From the National Geographic Sea Bird in the Pacific Northwest, 9/22/2012, National Geographic Sea Bird

Snake River/Hell’s Canyon/Clearwater River

Our voyage on the National Geographic Sea Bird begins this morning in the haze of multiple forest fires burning in the Columbia Plateau. We are docked at the confluence of the Clearwater River (the Koskosie in the Nez Perce language) and the Snake River (or Lewis’s River according to Capt. William Clark). We leave the cities of Lewiston, Idaho, (with a population around 33,000) and Clarkston, Washington, (with a population at just under 7,000) for two adventures in opposite directions. Some of the guests went on a jet boat ride south on the Snake River into Hell’s Canyon. Sightings were made of bighorn sheep, wild turkeys, an eagle soaring over the water clutching a fish in its talons and being pursued by a crow. Amazing geology of columnar basalt, Mt. Mazama ash, large gravel bars, and narrow canyons were enjoyed by all. Before turning back, lunch was at a lodge along the river with spectacular views.

The other group went by motor coach up the Clearwater River following in the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery with an excellent historian, Lin Laughy. The Corps had reached the confluence of the two rivers on October 10, 1805. We first retraced their steps by going up the Clearwater (east) in 1806, then following their adventure west in 1805. We visited campsites of the Lewis and Clark Expedition such as Colter Creek, named after John Colter, Pine Bark Camp, Canoe Camp where they built dugout canoes in 1805 for their journey to the Pacific Ocean, and Long Camp where they spent 6 weeks with the Nez Perce, preparing for their journey over the Bitterroots and the Lolo Pass in 1806.

Lewis and Clark encounter some wonderful Nez Perce people, among them Cut Nose, Twisted Hair, Broken Arm, and Red Grizzly Bear. After a great lunch on the Lewis and Clark Trail in a small, quaint town called Kamiah, Idaho, we headed for the Nez Perce Interpretive Center at Spalding, Idaho. Here we met the group of Hell’s Canyon explorers and another group of Road Scholars traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail from St. Louis, Missouri, to Fort Clatsop, Lewis and Clark’s winter home of 1805/1806.
What do you suppose the members of the Lewis and Clark expedition would think of all of this fanfare about something that happened over 200 years ago?!