The Palouse River
Like the Palouse River in the not too distant past, the guests of theSea Bird took to different courses this refreshing September morning. Two groups departed the Sea Bird for a water excursion, looking at the lower canyon of the Palouse River. Those individuals that desired a closer touch with nature kayaked the rain dimpled water, while the other group enjoyed a Zodiac guided tour. The third group traveled by land to Palouse Falls, a mere six miles upstream from where the Palouse empties into the Snake River. This magnificent product of the Bretz Floods is impressive no matter under what weather conditions. By the time the morning ended, everyone had a better appreciation of the uniqueness of the Columbia River Basalts and the magnificent sculpturing of the catastrophic floods that swept through this area from about 15,000 to 12,700 years ago.
On a smaller scale: the splash of color provided by rabbitbrush and sunflowers shown like headlights in a sea of spent grasses and straggly sagebrush; the finely engineered mud nests of cliff swallows plastered together, one mouthful at a time, demanded their recognition. This is definitely a very special place that allows one to look at the earth from both a large, almost uncomprehensible scale, to the very fine, intricate scale displayed in the efforts of one of its seasonal residents. Throughout the afternoon we continued our journey to the west. By 3:00 pm we were locking through the Lower Monumental Dam. One more dam and 41 more miles and we will be entering the Columbia River. Where might darkness find us tonight?
Like the Palouse River in the not too distant past, the guests of theSea Bird took to different courses this refreshing September morning. Two groups departed the Sea Bird for a water excursion, looking at the lower canyon of the Palouse River. Those individuals that desired a closer touch with nature kayaked the rain dimpled water, while the other group enjoyed a Zodiac guided tour. The third group traveled by land to Palouse Falls, a mere six miles upstream from where the Palouse empties into the Snake River. This magnificent product of the Bretz Floods is impressive no matter under what weather conditions. By the time the morning ended, everyone had a better appreciation of the uniqueness of the Columbia River Basalts and the magnificent sculpturing of the catastrophic floods that swept through this area from about 15,000 to 12,700 years ago.
On a smaller scale: the splash of color provided by rabbitbrush and sunflowers shown like headlights in a sea of spent grasses and straggly sagebrush; the finely engineered mud nests of cliff swallows plastered together, one mouthful at a time, demanded their recognition. This is definitely a very special place that allows one to look at the earth from both a large, almost uncomprehensible scale, to the very fine, intricate scale displayed in the efforts of one of its seasonal residents. Throughout the afternoon we continued our journey to the west. By 3:00 pm we were locking through the Lower Monumental Dam. One more dam and 41 more miles and we will be entering the Columbia River. Where might darkness find us tonight?
