Hells Canyon & Clearwater River
It was another fine day in the Wake of Lewis and Clark. The weather is holding fine at about 80 Fahrenheit during the day. This can be expected at this time of the year. We had two activity options today. One group took a jet boat trip up the whitewater of the Snake River to Hells Canyon today. The other group got totally serious about learning the finer details of Lewis & Clark and their time in the Nez Perce country.
The folks that headed up the Clearwater River with local expert Lin Laughy were able to walk in the exact same places that the Corps of Discovery had. (The picture shows Lin at the Lewis and Clark Saddle Cache landing on the Clearwater River.) Lin discussed how the explorers made equipment caches, crossed swift rivers, traded for food and horses as their made their way down and up the Clearwater River almost 200 years ago. We saw where Canoe Camp and Long Camp were as well as many of the places that the expedition traveled overland. We discussed the unusually friendly relations the Corps enjoyed with the natives. The subsequent poor treatment of the natives was also discussed. We saw where the non-treaty Nez Perce crossed the Clearwater in their flight from the army during the 1877 war. Another highlight of day was a Native American skills demonstration where we actually got to start fire and make cord out of native materials.
Our other contingent of Sea Birders headed into Hells Canyon on jet boats. The jet boat allowed them to travel on water as shallow as 18 inches. The geology of the area is as fantastic as any formations we have encountered on the river. They saw exotic terranes: landmasses that rafted in from the South Pacific, millions and millions of years ago. The sight of bighorn sheep along the river captivated everyone. The shear height of the canyon walls as well as the narrowness of the canyon impressed everyone. The jet boat driver navigated the large whitewater rapids with ease. A nice treat for the day was a good look at ancient Native pictoglyphs that dotted the rocks at Buffalo Eddy. Buffalo Eddy was one of the locations that natives crossed the Snake River with ease. Both of the groups ended the afternoon with a visit to the Nez Perce Historical Park Museum.
It was another fine day in the Wake of Lewis and Clark. The weather is holding fine at about 80 Fahrenheit during the day. This can be expected at this time of the year. We had two activity options today. One group took a jet boat trip up the whitewater of the Snake River to Hells Canyon today. The other group got totally serious about learning the finer details of Lewis & Clark and their time in the Nez Perce country.
The folks that headed up the Clearwater River with local expert Lin Laughy were able to walk in the exact same places that the Corps of Discovery had. (The picture shows Lin at the Lewis and Clark Saddle Cache landing on the Clearwater River.) Lin discussed how the explorers made equipment caches, crossed swift rivers, traded for food and horses as their made their way down and up the Clearwater River almost 200 years ago. We saw where Canoe Camp and Long Camp were as well as many of the places that the expedition traveled overland. We discussed the unusually friendly relations the Corps enjoyed with the natives. The subsequent poor treatment of the natives was also discussed. We saw where the non-treaty Nez Perce crossed the Clearwater in their flight from the army during the 1877 war. Another highlight of day was a Native American skills demonstration where we actually got to start fire and make cord out of native materials.
Our other contingent of Sea Birders headed into Hells Canyon on jet boats. The jet boat allowed them to travel on water as shallow as 18 inches. The geology of the area is as fantastic as any formations we have encountered on the river. They saw exotic terranes: landmasses that rafted in from the South Pacific, millions and millions of years ago. The sight of bighorn sheep along the river captivated everyone. The shear height of the canyon walls as well as the narrowness of the canyon impressed everyone. The jet boat driver navigated the large whitewater rapids with ease. A nice treat for the day was a good look at ancient Native pictoglyphs that dotted the rocks at Buffalo Eddy. Buffalo Eddy was one of the locations that natives crossed the Snake River with ease. Both of the groups ended the afternoon with a visit to the Nez Perce Historical Park Museum.
