Lewis, Clark, and the Corps of Discovery spent their winter at Fort Clatsop in a wooded area facing the what is now called the Lewis and Clark River in Oregon. The fort offered shelter from the almost-constant rain and cold, although the rooms would still have been damp and a bit cold because there was no glass to cover the windows. Candles provided light for expedition members to write in their journals and draw maps. The life there was generally on the monotonous side and the group was happy to finally depart on March 23, 1806 to retrace their steps back toward St. Louis.