“The coast in the neighbourhood of Clarks Mountain is sliping off & falling into the Ocean in immence masses; fifty or a hundred Acres at a time give way and a great proportion in an instant precipitated into the Ocean.    these hills and mountains are principally composed of a yellow clay; there sliping off or spliting assunder at this time is no doubt caused by the incessant rains which have fallen within the last two months.”  – Meriwether Lewis, January 10, 1806 (Original Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806

A sign at the bottom of the hill where this picture was taken at Cape Disappointment Washington mentions the resemblance that it has to William Clark’s journal description during the Corps of Discovery’s stay in Oregon. The hill is now a significant distance in yards from the ocean, but in 1806, before erosion, it would have been situated next to the ocean with the waves crashing against it.

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