Wednesday, August 04, 2004
There is something about America's West that is intoxicating and humbling – a sky that pours into forever and land that rambles and tumbles into the Pacific. The landscape looms so large and imposing that it can put the mightiest man in his place. How, then, did anyone have the muster to travel into its rugged landscape and unpredictable conditions?
The West, we are reminded, wasn't an uninhabited place. Native Americans had survived along the wide and rugged terrains for centuries. The land was, however, uncharted. The "civilized" world had yet to rest their eyes and land their feet on the magical wilderness.
Imagine the courage and determination that propelled explorers like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to embark upon their journey westward from St. Louis in the spring of 1804.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Corps of Discovery's exploration, headed by Lewis and Clark. There are a host of celebrations, exhibits and events along the trail to mark the event and many Lewis and Clark enthusiasts are honoring the journey by following the explorers' route.
John Hamilton, of Eden Prairie, called his own experience along the trail "a bit grueling some days."
The author and photojournalist and his wife, Sue, made the trip in 2001 as part of research for his work with Abdo Publishing Inc. in Edina, where he's a "history specialist" and has authored a number of children's nonfiction books.
Through Abdo, Hamilton published six volumes of work about Lewis and Clark, and he later decided to combine them under one title, "Lewis and Clark: Adventures West," published by Sparrow Media Group Inc. of Eden Prairie.
The book, available at major booksellers, is an easy-to-read look at Lewis and Clark's mission, beginning with the impetus for the excursion and concluding with the expedition's return to St. Louis after 8,000 miles and 28 months. It also provides a synopsis of life after the journey for Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, York (Clark's slave), and the exhibition's best hunter, George Drouillard.
Information is provided on places to visit along the route, as well as recommendations for additional reading.
Hamilton said the book is geared toward readers in fourth grade through high school, but older readers will surely find interesting text, crisp photographs and fascinating reproductions of original maps and journal entries.
Tracing travels
It's easy to understand how moving along Lewis and Clark's path might evoke their memory, engaging new travelers' imaginations in what must have been.
"I dipped a paddle in the waters of the Missouri near Fort Benton, Mont., imagining my canoe joining the expedition as it ventured upstream," Hamilton writes of his personal experience. "I hiked a section of the Lolo Trail, through Idaho's breathtaking Bitterroot Mountains, and imagined what the trail must have been like covered with ice and snow, with next to nothing to eat, wondering whether we would make it out alive."
"It was humbling," Hamilton said of his trip, which he traveled by car, canoe and foot. In considering how Lewis and Clark's entourage moved through the terrain, sans modern conveniences, he pondered why there weren't many deaths during the original excursion.
When walking in a man's footsteps, it can be tempting to try and pause in his thoughts, as well.
Hamilton understands that Lewis and Clark are icons, but he acknowledges that the men had good and bad traits just like everyone else. If given the chance, the Eden Prairie author said he'd like to understand why Clark kept his slave, York, for such a long period of time before freeing him.
"I would love to ask him that," he said.
There are many explorers in history who deserve nods of recognition: Jolliet, LaSalle and Marquette quickly jump to mind. What about today and in the future? Will there ever be adventurers who have enough courage and curiosity running through their veins to venture into the unknown to stake their places in history, and where is their new "uncharted territory?"
"What leaps to mind is the next frontier," Hamilton said of a possible human expedition to Mars, adding that today's explorations seem to fulfill purposes of advancing science rather than pushing "the boundaries of a nation."
Hamilton said there are many lessons to be learned from the Corps of Discovery, including the history of this nation's Western expansion, along with ideals of teamwork and resourcefulness enabling the Corps to get through the unknown.
A well-worn phrase throughout both Lewis and Clark's journals was, "We preceded on" – three words that seem to so aptly express the team's unflagging determination in times of fear, setbacks and uncertainty.
They were not alone, those intrepid adventurers, on the unprotected plains and in the unforgiving mountains. Hamilton stressed that there were thousands of Native Americans who assisted and guided the explorers.
"I think people forget that," he said.
It can be easy to focus on Lewis and Clark's success in charting a healthy portion of the Western territory, but the members of the exhibition are owed credit for discovering other things, as well.
"They were the first to explore uncharted territory west of the Mississippi," Hamilton writes in his book. "They mapped the land, described 178 plants and 122 animals new to science, and met with dozens of Native American tribes.
"It was their great journey that opened the West to American expansion. This band of heroes uncovered a land rich with possibilities. Two hundred years later, we still follow their footsteps."

Eden Prairie News
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