Following Meriwether Lewis and William Clark – The Corps of Discovery II – Chapter 4: Washington and Oregon

In this chapter, I describe the scenes in Oregon/Washington State from east to west.  Much of the time we followed the path of the Columbia River.  Like Lewis and Clark, some days we were on the north bank of the river (Washington State) and some days on the south bank (Oregon).

Crossing the Snake River into Washington State, we see mile after mile of rolling fields of wheat and the transport barges that ply the river are a common sight.  The river has series of dams which allow for ocean-going vessels to navigate these waters.  This part of the state is known as the Palouse Region and is famous for its fertile soil and the horse that takes its name from the area, the Appaloosa, which were bred by the Nez Perce.  Each year, one million tons of wheat and barley travel downriver along with countless tons of potatoes, lumber and minerals.

Lewis and Clark initially believed that they had connected with the Columbia River, but they soon found that the river was the Snake River.  On the day that they crossed into what would become Washington State they still were suffering from a poor diet.

October 10, 1805 [Clark] …  our diet extremely bad nothing but roots and dried fish to eate …

October 11, 1805 [Gass] Most of our people having been accustomed to meat, do not relish the fish, but prefer dog meat; which, when well cooked, tastes very well.

The local restaurants did not have dog meat on the menu, so we will just have to take Gass’ word on the yummy taste of Fido.

A stop was made in Walla Walla, Washington to visit the Museum at Fort Walla Walla.  A painting shows the meeting on October 19, 1805 with Chief Yellept, who proved to be a friend to the expedition and who they promised to visit on their return trip.

The main emphasis of the museum is the region's agricultural heritage.  A small room relives the Corps of Discovery’s visit to Walla Walla County, and to the later Fort, established in 1856.  Not surprisingly, there are a few buildings devoted to the development of wheat farming.  Bet you have never seen a 33-mule powered wheat combine.  For you non-ag types a combine is the machine that picks the wheat and separates the grain from the rest of the plant.

Maybe you are wondering about how many different types of barbed wire there are. 

Fort Walla Walla was the birthplace of General Johnathan M. Wainwright IV.  He was from a line of very unlucky military men.  His father was killed in 1902 while serving in the Philippine War.  His grandfather died in 1863 at the battle of Galveston, Texas in the Civil War.  His great grandfather was more fortunate, as Episcopal Bishops rarely die in battle.  Johnathan IV’s military career went pretty well, he served in the Moro War (Philippines) and France in WW I.  Maybe he should have retired before WW II, as the family luck struck again when he was in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded.  He was in command of all US forces in the Philippines when on May 6, 1942, he surrendered and spent the rest of the conflict as a prisoner of war and was liberated by the Soviet Army in 1945.  Wainwright was the highest ranking U.S. prisoner of war.

There is a replica of the fort on the grounds, but as it was well over 100 degrees outside and these buildings were not air-conditioned, we opted to skip the fort.

We then viewed Ice Harbor Dam on the Snake River, just above its confluence with the Columbia River.  Most of the following dams look pretty much the same, but you are going to see them anyway.  As I previously said, the dams keep the river navigable and have submerged the falls and rapids that the Corps of Discovery had to contend with.

In route to the dam are irrigated vineyards and miles and miles of apple orchards.  Besides navigation, the dams brought water to the towns and farmland and provide a fun filled recreational playground for all the boaters.  Oh, it also brought electricity and all of its benefits to this remote area.

Most of the dams are U.S. Army Corps of Engineer facilities.  With all the terrorism scares of our era, we are cautioned not to take pictures inside the facility, so I leave the camera in the car.  The fish ladder picture is from Bonneville Dam, where they are not so strict as our macho guard at Ice Harbor.

Here is a good job for those of you who may like high pay and easy work.  At the dams, a Federal Employee has the job of counting fish that swim up the fish ladders.  They record the number and type of fish seen and fill out some sort of report of same.  After 30 years, if you are not reduced to a babbling fool, you get a lifetime pension and benefits.  The employee has an underwater view of the ladder. 

Just a short few miles below this dam, the Snake River flows into the Columbia River.

October 16, 1805 [Clark] … proceeded on Seven miles to the junction of this river and the Columbia … (Camped) at the point between the  Snake and Columbia Rivers … wood is Extremely scarce here.

Their campsite is now part of Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center at the confluence of the two rivers.  If you look closely at the panoramic photo, you will see a bridge on the river on the left, which is the Snake River and a bridge on the right of the photo, which is the Columbia River.

