Dalles Dam
We were awakened this morning to the sound of the Sea Bird maneuvering into the lock at the Dalles Dam. Our vessel had cruised all evening, bringing us some 132 miles, from our previous afternoon’s destination. Once the Sea Bird had finished her transit through the lock, she began positioning along side a floating dock attached to the Dalles Marina located just north of the town The Dalles. Larry, our expedition leader made his usual breakfast announcements about the day’s activities including all the choices open to us! Departure from the Sea Bird would be at 8:15am, and we would board two motor coaches and begin our excursions for the morning.
Our first stop would be the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and the Wasco Historical Museum. The outer grounds were landscaped with native species of plants from around the Columbia River Gorge. As we departed the bus in front of the Center, many of us were waylaid by many bursts of color.....blasts of yellow from Oregon sunshine, bright pink penstemon, the giant yellow sunflowers of Arrow-leaf Balsam root, and tiny patches of soft pink marking the spot where Crane’s bill a small members of the geranium family were growing! Once inside this fine natural and cultural history museum, we spent an hour and a half wandering the halls.....discovering more about this unusual and rich area of the Pacific Northwest. At 10:15 am we boarded our motor coaches and began a short journey on the Columbia River Scenic highway, heading up to a look out called Rowena Butte. There on display was many more of the spectacular wild flowers characteristic of spring in the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River cuts through the Cascade mountains flowing through this gorge. As we looked west we could see the landscape changing…forests were beginning to form on the hillsides. And, all around us were the trees, shrubs and plants characteristic of this transition zone between the East and West Side of the Cascade Mountain range. Oregon white oak, Ponderosa pine, Big-leaf maple with a wonderful scattering around their bases of patches of Arrow-leafed balsam root. These giant sunflowers are some of the showiest of the spring flowers. They cover a large range, growing to the east in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and moving west one can find these sunflowers right up the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. They were a flower described by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and were entered into the Herbarium created by Meriwether Lewis. The roots of this distinctive flower were also collected by the indigenous peoples of the Plateau region. The Columbia River Gorge being a small part of that geographic region. Each spring the local native peoples would begin their spring migration heading down the Columbia River moving towards the Mt. Hood area. On the way they would collect the roots of many plants, particularly the Balsam root preparing food stores for the following winter. Each day the ladies of the local bands would enter the root digging areas with their essential tools, the kapin or digging stick, and the wapas, or food collecting bag/basket, hung from a tie around their waist. Most of the plants they collected were herbaceous, spring-flowering species. The edible parts were either tubers, corms, bulbs or tuberous roots. In this case it is the tuberous root of the Balsam root that is harvestable. But, today we watched the yellow flowers bouncing in the wind, enjoyed the intense color and took only photos to bring home an image of this gorgeous spring display.
Soon we boarded our motor coaches and resumed our journey on the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. This highway was built by hand by men moving supplies and tools with horses on treacherously steep terrain. It is beautifully set into the surrounding landscape from a time when ascetics were still a part of engineering roadways. As population increased in the Pacific Northwest the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway became outmoded and much larger highways needed to be constructed. This small but gorgeous highway fell into disrepair and some areas were destroyed in order to put in a more extensive highway system.
During the last ten years several sections of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway have been refurbished and safely set aside as a bike and walking trail. For nearly two hours in the early afternoon many of us enjoyed a walk in history, taking a four and one half-mile walk through the transition forest of the Columbia River Gorge! A cool breeze blew as we made our way west…heading for the Sea Bird . Soon we would resume our journey following the route of Lewis and Clark heading down the Columbia on our way to the mouth if this mighty river and the Pacific Ocean.
We were awakened this morning to the sound of the Sea Bird maneuvering into the lock at the Dalles Dam. Our vessel had cruised all evening, bringing us some 132 miles, from our previous afternoon’s destination. Once the Sea Bird had finished her transit through the lock, she began positioning along side a floating dock attached to the Dalles Marina located just north of the town The Dalles. Larry, our expedition leader made his usual breakfast announcements about the day’s activities including all the choices open to us! Departure from the Sea Bird would be at 8:15am, and we would board two motor coaches and begin our excursions for the morning.
Our first stop would be the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and the Wasco Historical Museum. The outer grounds were landscaped with native species of plants from around the Columbia River Gorge. As we departed the bus in front of the Center, many of us were waylaid by many bursts of color.....blasts of yellow from Oregon sunshine, bright pink penstemon, the giant yellow sunflowers of Arrow-leaf Balsam root, and tiny patches of soft pink marking the spot where Crane’s bill a small members of the geranium family were growing! Once inside this fine natural and cultural history museum, we spent an hour and a half wandering the halls.....discovering more about this unusual and rich area of the Pacific Northwest. At 10:15 am we boarded our motor coaches and began a short journey on the Columbia River Scenic highway, heading up to a look out called Rowena Butte. There on display was many more of the spectacular wild flowers characteristic of spring in the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River cuts through the Cascade mountains flowing through this gorge. As we looked west we could see the landscape changing…forests were beginning to form on the hillsides. And, all around us were the trees, shrubs and plants characteristic of this transition zone between the East and West Side of the Cascade Mountain range. Oregon white oak, Ponderosa pine, Big-leaf maple with a wonderful scattering around their bases of patches of Arrow-leafed balsam root. These giant sunflowers are some of the showiest of the spring flowers. They cover a large range, growing to the east in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming and moving west one can find these sunflowers right up the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. They were a flower described by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and were entered into the Herbarium created by Meriwether Lewis. The roots of this distinctive flower were also collected by the indigenous peoples of the Plateau region. The Columbia River Gorge being a small part of that geographic region. Each spring the local native peoples would begin their spring migration heading down the Columbia River moving towards the Mt. Hood area. On the way they would collect the roots of many plants, particularly the Balsam root preparing food stores for the following winter. Each day the ladies of the local bands would enter the root digging areas with their essential tools, the kapin or digging stick, and the wapas, or food collecting bag/basket, hung from a tie around their waist. Most of the plants they collected were herbaceous, spring-flowering species. The edible parts were either tubers, corms, bulbs or tuberous roots. In this case it is the tuberous root of the Balsam root that is harvestable. But, today we watched the yellow flowers bouncing in the wind, enjoyed the intense color and took only photos to bring home an image of this gorgeous spring display.
Soon we boarded our motor coaches and resumed our journey on the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. This highway was built by hand by men moving supplies and tools with horses on treacherously steep terrain. It is beautifully set into the surrounding landscape from a time when ascetics were still a part of engineering roadways. As population increased in the Pacific Northwest the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway became outmoded and much larger highways needed to be constructed. This small but gorgeous highway fell into disrepair and some areas were destroyed in order to put in a more extensive highway system.
During the last ten years several sections of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway have been refurbished and safely set aside as a bike and walking trail. For nearly two hours in the early afternoon many of us enjoyed a walk in history, taking a four and one half-mile walk through the transition forest of the Columbia River Gorge! A cool breeze blew as we made our way west…heading for the Sea Bird . Soon we would resume our journey following the route of Lewis and Clark heading down the Columbia on our way to the mouth if this mighty river and the Pacific Ocean.
