Clouds in the east turned gold and orange just before sunrise and the bright colors of the sky were reflected in the small ripples on the surface of the Snake River. Soon after breakfast we boarded jet-boats piloted by Captain Chuck and Captain Bob and away we went upstream on the Snake River. On this gorgeous and sunny morning we were bound for wild and scenic Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in America. Near the river’s edge flocks of Canada geese, mallards, and American coots rested on the water. Great blue herons stood silent like sentinels on the river banks, waiting for hapless fish to swim by. An osprey perched in a tree along the river. Our first stop was to view an amazing outcrop of columnar basalt with perfect hexagonal columns, some curved in curious ways that defy explanation. As we headed on upstream, great walls of layered lava flows loomed above us. These lavas are a part of the Columbia River Basalt Province through which we will be sailing for most of our journey. Stepping up to the horizon high above, the lavas are weathered to a rich brown and trimmed with the buff-colored grasses of autumn. Two mule deer does were seen in the willows along the shore.
At the confluence with the Grande Ronde River we officially enter Hells Canyon and leave the basalts behind for now. Here we enter exotic terranes—new land added to western North America by plate tectonic actions. Now we begin to see the first of many small beaches of pale sand scattered along the river shore, sparkling in the sun. The sparkles come from mica flakes in sand delivered to the Snake River by the Salmon River that flows through the granitic Idaho Batholith where it picks up quartz, feldspar, and mica minerals.
Two Rocky Mountain bighorn rams, magnificent with their great curved horns, make their way down through the rocks; we hope they will approach the river, but they are shy and mostly stay behind a low grass-covered rise. Later we see bighorn ewes and lambs feeding on willows along the river shore and have a very good look at them. The five-month-old lambs are cute and curious and come forward for a better look at us.
Stopping for a morning snack at Cache Creek Ranch, we are delighted to see green grass and an orchard. Jane, the manager here at this Hells Canyon National Forest station, stands on picnic table and uses a pole to get fresh figs for us right from the tree; they are delicious. She also has a bowl of fresh walnuts and a nutcracker for us. We are not the only ones who enjoy the walnuts—two black bears visit at night. They chew the nuts and spit out the shells. One of them has left a pile of scat right here in the yard.
We proceed on upriver to the confluence with the Salmon River, the fabled “River of No Return”. This is our turn-around spot and we turn and head downstream. On the rocks along the shore we see chukars, quail like birds making their “chukar, chukar” calls for which they are named. These are wily birds are prey for raptors and we see a golden eagle hunting for them. A bald eagle soars high above.
At Garden Creek Ranch, a Nature Conservancy property, we enjoy a hearty lunch on a veranda with beautiful views up and down the river. Here are green lawns and a large apple orchard. We are not the only ones who like it here; wild turkeys also here enjoying this oasis of green nestled among the parched hills of autumn. As we proceed on downstream we see many more great blue herons, some standing at the side of the river, one perched in a tree, and others flying by with their powerful wingbeats.
Our last stop is at Buffalo Eddy. Here we nose up to the rocks on the shore for a close look at some Native American petroglyphs. These petroglyphs are an enigma. Etched into the surface of the rock, they show creatures and people; it is unknown how many thousands of years ago these were made or who made them.
Our last outing of the day is to the Nez Perce National Historic Park where we learn about the history of the Nez Perce people. Many beautiful artifacts are in the museum here.
This evening the presidential debate was live-streamed in the lounge. A number of us preferred to enjoy the evening air and sunset on the bow where Grace (geologist/naturalist) and Rich (naturalist/photo instructor) spoke on geology and the plight of salmon and our expedition leader, Marylou, explained our schedule for tomorrow.
