Up the Columbia
When the wake up call came this morning we were headed to the lock at John Day Dam. The early risers gathered on the bow as we entered the guillotine gate and tied up to the floating bollard. The gate closed behind us and the lock filled, lifting the Sea Bird 105 feet. At the top the lockmaster gave us the green light and we sailed out on Lake Umatilla. Overnight a strong wind built up from the west that gave us a good push up the river. After our mandatory safety drills, we heard an excellent presentation from Bryce Nelson who is a guest lecturer traveling with a group from University of Southern California. He discussed Lewis and Clark’s encounters with Native Americans during their journey and he focused on their interactions with the Nez Perce.
Just after lunch everyone was out on deck to see us go through the lock at McNary Dam. When we got to the top we could clearly see the fish ladder right next to the lock chamber. We looked hard but could see no fish swimming up the concrete chute. Later in the afternoon, our historian, Verne Huser, gave an overview of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and showed slides of the areas of the country that the Corps of Discovery traveled through. This area of the Columbia River is becoming known for its wine production and during the day we saw several vineyards and orchards next to the river. To cap off our first day we sampled some of the local wines and food in the lounge courtesy of the Hotel Department. Just before sunset we turned east off the Columbia and onto the Snake River on our way to Clarkston.
When the wake up call came this morning we were headed to the lock at John Day Dam. The early risers gathered on the bow as we entered the guillotine gate and tied up to the floating bollard. The gate closed behind us and the lock filled, lifting the Sea Bird 105 feet. At the top the lockmaster gave us the green light and we sailed out on Lake Umatilla. Overnight a strong wind built up from the west that gave us a good push up the river. After our mandatory safety drills, we heard an excellent presentation from Bryce Nelson who is a guest lecturer traveling with a group from University of Southern California. He discussed Lewis and Clark’s encounters with Native Americans during their journey and he focused on their interactions with the Nez Perce.
Just after lunch everyone was out on deck to see us go through the lock at McNary Dam. When we got to the top we could clearly see the fish ladder right next to the lock chamber. We looked hard but could see no fish swimming up the concrete chute. Later in the afternoon, our historian, Verne Huser, gave an overview of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and showed slides of the areas of the country that the Corps of Discovery traveled through. This area of the Columbia River is becoming known for its wine production and during the day we saw several vineyards and orchards next to the river. To cap off our first day we sampled some of the local wines and food in the lounge courtesy of the Hotel Department. Just before sunset we turned east off the Columbia and onto the Snake River on our way to Clarkston.
