The Columbia River
Our departure from Portland was marked by familiar fall showers; but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm everyone had for setting sail on our adventure. We gathered under the cover of the upper deck aft and watched the city lights of Portland and its famous bridges over the Willamette River pass behind us. The excitement of meeting new shipmates and being underway buoyed us through the soggy conditions.
Gusty upriver breezes greeting us at sunrise and continued building throughout our expedition’s first full day. This created a ‘following sea’ of a size seldom seen on the river in a truly awesome display of the interaction of wind and water. With excellent seamanship by the captain and crew, the National Geographic Sea Lion passed smoothly through the locks of the Columbia and by dinner time, we were on the Snake River.
After dinner, we ‘huddled around’ the satellite radio to hear the news of the presidential election results. We are headed for Clarkston, WA and the Clearwater River connection with the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Hell’s Canyon, with its geologic wonders along the Snake River, is also a destination for exploration tomorrow. Passing through the locks of the lower Snake River during the night reminded us of our progress towards our destination.
Our departure from Portland was marked by familiar fall showers; but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm everyone had for setting sail on our adventure. We gathered under the cover of the upper deck aft and watched the city lights of Portland and its famous bridges over the Willamette River pass behind us. The excitement of meeting new shipmates and being underway buoyed us through the soggy conditions.
Gusty upriver breezes greeting us at sunrise and continued building throughout our expedition’s first full day. This created a ‘following sea’ of a size seldom seen on the river in a truly awesome display of the interaction of wind and water. With excellent seamanship by the captain and crew, the National Geographic Sea Lion passed smoothly through the locks of the Columbia and by dinner time, we were on the Snake River.
After dinner, we ‘huddled around’ the satellite radio to hear the news of the presidential election results. We are headed for Clarkston, WA and the Clearwater River connection with the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Hell’s Canyon, with its geologic wonders along the Snake River, is also a destination for exploration tomorrow. Passing through the locks of the lower Snake River during the night reminded us of our progress towards our destination.
