Big Horn Sheep, Hells Canyon
After a night of travel east along the Snake River from the Palouse River, we on the Sea Lion awake to find ourselves at the confluence of yet two more rivers, the Clearwater and the Snake. For some, a day along the Clearwater and the actual campsites that the Lewis and Clark Expedition wrote about in their journals was the choice of the day. For others, a day spent traveling south on a river flowing north, the Snake River, into Hells Canyon was the selection.
One of the deepest river gorges in North America, the canyon’s beauty is difficult to describe, although our silent stares as we looked up, out, and beyond were testament to the awesome nature of what we were experiencing. Captain Eric maneuvered our chariot, the Hells Canyon Rose, through steady currents, at times actual Class 3 rapids.
One of the jewels of the canyon presented itself to us along the way and the captain slowed to a stop so that we might quietly witness its presence. The Big Horn Sheep, once so few as to be almost extinct have been reintroduced and are thriving in healthy numbers. We idled just off shore as this four legged subject of our focus seemed, after a momentary look our way, to be unimpressed with our attention and continued on as if we were ourselves simply a part of the landscape.
As our outing came to an end and we returned to our mother ship, we applauded Captain Eric and his deckhand Kyle for having returned us safely from the wildness and wonder that is Hells Canyon.
After a night of travel east along the Snake River from the Palouse River, we on the Sea Lion awake to find ourselves at the confluence of yet two more rivers, the Clearwater and the Snake. For some, a day along the Clearwater and the actual campsites that the Lewis and Clark Expedition wrote about in their journals was the choice of the day. For others, a day spent traveling south on a river flowing north, the Snake River, into Hells Canyon was the selection.
One of the deepest river gorges in North America, the canyon’s beauty is difficult to describe, although our silent stares as we looked up, out, and beyond were testament to the awesome nature of what we were experiencing. Captain Eric maneuvered our chariot, the Hells Canyon Rose, through steady currents, at times actual Class 3 rapids.
One of the jewels of the canyon presented itself to us along the way and the captain slowed to a stop so that we might quietly witness its presence. The Big Horn Sheep, once so few as to be almost extinct have been reintroduced and are thriving in healthy numbers. We idled just off shore as this four legged subject of our focus seemed, after a momentary look our way, to be unimpressed with our attention and continued on as if we were ourselves simply a part of the landscape.
As our outing came to an end and we returned to our mother ship, we applauded Captain Eric and his deckhand Kyle for having returned us safely from the wildness and wonder that is Hells Canyon.
