The expedition to transverse the North American continent led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark proved both an epic undertaking and the making of an epic. The hardships were incredible. The duration of the trek, not merely overland but also over the Rocky Mountains, proved to be much longer than expected. Some hope for the future success of the expedition arrived with the trapper, Toussant Charbonneau, and his two wives. The French-Canadian claimed he knew the way to the Pacific Ocean, but it is his younger wife, Sacagawea, who was the most help.