Perhaps (but probably not) in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark

After the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific they needed a place to stay. So in December of 1805 they started building what would become Fort Clatsop. The site and surrounding area are now part of Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.

The ranger in the visitor center enthusiastically told me about the various films, lectures, demonstrations, and tours. She was a little let down when I told her I just wanted a trail map so I could do some hiking. That map turned out to be more vital than I had expected. There was everything from a brief 0.1 mile path to the fort, to a 25 mile loop, as well as a network of shorter trails. I plotted a route that would be a little less than three miles.

When I’m on a trail — particularly one in a forest where my line of sight is limited — the twists and turns and ups and downs make it feel like I’ve gone farther than I actually have. Luckily, the map had the segment distances labeled. Even then, when I encountered a junction with an unmarked path I didn’t know how far I’d gone and if it was the one I was looking for. If it was, and I didn’t take it, my 3 mile hike would turn into a ten miler. So I turned onto the new trail only to have it peter out after about 25 yards. Okay, so that wasn’t the trail I wanted.

Fortunately, the other junctions had signs and arrows. There we go. Well, until about halfway along where the trail crossed a dirt road. I didn’t see where it continued on the other side. But the highway was just off to my left. Was I farther along than I thought? Was I at the place where the trail crosses the highway? I went to the highway, but there was no trail on the other side. Hmmm… Maybe I should have walked the other way on the dirt road. I was nearly back to the trail when I saw a narrow, partly overgrown footpath with no sign. I looked ahead and saw how it followed the edge of a slew. I used my best Boy Scout skills and compared it to the shapes on the map. Mmmmmmmaybe. If it wasn’t I could always turn around and backtrack all the way to the trailhead rather than complete the loop.

But the narrow footpath widened and I eventually came to another junction sign. Ah, good, I was in the right place.

The trails had been improved by the Park Service, with hard packed gravel and occasional bridges and boardwalks, I wondered if the routes had originally been established by the Corps of Discovery or even the original inhabitants. Had Lewis and/or Clark walked here? Maybe one of those visitor center presentations I declined would have answered the question. And maybe a ranger would have told me, “Oh, and when the trail gets to that dirt road…”