Palouse and Lower Snake Rivers
Dropping anchor at dawn, in the mouth of the Palouse River, we prepared for our morning’s explorations. Whether by kayak or Zodiac, we intimately experienced the sights, smells and sounds of this gorgeous little river. We shed layers of fleece as crisp morning air warmed beyond expectation. Keen eyes caught sight of mule deer on the hillside and golden eagles soaring above the ridgeline. Keen noses caught the scent of aromatic sagebrush on the freshening breeze. Keen ears caught the "keeer" of a trio of red-tailed hawks calling to one another overhead.
Traveling overland to Palouse Falls, we witnessed the astonishing erosive power of catastrophic Ice Age floods. Although the amount of water flowing over the falls today is impressive, the evidence of much greater flow was all around. As the earth emerged from the last glacial period, an ice dam blocked the Clark’s Fork River and created glacial Lake Missoula. Between 40 and 100 times, this ice dam burst, releasing catastrophic floods that scoured virtually the entire Columbia Basin. At Palouse Falls today, we saw the enormous plunge pool created by the plucking action of turbulent flow, undercutting existing basalt columns.
After such a full morning, we returned to the Sea Lion for lunch, ice cream sundaes and siestas… or so we thought. Last minute permission granted by the lock operator at Lower Monumental Dam allowed us the thrill of an impromptu Zodiac cruise through the lock. Secured to the floating bollards, we watched the Sea Lion enter the lock chamber, followed by another large yacht. Once each boat called “all secure”, the lockmaster opened the downstream valves and drained the chamber; lowering all of us nearly 100 feet closer to sea level. Emerging downstream under the immense guillotine gate, we were all smiles.
A spirited discussion of the “Fish Crisis on the River” and the earliest human inhabitants of the region rounded out this very full day, with a bright, full moon as the grand finale.
Dropping anchor at dawn, in the mouth of the Palouse River, we prepared for our morning’s explorations. Whether by kayak or Zodiac, we intimately experienced the sights, smells and sounds of this gorgeous little river. We shed layers of fleece as crisp morning air warmed beyond expectation. Keen eyes caught sight of mule deer on the hillside and golden eagles soaring above the ridgeline. Keen noses caught the scent of aromatic sagebrush on the freshening breeze. Keen ears caught the "keeer" of a trio of red-tailed hawks calling to one another overhead.
Traveling overland to Palouse Falls, we witnessed the astonishing erosive power of catastrophic Ice Age floods. Although the amount of water flowing over the falls today is impressive, the evidence of much greater flow was all around. As the earth emerged from the last glacial period, an ice dam blocked the Clark’s Fork River and created glacial Lake Missoula. Between 40 and 100 times, this ice dam burst, releasing catastrophic floods that scoured virtually the entire Columbia Basin. At Palouse Falls today, we saw the enormous plunge pool created by the plucking action of turbulent flow, undercutting existing basalt columns.
After such a full morning, we returned to the Sea Lion for lunch, ice cream sundaes and siestas… or so we thought. Last minute permission granted by the lock operator at Lower Monumental Dam allowed us the thrill of an impromptu Zodiac cruise through the lock. Secured to the floating bollards, we watched the Sea Lion enter the lock chamber, followed by another large yacht. Once each boat called “all secure”, the lockmaster opened the downstream valves and drained the chamber; lowering all of us nearly 100 feet closer to sea level. Emerging downstream under the immense guillotine gate, we were all smiles.
A spirited discussion of the “Fish Crisis on the River” and the earliest human inhabitants of the region rounded out this very full day, with a bright, full moon as the grand finale.
