The Lewis and Clark Expedition’s Worst Nightmare Was 3.5 Months of Non-Stop Rain at This Oregon Outpost

Fort Clatsop National Memorial (Oregon)

Winter 1805 hit Lewis and Clark’s crew like a wet slap to the face. Rain fell for months at their makeshift fort near the Pacific. Food ran low, clothes rotted, and morale sank lower than the Oregon tide pools.

Yet somehow they survived 106 days of pure misery.

Here’s how America’s most famous explorers nearly lost their minds by the sea.

A Democratic Vote In The Wilderness

In November 1805, the expedition needed shelter for winter. Local Clatsop Indians, who knew the area well, suggested the Columbia River’s south shore.

Lewis and Clark did something unusual for the early 1800s – they held a vote where everyone participated, including Sacagawea (their Shoshone interpreter) and York (Clark’s Black slave).

The group chose between staying on the rainy Washington side eating mostly fish, moving upriver, or following the Clatsops’ advice. Almost everyone voted to try the south shore.

Lewis took five men to scout and returned with news of a good spot with plenty of elk.

Building A Fort Against Time And Weather

Work began December 10 with men clearing ground in constant rain. They had to move quickly before winter storms worsened.

By the next day, the first log walls stood. Nobody bothered removing bark from the trees – they needed shelter fast.

The finished fort was a simple 50-foot square with two buildings facing each other across an open area. One housed the regular soldiers, while the other contained rooms for the officers, Sacagawea’s family, and supplies.

On Christmas Day, everyone moved in. The rough shelter wasn’t comfortable, but it would keep them alive through the Pacific Northwest winter.

Life Behind Log Walls

Daily life at Fort Clatsop followed military routine. The enlisted men shared three rooms in one building. The captains, Sacagawea, her husband Toussaint Charbonneau, and their baby son Jean Baptiste stayed in the other building.

Joseph Field made the captains a table and two chairs – small comforts in the wilderness.

Each day brought the same tasks: hunting elk, cooking meals, fixing torn clothes, and making salt from seawater. Some men stayed at a salt-making camp miles away.

Lewis and Clark spent hours writing detailed notes about plants, animals, and native tribes. Clark’s hand-drawn maps would later guide American settlers west.

Water From Above And Below

Rain pounded Fort Clatsop almost non-stop. During their three-month stay, it rained 94 days. The sun appeared only six times.

Lewis complained in his journal that nothing stayed dry for more than a day. The constant dampness rotted their clothes, spoiled their food, and rusted their tools.

Water seeped through the roof and walls. At night, men slept on hard wooden platforms while drops sometimes fell on their faces.

The rain turned the ground around the fort into deep mud. Hunting trips meant slogging through wet underbrush for hours, then returning soaked and exhausted.

Everyone counted days until spring would allow them to leave.

Tiny Tormentors In The Night

Fleas invaded the fort as soon as the men moved in. These biting insects thrived in the damp conditions and animal hides that lined the beds.

Clark wrote on December 26 that they had to dry their blankets by the fire and pick fleas out one by one. Men would spend evenings hunting these pests by candlelight.

Sleep became nearly impossible as fleas bit throughout the night. The constant itching led to scratching, sores, and irritation.

These tiny insects proved more persistent than many dangers they’d faced. Modern visitors to the rebuilt fort thankfully don’t have to experience this particular hardship.

Boiling Seawater For Survival

Salt was crucial for preserving meat, so on December 28, Lewis sent three men to make some. Without refrigeration, salt was their only way to keep food from spoiling.

Joseph Field, William Bratton, and George Gibson built a stone fireplace at what’s now Seaside, Oregon, 15 miles from the fort. They set up five iron kettles to boil seawater.

The process was slow and demanding. They collected seawater, let sand settle out, gathered wood, and kept fires burning 24 hours a day despite coastal storms.

By February 20, they’d made about 20 gallons of salt, barely enough for their journey home but essential for survival

Stalking Elk Through Coastal Forests

Hunting parties left the fort daily, sometimes walking 10 miles through thick forests to find elk. Success meant hauling heavy meat back through rugged terrain.

The Corps shot more than 100 elk and 20 deer that winter. This game provided food and hides for new clothes as their original outfits fell apart.

Without proper preservation, meat quickly developed a strong smell and taste. The men ate it anyway – they had no choice.

As winter wore on, elk became harder to find near the fort. Hunters had to travel farther each day, sometimes returning empty-handed.

Over The Mountain To See A Whale

In early January, Clatsop Indians told the expedition about a whale that washed ashore. Clark organized a trip to see it and hopefully get some blubber and oil.

Sacagawea insisted on joining – she had traveled thousands of miles and wasn’t about to miss seeing the ocean and a whale.

The group had to climb Tillamook Head, a steep 1,136-foot mountain. Clark called it the worst climb he’d ever attempted. They pulled themselves up using roots and branches.

At a village called NeCus’ (now Cannon Beach), they found Native Americans cutting up a huge whale. Clark traded for 300 pounds of blubber, a welcome change from elk meat.

Sickness Without Medicine

By February, illness swept through the fort. Lewis noted more men sick than at any point since leaving St. Louis.

The journals describe symptoms like colds, fevers, and coughs. Without modern medicine, they relied on rest and basic herbal treatments.

Their limited diet likely caused vitamin deficiencies. The constant dampness led to respiratory problems, while close quarters allowed illness to spread quickly.

Several men still suffered from venereal diseases picked up earlier in the journey. These infections, combined with new illnesses, weakened them further.

With each passing day, the desire to leave grew stronger. They believed heading east might improve their health.

A Desperate Decision Before Departure

By March, everyone was ready to leave. Food supplies dwindled, illness continued, and morale sank lower each day.

To travel back up the Columbia River, they needed canoes. The Clatsop tribe offered to sell just one, which wasn’t enough.

Lewis made a decision that went against the expedition’s usual ethics – he ordered men to steal a second Clatsop canoe. This theft contradicted Jefferson’s instructions to maintain good relations with Native tribes.

On March 23, 1806, they departed Fort Clatsop, beginning their long journey back to St. Louis.

Visiting Fort Clatsop

Fort Clatsop is part of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park near Astoria, but the original structure rotted away in the wet climate long ago.

The current replica was built by 700 volunteers in 2006 after a fire destroyed the previous reconstruction.

Visitors can explore the fort’s spartanrooms, view exhibits in the visitor center, and walk trails through surrounding wetlands.

The Salt Works site in Seaside remains preserved as part of the park, allowing travelers to understand the challenges of the Corps’ Pacific winter.

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