exploring the Louisiana Territory

With horses ready they moved to near Missoula, MT, a place they called Travelers Rest.  Here they built a cache (a large pit in the ground covered with sod to hide it from others) to store all excess gear except the necessities they would need to reach the Columbia.  They would pick these goods up on their return trip.  They were told by the Indians that had they followed the northern fork, which they called the Maria's river they could have arrived to this area much quicker than the route down the Missouri.  They said it was a shorter route plus they would not have had to portage the falls.

The next spring on their return journey they would in fact divide the Corps into two groups at this point in order to better map the Louisiana Territory.  Clark and half of the troupes with Sacagawea to guide him headed southeast toward the Yellowstone River and then followed it's flow to the Missouri.  Lewis with the remainder of the troupes headed northeast to study the upper reaches of the Maria's River.  They regrouped where the Yellowstone empties into the MO.

When they reached the Mandan village Sacagawea and her husband were back home and stayed while the Corps took advantage of the swift current to make quick time in getting back to St. Louis, arriving Sept. 23, 1806.