ITINERARY OF THE ROUTE FROM FORT OWEN TO WALLAH-WALLAH. 
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 much 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 
Hows 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. 
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. 
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 and water are always abundant. The only 
trouble is to find sufficient grass... 
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 .... 
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. 
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 
