Today we traveled through part of the lower Snake River. In the morning, we motored upstream, watching the tan rolling hills typical of this region sliding by.
Not long after breakfast, we neared Lower Monumental Dam. Many of us hopped into inflatable boats to watch the ship enter the lock and to ride with the ship a hundred vertical feet from a more intimate perspective.
After lunch we anchored at the mouth of the Palouse River. Most of us bussed up to see Palouse Falls. This beautiful waterfall is 185 feet high, and is quite impressive. Mighty though the waterfall is now, it is nothing compared to the gushing water that thundered through here during the ice age floods. With a geological perspective, the landscape of this area, including the waterfall’s outsized plunge pool, becomes understandable.
Meanwhile, others were exploring the lower Palouse River by inflatable boat or kayak. The canyon walls were beautiful in the strong low-angle light. Some saw a circling golden eagle, others a coyote and a porcupine.
In this part of the world, beauty is both grand and subtle. Today was a good one for enjoying the combination.
