Clarkston, Washington
The Sea Bird exited the upper gates of Lower Granite Dam at approximately 6:30 am. This would be our fourth and last lock and dam on the Snake River. We were heading for Clarkston, Washington and our morning destination, dockside at the Clarkston Inn. From there we would board jet boats and begin a journey south up the Snake River into the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. Our two jet boats left Clarkston, Washington at 9:30 am and our journey began with slightly gray skies and quite cool temperatures.
During the last week an unusual amount of snow had fallen in the mountains and created increased runoff in the Salmon and Imnaha Rivers. Both of these rivers are tributaries that feed into the Snake River. According to our staff and the crew on the jet boats the combined runoff had brought the Snake River up by at least two feet. Along with the increased water came a great deal of debris floating down river.
Our jet boat picked its way up river stopping often for explanations about this unique canyon. Hells Canyon plunges 7,913 feet at its deepest point. We would see some of that deep section on our trip today. On either side of our boat we could look up at basalt cliffs that had been carved by ions of rushing water! The Snake River, a mighty river in its own right, winds its way from Yellowstone National Park at 9,500 feet elevation at its origin, then continues its course through southern Idaho before turning north to form the boundary between Idaho and Oregon. It finally joins the Columbia River in Pasco, Washington at 340 feet elevation some 1,036 miles from its source. We would explore a very small section of the Snake River today, winding our way for approximately fifty miles up river, then return down river.
Our first two stops were for good looks at Rocky mountain big horn sheep. They were idly munching on the new leaves of Douglas hackberry, and giving us minimal attention! We continued our journey and just after reaching the Oregon border, we made our lunch stop at Cache Creek, which marks the entrance to the scenic area of Hells Canyon, and a National park station for all recreational boats. We would check in and then enjoy lunch before heading farther up river and into Hells Canyon. Lunch was brought up from the jet boats and enjoyed on the lawns around the interpretive center. Walks were offered after lunch and many of us began a nice leisurely wander up the small park service road. To our great delight we heard and then saw a group of eight wild turkeys! We heard their strange sound, then watched them scurrying up a hillside, and finally an unusual fly-by was made by one gorgeous female turkey!!! Our group continued its walk stopping for closer looks at quite a diversity of spring flowers, and listening and watching for more bird life. We saw an extremely flamboyant Yellow warbler sitting near the blossoms of a Blue elderberry. On our return to the interpretive center we noticed a nice group of Cedar waxwings feeding in the tops of a group of cherry trees. The most spectacular bird sighting for the day was a Western tanager; bright yellow feathers, blackish wings and scarlet feathers on its head! In the soft light of the day all these birds were brilliant in color.
All too soon it was time for us to return to the jet boats and continue our journey up the Snake River. We cruised up river and soon came to the meeting of two great western rivers; the Salmon River moving at 40,000 cubic feet per second, full with runoff, adding tremendous volume to the Snake River. We paused for a few moments, listened to some history about the Salmon River. It is the longest free flowing river in North America, famous for its unspoiled passage and the surrounding wilderness area. Slowly, we pulled away from the Salmon River and continued south up the Snake River. The canyon walls narrowed and the scenery was spectacular......steep green slopes, lichen on basalt, gray skies and a full rushing river, a feast for the eyes! Soon we were on approach to the Imnaha River, a smaller tributary that flows into the Snake River. A beautiful setting with flowers along the shore of a small river with rapids and more runoff adding to the volume of the Snake River. This would be our turn around point, and from here we would begin our return trip down river.
The gray skies produced a small amount of rain, only intensifying the colors around us. We made a brief stop at Cherry Falls, a lovely tiny waterfall that feeds the Snake River with yet more water! Then off again carried by the down-river current and the speed of the jet boats, heading for the Sea Bird.
Our last stop was at Buffalo Eddy a well known winter camp sight for the ancestors of the Nez Perce people. Our driver pulled our jet boat into the rocks on the Idaho side of the Snake River, so we could have a closer look at a well-known petroglyph. Because of the extensive rock art that appears in several locations along the Snake River, many people have come to photograph and study the symbols that have been carved and painted on the flat templates of basalt. The meanings of this rock art have been lost in the passage of time.....though, with some imagination we could, at the very least see that much of the rock art told the story of a time in the lives of people who lived along this river many thousands of years ago. Their lives, like our own, punctuated by memorable events. For the “Old Ones”, as the Nez Perce refer to the former inhabitants of this Winter Camp, life was about the animals they lived with, hunting parties, feasts, and adding to the templates of basalt. These templates surrounded their Winter Camp, with carvings and paintings that told the stories of their passing lives.
