The Lewis & Clark Trail is a study in contrasts. The overwhelming majority of the Trail is worlds away from the path traveled by the Corps of Discovery. However, a small portion of the Trail remains in virtually the same condition it was nearly two centuries ago.
Cities and towns now line the rivers and waterways that Lewis & Clark paddled up and floated down. A series of dams now impede those same rivers and have buried the shore Lewis & Clark saw under several feet of water. For the adventurious, a few spots along the Continental Divide and among the Bitterroot and Clearwater Mountains in Montana and Idaho provide wilderness-experienced travelers with a glimpse of the West before it was won. A rugged country that still holds many of the same challenges faced by the Corps of Discovery.
I have spent the last year traveling to various parts of the Trail to document these differences and similiarities. A selection of my photographs follows with an emphasis on rediscovering the Lewis & Clark Trail.
This represents a work in progress. Over the next few years, I plan to travel the entire trail and capture its beauty and condition from downtowns to remote wilderness. Through these photographs I hope you can rediscover America and we can discover something about ourselves as well.
E-Mail: Mike Venso
All images © MIKE VENSO
