Columbia River
Expedition Leader Larry’s gentle wake-up announcement came as Sea Bird transited the eastern reaches of the Columbia River Gorge. As we passed the full-size replica of Stone Henge, Larry encouraged us topside to witness our transit of the spectacular lock of the John Day dam. We were lifted a world-record 105 vertical feet by a single chamber. We emerged into bright sunshine as the gorge widened into Lake Umatilla.
Rocky ramparts of columnar basalt crowded ribbons of modern communication: highways, local and interstate and already busy with traffic, railroads with commuter and freight cars into the narrow strips of land that bordered both sides of the waterway. “The Chief”, a characteristic Columbia tugboat shepherded a full set of barges carrying, we learned, grain, fertilizer and some containers of unknown content, passed on our port beam. We were reminded that the waterway had also provided a vital communication link as well as larder and livelihood for the indigenous people met by Lewis and Clark. The travelers’ journals and maps record many large settlements along these reaches. They saw and sketched precarious, hereditary salmon-netting platforms. While the vast volumes of migrating fish, sadly, are now history, a few platforms remain active, the fishing rights survive. Thanks to recent better management of the young fish, stocks are beginning to rebuild.
Tom Schmidt, the expert in Lewis and Clark from the National Geographic Society, gave the first of his series of talks, an overview of the epic journey that is the focus of our own expedition.
Later, Sharon briefed us on the botany of the region – both sides of the rain-shadow boundary between the temperate rain-forest and the high desert steppe --- superbly illustrated by her own images.
By evening we had penetrated deep into the Washington wine country, so what could be more appropriate than to sample some local product? Chris, our congenial hotel manager, proved an able guide and we, enthusiastic participants.
Expedition Leader Larry’s gentle wake-up announcement came as Sea Bird transited the eastern reaches of the Columbia River Gorge. As we passed the full-size replica of Stone Henge, Larry encouraged us topside to witness our transit of the spectacular lock of the John Day dam. We were lifted a world-record 105 vertical feet by a single chamber. We emerged into bright sunshine as the gorge widened into Lake Umatilla.
Rocky ramparts of columnar basalt crowded ribbons of modern communication: highways, local and interstate and already busy with traffic, railroads with commuter and freight cars into the narrow strips of land that bordered both sides of the waterway. “The Chief”, a characteristic Columbia tugboat shepherded a full set of barges carrying, we learned, grain, fertilizer and some containers of unknown content, passed on our port beam. We were reminded that the waterway had also provided a vital communication link as well as larder and livelihood for the indigenous people met by Lewis and Clark. The travelers’ journals and maps record many large settlements along these reaches. They saw and sketched precarious, hereditary salmon-netting platforms. While the vast volumes of migrating fish, sadly, are now history, a few platforms remain active, the fishing rights survive. Thanks to recent better management of the young fish, stocks are beginning to rebuild.
Tom Schmidt, the expert in Lewis and Clark from the National Geographic Society, gave the first of his series of talks, an overview of the epic journey that is the focus of our own expedition.
Later, Sharon briefed us on the botany of the region – both sides of the rain-shadow boundary between the temperate rain-forest and the high desert steppe --- superbly illustrated by her own images.
By evening we had penetrated deep into the Washington wine country, so what could be more appropriate than to sample some local product? Chris, our congenial hotel manager, proved an able guide and we, enthusiastic participants.
