creek] in a direction N. 45° E. for eight and three quarter miles, when having made nineteen miles, we halted in a little bottom on the north side. The creek [Patit Creek] is here about four yards wide, and as far as we can perceive, it comes from the east, but the road here turns from it into the high open plain. The soil of the country seems to improve as we advance, and this afternoon we see, in the bottoms, an abundance of quamash now in bloom. ...... |
| "... We then continued our journey up this branch, and saw to our right a range of high hills covered with timber and snow, not more than ten miles distant. We went fifteen miles and encamped on the north fork, the creek having forked about two miles below our encampment. The south fork is the largest, and from its course is supposed to issue from thise snow-topped hills on our right. ..." [Gass, May 2, 1806] |
| "... about noon we proceeded on up the branch over high plains & Smooth bottoms. the branch forked in Several places. high hills to our right covred with timber and partly covred with Snow. we crossed the branch in several places, where it was 3 feet deep. ... Camped on a fork of the branch ..." [Ordway, May 2, 1806] |
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The Camp - May 2, 1806:
On Patit Creek, 2 1/2 miles east of Dayton, Washington |
| We set out at an early hour, and crossed the high plains, which we found more fertile and less sandy than below; yet, though the grass is taller, there are very few aromatic shrubs. After pursuing a course N. 25° E. for twelve miles, we reached the Kinnooenim [Tucannon River]. This creek rises in the southwest mountains [Blue Mountains], and though only twelve yards wide, discharges a considerable body of water into Lewis's river [Snake River], a few miles above the narrows. Its bed is pebbled, its banks low, and the hills near its sides high and rugged; but in its narrow bottoms are found some cottonwood, willow, and the underbrush, which grows equally on the east branch of the Wollawollah [Walla Walla River]. |
| "... We had a wet uncomfortable morning, and when the horses were collected one was found missing, and one of our hunters went back after him, while the rest of us continued our journey. This morning our guide and three of our other Indians went on ahead. We continued our rout about ten miles, when we struck a creek, having left the other entirely to our right; and halted. Our hunter came up with the horse. ..." [Gass, May 3, 1806] |
| "... a little rain the later part of last night, and continues Showery and cold a little hail & Snow intermixed. one of the hunters horses broke his hobbles and got away. about 7 we Set out proceeded on over high plains and hills. road bearing to the left from the branch. the wind blew verry high and cold Showers of hail & rain about noon we descended a hill. came on an other large creek where we halted to dine on the last of our meat ..." [Ordway, May 3, 1806] |
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Tucannon River:
Tucannon River: The Tucannon River has two major drainages, the mainstem and Pataha Creek. The mainstem drains 318 square miles and flows into the Snake River at river mile (RM) 62.2, three miles upstream of Lyons Ferry State Park, near the mouth of the Palouse River. Besides Pataha Creek, the major tributaries to the mainstem include Willow Creek, Kellogg Creek, Cummings Creek, Little Tucannon River, Panjab Creek, Sheep Creek, and Bear Creek. Pataha Creek drains 185 square miles and enters the Tucannon River at RM 11.2. Major tributaries of Pataha Creek are seasonal streams that include Dry Pataha Creek, Sweeney Gulch, Balmaier Gulch, Linville Creek, Tatman Gulch, and Dry Hollow. The mouth and lower 2 miles of the Tucannon River has become a marshland as a result of the reservoir formed by Lower Monumental Dam, 20 miles downstream on the Snake River. -- Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority Website, 2002 Geology of the Tucannon River Basin: The Tucannon River drains the Blue Mountains, a broad anticline arch uplifted during the last 20 million years. The Blue Mountains are comprised of a core of Paleozoic and Mesozoic metamorphic rocks mantled by flows of the Columbia River Basalt Group. The bedrock of the Tucannon watershed consists nearly entirely of lava flows 6 to 16.5 million years old (Miocene) and belongs to the Grande Ronde and Wampum formations. The flows are composed of black to dark gray basalt of basaltic-andesine. Average flow thickness is about 90 to 120 feet. Once the Columbia River Basalts ceased to flow, the area climate became colder. Fine glacial and erosion material carried by wind was deposited as eolian (wind blown) silt and sand. This combination is commonly known as loess and covers much of eastern Washington State. This loess caps the basalts