Palouse River
“Nature’s Wonderland” could have been the theme of our activity today. We began our day as the Sea Lion anchored in the mouth of the Palouse River. Using Zodiacs, kayaks, and a luxury school bus we explored Palouse Falls and then the canyon of the Palouse River. At 10:30 this morning the guests who went to the falls switched out at the beach with the canyon cruisers. Thus everyone got to experience both Palouse Falls, 185 feet high, and several miles of the river through its dramatic canyon.
Following our morning’s activities we had lunch and some free time as we cruised aboard the Sea Lion down the Snake River. After locking through Lower Monumental Dam, we gathered in the lounge for a presentation by historian Junius Rochester on the many challenges that face the wild salmon populations of the Pacific Northwest. In the days of Lewis and Clark the number of salmon was so great that when the fish returned up the Columbia to spawn, their sheer mass gave observers the impression that a person could walk across the river on the salmons’ backs. That natural spectacle does not occur today.
“Nature’s Wonderland” could have been the theme of our activity today. We began our day as the Sea Lion anchored in the mouth of the Palouse River. Using Zodiacs, kayaks, and a luxury school bus we explored Palouse Falls and then the canyon of the Palouse River. At 10:30 this morning the guests who went to the falls switched out at the beach with the canyon cruisers. Thus everyone got to experience both Palouse Falls, 185 feet high, and several miles of the river through its dramatic canyon.
Following our morning’s activities we had lunch and some free time as we cruised aboard the Sea Lion down the Snake River. After locking through Lower Monumental Dam, we gathered in the lounge for a presentation by historian Junius Rochester on the many challenges that face the wild salmon populations of the Pacific Northwest. In the days of Lewis and Clark the number of salmon was so great that when the fish returned up the Columbia to spawn, their sheer mass gave observers the impression that a person could walk across the river on the salmons’ backs. That natural spectacle does not occur today.
