East of the Cascades on the Columbia River
Our morning dawned clear and calm with a lovely view of Mount Hood to our west. After breakfast we got to see the workings of the locks firsthand. The locks allow ship and barge traffic to travel on flat water all the way to Lewiston, Idaho. We began by tying up to the wing wall just down stream of the entrance to the John Day Lock. From here we had a front row seat to see the opening of the guillotine gate of the lock. Since it is a first come, first served system, we had to wait our turn while the Tidewater, a tow boat pushing two fuel barges and a grain barge downstream, came down through the lock. After that it was our turn.
John Day Lock has the highest vertical lift of any in North America. We rose 105 feet in just over 20 minutes. Once at the height of the upstream reservoir, the gate opened and we were on our way. At the end of the afternoon, we got to watch the process once again at the Mc Nary Dam.
The intervening hours of our day were filled with relaxation, education and exploration. One activity that was perfect for this warm and sunny day was to relax on the deck and watch the light and scenery changing as we progressed east. Both Jim Hendrix and Bette Lu Krause added to our understanding of this place with their presentations in the lounge. Jim spoke of Lewis and Clark’s trip to the Pacific, while Bette Lu shared details of another trip to the Pacific, that done by the Salmon that call these rivers home.
As we head off to bed, the warm air, calm night and beautiful moonlight beckon us to pause on the deck for a few more minutes to appreciate this special place.
Our morning dawned clear and calm with a lovely view of Mount Hood to our west. After breakfast we got to see the workings of the locks firsthand. The locks allow ship and barge traffic to travel on flat water all the way to Lewiston, Idaho. We began by tying up to the wing wall just down stream of the entrance to the John Day Lock. From here we had a front row seat to see the opening of the guillotine gate of the lock. Since it is a first come, first served system, we had to wait our turn while the Tidewater, a tow boat pushing two fuel barges and a grain barge downstream, came down through the lock. After that it was our turn.
John Day Lock has the highest vertical lift of any in North America. We rose 105 feet in just over 20 minutes. Once at the height of the upstream reservoir, the gate opened and we were on our way. At the end of the afternoon, we got to watch the process once again at the Mc Nary Dam.
The intervening hours of our day were filled with relaxation, education and exploration. One activity that was perfect for this warm and sunny day was to relax on the deck and watch the light and scenery changing as we progressed east. Both Jim Hendrix and Bette Lu Krause added to our understanding of this place with their presentations in the lounge. Jim spoke of Lewis and Clark’s trip to the Pacific, while Bette Lu shared details of another trip to the Pacific, that done by the Salmon that call these rivers home.
As we head off to bed, the warm air, calm night and beautiful moonlight beckon us to pause on the deck for a few more minutes to appreciate this special place.
