November 10 - 11, 1805 Nearing the Pacific - Grays Point to Hungry Harbor

Home The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark Map of the Journey Volcanoes, Basalt Plateaus, Major Rivers, etc. The Volcanoes Mount Adams, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens 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

PREVIOUS November 8-9 Nearing the Pacific, Pillar Rock to Grays Point

November 10-11 Nearing the Pacific, Grays Point to Hungry Harbor Grays Point, Youngs Bay, Hungry Harbor, Landslide

CONTINUE November 12-14 Nearing the Pacific, Hungry Harbor to Megler Cove

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. [Click map for brief summary about the area]

To the Pacific - November 1805 Nearing the Pacific - Grays Point to Megler Cove

Lewis and Clark's camp of November 8 and November 9, 1805, was on the Washington side of the Columbia River, west side of Grays Bay, at a place now called "Grays Point".

Sunday, November 10, 1805

the wind, however, lulled, and the waves not being so high, we loaded our canoes and proceeded. The mountains on the right are high, covered with timber, chiefly pine, and descend in a bold and rocky shore to the water. We went through a deep niche and several inlets on the right [downstream of Grays Point between Grays Point and Cliff Point],

Along the Journey - November 10, 1805

Grays Point: Grays Point was charted by Charles Wilkes in 1841 and named to honor the American explorer who first explored the Columbia River in 1792. Grays Point is the western point of Grays Bay. -- Washington State Historical Society Website, 2004, "Lasting Legacy" 1887 Map (section of original), Mouth of the Columbia River. (Click to enlarge). Original Map: The Columbia River from Celilo to the mouth showing locations of the salmon fisheries, 1887. Scale ca. 1:375,000, Relief shown by hachures. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Office, G.P.O. 1888. University of Washington Archives #UW128. -- University of Washington Library Archives Website, 2002 1987 Map, Grays Point (section of original). (Click to enlarge). Office of Coast Surveys, Historical Maps and Charts, Columbia River, Pacific Ocean to Harrington Point, 1987, Chart#18521, 1:40,000. -- NOAA Office of Coast Survey Website, 2004 1997, Aerial view, Grays Point. (Click to enlarge). Washington State Department of Ecology Shorelines Aerial Photo #PAC0640, May 13, 1997. -- Washington State Department of Ecology Website, 2002 2004, West side of Grays Point, Washington, as seen from the old Knappton Mill pilings off of Washington State Highway 401. (Click to enlarge). Copyright © 2004 Lyn Topinka, private archives, used with permission.

while on the opposite side is a large bay [Youngs Bay, Oregon side], above which the hills are close on the river.

Along the Journey - November 10, 1805

Youngs Bay: Youngs Bay is a shallow body of water just west of Smith Point. The bay is crossed by U.S. Highway 26/101 vertical-lift highway bridge, approximately 0.3 mile above the junction of Youngs Bay with the Columbia River. Youngs Bay is a part of the Columbia River estuary. It receives water from four major streams - the Lewis and Clark River, Youngs River, Klatskanine River, and Wallooskee River. Captain Clark named the bay "Meriwether Bay" after Meriwether Lewis. Today the bay is named after the Youngs River, a river named in 1792 by Lieutenant William Broughton after Sir George Young of the Royal Navy. -- NOAA Office of Coast Survey Website, 2003, and Washington State Historical Society Website, 2004, "Lasting Legacy". 1798 Map, Mouth of the Columbia River (section of original). (Click to enlarge). Inset map of original, showing the mouth of the Columbia River, including Cape Disappointment, Point Adams, Youngs River, Point George (today's Astoria), and Grays Bay. Original Map: George Vancouver's "A Chart Shewing Part of the Coast of N.W. America." In A Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific ocean, and Round the World. London, 1798. University of Virginia Special Collection "Lewis & Clark, The Maps of Exploration 1507-1814". -- University of Virginia Library Archives Website, 2004 1814 Map, Lewis and Clark's map of the Columbia River (section of original). (Click to enlarge.) Youngs Bay is depicted but not named. Also depicted but not named are the Lewis and Clark River and Youngs River, both of which empty into Youngs Bay. Map also includes three of the five volcanoes Lewis and Clark saw and commented on. While the journals mention the expedition seeing Mount Adams, it does not appear on their map. Mount Jefferson is to the south (bottom) and off the map. From the "Nicholas Biddle/Paul Allen" 1814 publication. Original Map: "A Map of Lewis and Clark's Track, Across the Western Portion of North America, From the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean". From: History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark : to the sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky Mountains and down the river Columbia to the Pacific Ocean : performed during the years 1804-5-6 : by order of the government of the United States / prepared for the press by Paul Allen. Philadelphia : Bradford and Insskeep, 1814. Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University #upbover maps37. -- Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library Website, 2004. 1870 Map (section of original), Youngs Bay, Lewis and Clark River, and Youngs River. (Click to enlarge). Office of Coast Surveys, Historical Maps and Charts, Columbia River, Columbia River, Sheet No.1, 1870, Plate No.1130, 1:40,000. -- NOAA Office of Coast Survey Website, 2004 1887 Map (section of original), Mouth of the Columbia River. (Click to enlarge). Original Map: The Columbia River from Celilo to the mouth showing locations of the salmon fisheries, 1887. Scale ca. 1:375,000, Relief shown by hachures. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Office, G.P.O. 1888. University of Washington Archives #UW128. -- University of Washington Library Archives Website, 2002 1987 Map, Astoria and Youngs Bay (section of original). (Click to enlarge). Office of Coast Surveys, Historical Maps and Charts, Columbia River, Pacific Ocean to Harrington Point, 1987, Chart#18521, 1:40,000. -- NOAA Office of Coast Survey Website, 2004 2001, NASA Image, Mouth of the Columbia River, including Youngs Bay. (Click to enlarge). NASA Space Shuttle photograph of the mouth of the Columbia River, including the location of Fort Clatsop, the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge, Tenasillahe Island, Puget Island, and Crim's Island, June 20, 2001. NASA Astronaut Photography of Earth #SS002-724-30. -- NASA Astronaut Photography of Earth Website, 2002 2003, Youngs Bay and part of Astoria, Oregon, as seen from the U.S. Highway 26/101 Bridge crossing the bay. (Click to enlarge). Copyright © 2003 Lyn Topinka, private archives, used with permission.

