ITINERARY OF THE ROUTE FROM FORT OWEN TO WALLAH-WALLAH. 375 



snow covered this summit ridge, after a while as much as three feet deep. The 

 trail is steep and laborious, wholly impracticable for wagons, but would not have 

 been difficult if not covered with snow. As it was, we were three days making 

 our way through the snow. The opportunities for camping all appear insufficient 

 except for very small parties ; and it is probably usual to make the passage from 

 the St. Mary s fork to the Kooskooskia in one day, where, on the bottom of the 

 river, is a small open and level spot used as a camping ground, with water and 

 wood abundant as usual, but not mucli grass. There was no snow. 



November 26. The trail does not follow the valley of the Kooskooskia, but, as 

 usual, the steep slopes of its western sides. Some of these side-hills are grassed, 

 and one of them afforded us a tolerable camping ground. The Kooskooskia is a 

 small stream, where crossed, sixty to eighty feet broad, with a pebbly bottom, and 

 flows in a deep, gorge-like valley, wooded with pine, fir, spruce, cedar, hemlock, 

 &c. The trail ascends very rapidly for some seven circles, gaining a greater ele 

 vation of near eight hundred feet above the sea. Five and a half miles from the 

 river the snow became so deep that it was impossible to force the animals farther ; 

 and from that point, with a portion of my little party, I proceeded on foot 5J 



December 7. Over high wooded ridges to some small stream making to the 

 southwest, there may be here a tolerable camping place in summer for a small 

 trail party. The whole country was covered with a deep snow when we crossed 

 the stream 10 



December 10. Continuing over the high wooded ridges, on this day, we reached a 

 small stream running north, near whose source is a wide open spot nearly level, ap 

 parently covered with grass, and which I judge to be in summer an excellent camp 

 ing ground for a large train. Wood arid water are always abundant. The only 

 trouble is to find sufficient grass 14 



December 11. The usual character of the country separates this little spot from 

 the valley of a small stream, affording another excellent camping ground for parties 

 of any size. Here is a small brook, at first twenty feet wide, but soon increasing 

 its size, the valley of which for some five or six miles continues unwooded, with an 

 interval about a quarter of a mile wide, covered with abundant and good grass. 

 The hill-sides afford enough of scattered trees for camping purposes. This is the 

 best spot for camping between the St. Mary s valley and the Nez Perces country. 

 It was the first spot, free of snow- we saw after leaving the Kooskooskia valley 9 



December 13. After following the valley just described, the trail again passes to 

 the hills, wooded and covered with snow, as usual. The trail is not, however, 

 difficult for a pack-trail. Near the source of a small stream, probably a tributary 

 of the one reached December 11, there is another large open spot, apparently well 

 grassed, with a rivulet making down through its centre. This is apparently a suit 

 able camping spot for a large party, and is nearly three miles long 15 



December 14. A hilly and tiresome trail connects the above spot with a small 

 stream flowing in a deep narrow valley, into which the trail descends only to have 

 again renewed the labor of toiling up its opposite slopes. A small and inconvenient 

 opportunity will be found for camping here 



December 16. Some ten miles from this stream we pass a high summit, whose 

 broad white top, conspicuous amid the surrounding mass of dark wooded mount 

 ains, had been seen near a week before. I suppose it to be the highest of the 

 trail between the Kooskooskia and the Nez Perces country. The trail to this point 

 ascends rapidly, and though not difficult, is steep and tiresome. On the summit is 

 a broad open spot which may afford grass, but probably not water. The snow 



