Lucky Break: Study Finds Lewis and Clark Could Have Met Dire Weather

ABC News ^ | Sept. 29, 2004 | Lee Dye

[Horatio Gates]

Sept. 29, 2004 — If Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had set off on their historic expedition across what is now the northwestern United States a few years earlier, or a couple of years later, the dream of then-President Thomas Jefferson might have turned into a nightmare.

The success of that venture contributed to the expansion of the West, based largely on glowing reports of lush, fertile regions where wildlife was abundant. But according to new research, Lewis and Clark were extraordinarily lucky.

Unbeknownst to them, they had hit a narrow "window of opportunity" which created favorable images of the normally arid regions of the inland Northwest, according to geographer Paul A. Knapp of Georgia State University in Atlanta. The expedition, from 1804 to 1806, was sandwiched between two major droughts that could have left the explorers stranded and starving in a tragedy that could have had a profound impact on the young nation.

The explorers "traveled through the American Northwest during a climatically favorable period after one of the most severe droughts within the past several centuries, and they concluded their travel two years before the onset of another major drought," Knapp says in a report on his research in the current issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

[Horatio Gates]

Thought you might be interested...

[atomicpossum]

Thank you for not putting this in 'Breaking News.'

:-)

[Nova]

I'm presently reading a "National Geographic Adventure Classic" abridged version of their journals by Anthony Brandt. I wish it included a more detailed examination of their equipment, the Indian tribes they interacted with, the terrain, etc., but I still recommend the book. It's much more readable than their actual journals, which are massive, rather incoherent and very repetitive.

Excerpt form October 20, 1804:

Moulton prints a note by Lewis of this date indicating that Pierre Cruzatte, out hunting, had wounded a white bear, or grizzly, but then ran away in fear at the "formidable appearance" of the animal and left his gun and tomahawk behind. He retrieved them later. This was the corp's first encounter with a grizzly.

[Nova]

I'm presently reading a "National Geographic Adventure Classic" abridged version of their journals by Anthony Brandt. I wish it included a more detailed examination of their equipment, the Indian tribes they interacted with, the terrain, etc., but I still recommend the book. It's much more readable than their actual journals, which are massive, rather incoherent and very repetitive.

Excerpt form October 20, 1804:

Moulton prints a note by Lewis of this date indicating that Pierre Cruzatte, out hunting, had wounded a white bear, or grizzly, but then ran away in fear at the "formidable appearance" of the animal and left his gun and tomahawk behind. He retrieved them later. This was the corp's first encounter with a grizzly.

[Nova]

What's up with the double-posting?

It's frustrating.

Please delete post 5 and this post if possible.

[Horatio Gates]

I did an errant "Breaking News" my first week here. Won't be doing that again if you know what I mean. I'm working on a special Vanity for Breaking News :)

[Horatio Gates]

I read about the bear in Ambrose's 'Undaunted Courage.' I imagine they all had a good laugh about that afterwards :-) If you haven't read that one I recommend it.

[socal_parrot]

Thanks.

Global warming?

I think this is a double edged sword. Lewis and Clark encountered an early winter with much snow crossing the Bitter from the east and a lingering winter crossing from the west. The drought may have made water a problem, but crossing the Rockies would have been easier.

[Covenantor]

I'm reading the same. I was astounded by how many times they encountered hail on that trek.

[Nova]

I'd guess that anyone with some experience hunting or camping, and that knows just how intimidating a wounded grizzly would be, particularly if, like Cruzatte, you'd never seen one before, can find a lot of humor in that story.

It cracks me up every time I think of it.

I get a pretty good adrenaline rush just crossing paths with black bears.

[Horatio Gates]

If you've never seen this man versus bear video I think you'll enjoy it.

http://www.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gray/graphics/movies/bear-fight.mov

[Nova]

I'm still in Spring 1805. I believe you're referring primarily to events after that date.

But aren't hail storms rather common in some mountain areas in the North West? Did they encounter storms that would be considered unusual today?

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience in the Pac NW.

[Nova]

Where are the Sasquatch and Alien videos of that quality?

I'm a little surprised that I haven't seen any.

[SunkenCiv]

[related: I think it was posted to FR]

Past climate change questioned
Quirin Schiermeier
Swings in temperature might be more common than thought.
Published online: 30 September 2004; | doi:10.1038/news040927-16
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040927/full/040927-16.html

[SunkenCiv]

a GGG ping -- ancient climate had similar long-term (and natural) fluctuations.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850 by Brian M. Fagan Paperback	Floods, Famines, and Emperors: El Nino and the Fate of Civilizations by Brian M. Fagan	The Long Summer: How Climate Changed Civilization by Brian M. Fagan

[elli1]

I read Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo not long ago; it's old historical fiction. Probably not for the L & C purists, but its a good read & full of lots of details about the L & C expedition & native American culture.

[ApplegateRanch]

The explorers "traveled through the American Northwest during a climatically favorable period after one of the most severe droughts within the past several centuries, and they concluded their travel two years before the onset of another major drought,"

When does a drought cease to be a drought, and become the normal climate?

And whatever you call the opposite of a drought is the proper term for L&C's "window".

In any case, interesting article about an interesting study.

Knapp has spent years studying tree rings in his native state of Oregon,

BTW the Medford, OR area seems to be be losing its 'wet' trees in favor of 'dry' trees. By the time we sold last year, after 19 years, the alders & willows in our drainage were dying, and no seedlings were replacing them; but pines were invading. Firs were also pretty stressed. We had years of 'drought' followed by a few "normal" years, and then back to drought.

I know; too small an area, and too brief a span to make any valid conclussions; just more "anectdotal evidence".

[Chani]

better late than never bookmark ;)