The naming of the park after Sacajawea is in her honor, as there is no historic connection with her other than seeing this confluence during the expedition. 

Things have changed in the area since 1805, especially with regard to the lack of trees.  The park is well-shaded today.

The visitor center has exhibits on the expedition and the local tribes.

Clark commented on the great number of dead salmon that he saw and smelled on the river banks and floating down the river.  He was unfamiliar with the spawning cycle of the salmon, as most salmon die after spawning.

The recently opened Reach Center is near Richland, Washington.  Their brochure enticed us to visit, as it says:

“Our story begins with the land itself and the early formation of the Hanford Reach National Monument via the Basalt Flows and the Ice-Age Floods. We will explore the peopling of this land from the Native Americans to Lewis and Clark and the early White Bluffs settlers who planted the seeds of an agricultural community. We will commemorate the Northern Pacific Railroad, the construction of Grand Coulee Dam, and the Columbia Basin Project that brought water to the Columbia Basin, transforming the land to an oasis in the desert.”

With all the dams nearby you would think that they would have no problems with electricity.  When we stopped, they had a power outage and had no idea when it would be fixed.  Waiting around in 100 degree heat was not enticing, so we had to skip this place.  They were nice enough to let us use their restroom facilities, as we were in need.  From a quick glimpse, it looked interesting.  Had a pretty neat metal sculpture in the entry hall.  Restroom was nice too.

When you cross into Oregon south of the tri-cities of Richland/Pasco/Kennewick you get a good view of McNary Dam.  As you view the pictures of the dams along the river, notice the vegetation at each dam.  You will see a big change as we travel downriver – from grasslands to forests, all because of higher rainfall totals as one nears the coast.  The locks are visible on the far right of the photo.  Each dam has locks for water travel.  I think that passage through the locks is free of charge.

Our next stop was at the SAGE Center (Sustainable Agriculture and Energy) in the small town of Boardman, Oregon.

Their website tells us that “the SAGE Center is an interactive visitor center that highlights sustainable agriculture and energy.”  It was a bit off the topic of Lewis and Clark, but then how often did we expect to be anywhere near Boardman in the future.    It turned out to be a fascinating place.  The interactive parts included:  a simulated hot air balloon ride over the area; a ride on a combine where you got to see how good you are at planting corn (we did not expect much of a yirld after our efforts).  Other exhibits included agricultural products and irrigation practices using solar moisture sensors.

 The spuds in the processing photo are not real but they appeared like you could just reach out and have some curly fries.  Pass the ersatz ketchup please.

 Another exhibit showed where the local products were shipped to from the river port of Morrow (portofmorrow.com), located nearby.

     

Perhaps best of all, they gave us all very generous portions of Tillamook Ice Cream.  “The farmer owners of Tillamook have been making rich, creamy ice cream since 1947. With over 25 flavors to choose from, one is sure to become a new favorite!”  I think they are supposed to sell it to visitors, but they are newly opened and we were the only people at the place.  We got it for free.  Free is good.  I had Marionberry ice cream – yummy.

October 19, 1805 [Clark] … from this place I discovered a high mountain of emence hight covered with Snow, this must be one of the mountains laid down by Vancouver, as seen from the mouth of the Columbia River … I take it to be Mt St. Helens, distance 156 miles

They saw a different Mt St Helens than we did a few days later.

Another day, another dam.  This one is the John Day Dam. 

October 21, 1805 [Clark] … this I call the Timm or falls mountain it is high and the top is covered with snow.

Lewis and Clark got their first glimpse or Oregon’s famous Mount Hood.  At 11,239 to 1,249 feet, it is Oregon’s highest mountain.  Three different agencies measured the mountain over recent years and came up with three different heights.   Let’s just agree that it is pretty tall.  It is believed to be Oregon’s most likely volcano to erupt in the future.  It is a pretty sight and reminds me of Mt. Taranaki (aka Egmont) near New Plymouth, New Zealand.

October 25, 1805 {Clark] Capt Lewis and myself walked down to See the place the Indians pointed out as the worst place in passing through the gut, … but as the portage was impracticable with our large Canoes, we Concluded to Make a portage our most valuable articles and run the canoes thro

They had reached The Dalles which had some of the most treacherous waters of the Columbia River due to what we would now classify as Stage 5 rapids and the Celilo waterfall.  With the type of craft they were using, dugout canoes, it is amazing that they made it through in one piece.   Celilo Falls was a sacred place for the local tribes.  They often would fish for salmon near the falls using a variety of methods to catch the fish as they leap upriver. All that is gone today, due to the dam at The Dalles.  A placid lake is upriver and a lock enables seagoing vessels to climb from one dam-created lake to the next.  No more rapids, no more waterfalls.  Since the expedition was now going downriver, ever since crossing into today’s Washington State, they made it to the Pacific Ocean in about one month, versus several months going upriver to cross Montana.  Still hot – it was 104 degrees today.

