Saturday June 28th. 1806
This morning we colected our horses and Set out as usial
after an early brackfast. we continued our rout along the dividing
ridge over knobs & through deep hollows passed our
encampmt of the 14 Sept. last near the forks of the road leaving
the one on which we had come one leading to the fishery to
our right imediately on the dividing ridge. at 12 oClock we
arived at an untimberd. side of a mountain with a southern
aspect just above the fishery here we found an abundance of
grass for our horses as the guid[e]s had informed us. as our
horses were hungary and much fatiegued and from information
no other place where we could obtain grass for them within the
reach of this evening's travel we deturmined to remain at this
place all night haveing come 13 M. only. the water was distant
from our Encampment we therefore melted snow and used
the water. the whole of the rout of this day was over deep
Snow. we find the travelling on the Snow not worse than
without it, as [the] easy passage it givs us over rocks and fallen
timber fully compensates for the inconvenience of sliping, certain
it is that we travel considerably faster on the snow than without
it. the snow sinks from 2 to 3 inches with a horse, is course
and firm and seems to be formed of the larger particles of the
Snow; the Surface of the Snow is reather harder in the morning
than after the sun shines on it a fiew hours, but it is not in
that situation so dense as to prevent the horses from obtaining
good foothold. I killed a small black pheasant; this bird is
generally found in the Snowey region of the mountains and
feeds on the leaves of the pine & fir. there is a Species of
small huckleberry common to the hights of the mountains.
and a Species of grass with a broad succulent leaf which looks
not unlike a flag; of the latter the horses are very fond, but as
yet it is generally under the Snow, or mearly makeing it's
appearance as it [is] confined to the upper part of the highest
mountains.
