East, Up the Columbia River
As the sky began to move towards the first signs of daylight, the M/V Sea Lion continued cruising east up the Columbia River. Our day would be spent on the river, traveling through the Channeled Scab Lands, a name given to the worn landscape of Columbia River Basalt flows. These flows make up the river bed that contains the mighty Columbia, the largest river of the West and the second largest river in North America.
Originating in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, the main water course flows 1,243 miles to the Pacific Ocean. The first third of the river (465 miles) is in Canada, and the rest of the river flows within the United States. The drainage basin covers nearly 260,000 square miles and includes southeastern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as western Montana, and parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. The largest tributary is the Snake River, which rises in Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park, and flows 1,038 miles westward through southern Idaho and southeastern Washington until it joins the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland in southeastern Washington. Other tributaries that flow into the Columbia River are the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille, Deschutes, Kootenay, Willamette, and Yakima rivers.
The Columbia River discharges nearly 160 million acre-feet of water each year. Much of the water descends 1,290 feet from the Canadian border to sea level, or a drop of about 7.2 inches per mile within the U.S. There are many hydroelectric dams along the river system and its potential waterpower is estimated to be 40 million horsepower, or about one third that of the entire U.S. There are no significant deposits of coal or oil in the Columbia River basin, so the region depends mostly upon waterpower for industrial development.
Throughout the morning, we continued our journey, having passed through the Bonneville lock and dam around midnight, followed by The Dalles lock and dam at 4:35AM, and were on approach to John Day lock and dam just before sunrise. Our expedition leader made the customary wake-up call at 7:00AM, inviting everyone out onto the bow of the ship for this lock and dam transit. The John Day dam was named after a fur trapper who explored the local area. This is the tallest dam in the world, lifting the Sea Lion 113 feet within its lock chamber. The front gate or downriver entrance is a guillotine gate weighing 700 tons. As our vessel approached the entrance, we could see the gate rising, and a tug and barges making it way towards us heading down river.
Once on the upriver side of John Day lock and dam, the Sea Lion entered Lake Umatilla. Continuing east, we began to see what the resource of water had given to this arid countryside. On both sides of the river irrigation provided the much needed component for a myriad of crops. We saw vineyards, orchards, corn, several varieties of grains, and heard the stories of truck gardens providing many vegetables and fruits that supplied much of the Northwest. We also watched other tugs bringing empty grain barges up river along with fuel and commodities needed for the exchange of goods.
As sunset approached, bringing long shadows to the river, we came upon Wallua Gap, the narrowest section of this part of the Columbia River. Off the starboard side of the Sea Lion was the basalt formation called the Captains, named for Lewis and Clark in commemoration for their exploration of this region. Continuing with the celebration, our Hotel staff prepared a wine and food tasting, highlighting Northwest wines and delicacies. From the richness created by the water of the Columbia River, we adjourned to the forward lounge to taste the fruits of labor created by the people of this area….a glass of fine red wine, local cheeses, and fresh seafood brought from the mouth of the Columbia, all a reminder of the resource of water and its gift of abundance.
As the sky began to move towards the first signs of daylight, the M/V Sea Lion continued cruising east up the Columbia River. Our day would be spent on the river, traveling through the Channeled Scab Lands, a name given to the worn landscape of Columbia River Basalt flows. These flows make up the river bed that contains the mighty Columbia, the largest river of the West and the second largest river in North America.
Originating in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, the main water course flows 1,243 miles to the Pacific Ocean. The first third of the river (465 miles) is in Canada, and the rest of the river flows within the United States. The drainage basin covers nearly 260,000 square miles and includes southeastern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as western Montana, and parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. The largest tributary is the Snake River, which rises in Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park, and flows 1,038 miles westward through southern Idaho and southeastern Washington until it joins the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland in southeastern Washington. Other tributaries that flow into the Columbia River are the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille, Deschutes, Kootenay, Willamette, and Yakima rivers.
The Columbia River discharges nearly 160 million acre-feet of water each year. Much of the water descends 1,290 feet from the Canadian border to sea level, or a drop of about 7.2 inches per mile within the U.S. There are many hydroelectric dams along the river system and its potential waterpower is estimated to be 40 million horsepower, or about one third that of the entire U.S. There are no significant deposits of coal or oil in the Columbia River basin, so the region depends mostly upon waterpower for industrial development.
Throughout the morning, we continued our journey, having passed through the Bonneville lock and dam around midnight, followed by The Dalles lock and dam at 4:35AM, and were on approach to John Day lock and dam just before sunrise. Our expedition leader made the customary wake-up call at 7:00AM, inviting everyone out onto the bow of the ship for this lock and dam transit. The John Day dam was named after a fur trapper who explored the local area. This is the tallest dam in the world, lifting the Sea Lion 113 feet within its lock chamber. The front gate or downriver entrance is a guillotine gate weighing 700 tons. As our vessel approached the entrance, we could see the gate rising, and a tug and barges making it way towards us heading down river.
Once on the upriver side of John Day lock and dam, the Sea Lion entered Lake Umatilla. Continuing east, we began to see what the resource of water had given to this arid countryside. On both sides of the river irrigation provided the much needed component for a myriad of crops. We saw vineyards, orchards, corn, several varieties of grains, and heard the stories of truck gardens providing many vegetables and fruits that supplied much of the Northwest. We also watched other tugs bringing empty grain barges up river along with fuel and commodities needed for the exchange of goods.
As sunset approached, bringing long shadows to the river, we came upon Wallua Gap, the narrowest section of this part of the Columbia River. Off the starboard side of the Sea Lion was the basalt formation called the Captains, named for Lewis and Clark in commemoration for their exploration of this region. Continuing with the celebration, our Hotel staff prepared a wine and food tasting, highlighting Northwest wines and delicacies. From the richness created by the water of the Columbia River, we adjourned to the forward lounge to taste the fruits of labor created by the people of this area….a glass of fine red wine, local cheeses, and fresh seafood brought from the mouth of the Columbia, all a reminder of the resource of water and its gift of abundance.