Just west of The Dalles is the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, another must see.  This was one of the largest centers that we saw.  There are exhibits about the history of Wasco County (where The Dalles is located).  Exhibits focused on Lewis and Clark are very well organized.  Four of the members of the Corps of Discovery kept a fiddle for entertainment.  I thought that this was an original, but alas, it is only a replica of the type of fiddle they would have played.  It is sort of amazing to have brought a musical instrument there and back through all the travails they faced.

The Corps carried many casks of gunpowder for their muskets and canon.  Casks were made of lead, so when empty, it could be melted down and cast into bullets.  The exhibit shows what these casks looked like.

The exhibit traces the fauna and flora of the area from prehistoric times to today.

Other exhibits show the hardships of migration to the west coast in the mid-1800s.

They have live bald eagles and a ranger gives a talk about these majestic birds.  Better than having a turkey as USA’s national symbol as Ben Franklin had suggested.  These are “rescue birds” that cannot survive in nature.

A scenic road parallels the Columbia River for many miles.  The photos show that this is the area that changes from treeless grass lands to the lush coastal forests.

We crossed the Bridge of the Gods into Stevenson Washington.  As it was late in the day, we passed by the

Visitor Center.

As Lewis and Clark’s party passed the Cascades of the Columbia River, Clark noted a geographic feature.

October 31, 1805 [Clark] … a remarkably high detached rock Stands in a bottom on the Stard Side near the lower point of this Island on the Stard Side about 800 feet high and 400 paces around, we call the Beaten Rock …

This feature is known today as Beacon Point.  It is hard to miss, as it stands alone towering over the forest below.

Before you see Beacon Point, you will pass the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery.  Definitely worth a stop.  Lewis and Clark camped for 3 nights on an island at the dam site.  Lewis saw this very large bird and thought that he wanted it for a specimen.  He bagged a condor.  Today, the condors are long gone, but there is planned an attempt to reintroduce this endangered bird along the Columbia River.  Hope it works out, as it would be a sight to see.

The dam was built in 1934-8 and has since been added on to in 1974-81.  There are visitor centers on both sides of the river with exhibits about construction of the dam and other interesting facts.  No photos allowed inside the facility.

A large fish hatchery can be toured on the grounds of the Bonneville Dam.  They have an underwater exhibit on the fish in the River.  Their claim to fame is the river sturgeon, which can grow to phenomenal size and can live a very long life.  Herman is 10 feet long, 450 pounds and is at least 70 years old.  Sturgeon are the largest fresh-water fish in North America.

If you life a dull life, you can watch the Salmon swim through the ladders online at:  http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environment/Fish/Cameras.aspx

Maybe you can upgrade you job skills and count the fish.

Or enjoy seeing Herman the sturgeon at:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/images/video_gallery/Herman-cam_12-10-09.asp

November 2, 1805 was a wonderful day for the expedition, as they detected tidal flow in the Columbia River for the first time.  They were about 140 miles from the ocean. 

Along the Columbia River Gorge there are many waterfalls.  The easiest one to access is Multnomah Falls on the Oregon side of the river just off of Interstate 84 about 30 minutes east of Portland on a good traffic day.  The falls are the highest in the state (upper falls 542 ft; lower falls 69 ft.).  A short trail takes you to the base of the falls, and a slightly longer one gets you on the viewing bridge.  Wikipedia says a rock fall damaged this bridge in January 2014 and the bridge was closed for repairs.  Repairs are made and bridge is open.  This is a very scenic spot; don’t miss it if in the Portland area.

April 9, 1806 [Lewis] … we passed several beautiful cascades which fell from a great hight over the stupendous rocks …

Half of our expedition (Jim and Sandy) peeled off and stayed in Portland, as Elaine & I went off to the coast.

April 2 , 1806 [Lewis] …about this time several canoes of the natives arrived at our camp and [informed us] of a large river which discharges itself into the Columbia on its South side some miles below us.