and ranges in thickness from 200 to 300 feet. With the cold climate, glaciers in northeastern Washington dammed up drainages and formed large lakes. When these ice-dam lakes breached, the land was flooded, leaving a scoured landscape with deposits of slack water clays (rhythmites) and cobble to boulder-size material. These deposits occur in the lower reaches of both Pataha Creek and the Tucannon River. Landslide and gully wash deposits are evident at the mouths of canyons. This material eventually moves down slope into the major drainages. One of the most notable geologic features in the Tucannon subbasin is the Hite Fault. This fault system forms the western margin of the Blue Mountains between Pomeroy, Washington and Pendleton, Oregon, and has been the focus of many historic earthquakes. This fault is 84 miles in length and crosses both the Tucannon River and Pataha Creek at right angles. The Hite Fault is still active. -- Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority Website, 2002 |
| After dining at the Kinnooenim [Tucannon River], we resumed our journey over the high plains, in the direction of N. 45° E. and reached, at the distance of three miles, a small branch of that creek [Pataha Creek] about five yards wide. The lands in its neighbourhood are composed of a dark rich loam; its hill sides, like those of the Kinnooenim [Tucannon River], are high, its bottoms narrow, and possess but little timber. It increased however in quantity as we advanced along the north side of the creek for eleven miles. ...... [Cities located along this route today are Pomeroy and Pataha, Washington.] |
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Pataha Creek, Pomeroy, and Pataha City:
Pataha City, Washington: In 1881, the newly formed Garfield County held its county seat at Pataha City for one year. It transferred the next year three miles away to Pomeroy, Washington, but the fact that Pataha City held the honor even temporarily shows that the town was strong and growing at that point in time. The name Pataha is a Nez Perce word that means "bushy creek". The town incorporated in 1875, as more and more people began to settle there. It became a popular spot after the arrival of three economies: the shipping/transportation industry, winter wheat farming, and flour production. The Pataha-Alpowa stage line stopped in the town, and a shipping business running the Snake River was also established some time after. Prior to 1870, Pataha was mostly a cattle raising region, but soon prospered as a farming town with the introduction of a hearty strain of wheat. The future looked bright for Pataha until 1886. In that year the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company built a track running up to the town of Pomeroy and greatly improved transportation methods in the area. However, Pomeroy had long been Pataha City's rival, and refused to extend the line into the next town. Pataha City withered away when more and more businesses and farmers switched from shipping transport to the rails. The gristmill business (the Houser Mill or Pataha Flour Mill for example) continued on for a number of years due to a high international demand for its quality product. However, it too closed down by 1940, when the federal government placed costly and rigid regulations on small businesses. -- Washington State University Library Collections Website, 2002 |
| We continued up the bottoms of the creek for two miles, till the road began to leave the creek, and cross the hill to the plains [following what is today Washington State Highway 12]. We therefore encamped for the night in a grove of cottonwood, after we had made a disagreeable journey of twenty-eight miles. ...... |
| "... The wind was very high this forenoon, and rather cold for the season; with some rain. We continued about two hours ... We encamped on a small branch or spring, as it was too far to go over the hills. The wind continued to blow hard and some snow showers fell in the afternoon ..." [Gass, May 3, 1806] |
| "... considerable of Snow fell on the high hills Since yesterday. we delayed about 1 hour & left the creek named ke-moo-e-nim Creek ascended a high hill and procd. on over high plains. crossed 2 creeks, and followed up the third creek ... we had considerable of hail & verry high winds. in the evening we Camped having made 28 miles this day, having nothing to eat bought the only dog the Indians had with them. the air is very cold. ..." [Ordway, May 3, 1806] |
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The Camp - May 3, 1806:
On the Pataha Creek, near the city of Pataha, Washington (near Pomeroy, Washington). An interpretive sign is located at the spot today. The camp was across the highway from today's sign, near the foot of the old McKeirnan grade. |
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