A Clear Day Dawns in The Dalles
A wake of vultures circled above the Columbia just downstream from The Dalles lock and dam. A trio of great blue herons do-si-doed a dance along the shore as the birds landed, flew, switched places, landed and flew again. As the downstream gates opened to reveal the rolling green and yellow hills of The Dalles, a belted kingfisher flew into our lock chamber and took a fly-by look around. An osprey was spied perched atop a shoreline snag; it gave us a piercing look and flew off in search of its morning meal. Our multitude of bird sightings almost paled in comparison with those sighted by Meriwether Lewis on September 20th, 1805. He was finding and describing birds, most of which were new to western science. His descriptions included what have subsequently come to be called Steller's jay, gray jay, varied thrush, northern flicker, blue grouse, spruce grouse, Oregon ruffed grouse, and one that acknowledges Lewis as its discoverer, the Lewis's woodpecker.
We disembarked the Sea Lion and took a short ride to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. The interpretive displays allowed us to take a walk through the mountains, stroll through an 1800s era town, hear the roar of Celilo Falls, and peruse the cargo purchased, packed and hauled west by the Corps of Discovery.
Rowena Crest was our next perch, and we enjoyed the bird's eye view atop this basaltic hilltop. Our scope encompassed the mighty Columbia River below us; a snow-capped Mt. Adams peeking from a thick cloak of clouds above us, across was Lyle, Washington, and the Klickitat River. We were even able to look down on a turkey vulture as it flew along the ridge (this was not a value judgment, it was a perspective.)
Up the hill to the Mosier Tunnels we went. The sun was brilliant, the leaves of big leaf maple rustled in the cool breeze, the samara seed heads helicoptered down to the forest floor and the pathway beckoned us to come and explore. The day could not have been better for a walk on the road described in 1916 as going "from no place to no where." We basked in the sun and marveled at the views; it was absolute bliss.
After our last lockage at Bonneville Dam, we took to the decks with Margaritas in hand and gazed upon the slender undulating ribbons of Horsetail, Multnomah, Wahkeena and Mist Falls.
We could see blue skies before us and looked forward to another full day of discovery and exploration as we continued west on the free flowing Columbia River. Roll on Columbia, roll on…
A wake of vultures circled above the Columbia just downstream from The Dalles lock and dam. A trio of great blue herons do-si-doed a dance along the shore as the birds landed, flew, switched places, landed and flew again. As the downstream gates opened to reveal the rolling green and yellow hills of The Dalles, a belted kingfisher flew into our lock chamber and took a fly-by look around. An osprey was spied perched atop a shoreline snag; it gave us a piercing look and flew off in search of its morning meal. Our multitude of bird sightings almost paled in comparison with those sighted by Meriwether Lewis on September 20th, 1805. He was finding and describing birds, most of which were new to western science. His descriptions included what have subsequently come to be called Steller's jay, gray jay, varied thrush, northern flicker, blue grouse, spruce grouse, Oregon ruffed grouse, and one that acknowledges Lewis as its discoverer, the Lewis's woodpecker.
We disembarked the Sea Lion and took a short ride to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. The interpretive displays allowed us to take a walk through the mountains, stroll through an 1800s era town, hear the roar of Celilo Falls, and peruse the cargo purchased, packed and hauled west by the Corps of Discovery.
Rowena Crest was our next perch, and we enjoyed the bird's eye view atop this basaltic hilltop. Our scope encompassed the mighty Columbia River below us; a snow-capped Mt. Adams peeking from a thick cloak of clouds above us, across was Lyle, Washington, and the Klickitat River. We were even able to look down on a turkey vulture as it flew along the ridge (this was not a value judgment, it was a perspective.)
Up the hill to the Mosier Tunnels we went. The sun was brilliant, the leaves of big leaf maple rustled in the cool breeze, the samara seed heads helicoptered down to the forest floor and the pathway beckoned us to come and explore. The day could not have been better for a walk on the road described in 1916 as going "from no place to no where." We basked in the sun and marveled at the views; it was absolute bliss.
After our last lockage at Bonneville Dam, we took to the decks with Margaritas in hand and gazed upon the slender undulating ribbons of Horsetail, Multnomah, Wahkeena and Mist Falls.
We could see blue skies before us and looked forward to another full day of discovery and exploration as we continued west on the free flowing Columbia River. Roll on Columbia, roll on…