This was the Willamette River, the site upon which the City of Portland was founded around.  The city was incorporated in 1851 and has grown to today’s 600,000 people.  Elaine and I also stayed on for a few days in Portland before completing our trip to the coast and again before flying home.  While there, we had the pleasure of seeing Jim and Sandy’s son Reid’s family and had a few social gatherings with them and some friends of Jim and Sandy (they lived in Portland in the 1970s and early 1980s).

An interesting and unusual place to go to in Portland is The National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother, otherwise known as “The Grotto.”  This relatively unspoiled place is in Portland.  The Union Pacific Railroad owned the land and in 1923 planned to sell it for residential purposes.  However, Father Ambrose Mayer had the winning bid.  To fulfill a promise he had made to God, this place was to be dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. 

A grotto was hewn at the base of a 110 foot cliff and it is here that masses are said.  A pathway winds through very large spruce trees on a Stations of the Cross walk (a Roman Catholic devotional practice).

For two dollars, one can take the elevator to the top of the cliff and walk the peaceful paths through the forest.  There still is a religious order that lives on top and visitors are asked to respect their privacy.

During this trip, we stayed in motels, with Elaine’s sister in Boise, a lodge in North Fork, Idaho and at Evergreen Bed and Breakfasts in Omaha, Viborg, Billings and Camas, Washington.  I do thank all these nice people for opening their homes to weary travelers.  Camas was extra special as Ed and Mary prepared delicious snacks in the evening, in addition to 3 wonderful breakfasts.  Here are the breakfasts:  Day 1 – Belgian waffles, strawberries, fresh blueberries, eggs, toast, juice and coffee.  Day 2 - Fresh blueberry pancakes, eggs, toast, juice, coffee, bacon.  Day 3 – French toast, eggs, sausage, fresh blueberries, juice, coffee.  The first night there we returned from visiting Reid after 8 PM and awaiting us was a warm cobbler covered with freshly picked (by Ed) blackberries and ice cream.  The next night, we returned to a fresh strawberry pie.  I’ll not give their last names, as they would likely be inundated with guests.  Thanks so much Ed and Mary.

I had reserved a rental car for the next few days for our trip to the coast.  I requested and paid for an economy car.  Instead, they gave us a Chevy Captiva, a moderately large utility vehicle.  Had all the bells and whistles, even automatic lights and windshield wipers that detect moisture and turn themselves on and off. 

 I’ll write the trip geographically rather than in the order we traveled.  We reserved a hotel in Kelso, Washington for a few nights.  Astoria, Oregon would have been a better location, but finding a place to stay in the summer is difficult unless you want to pay a very high room rate.

Kelso has a timber-based economy.  Along the Columbia River there are miles and miles of timber waiting to be loaded on ocean-going vessels and other timber processing industries.

Five miles north on Interstate 5 takes you to the exit for Mt. St. Helens.  On May 18, 1980 (was it really that long ago?) the mountain erupted, causing the largest landslide in recorded history.  According to the brochure “Where Nature Erupts”, Wind, fire, heat and debris swept down the Toutle River Valley and left a barren, gray landscape behind.  Here is a before and after photo.

There are four visitor centers along the route to the volcano.  Stop and the first and last one.  I’d skip the other two, as they are more for restaurant and bathroom breaks with minimal exhibits.  I did not know that Mt. St. Helens was so near to where our travels took us.  Count on spending a day or two if you have time.  

As you enter the National Park, there is the Silver Lake Visitor Center.  Great movie about the eruption and very good exhibits about the geology and history of the mountain, along with artifacts from the eruption.

The road to the last Visitor center at Johnston Ridge is about 47 miles from Silver Lake Center.  It is winding in places, but since the eruption the road has been greatly improved to handle the thousands of visitors who come to see the awesome power of nature, both the destructive force and the regenerative forces.

As we travel the road, we see evidence of the blast that leveled mature forests for several miles.  Forests owned by lumbering interests have been replanted and evidence of the destruction is not readily seen.  The National Park Service decided to leave their land to nature, and the blast evidence is all around you when you near the volcano.

Although not entirely in the park, the Toutle River still shows the scars of the flood waters that tumbled down from Spirit Lake when a 1,700 foot tall wave washed over the hills and descended into the river.

Among the animal life that has returned to the area are elk and cute little ground squirrels.

Fireweed flowers were first to re-colonize the land, thereafter several other types of flowers.

