Columbia River
We began our expedition in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark by spending the day sailing up the Columbia River. At daybreak we were at the base of the John Day locks, which are famed as the largest vertical lift chambers anywhere in the World. We quickly were raised the 105 feet and continued sailing up the Columbia River.
As we made our way upstream we received word that the locks at Ice Harbor dam were closed due to high winds, and we were faced with the decision should we continue sailing or somehow re-configure our expedition. We decided that to re-configure was not really a good alternative, or even a bad alternative, it was not an option, and so “we proceeded on”…just as Lewis and Clark did some 198 yeas ago.
We arrived to the tri-cities area, the three cities of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland at sunset, and were informed that the locks were still not operational, but we had already made our plan B for the next day, so all was well. We would be traveling overland to Clarkston and boarding jet boats for Hells Canyon or buses for the trip up the Clearwater River.
Along the way today we passed through the vineyards of eastern Oregon and Washington, the apple orchards and later in the day the grain-growing region, that relies on the barges that fill their bellies from the grain silos located at frequent intervals along the riverbank.
It was a day to relax, to enjoy the scenery, and to learn about the travails of Lewis and Clark, who constantly faced such challenges and always decided that the only course of action was “to proceed on.”
We began our expedition in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark by spending the day sailing up the Columbia River. At daybreak we were at the base of the John Day locks, which are famed as the largest vertical lift chambers anywhere in the World. We quickly were raised the 105 feet and continued sailing up the Columbia River.
As we made our way upstream we received word that the locks at Ice Harbor dam were closed due to high winds, and we were faced with the decision should we continue sailing or somehow re-configure our expedition. We decided that to re-configure was not really a good alternative, or even a bad alternative, it was not an option, and so “we proceeded on”…just as Lewis and Clark did some 198 yeas ago.
We arrived to the tri-cities area, the three cities of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland at sunset, and were informed that the locks were still not operational, but we had already made our plan B for the next day, so all was well. We would be traveling overland to Clarkston and boarding jet boats for Hells Canyon or buses for the trip up the Clearwater River.
Along the way today we passed through the vineyards of eastern Oregon and Washington, the apple orchards and later in the day the grain-growing region, that relies on the barges that fill their bellies from the grain silos located at frequent intervals along the riverbank.
It was a day to relax, to enjoy the scenery, and to learn about the travails of Lewis and Clark, who constantly faced such challenges and always decided that the only course of action was “to proceed on.”
