Palouse River
Despite warnings of cold temperatures and possible showers, guests embarked from the National Geographic Sea Bird this morning in sunshine. The quiet waters at the Palouse River mouth were surrounded by basalt walls, including the Palus Indian knob, known as “the heart of the monster” (in this instance Palus is the spelling preferred by the ancient Indian nation).
The first Zodiacs were launched for the shore with travelers headed to Palouse Falls. A yellow school bus rumbled uphill through features known as the scablands. This term was first used by Professor J. Harlan Bretz in the 1940s to describe the bleak, broken landscape that had been washed and scraped by floods and ice 12,000-14,000 years ago. Bretz’s theory was at first mocked as too fantastic by fellow geologists. No other explanation was found to meet the inundation that spilled downhill from today’s northern Idaho at perhaps 60 miles an hour, many times. The ice ferried debris, including huge rocks the size of today’s automobiles, known as erratics. Those boulders remain to this day, from northern Washington and Oregon to the Willamette Valley south of Portland, Oregon.
Palouse Falls is a wild remnant of those roaring waters – often called the Missoula Floods. It rests in a curving trough of basalt walls and high Palouse hills. Further south and east, those hills nurture some of the richest wheat fields in the world. Historian Junius Rochester led several hikes around the falls, identifying nearby natural and botanical features. While returning to the ship, archeological discoveries known as Marmes Shelter (6,000 years old) and Kennewick Man, also known as “the Ancient One” (7,300 years ago), were observed.
Marmes Shelter, bird species, grasses, plants and basalt formations were discussed by the naturalists and Zodiac riders. Again, the quiet waters at the Palouse River mouth made the tour vivid and relaxing. Nearby kayakers found their own water paths through these glades and bays. Guests in the kayaks were shadowed by crew in Zodiacs who provided support and also answered questions about the surroundings.
After a casual picnic lunch aboard ship, the National Geographic Sea Bird cruised down the Snake River to Lower Monumental Dam. At the dam, Zodiacs ferried guests through the locks in tandem with the ship. This 100-foot lift lock (lowered during the downstream trip) commemorates the large basalt monument that Lewis & Clark identified in 1805. They called it Steamboat Rock, which was later changed to Monumental Rock.
The afternoon aboard ship included a talk by Junius titled “The Northwest Passage and the Fur Trade,” followed by “A Taste of Washington and Oregon,” featuring wines, cheeses, candies and other specialties from the Pacific Northwest.
“Paradise Road,” the film shown after dinner, introduced guests to Sam Hill and Sam Lancaster and their (now) famous historic highway on the Oregon side of the Columbia River.
