Hood River, Oregon, 10/24/2017, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Pacific Northwest
Our day began with light fog and cool temperatures. The sun soon warmed us all and exposed amazing views of Mt. Hood, lasting until sunset when a pink glow bathed the volcano. It was a day saturated with the history, flavors, and the colors of autumn in the Columbia River Gorge.
Lynette's love of the outdoors began at an early age with a semi-feral upbringing on her family's dairy farm in Vermont. The mere fact that she was not often allowed inside helped to foster an intimate relationship with the wild world.
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National Geographic Sea Lion transited east in the Columbia overnight and we awoke to an entirely different landscape. On the east of the Cascade Mountain Range, we started to see columnar basalt valleys accompanied by a much drier climate. We admired the new views and then spent the morning transiting through the John Day Dam Lock, rising over 100 feet. After crossing through the dam, we spent the afternoon exploring the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge with its wonderful wetlands and migratory birds.
This morning we awoke at Crow Butte, a beautiful little island in the Lake Umatilla reach of the Columbia River. To the north of Crow Butte is an old oxbow, and to the south is the main stem of the mighty Columbia. This island was originally set aside as a park by the Army Corp of Engineers in the early ‘70s as part of the McNary Dam project and was later transferred to the Washington State Parks Department. Its value has lain in the fact that its ecology was representative of the original short-grass prairie system, much of which has since been allocated to agriculture and some of which is now being used to grow some of the world’s finest wine grapes. We went on hikes to explore this unique ecosystem of grass-scrubland to find evidence of a few of the animals that make their home here. We also had an opportunity to drop our kayaks for a morning of paddling before we jumped back on National Geographic Sea Bird to travel through Horse Heaven Hills along the Northwest Discovery Water Trail that follows the path of Lewis and Clark’s Corp of Discovery. Photos by Jeff Campbell and Doug Kenk-Crispin
National Geographic Sea Lion sailed 120 miles upriver overnight from Astoria, arriving at Bonneville Dam on a beautiful morning. Guests were treated to the first lock and dam at Bonneville, lifting the ship over 70 feet, leaving any tidewater influence. After transiting the lock, guests were given an informative iPhone photo presentation by Photo Instructor Chelsea Mayer. After lunch, guests were shuttled to the Washington shore on Zodiacs where they boarded buses to Multnomah Falls in Oregon, crossing the majestic Bridge of the Gods across the Columbia River. Cutting through the powerful landscapes of the Columbia River Gorge, guests admired the 620-foot falls before visiting Bonneville Fish Hatchery and greeting Herman, the 86-year-old sturgeon who resides there. We followed this up with a hike up the 880-foot Beacon Rock. The day concluded with a local wine and food event at the wonderful Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center. Photos by Patrick MacQuarrie and Kelly Ferron
