Palouse River and Lower Monumental Dam
It was a nippy 38 degrees at our 7:00 a.m. wake-up this morning, but the sun soon warmed us up and created a beautiful day. The National Geographic Sea Bird was moored in the estuary of the Palouse River (Drewyer’s River for Lewis and Clark), a tributary of the Snake. On the docket were three activities, and the crime was we could pick only two. Some hardier souls chose kayaking. The National Geographic Sea Bird carries both single and double-seated craft. History has it that kayaking with another puts a strain on the relationship, but all of our couples seem to have survived. Nearly all the guests had time to climb into the ship’s Zodiacs for a nature trip up the Palouse. A lone coyote was spotted, along with several mule deer, mergansers, and many vacant swallow nests.
Finally, a school bus from Hermiston, Oregon, made two round-trips with all guests on the 8-mile overland trek to Palouse Falls. There, the river falls over a geologic remnant of the great Missoula floods of 12,800-15,000 years ago. Five hundred cubic miles of water swept over eastern Washington, creating gigantic waterfalls, coulees, ripple marks, and gravel beds. The Palouse River at this location is almost an afterthought, amidst the basaltic canyons and oversize cliffs. (A deranged kayaker once followed the river over the falls and its 198-foot drop into the plunge pool, and we will watch a video of that event at tonight’s recap. He survived).
After a nutritious buffet lunch featuring marinated grilled beef and chicken, we weighed anchor and proceeded on down the Palouse River. Our next stop is scheduled tomorrow morning at The Dalles, Oregon, but before then we have five locks and dams—two on the Snake and three on the Columbia—to transit. At the first of these, Lower Monumental on the Snake, soon after lunch, the lockmaster graciously allowed as many of us as desired to go through on Zodiacs. Risking water dripping from the guillotine gate and the walls, some two dozen guests experienced an event to tell their grandchildren about. The ship captain even remembered to re-board them downstream.
All afternoon, our photography instructors, Linda Burback and Stewart Aitchison, met with guests to explain how their cameras work and how to improve their images. Smithsonian Journeyers, Purdue alumni, Road Scholars and National Audubon Society members posed for group pictures. Historian Harry Fritz took the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the Clearwater River to the Pacific Ocean and back to St. Louis.
If all this sounds time-consuming, we must remember that there are plenty of occasions for relaxing, reading, napping, and enjoying the remarkable Snake River scenery. As the sun sets over the river, and the ship enters Ice Harbor Dam, we look back on a wonderful day.
