During the night we navigated from the Snake River and turned south onto the Columbia River. This morning we woke in front of McNary Lock and Dam. McNary is the fifth lock of our trip, after having traversed four along the Snake River. It is also our first lock on the Columbia River as we continue our navigation westward. We are still in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and the defining desert-steppe vegetation. This afternoon we had a chance for a short stroll at Crow Butte County Park to get a closer look at the classic vegetation, sagebrush and other western plant species. We closed our day with a sampling of the local wines from Washington and Oregon vineyards. A flavorful way to end another day navigating the great river of the west.
4/25/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Crow Butte
After transiting McNary Lock and Dam, National Geographic Sea Bird dropped anchor at Crow Butte in the early morning of Thursday, April 25th. After a hearty breakfast, we were delivered by Zodiac to the south side locations for an aerobic walk to the top of Crow Butte, supplemented with a medium elevation nature hike. A more casual history-oriented walk began on the west side of the Island and ended where we were able to get some great photos of National Geographic Sea Bird at anchor. The aroma of the sagebrush in the shrub-steppe environment filled the air, and the gentle but steady winds preceded a light rain in the otherwise arid environment. Returning hikers were greeted by the hotel staff and hot chocolate at the landing site and also enjoyed the playground equipment. Crow Butte is a tear drop shaped island surrounding a core of basalt, and the sandy terrain is composed of debris deposited during the Ice Age Flood events of 12,000-18,000 years ago. The afternoon was spent cruising the Columbia River on our way to dock at Hood River, Oregon.