Saturday, December 22, 2018

HELLS CANYON and the trip back downriver


This summers trip was much shorter than the previous years. The goal was to get some experience going through the locks and that we did. 4 locks on the Columbia River and 4 locks on the Snake River, which had to be done twice in order to get our boats back to home port.  After provisioning we set out on May 23rd. This was by no means a speed run.  We arrived at Hells Canyon Resort and Marina June 18th, 46* 25.3'N 117* 4.4'W. At our moorage in Clarkston, Washington, we were within minutes from Lewiston, Idaho. We enjoyed an entire week milling about the Lewis and Clark history there, visiting breweries, museums making friends and mapping out the river bottom for our shallow departure.


The last lock at Lower Granite Dam

735 feet above sea level.

Moored at Hells Canyon Resort, Clarkston, Washington to the west and Lewiston, Idaho to the east. Was Pairadice the first Selene to travel this far up the Snake? 



This was very shallow, but we made it!


Hells Canyon Resort and Marina offers history in the sidewalk.

This is depicted from the actual Lewis and Clark journals.



Steel silhouettes over looking the Snake River, pointing to Idaho.

Pairadice in the chop.

Day 34, June 25th. This is the jet boat that took us up river in the shallows through Hells Canyon.

Later we took the dinks over to Lewiston.



At the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.











Lots of big horn sheep!






Native writings, very remarkable to the Anasazi of Utah and Colorado!





The Captain and crew of the Snake Dancer Excursion. 

John and Tom telling lies with the skipper.







Hells Canyon root cellar.

...through the rapids, farther east on the Snake River.


Shipmates... John, Tom and Tracey

Moorage in Arlington... up and down River.

You better like trains as they traverse on both sides of the river.

Back at Beacon Rock day 48! Possibly our favorite!
You can see Bonneville Dam and Lock in the distance.


We could not resist taking another hike atop Beacon Rock!

Finished the last lock heading home.

....but wait, another party on the dock, followed by a grilled steak dinner!




Heading home to Salpare Bay Marina, passing Mt. Hood on the Columbia River.


By the way... have a look at January 2019 issue of SEA Magazine!
They did a feature on us doing this summers passage. Pretty Cool!