What did the Lewis and Clark Expedition do at the mouth of the Columbia River?

Upon reaching the mouth of the Columbia River in mid-November 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition conducted a democratic vote—which included both York and Sacagawea—to determine where they would spend the winter.1

Near present-day Astoria, the group constructed Fort Clatsop, where they endured a wet and difficult winter. During their stay, the members occupied themselves by writing in their journals, drying meat, making salt, and traveling to observe a beached whale. They had hoped to encounter ships along the Pacific coast that could transport them home, but after finding none, they began their return journey up the Columbia River on March 23, 1806.21