At the distance of ten miles the wind rose from the northwest and the waves became so high that we were forced to return for two miles to a place where we could with safety unload. Here we landed at the mouth of a small run [Hungry Harbor], and having placed our baggage on a pile of drifted logs waited until low water.

Along the Journey - November 10, 1805

Hungry Harbor: Lewis and Clark spent two nights in Hungry Harbor before relocating on the other side of Megler Point. 1987 Map, Point Ellice, Megler, Hungry Harbor (section of original). (Click to enlarge). Office of Coast Surveys, Historical Maps and Charts, Columbia River, Pacific Ocean to Harrington Point, 1987, Chart#18521, 1:40,000. -- NOAA Office of Coast Survey Website, 2004 1997, Aerial view, Hungry Harbor. (Click to enlarge). Washington State Department of Ecology Shorelines Aerial Photo #PAC0623, May 13, 1997. -- Washington State Department of Ecology Website, 2002 2004, Megler Point and Hungry Harbor, Washington, as seen Cliff Point, along Washington Highway 401. (Click to enlarge). Copyright © 2004 Lyn Topinka, private archives, used with permission

The river then appeared more calm: we therefore started, but after going a mile found the waves too high for our canoes and were obliged to put to shore. We unloaded the canoes, and having placed the baggage on a rock above the reach of the tide, encamped on some drift logs which formed the only place where we could lie, the hills rising steep over our heads to the height of five hundred feet [near today's town of Megler, Washington]. All as well as ourselves were thoroughly wet with the rain, which did not cease during the day; it continued violently during the night, in the course of which the tide reached the logs on which we lay, and set them afloat.

Along the Journey - November 10, 1805

The Camp - November 10 - 11, 1805: Washington side of the Columbia River, near today's town of Megler. On November 12, the camp moved about 1/2 mile around Megler Point to Megler Cove.

Monday, November 11, 1805

The wind was still high from the southwest, and drove the waves against the shore with great fury: the rain too fell in torrents, and not only drenched us to the skin, but loosened the stones on the hill sides, which then came rolling down upon us.

"... we are truly unfortunate to be Compelled to lie 4 days nearly in the Same place at a time that our day are precious to us, The Wind Shifted to [blank] the Indians left us and Crossed the river which is about five miles wide through the highest Sees I ever Saw a Small vestle ride, their Canoe is Small, maney times they were out of Sight before the were 2 miles off Certain it is they are the best canoe navigators I ever Saw The tide was 3 hours later to day than yesterday and rose much higher, the trees we camped on was all on flote for about 2 hours from 3 untill 5 oClock P M, the great quantities of rain which has fallen losenes the Stones on the Side of the hill & the Small ones fall on us, our Situation is truly a disagreeable one our Canoes in one place at the mercy of the waves our baggage in another and our Selves & party Scattered on drift trees of emense Sizes, & are on what dry land they can find in the Crevices of the rocks & hill Sides ..." [Clark, November 11, 1805]

Along the Journey - November 11, 1805

Landslide: 1997, Aerial view, landslide just west of Grays Point. (Click to enlarge). Washington State Department of Ecology Shorelines Aerial Photo #PAC0638, May 13, 1997. -- Washington State Department of Ecology Website, 2002

In this comfortless situation we remained all day wet, cold, with nothing but dried fish to satisfy our hunger; the canoes in one place at the mercy of the waves; the baggage in another, and all the men scattered on floating logs, or sheltering themselves in the crevices of the rocks and hill sides. A hunter was despatched in hopes of finding some fresh meat, but the hills were so steeps and covered with undergrowth and fallen timber, that he could not penetrate them, and he was forced to return. About twelve o'clock we were visited by five Indians in a canoe: they came from above this place on the opposite side of the river, and their language much resembles that of the Wahkiacum: they called themselves Cathlamahs. In person they are small, ill made, and badly clothed; though one of them had on a sailor's round jacket and pantaloons, which, as he explained by signs, he had received from the whites below the point: we purchased from them thirteen red charr, a fish which we found very excellent. After some time they went on board the boat, and crossed the river, which is here five miles wide, through a very heavy sea.

Along the Journey - November 11, 1805

The Camp - November 10 - 11, 1805: Washington side of the Columbia River, near today's town of Megler. On November 12, the camp moved about 1/2 mile around a Megler Point to Megler Cove.

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June/July 2004, Lyn Topinka
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