Astoria, Oregon
This morning we docked at the westernmost stop on our voyage "In the Wake of Lewis and Clark”. After a visit to the outstanding Maritime Museum, we boarded buses for the short ride to Fort Clatsop, the site at which the Lewis and Clark expedition, "the Corps of Discovery," spent the winter of 1805-06 after their successful transit of the continent. A rainy day at the reconstructed fort (pictured) put us in the mood to understand the difficult, cold and wet conditions of their 106 days here during which they saw only 6 days of sunshine. The small party had successfully met many trials, the final being the rapids of the Columbia River Gorge, through which we passed yesterday, in large dugout canoes. Through the winter they lived mostly on elk and boiled seawater to make salt for the return journey both for trade and for their own needs. They tanned elk hides and sewed new clothes, but it was a rather miserable existence in the cramped quarters of the 50'x50' fort. By the end of our visit, wet even with our umbrellas and Goretex jackets, we were happy to return to the warmth of the Sea Bird for a hearty lunch.
This morning we docked at the westernmost stop on our voyage "In the Wake of Lewis and Clark”. After a visit to the outstanding Maritime Museum, we boarded buses for the short ride to Fort Clatsop, the site at which the Lewis and Clark expedition, "the Corps of Discovery," spent the winter of 1805-06 after their successful transit of the continent. A rainy day at the reconstructed fort (pictured) put us in the mood to understand the difficult, cold and wet conditions of their 106 days here during which they saw only 6 days of sunshine. The small party had successfully met many trials, the final being the rapids of the Columbia River Gorge, through which we passed yesterday, in large dugout canoes. Through the winter they lived mostly on elk and boiled seawater to make salt for the return journey both for trade and for their own needs. They tanned elk hides and sewed new clothes, but it was a rather miserable existence in the cramped quarters of the 50'x50' fort. By the end of our visit, wet even with our umbrellas and Goretex jackets, we were happy to return to the warmth of the Sea Bird for a hearty lunch.
