The Mystery of Hungery Creek

Which way did Lewis and Clark go?

The spelling of Hungery Creek is not the mystery. That comes from William Clark’s journal entry of 18 September 1805:

Encamped on a bold running Creek passing to the left which I call Hungery Creek as at that place we had nothing to eate.

The route that Clark’s advanced party—and later Lewis’s main party—descended from the main-stem Nez Perce Trail to Hungery Creek that cold September day is the mystery. We do know the elevation drop was significant—between 2800 and 3400 feet depending on which route they descended. Three modern-era researches posit routes along three different ridge-line systems spanning a width of approximately 10 miles. Because the Lewis and Clark Trail is a designated National Historic Trail, knowing the actual route they took has not only historical implications, but legal and regulatory ones as well.

This article shows the routes presented by three researchers: Ralph Space, Steve F. Russell, and Gene and (Mountain) Molly Eastman. It does recommend one over the other. Each person’s work contributes to solving the mystery of Hungery Creek, and each theory should be respected and appreciated.

Ralph Space

Ralph Space was the Clearwater National Forest Supervisor between 1954 and 1963. On their behalf, he determined a route and gave names and locations to their campsites. His route and camps have since appeared on Forest Service recreation maps. He has the expedition traveling over and down the spine of Willow Ridge arriving at Hungery Creek just above its confluence with Fish Creek. The route follows an old Forest Service trail that was shown on older USGS maps.¹

Besides Forest Service maps and documents, Space described his work in The Lolo Trail: A History of Events Connected with the Lolo Trail (1988) and The Lolo Trail: A History and a Guide to the Trail of Lewis and Clark (2001).

Gene and Molly Eastman

Gene and (Mountain) Molly Eastman have done extensive research on the Lolo Trail and worked on solving the Hungrey Creek Mystery. They have Lewis and Clark leaving the main trail at No-See-Um Ridge. Their route turns from No-See-Um to drop down to Sherman Creek and then climb up to Sherman Ridge. The route turns again to follow Sherman Ridge towards Hungery Creek. It then veers right on Pagoda Ridge, continuing down to a trail above Fish Creek.²

The Eastman’s have documented their work primarily in Bitterroot Crossing: Lewis & Clark Across the Lolo Trail, vols. 1 and 2 (2002 and 2010).

Steve F. Russell

Steve Russell researched the entire Lolo Trail system in the decade before and after year 2000, and he paid particular attention to Hungery Creek. He has the expedition continuing west along the high elevations until Bowl Butte where they drop down on an old Nez Perce trail to Hungery Creek. When the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (National Park Service) established its Lewis and Clark Centerline, they consulted Russell. His route to Hungery Creek is the one shown on National Park Service online maps and is typically the one shown in publications that refer to that map.³

Russell’s work is well-documented at this site. See The Riddle of Hungery Creek and then browse for more related articles at the Steve F. Russell index page. He also wrote Lewis and Clark across the Mountains: Mapping the Corps of Discovery in Idaho published by the Idaho State Historical Society (2005).

Three Possible Routes to Hungery Creek

Map Files

Space: KML | KMZ | GPX
Eastman: KML | KMZ | GPX
Russell: KML | KMZ | GPX

Notes

1
This editor can confirm that the trail still exists in most places, but that is not maintained and cannot be recommended for recreational use at this time.
2
This editor has hiked much of their route and can confirm trails exist on No-See-um Ridge, Sherman Ridge, and Pagoda Ridge.
3
This editor has not yet traveled this route, but has every confidence an old Indian trail exists as mapped Russell.