Cruising the Columbia River
Overnight, we departed Portland, Oregon and entered the Columbia River Gorge. Bonneville Dam was our first exposure to the incredible engineering that has taken place on this river system, but most of us experienced it from the comforts of our beds. A bit before dawn, we entered our second lock of the journey, The Dalles. Only a few of us raised heads off pillows to come out and take a look, while the rest contented ourselves with the thought that dawn had not yet broken. It was a cold, clear morning and left no doubt in our minds that fall had arrived.
First light came after our exit from the lock chamber and slowly changed the darkened landscape to a mixture of oranges and yellows. After leaving Portland and a climate more similar to the coast, we awoke into high desert and continued to experience this landscape throughout the day. Just after breakfast we entered John Day Lock, our single greatest vertical lift of the trip. John Day can take us up as high as 113 vertical feet, but today we averaged about 102 feet: Still impressive!
A relaxing day onboard was a wonderful way to start the expedition. The views outside the ship were lovely and the day warmed to a very comfortable temperature. After an abandon ship drill, Historian Harry Fritz taught us the fundamentals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, preparing our minds for the coming days’ historical sites and information. Mark Brandon of Yale discussed the catastrophic floods that devastated this landscape repeatedly in past millennia, leaving us the remnants of their destruction to ponder.
As afternoon became evening, we entered McNary Lock and Dam, toasting the evening with glasses of wine on deck. The numerous double-crested cormorants and ring-billed gulls alongside the lock seemed almost put-out by our arrival, and did not hide their annoyance. It was a beautiful evening, so many of us stayed on deck as Harry and Berit brought some of the wonders of this place to life.
We officially entered the Snake River during dinnertime and transited our first Snake River lock and dam, Ice Harbor, during dinner service. Although each lock is different in style, speed, and appearance, we rest easy knowing that we will see them again on our downriver journey. Many of us enjoyed having this slow-paced day to reflect, rejuvenate, and revel in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
