Hells Canyon and the Clearwater River Valley
The light of dawn found the Sea Lion ascending through the one hundred foot tall lock of Lower Granite Dam, the final dam on the Snake River before Clarkston, Washington. After breakfast, we docked in Clarkston where many guests boarded a jet boat for an exciting ride into the heart of Hells Canyon.
The deepest gorge in North America, Hells Canyon divides the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Plunging through the turbulent waters of the Snake River aboard the swift jet boat, guests observed a variety of wildlife including twenty-four big horn sheep, a bald eagle, and a river otter frolicking near the shore.
Guests not aboard the jet boat enjoyed a fascinating bus trip up the Clearwater River Valley of Idaho. Our local guide Lin Laughy traced the 1805 path of Lewis and Clark's Corp of Discovery as they floated down the Clearwater River in search of the Pacific Ocean, and their return journey the following year. We strolled through Canoe Camp, where the men of the expedition carved dugout canoes from Ponderosa Pines along the bank of the river, and Long Camp, where they held a council with Nez Perce Chief Broken Arm before setting out eastward across the Bitterroot Mountains on their return to the United States.
The groups reunited at the Nez Perce National Historic Site in Lapwai, Idaho. Here we learned about the rich culture of the tribe that assisted Lewis and Clark on their great journey of discovery. As the sun set behind the tanned hills of the Snake River Valley, we returned to the Sea Lion for a well earned rest and supper.
The light of dawn found the Sea Lion ascending through the one hundred foot tall lock of Lower Granite Dam, the final dam on the Snake River before Clarkston, Washington. After breakfast, we docked in Clarkston where many guests boarded a jet boat for an exciting ride into the heart of Hells Canyon.
The deepest gorge in North America, Hells Canyon divides the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Plunging through the turbulent waters of the Snake River aboard the swift jet boat, guests observed a variety of wildlife including twenty-four big horn sheep, a bald eagle, and a river otter frolicking near the shore.
Guests not aboard the jet boat enjoyed a fascinating bus trip up the Clearwater River Valley of Idaho. Our local guide Lin Laughy traced the 1805 path of Lewis and Clark's Corp of Discovery as they floated down the Clearwater River in search of the Pacific Ocean, and their return journey the following year. We strolled through Canoe Camp, where the men of the expedition carved dugout canoes from Ponderosa Pines along the bank of the river, and Long Camp, where they held a council with Nez Perce Chief Broken Arm before setting out eastward across the Bitterroot Mountains on their return to the United States.
The groups reunited at the Nez Perce National Historic Site in Lapwai, Idaho. Here we learned about the rich culture of the tribe that assisted Lewis and Clark on their great journey of discovery. As the sun set behind the tanned hills of the Snake River Valley, we returned to the Sea Lion for a well earned rest and supper.