The Sea Bird exited the upper gates of Lower Granite Dam at approximately 6:30 am. This would be our fourth and last lock and dam on the Snake River. We were heading for Clarkston, Washington and our morning destination, dockside at the Clarkston Inn. From there we would board jet boats and begin a journey south up the Snake River into the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. Our two jet boats left Clarkston, Washington at 9:30 am and our journey began with slightly gray skies and quite cool temperatures.
During the last week an unusual amount of snow had fallen in the mountains and created increased runoff in the Salmon and Imnaha Rivers. Both of these rivers are tributaries that feed into the Snake River. According to our staff and the crew on the jet boats the combined runoff had brought the Snake River up by at least two feet. Along with the increased water came a great deal of debris floating down river.
Our jet boat picked its way up river stopping often for explanations about this unique canyon. Hells Canyon plunges 7,913 feet at its deepest point. We would see some of that deep section on our trip today. On either side of our boat we could look up at basalt cliffs that had been carved by ions of rushing water! The Snake River, a mighty river in its own right, winds its way from Yellowstone National Park at 9,500 feet elevation at its origin, then continues its course through southern Idaho before turning north to form the boundary between Idaho and Oregon. It finally joins the Columbia River in Pasco, Washington at 340 feet elevation some 1,036 miles from its source. We would explore a very small section of the Snake River today, winding our way for approximately fifty miles up river, then return down river.
Our first two stops were for good looks at Rocky mountain big horn sheep. They were idly munching on the new leaves of Douglas hackberry, and giving us minimal attention! We continued our journey and just after reaching the Oregon border, we made our lunch stop at Cache Creek, which marks the entrance to the scenic area of Hells Canyon, and a National park station for all recreational boats. We would check in and then enjoy lunch before heading farther up river and into Hells Canyon. Lunch was brought up from the jet boats and enjoyed on the lawns around the interpretive center. Walks were offered after lunch and many of us began a nice leisurely wander up the small park service road. To our great delight we heard and then saw a group of eight wild turkeys! We heard their strange sound, then watched them scurrying up a hillside, and finally an unusual fly-by was made by one gorgeous female turkey!!! Our group continued its walk stopping for closer looks at quite a diversity of spring flowers, and listening and watching for more bird life. We saw an extremely flamboyant Yellow warbler sitting near the blossoms of a Blue elderberry. On our return to the interpretive center we noticed a nice group of Cedar waxwings feeding in the tops of a group of cherry trees. The most spectacular bird sighting for the day was a Western tanager; bright yellow feathers, blackish wings and scarlet feathers on its head! In the soft light of the day all these birds were brilliant in color.
All too soon it was time for us to return to the jet boats and continue our journey up the Snake River. We cruised up river and soon came to the meeting of two great western rivers; the Salmon River moving at 40,000 cubic feet per second, full with runoff, adding tremendous volume to the Snake River. We paused for a few moments, listened to some history about the Salmon River. It is the longest free flowing river in North America, famous for its unspoiled passage and the surrounding wilderness area. Slowly, we pulled away from the Salmon River and continued south up the Snake River. The canyon walls narrowed and the scenery was spectacular......steep green slopes, lichen on basalt, gray skies and a full rushing river, a feast for the eyes! Soon we were on approach to the Imnaha River, a smaller tributary that flows into the Snake River. A beautiful setting with flowers along the shore of a small river with rapids and more runoff adding to the volume of the Snake River. This would be our turn around point, and from here we would begin our return trip down river.
The gray skies produced a small amount of rain, only intensifying the colors around us. We made a brief stop at Cherry Falls, a lovely tiny waterfall that feeds the Snake River with yet more water! Then off again carried by the down-river current and the speed of the jet boats, heading for the Sea Bird.
Our last stop was at Buffalo Eddy a well known winter camp sight for the ancestors of the Nez Perce people. Our driver pulled our jet boat into the rocks on the Idaho side of the Snake River, so we could have a closer look at a well-known petroglyph. Because of the extensive rock art that appears in several locations along the Snake River, many people have come to photograph and study the symbols that have been carved and painted on the flat templates of basalt. The meanings of this rock art have been lost in the passage of time.....though, with some imagination we could, at the very least see that much of the rock art told the story of a time in the lives of people who lived along this river many thousands of years ago. Their lives, like our own, punctuated by memorable events. For the “Old Ones”, as the Nez Perce refer to the former inhabitants of this Winter Camp, life was about the animals they lived with, hunting parties, feasts, and adding to the templates of basalt. These templates surrounded their Winter Camp, with carvings and paintings that told the stories of their passing lives.
