Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 66 Return to Dillon to merge onto Interstate-15 southbound. Camp Fortunate, the location where the expedition met up with Sacagawea's family on Aug. 17, 1805, lies just 20 miles away. Subsequent to her kidnapping years before, Sacagawea's brother, Cameahwait, became chief of the Shoshone tribe. One can only imagine the outpouring of emotion that took place at Camp Fortunate when the siblings' paths crossed that day. Their reunion must have been magnificent. Today, Camp Fortunate sits beneath the waters of the Clark Canyon Reservoir. LOST TRAIL PASS AND THE BITTERROOT VALLEY Return to Interstate 15 and head north. The exit for MT-278 toward Jackson and Wisdom will pop up about 15 miles later. Continue on to Wisdom, then turn west onto MT-43 to reach the 7,014-foot Lost Trail Pass. This pass sits on the border of Montana and Idaho and is currently home to the Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area. When the expe- dition reached this location on Sept. 3, 1805, they discovered they were not on the exact route they had intended. Fortunately, they were able to rechart their course and made it over the ridge before winter—and the 15 feet of snow typically seen in this area—closed in on them. The pass marks the south end of the scenic Bitterroot Val- ley, which is home to several important camps and junctions for the Corps of Discovery. Visitors traveling along US-93 north will parallel much of the expedition's route through the lush valley. Notable stops along this stretch include Ross's Hole near Sula, where the expedition spent two days camping with a large group of generous Salish peoples before crossing the treacherous Bitterroot Mountain Range. Traveler's Rest State Park near the junction of US-93 and US-12 outside of Lolo has been hailed as the only one of the expedition's campsites to be archeologically verified. Researchers discovered fire hearths, lead used to manufacture and repair firearms, and a trench latrine with traces of mercury when they excavated the site in 2002. CLARK CANYON RESERVIOR BEAVERHEAD ROCK

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