Clearwater Country & Hells Canyon
The sun rose on a cool morning as we approached the mouth of Alpowa Creek, down which the expedition had traveled on what is now known as the “Forgotten Trail.” Here we once more hit the route of Lewis and Clark on their return trip. After crossing the Columbia River by Indian canoe from the Horse Heaven Hills to the mouth of the Walla Walla, they’d traveled overland on horseback to the Snake a few miles below the mouth of the Clearwater where we were picked up by jet boat and delivered to Clarkston, WA.
Here our group divided for the day, 29 guests going into the heart of Clearwater Country by bus for a Lin Laughy tour of Lewis and Clark sites on the Nez Perce Reservation and 20 guests riding the Snake River rapids in Hells Canyon by jet boat. While both parties saw great blue heron and successful steelhead fisherman, only the Hells Canyon group saw bighorn sheep and a mule deer swimming the river; they also visited the Cougar Bar site where Sgt. Ordway and his party purchased fish from the Nez Perce (spring of 1806).
The Clearwater group saw both bald and golden eagles, common mergansers, a pheasant, an osprey, and a water ouzel. Several guests remained on board the National Geographic Sea Lion to rest and relax, but forty-two visited the Nez Perce Historical Museum (the 29 from the Clearwater crowd and 13 from the jet boat set). All forty-two heard Laughy’s summary of the expedition’s fulfilling the universal myth (as Joseph Campbell described it): the invitation and initial refusal, crossing the threshold, the challenges, helping hands, the successful return, and the ultimate gift.
It was a long but eventful day. Darkness fell before everyone returned to the National Geographic Sea Lion for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, recap, and dinner followed by the video on the Bretz Floods and sign-ups for tomorrow’s kayaking and Zodiac cruises on the Palouse, and the bus trip to Palouse Falls.
The sun rose on a cool morning as we approached the mouth of Alpowa Creek, down which the expedition had traveled on what is now known as the “Forgotten Trail.” Here we once more hit the route of Lewis and Clark on their return trip. After crossing the Columbia River by Indian canoe from the Horse Heaven Hills to the mouth of the Walla Walla, they’d traveled overland on horseback to the Snake a few miles below the mouth of the Clearwater where we were picked up by jet boat and delivered to Clarkston, WA.
Here our group divided for the day, 29 guests going into the heart of Clearwater Country by bus for a Lin Laughy tour of Lewis and Clark sites on the Nez Perce Reservation and 20 guests riding the Snake River rapids in Hells Canyon by jet boat. While both parties saw great blue heron and successful steelhead fisherman, only the Hells Canyon group saw bighorn sheep and a mule deer swimming the river; they also visited the Cougar Bar site where Sgt. Ordway and his party purchased fish from the Nez Perce (spring of 1806).
The Clearwater group saw both bald and golden eagles, common mergansers, a pheasant, an osprey, and a water ouzel. Several guests remained on board the National Geographic Sea Lion to rest and relax, but forty-two visited the Nez Perce Historical Museum (the 29 from the Clearwater crowd and 13 from the jet boat set). All forty-two heard Laughy’s summary of the expedition’s fulfilling the universal myth (as Joseph Campbell described it): the invitation and initial refusal, crossing the threshold, the challenges, helping hands, the successful return, and the ultimate gift.
It was a long but eventful day. Darkness fell before everyone returned to the National Geographic Sea Lion for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, recap, and dinner followed by the video on the Bretz Floods and sign-ups for tomorrow’s kayaking and Zodiac cruises on the Palouse, and the bus trip to Palouse Falls.
