Lewiston, Idaho & Hell’s Canyon
Our adventures by water and land took us into three different states today. Our morning began as the Sea Bird docked in Clarkston, Washington. We had passed through a total of eight different dams and locks, and had gained 735 feet of elevation, since we left Portland. After breakfast, we boarded a jet boat for our journey south along the Snake River into the heart of Hell’s Canyon. Hell’s Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America, but unlike its next closest rival, the Grand Canyon, Hell’s Canyon is not a vertical canyon. Instead, the walls climb diagonally into the sky and disappear from view. We could not see the tall peaks that mark the top of the canyon from our position far below on the river’s surface.
Under the steady control of Captain Eric, our jet boat pilot, we practically flew across the dangerous rapids and around the sharp turns in the river. On a number of occasions, we came upon big-horn sheep grazing along the shoreline. These hardy animals cast us wary glances, but they appeared to be more interested in the wide variety of vegetation nearby. After traveling for a couple hours, we took a short break at the Cache Creek Ranch, just across the state line in Oregon. This former sheep ranch now serves as the Forest Service ranger station for Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area. All boaters must register here before continuing up the canyon. At Cache Creek, we stretched our legs and explored the old buildings that now serve as a small museum and visitor center.
Soon, we returned to the water. By noon, we had reached our turnaround point nearly 60 miles up the Snake River from the Sea Bird. We had also gained another 200 feet of elevation as we climbed up the river. The return trip down the Snake River proved to be even faster and more exciting than our trip upriver. We charged through foaming rapids and dodged rocks as the jet boat slid left and right in the narrow channel. After a harrowing journey down the Snake, we arrived at Heller Bar. Here, we had a light lunch before finishing our roundtrip journey to Clarkston.
After we returned to the Sea Bird, guests had the opportunity to visit the Nez Perce Visitor Center near Lapwei, Idaho. On the way to this wonderful museum, we followed in Lewis and Clark’s footsteps. The Corps of Discovery traveled down the Clearwater River by dugout canoe in the fall of 1805 and returned up the river the following May. At the Visitor Center, we learned about the history of the Nez Perce people, particularly their fate following contact with the Corps of Discovery in 1805-1806. After our visit to the museum, we returned to the Sea Bird for our voyage back down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to Portland. Having visited three states in one event filled day, we felt that we had earned a well-deserved rest (and some dessert after dinner).
Our adventures by water and land took us into three different states today. Our morning began as the Sea Bird docked in Clarkston, Washington. We had passed through a total of eight different dams and locks, and had gained 735 feet of elevation, since we left Portland. After breakfast, we boarded a jet boat for our journey south along the Snake River into the heart of Hell’s Canyon. Hell’s Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America, but unlike its next closest rival, the Grand Canyon, Hell’s Canyon is not a vertical canyon. Instead, the walls climb diagonally into the sky and disappear from view. We could not see the tall peaks that mark the top of the canyon from our position far below on the river’s surface.
Under the steady control of Captain Eric, our jet boat pilot, we practically flew across the dangerous rapids and around the sharp turns in the river. On a number of occasions, we came upon big-horn sheep grazing along the shoreline. These hardy animals cast us wary glances, but they appeared to be more interested in the wide variety of vegetation nearby. After traveling for a couple hours, we took a short break at the Cache Creek Ranch, just across the state line in Oregon. This former sheep ranch now serves as the Forest Service ranger station for Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area. All boaters must register here before continuing up the canyon. At Cache Creek, we stretched our legs and explored the old buildings that now serve as a small museum and visitor center.
Soon, we returned to the water. By noon, we had reached our turnaround point nearly 60 miles up the Snake River from the Sea Bird. We had also gained another 200 feet of elevation as we climbed up the river. The return trip down the Snake River proved to be even faster and more exciting than our trip upriver. We charged through foaming rapids and dodged rocks as the jet boat slid left and right in the narrow channel. After a harrowing journey down the Snake, we arrived at Heller Bar. Here, we had a light lunch before finishing our roundtrip journey to Clarkston.
After we returned to the Sea Bird, guests had the opportunity to visit the Nez Perce Visitor Center near Lapwei, Idaho. On the way to this wonderful museum, we followed in Lewis and Clark’s footsteps. The Corps of Discovery traveled down the Clearwater River by dugout canoe in the fall of 1805 and returned up the river the following May. At the Visitor Center, we learned about the history of the Nez Perce people, particularly their fate following contact with the Corps of Discovery in 1805-1806. After our visit to the museum, we returned to the Sea Bird for our voyage back down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to Portland. Having visited three states in one event filled day, we felt that we had earned a well-deserved rest (and some dessert after dinner).
