By Michael Howell
It’s been a long time since Lewis and Clark descended from the mountain ridges into the Bitterroot Valley. But very soon, according to Darby District Ranger Eric Winthers, visitors to the area will have a chance to literally follow in the footsteps of the explorers as they descended into the valley in 1805.
Winthers expects the trail creation project to begin in mid-August. The two and three quarter mile stretch of trail begins north of Lost Trail Ski Resort from FS Road 729 to FS Road 73468 to FS Road 729 following the ridge and then descends almost to Indian Tree Campground.
“It’s one of those places we can say for sure that the Corps of Discovery set foot,” said Winthers. “You may not be stepping in the same footprint, but you are close enough to get a feeling for what they were going through. It’s about the only viable route down the ridge.” He said that the aim is to keep the trail in as natural a condition as possible, although some trail work will need to be done in a couple of steep places for safety reasons.
Mark Smith, the Forest Service’s trail expert, designed the improvements. Some existing “trail” will be utilized and improved, and full bench construction will be used for approximately 1/2 mile on 40% side slope. Interpretive signs will be installed at the top and bottom of the trail, with route markers along the trail. It will be constructed and managed as a hiker/pedestrian trail class 3.
Ted Hall and Fred Cooper were instrumental in getting this project approved by the Forest Service.
Hall, an engineer by profession, has spent years analyzing history books, historical maps and walking the ground along the proposed route in the area. He feels sure that he has found the actual trail that Lewis and Clark followed. It is a trail with a potential camp site that would lead the group to the very point that the Forest Service is now re-tracing and signing as the Lewis and Clark Descent Trail.
Cooper, a member of the National Smokejumpers Association, was successful in getting his organization to support the trail project. He said that so far six smokejumpers have signed up to participate in the project and will be mobilizing at a base camp at Indian Tree Campground on August 18. This phase of the project is expected to last from the 19th through the 23rd of August.
“This will be a multiple-year project,” said Cooper. He said the Smokejumpers were committed to see the project through to completion.