[Intro] Across the mountains, west they came, Lewis and Clark, in history’s name. With rivers to follow and trails to find, They crossed into Idaho, leaving the East behind. [Verse 1] In August of eighteen-oh-five, The Cores of Discovery came alive. Through mountain passes, cold and steep, They searched for rivers running deep. And there beside the Salmon’s land, They hoped to find a helping hand. [Verse 2] Then Sah-cah-gah-WEE-ah came into view, With memories of a place she knew. A Shoshone woman, strong and wise, With courage shining in her eyes. She recognized her brother there, A moment of joy beyond compare. [Verse 3] Her brother was kam-ee-AH-wai, Chief of the Lemhi Shoshone, And his people helped determine their fate. They needed horses to cross the range, And that meeting brought a welcome change. With horses secured and guides to lead, They could continue on their westward speed. [Chorus] Oh, Idaho, wild Idaho, Through your mountains they had to go. With Sah-cah-gah-WEE-ah by their side, She helped them cross the great divide. Through river valleys, peaks of stone, They traveled where few men had known. [Verse 4] The Bitterroots rose before their eyes, Like walls that reached toward winter skies. Cold and hungry, tired and worn, They pushed ahead from dusk till morn. Over the mountains, trail by trail, They followed where their horses failed. [Verse 5] Then down the Clearwater they made their way, Toward the mighty river of the west that day. At We-eyepp Prairie they stopped to rest, And met the Nez Perc who gave their best. Food and friendship helped them survive, And gave the weary Cores new life. [Instrumental Break] [Fiddle, acoustic guitar, and soft harmonica] [Verse 6] The Clearwater carried them toward the Snake, Then onward where the rivers break. Down to the Columbia, mile after mile, They journeyed beneath the western sky. And after the long and difficult ride, They finally reached the Pacific tide. [Verse 7] But Idaho was not their final road, For eastward again they bore their load. In eighteen-oh-six they turned around, Retracing trails across the ground. And through Idaho they traveled once more, Until they reached the eastern shore. [Chorus] Oh, Idaho, wild Idaho, Through your mountains they had to go. With Sah-cah-gah-WEE-ah by their side, She helped them cross the great divide. Through river valleys, peaks of stone, They traveled where few men had known. [Outro] So remember the trail through Idaho, Where the rivers run and the tall winds blow. Lewis and Clark and the Cores passed through, And Sah-cah-gah-WEE-ah helped see them through. The journey lives in the rivers and stone, A trail through Idaho that history calls home. [tag] So remember the trail through Idaho, Where the rivers run and the tall winds blow. The journey lives in the rivers and stone, A trail through Idaho that history calls home.
