Phew! We made it. 580 miles on the Columbia and Snake rivers. 14 days.
The boat performed admirably, never hesitating, splashing through windwaves as easily as cruising a glassy, lake-like river. It was exciting, beautiful... frustrating and exhausting at times. Both Glen and I have quite a few bruises from living day-in and day-out on a boat that was meant for 4-hour rescue calls staffed by 20 year-olds. Our knees are creaky, but we're glad we did it.
It's good to be home.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Choppy river
Happy Birthday, Cap'n Glen!
We started out early from Umatilla this morning and into a nasty headwind on the Columbia. Choppy all the way to Boardman. I mean white-water, 10-foot spray choppy. Tough way to start the day.
But we're here at Boardman, 9:45am, and having a late breakfast and second-tea. It's a nice facility, with a walking trail we are about to explore...
Monday, June 2, 2014
Smacked by a beaver
One of the great joys of this trip is all the wildlife we've been seeing. Many, many pelicans, osprey, geese, jumping fish, muskrats and more.
Our first day out of Lewiston, we decided to overnight in Lyons Ferry. This time, we went to the north side of the river, and explored the Palouse River estuary. As we sat on the side deck of the boat, our feet dangling over, we saw a beaver swimming across the reed pond. A few minutes later a second one appeared, and we watched them climb the bank and then dive back into the water.
The larger beaver swam towards our boat, watching us, then did an abrupt u-turn. Several minutes later, he came back, came within 15 feet of us, and did another u-turn. Then we thought he'd gone.
All of a sudden, we see a streak come from under the boat and pop up just 5 to 8 feet in front of us in the water. It's Mr. Beaver. He looks at us sideways and swims off with his head high above the water, making a sound like heavy, huffy breathing. Just as he reaches the end of the boat… SMACK goes his tail in the water.
We just got severely chastised by a beaver for being in his territory. (At least I think that's what went on.) I don't think he appreciated our laughter of delight at his warning.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Making Lewiston
Thursday the 29th. Our goal is reached!
We left Boyer Marina Thursday morning and within 30 minutes were inside the lock at Lower Granite Dam. It was the easiest dam yet. Well, the easiest on the Snake, anyway.
Shortly after that we spied our friends Joe and Garla. They'd been trying to meet up with us at Boyer, but the hour grew late and the round-about-route meant they'd arrive pretyt late, so they went on to Clarkston ahead of us and found a hotel there. Then they drove down the river-side highway looking for us Thursday, and we found each other!
Glen took the boat onto the bank, gently bumping it up against sand, boulders and driftwood (what a guy!). After yelling back and forth for about 20 minutes, I invited Joe aboard. We FINALLY used that tender we'd been towing all these day, and got Joe into it and aboard. He made the final leg of the upriver trip with us clear into Clarkston/Lewiston.
Joe found a great dock for us at the Quality Inn so we were within walking distance of downtown (both downtowns) and had great resources nearby for restocking the boat.
We're staying two days in Lewiston, leaving Saturday. I declared to Glen that I NEEDED SHORE LEAVE! :)
So, here I am using the hotel wi-fi and catching up.
We left Boyer Marina Thursday morning and within 30 minutes were inside the lock at Lower Granite Dam. It was the easiest dam yet. Well, the easiest on the Snake, anyway.
Shortly after that we spied our friends Joe and Garla. They'd been trying to meet up with us at Boyer, but the hour grew late and the round-about-route meant they'd arrive pretyt late, so they went on to Clarkston ahead of us and found a hotel there. Then they drove down the river-side highway looking for us Thursday, and we found each other!
Glen took the boat onto the bank, gently bumping it up against sand, boulders and driftwood (what a guy!). After yelling back and forth for about 20 minutes, I invited Joe aboard. We FINALLY used that tender we'd been towing all these day, and got Joe into it and aboard. He made the final leg of the upriver trip with us clear into Clarkston/Lewiston.
Joe found a great dock for us at the Quality Inn so we were within walking distance of downtown (both downtowns) and had great resources nearby for restocking the boat.
We're staying two days in Lewiston, leaving Saturday. I declared to Glen that I NEEDED SHORE LEAVE! :)
So, here I am using the hotel wi-fi and catching up.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Boyer Marina & Little Goose Dam - River Trip day 6
So we left Fishhook, and headed for Little Goose Dam.We began to see more and more driftwood in the water, and even had to maneuver around some inside the lock itself.
The boat is happy running day after day, even occasionally at 1350 or 1400 rpm. I'm told that those old 471 Detroits are just happy as can be at that speed, so no worries.
We're taking pictures and video along the way, and will post those as soon as we can.
Little Goose dam entry was rocky and rolly, but Glen managed it as beautifully as could be. The river is like glass on the up-side of the dams, and we cruise at near 8mph for 10 to 15 miles afterward. The weather is settling into a nice blue-sky pattern, so that helps. Less and less wind every day, more and more sunshine.
We made it to Boyer Marina and park, and what a nice surprise that was! Another lovely Corps of Engineers park, hosted by very wonderful, welcoming concessionaires who run a nice restaurant and inn on the site (Almota Inn). The dinner we had was FABULOUS! The chef, Leo Haas, was trained in fine schools in Salzburg and elsewhere in Europe. He and he wife chose to take on this park last December, and are steadily upgrading the facilities and making the place a destination. Which is saying something since it's a VERY difficult place to find and get to. (I think you have to through Colfax.) But I highly recommend it. A nice little RV park with big, beautiful trees, a swimming beach, access to fishing, etc. It sits almost at the foot (2 miles away) of Little Granite dam, so the fishing is pretty fine.
