Corp of Discovery Campsite July 4, 1806
When returning from the Pacific Ocean, Lewis and Clark came east over Lolo Pass and down to "Travelers Rest" where they stayed for three nights. Lewis then took a smaller group (including Seaman) north so that he could explore the Marias River. Clark took the rest of the "Corp of Discovery" and headed south up the Bitterroot Valley following the west side of the "Clark's River.”
This cache is close to where they camped the second night after leaving Travelers Rest. This day was a special day to Capt. Clark - especially since they were not in the United States, having passed to the west side of the continental divide the previous year. Anyway, how about "Pomp"? Research Pomp’s full name and put his birthday in the form of MM/DD/YYYY and assign AB/CD/EFGH to those numbers and put them into the cords below to find the cords for the cache.
N 45 * H (H+G). (H+B) B D
W 114* G F. G E (H-C)
As you stand in the area of this cache, try to picture what it would have looked like when the Corp of Discovery was here just over 200 years ago. Try to block out the roadway, the bridge and the buildings and the telephone and power lines. Over that period of time rivers do change course and so the exact spot is hard to determine but due to the terrain I don't think this river moved within the flood channel a lot in this area. Keep in mind that there were twenty-four people with 50 horses and so the "campsite" would have been quite large. Where they cooked and tented was probably on higher ground, a little to the west where the ranch is now (or even on the bluff). Close your eyes and imagine what it would have been like - the sounds of the men and Sacagawea and little Pomp - almost a year and a half old. They had traveled near 30 miles that day according to Clark's reckoning. (You might check the distance from here to my L&C Camp July 3, 1806 cache with your GPS). They had deer to prepare for diner and shelters to set up. Some men had gone to find a place to cross the "West Fork of Clark's River" the next day. While you are imagining things, imagine how many blue beads Captain Clark would have given for the thermometer that I am leaving in this cache as a trade item?
I have written a one-page paper for that day with text from the Lewis & Clark Journals (Clark in this case, as Lewis had headed north). There are copies in the cache and you are welcome to take one even without trade. There is of course a logbook and I ask you to log your entry and make any comments you may like to make. Any trade items will work but it would be nice if they related even remotely to The Corp of Discovery or the area in those days.
I have put a cache at each of the Corp of Discovery campsites in the Bitterroot Vally ? er I mean Valley! There are seven campsites in our valley. There is one more that is debatable as to just where it is! That one is for September 3rd 1805. There is a lot of disagreement on where it was located. I have put a cache at Lost Trail Pass to represent that campsite and so I have eight Lewis and Clark Campsite Caches in all.
Other things to research: What is this about "blue beads"? Did Capt. Clark have a thermometer? What happened to "Pomp"? When and where did Pomp die and in what way did Pomp play a significant role in helping the expedition? Who was Seaman? What happened to him?
NOTE: I have moved this cache to within the public roadway right-of-way with a new container. The original cache probably was a victim of high water.
WINTER NOTE: I would put the winter difficulty at a 2 for this cache. It would not be too hard in the winter but more of a challenge than summer.
NOTE: You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.