Winter on the Expedition During the winter at Fort Clatsop,
members of the expedition decided to set up an evaporator for
procuring salt from the Pacific Ocean's salty water. After
boiling the water in cauldrons, men would scrape up the salt
left behind. This provided the expedition's men with one of very
few luxuries during the winter. Native Americans from nearby
tribes were so interested in the salt evaporation that they
often came to watch the process. Through one of these curious
observers, Sacajawea learned that a huge whale had been beached
nearby. Making one of her few personal requests of the trip,
Sacajawea begged to go see the whale. Clark, who was fairly
bored at Clatsop, agreed to go with Sacajawea and Charbonneau to
see the whale. Disappointingly, the whale had already been
nearly reduced to a gigantic skeleton by the local Native
Americans, who used all parts of the whale for food and oil.
Food was extremely hard to come by during the winter. Sacajawea
endeared herself to Clark when she gave hi