The Clearwater River and Hell’s Canyon
This morning we docked in Clarkston, Washington near the end of the commercially navigable waters of the Snake River. The eight dams we locked through since leaving Portland helped us reach our most easterly point of the voyage: 465 river miles from the Pacific Ocean. After breakfast we split into two groups to go out and explore the area. One group boarded a jetboat headed to Hell’s Canyon while the other group joined a local historian to visit several Lewis and Clark sites along the Clearwater River.
The Corps of Discovery spent a lot of time along the Clearwater River both in the fall of 1805 and in the spring of 1806. After their difficult crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains, the Corps made contact with the Nez Perce people living along the Clearwater and traded with them for much needed food and supplies. Here Lewis and Clark and the members of the expedition made the dugout canoes that would take them to the Pacific. In October of 1805 they, along with two Nez Perce guides, set off on what turned out to be a month-long journey to the ocean. After the winter of 1805-06, the Corps headed back to the Clearwater not only because they left supplies in the area, but also because the Nez Perce people were the friendliest Indian nation that they encountered on their entire voyage. They made it back to the Clearwater in May of 1806, but had to wait until late June to cross the Bitterroots because of deep snow. With the help of historian Lin Laughy, the group on the Clearwater saw many of the sites where Lewis and Clark camped, heard many interesting stories of their interactions with the Nez Perce people, and learned of the difficulty they had while making their canoes.
At the end of the day the two groups met up and exchanged stories of their adventures. The jetboaters had an interesting young captain who skillfully navigated the rapids and shallow sections of the river. Along with some spectacular scenery, they saw some bighorn mountain sheep and mule deer, and heard some colorful history of the canyon. All in all a great day.
This morning we docked in Clarkston, Washington near the end of the commercially navigable waters of the Snake River. The eight dams we locked through since leaving Portland helped us reach our most easterly point of the voyage: 465 river miles from the Pacific Ocean. After breakfast we split into two groups to go out and explore the area. One group boarded a jetboat headed to Hell’s Canyon while the other group joined a local historian to visit several Lewis and Clark sites along the Clearwater River.
The Corps of Discovery spent a lot of time along the Clearwater River both in the fall of 1805 and in the spring of 1806. After their difficult crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains, the Corps made contact with the Nez Perce people living along the Clearwater and traded with them for much needed food and supplies. Here Lewis and Clark and the members of the expedition made the dugout canoes that would take them to the Pacific. In October of 1805 they, along with two Nez Perce guides, set off on what turned out to be a month-long journey to the ocean. After the winter of 1805-06, the Corps headed back to the Clearwater not only because they left supplies in the area, but also because the Nez Perce people were the friendliest Indian nation that they encountered on their entire voyage. They made it back to the Clearwater in May of 1806, but had to wait until late June to cross the Bitterroots because of deep snow. With the help of historian Lin Laughy, the group on the Clearwater saw many of the sites where Lewis and Clark camped, heard many interesting stories of their interactions with the Nez Perce people, and learned of the difficulty they had while making their canoes.
At the end of the day the two groups met up and exchanged stories of their adventures. The jetboaters had an interesting young captain who skillfully navigated the rapids and shallow sections of the river. Along with some spectacular scenery, they saw some bighorn mountain sheep and mule deer, and heard some colorful history of the canyon. All in all a great day.
