Hells Canyon and the Clearwater River
The National Geographic Sea Bird remained docked overnight at Clarkston, Washington, and we awakened on this first morning of our expedition to two options for exploration… to visit some of the Lewis and Clark sites along the Clearwater River or to take a scenic jet boat ride up the Snake River into Hells Canyon National Recreational Area.
Jet-boaters bundled up in layers, put in earplugs, and kept eyes on the river and riverbanks, taking in the grandeur of the scenery and scanning for wildlife. Geologically, we began our journey in the midst of waves and columns of basalt. About midway, we turned a bend in the river and were greeted by exotic terrain of limestone, which we followed up just past the confluence of the Salmon River. Wildlife sightings included Bighorn sheep, mule deer, several bald eagles, coots, a snow goose, and some bufflehead ducks. It was fun to travel the wilder portions of the Snake, and to see the many fishermen casting lines from boats, shoreline and mid-stream.
Those traveling along the Clearwater River followed in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark trail from campsite to campsite. Lifelong Clearwater County resident and local tour guide Linwood Laughy brought the scenes to life through sharing stories, reading passages from the captain’s journals, and pointing out details of the hills, valleys and river bottoms likely seen by the Corps. The group was also treated to learning basic outdoor living skills like creating fire, and braiding cattail fibers into strong rope.
Last stop of the day was the Nez Perce National Historic Park Museum, where we learned about the native peoples who were helpful to the Corps during their time spent in the area. Back onboard the ship we gathered for cocktails to recap the day, ate another delicious dinner (thank you, galley!) and rounded out the evening with a geology talk. Tonight the National Geographic Sea Bird will leave the dock here in Clarkston and head westward.
