They may easily be distinguished by the shortness of the talons from the brown, grizzly, or white bear, all of which seem to be of the same species, which assumes those colors at different seasons of the year.

We halted earlier than usual, and camped on the north, in a point of woods, at the distance of sixteen and one half miles (thus past the site of Fort Hawley, on the south)." Notwithstanding the advance of the season, the weather in those great altitudes grew more and more cold.

Under date of May 23, the journal records the fact that ice appeared along the edges of the river, and water froze upon their oars.

But notwithstanding the coolness of the nights and mornings, mosquitoes were very troublesome.
The explorers judged that the cold was somewhat unusual for that locality, inasmuch as the cottonwood trees lost their leaves by the frost, showing that vegetation, generally well suited to the temperature of its country, or habitat, had been caught by an unusual nip of the frost.

The explorers noticed that the air of those highlands was so pure and clear that objects appeared to be much nearer than they really were.
A man who was sent out to explore the country attempted to reach a ridge (now known as the Little Rocky Mountains), apparently about fifteen miles from the river.