Our first Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center was in Astoria,Oregon where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific Ocean. We were so impressed with the story of those skillful young men. When we learned that Great Falls, Montana also had an Interpretive Center, we put it on our schedule. Benson friends Pat and Gerry Yecny and pup Sassy connected with us on their way to Alaska, so all four of us went to learn about the young explorers' expedition. "Pull" and "portage" were the watchwords. Since the Missouri River flows east toward the Mississippi, the Corps of Discovery had to make their way west against the current with heavily loaded dug-out canoes. Life was already tough enough; here they faced the almost impossible task of getting around five great falls spread out for eighteen miles!
The local knowledge of the tribal peoples of the areas they traveled was extremely important to Lewis and Clark. They collected details that even today's tribal people turn to in learning about their ancesters.
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