On his return from the Pacific in July 1806, Captain Clark camped for six days about forty miles downstream, near Park City, while the Lewis and Clark Expedition searched for timber suitable for building canoes after striking the river near Livingston. Here they found a couple of large cottonwoods that would serve, fitted their axes with handles made from chokecherry, and made two canoes. When finished, they laced the canoes together with a deck of buffalo hides between them. Seven men, Sacajawea, and her child then went curving down the river on this makeshift yacht, arriving at the mouth of the Yellowstone on August 3rd. Captain Lewis had split off to the north on the return trip to explore the Marias River and returned by way of the Missouri, rejoining them on August 12th.