Astoria, Fort Clatsop and the winter camp of Lewis and Clark; 1805-1806
During the early morning hours, the Sea Lion maneuvered her way carefully through fog, heading for our berth at the Columbia River Maritime Museum Pier. As soon as breakfast was finished, our first stop of the day would be this well-known Maritime museum. The history of the Columbia River, and her infamous bar or mouth where 2,000 ships have been lost, can be followed throughout this fine museum. The graveyard of the Pacific, as the Columbia River Bar has been called, is located at the mouth of this mighty Pacific Northwest River, the third largest river in the United States. Millions of gallons of fresh water pouring out against wind driven ocean tides can at times result in enormous standing waves on the incoming and outgoing tides. This combination creates the hazardous conditions that have taken many a ship, both small and large, to the bottom of the sea!
At the door of the Maritime museum, we were greeted by a docent who took us on a journey of history about both water and land, including the people of this area, who have lived with the ferocious Pacific and her tumultuous relationship with the Columbia River.
At approximately 10:15 AM, we boarded coaches to make a short trip across Young's Bay to Fort Clatsop National Park, which contains an authentic replica of the fort built by the Corp of Discovery to spend the winter of 1805 until the spring of 1806. It was one of those Northwest winters of many, many days of rain—incessant drizzle leaving Lewis and Clark and their men wet and soggy for most of that winter and spring.
Inside the replica of Fort Clatsop, which was built following plans drawn by Captain William Clark, we saw the cramped quarters the Corp of Discovery occupied for a long and wet five months.
Today, our trip to Fort Clatsop was without rain, on a very still day quite typical for this time of year. The ground around the fort was literally erupting with the growth of fungi. Under every tree, around every corner, under leaves and twigs, everywhere we turned our downward gaze, we found yet another unusual shape and color bursting from the ground. These mushrooms, or fruiting bodies of the fungus, are a small part of an exquisitely constructed organism with an extremely complex life cycle. This mostly occurs under ground where the fungi do not just break down the organic material they take nourishment from. They also reduce organic compounds to simpler building blocks, thereby enabling plants to reuse them. Fungi represent life givers as well as destroyers, important components in the intricate web of life within the northern forest. Taking our vision from the ground around us to the towering trees overhead, we continued our walk. We listened to squirrels arguing over Sitka spruce cones, Stellar jays scolding, and the occasional quacks and honks of ducks and geese as we made our way to the canoe landing used by Lewis and Clark on a nearby river bearing their names.
For the rest of our day, we continued crossing the paths of these early explorers. Back in Astoria, we took a short trip up to the Astor Column returning either by bus or on foot through a dense forest of spruce and hemlock. After one mile, we emerged from the trees into the northern neighborhoods of Astoria. We zigzagged down the hill enjoying many old houses on the historical registry of Astoria.
From many directions, we finally all returned to the Sea Lion. As soon as all lines were pulled and stowed, our vessel pulled out into very calm waters and we headed for the Columbia River Bar, and a look at this famous destroyer of ships. Though today, the seas were absolutely flat, and the Sea Lion passed buoy number ten and entered the Pacific Ocean, reminding us all of Clark's words as the Corp of Discovery paddled their canoes 199 years ago into the mouth of the Columbia, "Oh, the Sea is in sight…"
During the early morning hours, the Sea Lion maneuvered her way carefully through fog, heading for our berth at the Columbia River Maritime Museum Pier. As soon as breakfast was finished, our first stop of the day would be this well-known Maritime museum. The history of the Columbia River, and her infamous bar or mouth where 2,000 ships have been lost, can be followed throughout this fine museum. The graveyard of the Pacific, as the Columbia River Bar has been called, is located at the mouth of this mighty Pacific Northwest River, the third largest river in the United States. Millions of gallons of fresh water pouring out against wind driven ocean tides can at times result in enormous standing waves on the incoming and outgoing tides. This combination creates the hazardous conditions that have taken many a ship, both small and large, to the bottom of the sea!
At the door of the Maritime museum, we were greeted by a docent who took us on a journey of history about both water and land, including the people of this area, who have lived with the ferocious Pacific and her tumultuous relationship with the Columbia River.
At approximately 10:15 AM, we boarded coaches to make a short trip across Young's Bay to Fort Clatsop National Park, which contains an authentic replica of the fort built by the Corp of Discovery to spend the winter of 1805 until the spring of 1806. It was one of those Northwest winters of many, many days of rain—incessant drizzle leaving Lewis and Clark and their men wet and soggy for most of that winter and spring.
Inside the replica of Fort Clatsop, which was built following plans drawn by Captain William Clark, we saw the cramped quarters the Corp of Discovery occupied for a long and wet five months.
Today, our trip to Fort Clatsop was without rain, on a very still day quite typical for this time of year. The ground around the fort was literally erupting with the growth of fungi. Under every tree, around every corner, under leaves and twigs, everywhere we turned our downward gaze, we found yet another unusual shape and color bursting from the ground. These mushrooms, or fruiting bodies of the fungus, are a small part of an exquisitely constructed organism with an extremely complex life cycle. This mostly occurs under ground where the fungi do not just break down the organic material they take nourishment from. They also reduce organic compounds to simpler building blocks, thereby enabling plants to reuse them. Fungi represent life givers as well as destroyers, important components in the intricate web of life within the northern forest. Taking our vision from the ground around us to the towering trees overhead, we continued our walk. We listened to squirrels arguing over Sitka spruce cones, Stellar jays scolding, and the occasional quacks and honks of ducks and geese as we made our way to the canoe landing used by Lewis and Clark on a nearby river bearing their names.
For the rest of our day, we continued crossing the paths of these early explorers. Back in Astoria, we took a short trip up to the Astor Column returning either by bus or on foot through a dense forest of spruce and hemlock. After one mile, we emerged from the trees into the northern neighborhoods of Astoria. We zigzagged down the hill enjoying many old houses on the historical registry of Astoria.
From many directions, we finally all returned to the Sea Lion. As soon as all lines were pulled and stowed, our vessel pulled out into very calm waters and we headed for the Columbia River Bar, and a look at this famous destroyer of ships. Though today, the seas were absolutely flat, and the Sea Lion passed buoy number ten and entered the Pacific Ocean, reminding us all of Clark's words as the Corp of Discovery paddled their canoes 199 years ago into the mouth of the Columbia, "Oh, the Sea is in sight…"
