It's All Downhill From Here

As they passed Hat Rock, the explorers were beginning the most exciting phase of their journey as they neared their goal. The Corps of Discovery had endured months of hardship, especially bitter cold and hunger in the seemingly endless Bitterroot Mountains, before reaching the Columbia River on October 16, 1805. As they sensed they were drawing closer to the Pacific Ocean, their spirits must have soared. William Clark, observing Hat Rock on October 19, 1805, described it as "...a rock in a Lard, resembling a hat..." The fashion for beaver fur round hats fueled the fur trade and much of the exploration of North America. On the morning before the party reached Hat Rock, Clark and his men were visited very early by an Indian chief, Yellepit, along with two other chiefs and a chief of a band below. They smoked together, and gifts were given, including a medal, a handkerchief, and a string of wampum. Clark wrote that Yellepit was "a bold hansom Indian, with a dignified countenance..."

Oregon · United States