Experiencing the Adventures of Lewis and Clark"You can read about it forever, but you don't feel it, you don't know how they felt or what it really would've been like just by reading about it. It's just a way of stepping back and being in a small way a part of that trip." David Benson, member, Bitterroot Corps
It was at Lemhi pass that Lewis first saw the sea of mountains they would have to cross to finally reach the Pacific Ocean, shattering the dream of an easy water route across the country. It was also here in the homeland of Sacajawea and her Lemhi Shoshone tribe that the captains would get the desperately needed horses to continue their journey. And that only due to the incredibly fortunate circumstance that their lone female traveler, Sacajawea, also happened to be the long lost sister of the tribe's chief.
"During the reenacting you actually go through different situations as they did and it gives you a more in-depth feeling, you know. You don't really imagine what they went through; you actually feel what they went through."
Vern Illi, President, Bitterroot Corps It's no wonder why many Idahoans are fascinated with the Lewis and Clark story, and none more than the members of Idaho's own Bitterroot Corps. This group of historical reenactors developed from a group of mountain man aficionados called the Hog Heaven Muzzleloaders. The Lewis and Clark emphasis was a natural. Many of the group members live in the Troy and Moscow areas of Idaho. They are literally in the Nez Perce homeland, only miles from the trail of Lewis and Clark in Idaho and the Clearwater River that carried them on their way to the Pacific.
And this tireless group not only makes appearances at numerous events, they are also in high demand to participate in historical reenactments for a variety of film and television projects. They've been asked to do everything from trekking through snow for hours to running dangerous rapids in dugout canoes. |
In May of 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition also called the Corps of Discovery began the exploration of the west for the United States. Over the next two years they would travel thousands of miles, encounter over fifty tribes of Native Americans, navigate uncharted rivers and climb imposing mountains. It is one of the greatest adventures in American history and some of the expedition's most compelling moments took place in what is now Idaho.
It was also in Idaho where the Corps faced one of their greatest challenges — crossing the Bitterroot Mountains despite an early fall storm that blanketed the area with snow. That, coupled with the inability to procure game for restocking their provisions, almost proved disastrous for the group. Yet, here in Idaho, another fortunate turn of events unfolded when Lewis and Clark encountered the Nez Perce and the tribe agreed to feed them and help them on their way.
So for the last several years the members of the Bitterroot Corps have portrayed the original members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Of course, the bicentennial of the famous expedition has made them extremely popular. They have participated in events all over the state: a hometown celebration in Troy, Idaho; a commemoration at the Sacajawea Center in Salmon; the Lewis & Clark Festival in Lewiston; scores of school demonstrations; and many other hands-on educational activities.