Columbia River Gorge
Early risers on the Sea Lion saw a full replica of Stonehenge standing bold on the arid eastern side of the Columbia River Gorge.
They wondered how and why this ancient ceremonial site was copied so far from England. They learned about a wealthy railroad builder, Sam Hill, who was also part adventurer, dreamer, philanthropist and entrepreneur.
Hill loved this commanding site that overlooks the River of the West, built his mansion here in 1914 and called it Maryhill after his daughter. A pacifist, Hill conducted relief work in Europe during World War I and was appalled at the slaughter of the young men of that generation.
Hill, with others of his time, believed the original Stonhenge had been used as a sacrificial site. So he constructed his replica as a memorial to our fallen soldiers and to remind us that, in his words, “humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war.”
Opposite Stonehenge, on the sun drenched Washington slope, the Oregon side of the Columbia with its north facing gorge walls had pockets of deep shadow and more retained moisture. Here was a blue blush of lupine and Mule Deer grazed into mid-morning before seeking their day beds.
One of these grazing bands on closer examination turned out to be big-horned sheep, a first ever on our many passages through the Columbia River Gorge. These bighorns made their way down from the tributary canyon of the John Day River where they were successfully reintroduced after long extinction. We regularly see bighorns in Hells Canyon of the Snake River where they were also reintroduced, but this was our first viewing on the Columbia River.
Many of the mid-channel markers along the river provided perfect nesting platforms for nesting osprey that are in the midst of incubating. The major flight of waterfowl that follows the Columbia upriver to interior nesting grounds has passed, but Naturalist Linda Burback picked out small flocks of bufflehead and ruddy duck, a scattering of western grebe, and a common loon in full breeding plumage. A willow island held a mixed colony of nesting black-crowned night-heron, great egret, and great blue heron.
Through the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge which includes clusters of river reefs and islands white pelicans loafed in the spring sun, as dazzling white as the cumulus clouds.
Guest Dick Swinnerton who is a docent for the High Desert Museum at Bend, Oregon, joined Staff Historian Tom McAllister for a Corps of Discovery presentation that included Swinnerton’s slides with maps of the journey between the Continental Divide and the Pacific. Swinnerton headed the maps division for the U.S. Geological Survey before retirement.
Early risers on the Sea Lion saw a full replica of Stonehenge standing bold on the arid eastern side of the Columbia River Gorge.
They wondered how and why this ancient ceremonial site was copied so far from England. They learned about a wealthy railroad builder, Sam Hill, who was also part adventurer, dreamer, philanthropist and entrepreneur.
Hill loved this commanding site that overlooks the River of the West, built his mansion here in 1914 and called it Maryhill after his daughter. A pacifist, Hill conducted relief work in Europe during World War I and was appalled at the slaughter of the young men of that generation.
Hill, with others of his time, believed the original Stonhenge had been used as a sacrificial site. So he constructed his replica as a memorial to our fallen soldiers and to remind us that, in his words, “humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war.”
Opposite Stonehenge, on the sun drenched Washington slope, the Oregon side of the Columbia with its north facing gorge walls had pockets of deep shadow and more retained moisture. Here was a blue blush of lupine and Mule Deer grazed into mid-morning before seeking their day beds.
One of these grazing bands on closer examination turned out to be big-horned sheep, a first ever on our many passages through the Columbia River Gorge. These bighorns made their way down from the tributary canyon of the John Day River where they were successfully reintroduced after long extinction. We regularly see bighorns in Hells Canyon of the Snake River where they were also reintroduced, but this was our first viewing on the Columbia River.
Many of the mid-channel markers along the river provided perfect nesting platforms for nesting osprey that are in the midst of incubating. The major flight of waterfowl that follows the Columbia upriver to interior nesting grounds has passed, but Naturalist Linda Burback picked out small flocks of bufflehead and ruddy duck, a scattering of western grebe, and a common loon in full breeding plumage. A willow island held a mixed colony of nesting black-crowned night-heron, great egret, and great blue heron.
Through the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge which includes clusters of river reefs and islands white pelicans loafed in the spring sun, as dazzling white as the cumulus clouds.
Guest Dick Swinnerton who is a docent for the High Desert Museum at Bend, Oregon, joined Staff Historian Tom McAllister for a Corps of Discovery presentation that included Swinnerton’s slides with maps of the journey between the Continental Divide and the Pacific. Swinnerton headed the maps division for the U.S. Geological Survey before retirement.