The Johnston Ridge Observatory is the best place for viewing the volcano.  It has a very good exhibit hall and, of course, a movie.  The volcano itself is quite a thing to behold.  Instead of a near perfect cone shape, one side of the mountain is gone, leaving a big hole where mountain once stood.  The eruption tossed ash up to 15 miles high and light ash-covering could be found all the way to South Dakota.  The Johnston Observatory is at 4,200 feet of elevation.  Even at 8 miles away from the crater, the mountain appears huge.

Upon closer inspection, a lava dome is rebuilding the mountain in preparation for its next blast at some indeterminate time in the future. The dome is hundreds feet tall and continues to grow.  With permits, you can hike and camp all the way up to the crater.  I think that in the crater is prohibited, but anywhere else is fine if you are hearty and healthy enough and have the desire.

Lewis and Clark saw a conical snow covered mountain 200 years ago.  We see destruction.

Back on the Lewis and Clark trail.  They were on the Washington side of the river when they reached the Pacific, so I’ll start at the sights around Cape Disappointment.  A story I was told that Lewis and Clark hoped to find sea vessels at this location, so that they could take the easy way home, rather than an overland route.  When they did not find vessels anchored, it was named Cape Disappointment.  Not true, Cape Disappoint got its name in 1788 when British sea captain and fur trader John Meares attempted to find a large river rumored to be in the vicinity.  He must not have come ashore, as the Columbia River is very visible from the east side of the cape.

A good stopping area just before Cape Disappointment State Park is the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum at Ilwaco.  One caution, it is closed on Mondays.  Inside are many interesting exhibits relevant to the history of the area.  The reason escapes me why there are no photos allowed; but it is their museum and they get to make the rules, even if they are ridiculous.

At the cape, there are several hiking trails, a visitor center, a staffed Coast Guard lighthouse, ocean views, campsites and much more.  Elaine and I hiked up to the lighthouse on a wooded trail.  The trail marker said it was only half a mile, so I kept my sandals on for the walk – mistake.  I don’t know how they measured the distance, maybe as the crow flies.  Along the trail there were many opportunities to pick wild blackberries – which I did.

A picturesque lighthouse is at the end of the trail.

A Coast Guard squadron has several vessels that are charged with the duty to inspect incoming ships and perform sea rescues in the waters of the cape.  I do not envy them, as the waters and the weather can be very bad at times.

The Cape Disappointment Interpretive Center overlooks the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Imagine the happiness of the members of the expedition when they finally saw the ultimate objective of their journey.  After 11 straight days of rain, they saw the ocean on November 15, 1805.

At the Interpretive Center, Patrick Gass’ metal flask and razor board are on exhibit along with his axe-head.  The razor board is said to have been carved by Sacajawea and given to Gass as a gift.

Scouting out the area, they found that the prospects of this area for winter provisions were poor.  They then paddled the several miles across the Columbia River to the Oregon side, where they established Fort Clatsop on December 7, 1805.

The type of canoe and boat that they and the local Indians used is pictured.  The currents of the river are very strong and tidally influenced, so crossing these miles was no picnic.

Today one can simply drive across the nearly 4-mile bridge that spans the Columbia River connecting the Washington shore with Astoria, Oregon.

 They spent a miserable rainy winter at the fort until March 22, 1806.  The original fort has long returned to the elements.  A reconstructed fort can be visited at the original site at the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.

The fort was a log structure, with several rooms for the officers and men of the Corps.  Docents tell the tales of the days of the fort in 1805-6.

We take a walk to the riverside near the fort and see a common sight, a whole lot of poles in long lines in the water.  What are they?  My first thought was that they were remains of long rotted piers.  No.  There are 2 types and I have no idea which is which.  Some are where they used to hold logs for shipment others are for oyster farming.  I think the majority are old logging assembly areas.

The National Park Service has a great visitor center with movie. 

The final place associated with the Corps of Discovery that we visited was the salt works at Seaside, Oregon.  Salt was needed to preserve game and fish.  Some lucky guys spent a few months on the rain-soaked coast boiling seawater in large metal tubs and collecting the salt residue.

Here is what we saw at seaside.

Yep, we saw the sea.

It took Lewis & Clark 18 months to reach the Pacific Ocean; it took our party 2.5 weeks with a few side trips along the Trail.  Oh, but what a journey.  While on the Trail, I thought we would see more wild game, but here is what we saw:
    antelope = 4 + 1 small herd
    deer = 4
    elk = 1 large female
    buffalo = 0  (found 4 buffalo burgers at Al's Oasis in Oacoma, SD.)

We made it.  Hope you have enjoyed coming along for the ride.