The boat is happy running day after day, even occasionally at 1350 or 1400 rpm. I'm told that those old 471 Detroits are just happy as can be at that speed, so no worries.
We're taking pictures and video along the way, and will post those as soon as we can.
Little Goose dam entry was rocky and rolly, but Glen managed it as beautifully as could be. The river is like glass on the up-side of the dams, and we cruise at near 8mph for 10 to 15 miles afterward. The weather is settling into a nice blue-sky pattern, so that helps. Less and less wind every day, more and more sunshine.
We made it to Boyer Marina and park, and what a nice surprise that was! Another lovely Corps of Engineers park, hosted by very wonderful, welcoming concessionaires who run a nice restaurant and inn on the site (Almota Inn). The dinner we had was FABULOUS! The chef, Leo Haas, was trained in fine schools in Salzburg and elsewhere in Europe. He and he wife chose to take on this park last December, and are steadily upgrading the facilities and making the place a destination. Which is saying something since it's a VERY difficult place to find and get to. (I think you have to through Colfax.) But I highly recommend it. A nice little RV park with big, beautiful trees, a swimming beach, access to fishing, etc. It sits almost at the foot (2 miles away) of Little Granite dam, so the fishing is pretty fine.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Lyon's Ferry - River Trip Day 5
And here we are at Lyon's Ferry. Thankful for wi-fi and the chance to catch up here.
We had a great laugh at Lower Monumental Dam today. (Beautiful day on the river before then, by the way.) It was a bit rougher than we'd like going in, but nowhere near as tough as Ice Harbor. But we get there, about 20 minute out, and we radio in for passage. No answer. Try again, no answer. We've NEVER not had an answer at a lock! Still don't know if our radio wasn't transmitting properly, or if the guy was just on lunch break, but... we get through the "rapids" below the spill gates and into the pool at the lock gates, behind the breakwater, still with no contact about when we can transit the lock.
So I says to Glen, I says, "There's a sign over there. Can you read it?" No. So I get my binoculars out. And I read. And I blink. And I read again. "For lockage: 1) Pull the cord below..." YES REALLY. It said, to request lock, pull the cord. A rope hanging down from the concrete wall, like a bell pull." I read it out loud to Glen, and he says, "you're kidding me." Well he used different language than that, but it's not polite to type it here. Then we do read "or call on Channel 14". Which is what we've been doing for over half an hour. Tried about 8 times.
So... we pull the cord. Glen carefully guides our 36-foot boat over the the wall that's designed for small 10 foot craft and such, and I reach out and pull the cord. We hear massive buzzing noises from the control / observation rooms above the lock.
So, yes, it was a dam-sized doorbell. I kid you not. We have the pictures to prove it.
We had a great laugh at Lower Monumental Dam today. (Beautiful day on the river before then, by the way.) It was a bit rougher than we'd like going in, but nowhere near as tough as Ice Harbor. But we get there, about 20 minute out, and we radio in for passage. No answer. Try again, no answer. We've NEVER not had an answer at a lock! Still don't know if our radio wasn't transmitting properly, or if the guy was just on lunch break, but... we get through the "rapids" below the spill gates and into the pool at the lock gates, behind the breakwater, still with no contact about when we can transit the lock.
So I says to Glen, I says, "There's a sign over there. Can you read it?" No. So I get my binoculars out. And I read. And I blink. And I read again. "For lockage: 1) Pull the cord below..." YES REALLY. It said, to request lock, pull the cord. A rope hanging down from the concrete wall, like a bell pull." I read it out loud to Glen, and he says, "you're kidding me." Well he used different language than that, but it's not polite to type it here. Then we do read "or call on Channel 14". Which is what we've been doing for over half an hour. Tried about 8 times.
So... we pull the cord. Glen carefully guides our 36-foot boat over the the wall that's designed for small 10 foot craft and such, and I reach out and pull the cord. We hear massive buzzing noises from the control / observation rooms above the lock.
So, yes, it was a dam-sized doorbell. I kid you not. We have the pictures to prove it.
River cruise 2014
Well, the 2014 adventures are underway, and so are we.
We have been cruising the Columbia and Snake Rivers since Friday the 23rd. Fifth day, and this is the first one where we've had wi-fi access to post.
It's been a grand DAM adventure. We knew, of course, that we were headed up river at a time when there would be a high flow. Spring runoff and all that. But I don't think I've ever seen EVERY spill gate on EVERY dam open. At least it looks like it. The flow has been extremely strong right below all the dams, making for a rough ride, and lots of tense muscles for Glen. (At least he gets the bonus neck rub at night before turning in.) Naomi steers, too, just not in the white-caps water just below the dams.
Our usual speed of 7mph (measured over the ground, slows to 2 to 3 mph for the two to three miles below each dam. And it's rough, swirly, twisty water. More than we bargained for, but we're toughing it out. Above each dam, we make great head-way in beautiful, lake-like water. Yesterday we got to relax, put the top down (yes, like a convertible) and sit on the back cabin top steering with the emergency tiller. Whee!
We expect to be in Lewiston by Thursday afternoon now.
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