Lolo Pass Visitor Center Hosts Lewis and Clark commemoration

Thursday, June 29, at 9 a.m. PDT Lolo Pass Visitor Center, located on the Idaho-Montana state line along U.S. Highway 12, and the Clearwater National Forest will host Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs, Bud Clark and Josiah Pinkham at a commemoration reenacting the historic crossing of Lolo Pass by Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery 200 years ago.

Tubbs will be on-site to deliver a few words honoring her father, Stephen E. Ambrose, author of Undaunted Courage. On September 22, 1998 he delivered the keynote address at the Glade Creek Camp dedication ceremony entitled "The Importance of Glade Creek Camp". In 1998, the historic Glade Creek Camp was purchased from Plum Creek Timber Company by the Idaho Heritage Trust. It was the largest single project undertaken by the trust at that time. The site is now managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation as Glade Creek State Park and is located adjacent to Lolo Pass Visitor Center.

Clark, the great-great-great grandson of Captain William Clark will be there to offer a few words honoring his ancestors and to lead, the re-enactors in a military salute and firing of muskets to honor the Ambrose family and Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery members.

Pinkham, Nez Perce interpreter, will interpret the importance of the area to the Nez Perce and tell about the beauty and importance of the camas plant to the Indians at the Packer Meadows site. On June 29, 1806 Meriwether Lewis noted in his journal the importance of this area, not only to the Corps of Discovery, but to "the indians who pass the mountains on this road."

Thursday's activities will commence at 9 a.m. PDT or 10 a.m. MDT with a flag raising ceremony by re-enactors from the Discovery Corps of St. Charles and the local Travelers Rest Brigade. The ceremony will conclude at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time) with a military salute and the re-enactors riding over the pass and into Lolo Creek. Pinkham will host an interpretive program following the ceremonies at Packer Meadows at approximately 11 a.m. PDT.

As part of the Lewis and Clark in the Rockies Bicentennial Festival commemorating the eastward passage of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the area 200 years ago, Lolo Pass Visitor Center will host a variety of interpretive programs, book signings, and nature walks between June 29 and July 1. The focus of these three-days is the history and culture of plants from the perspectives of the Nez Perce Tribe and the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery.

Programs over this three day period include:

• Thursday, June 29, from 9:00-11:30 a.m. PDT: Crossing of Lolo Pass Re-enactment.
• Thursday, June 29, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. PDT: Josiah Pinkham, Nez Perce interpreter will be at Packer Meadows to tell about the beauty and importance of the camas plant to the Nez Perce.
• June 29, 30, July 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily PDT: Lem Mitchell, Nez Perce interpreter, will be at Packer Meadows to answer questions about the site with its purple camas now in bloom. Visitors can walk to Packer Meadows from the visitor center or bring their bicycles and ride the short distance. There is parking for those who need to drive to the site.
• Friday, June 30, beginning at 11 a.m. PDT: Wayne Phillips, author of Plants of the Lewis and Clark Journey and Northern Rocky Mountain Wildflowers, will be at the visitor center to tell about the importance of plants and wildflowers to the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery. He will lead a one-hour interpretive walk to the Lewis and Clark Glade Creek campsite. On the evening of June 30 at 7 p.m. PDT Phillips will present a campfire program at Powell Campground.
• Saturday, July 1, from 10-11 a.m. PDT: Phillips will present a slide show on plants of the Lewis and Clark journey at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center.
• Saturday, July 1, from 1-2:15 p.m. PDT: Sharon Ritter, author of Lewis and Clark’s Mountain Wilds, will lead a walk to Glade Creek campsite. Then beginning at 3 p.m. Ritter will guide visitors on a half-hour walk on a nature trail in the Lolo Pass Visitor Center area to see the natural beauty of the landscape.

For information call the Powell Ranger Station at 208-942-3113 or the Lolo Pass Visitor Center at 208-942-1234 or visit the Clearwater National Forest web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/.