MADE IT! Lewis & Clark Rivers Retrace: Idaho to the Pacific

Post by **Mntry_Goodson** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:45 pm

A lifetime bucket list was accomplished when my wife Deb, our lab Jazz and I, retraced the western water route of Lewis & Clark completing the 475 mile cruise on August 20th. Once Lewis & Clark crossed the Rockies from Montana in 1804, the first river their newly carved canoes were launched into was the Clearwater River, which meets the Snake River in Lewiston, Idaho. They came 145 miles down the Snake River to where it meets the Columbia River, near today's Tri-Cities, WA. The next 330 miles to the Pacific crossed through numerous wide water cascades that required very difficult portaging around. Upon arrival at the mouth, Lewis & Clark initially camped on the north bank near present day Ilwaco, WA, but after surveying the terrain and finding elk, they built Fort Clatsop in what is now Astoria, OR on the south bank.

Today, there are four dams with locks on the Snake River as well as four on the upper Columbia that effectively create 8 lakes, each of which is roughly 40 miles long. Bonneville Dam is the last of the dams, located about 40 miles upstream from Portland, OR. The Corp of Engineers website discusses in some detail the communication and mechanics of going through the locks. While we were a bit nervous on the first one, it, and all the others, went very smoothly. I've attached a few photos here in General Discussion for members who may be considering this cruise and want to understand passing through the locks.

We trailered our Albin 28 over 600 miles from Crescent City, CA on the Pacific coast to Clarkston, WA to launch and get provisions for the trip. Our cruise began by going upstream a few miles to where the Clearwater River meets the Snake River, then up the Clearwater about three miles to the end of the navigable waters at a bridge east of Lewiston, ID. Lower Granite Dam was less that 40 miles downstream and was passed through on the first day of our cruise. I will post additional photos with general cruising comments in the "Cruising" category.

Cruise Launch 2.jpg

Cruise SC 1 Lwstn ID.jpg

Cruise SC 2 reflection.jpg

Cruise SC 3 Lock.jpg

Cruise SC Ice Hrbr Lock 2.jpg

Cruise SC 4 Lock 2.jpg

Cruise SC 4 Lock 4.jpg

Cruise SC 5 Little Goose Dam.jpg

Cruise SC 6 Ice Hrbr Lck.jpg

Cruise SC 13 Boat from shore.jpg

Post by **Mntry_Goodson** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 6:18 pm

This is a trip I highly recommend to everyone!

Cruise SC 7 Hat Rck dock.jpg

Cruise SC 8 Sunset.jpg

Cruise SC 10 MHill Park.jpg

Cruise SC 11 Mt Hood.jpg

Cruise SC 12 Fam Pic.jpg

Cruise SC 14 Rainbow.jpg

Cruise SC 17 Trolling.jpg

Cruise SC 15 St John Brg.jpg

Cruise SC 16 Boat from Shr 2.jpg

Cruise SC 18 Ilwaco dock.jpg

Cruise SC 19 The End.jpg

Post by **Nancy** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:32 pm

That's a great trip! Thanks for telling us about it. The rainbow photo is spectacular. I've never seen anything like that.

Post by **Carl** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:44 pm

Awesome trip!! Congrats!

Post by **efishnsea** » Mon Nov 23, 2020 10:05 pm

Fantastic post Thanks

Post by **Pitou** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:21 pm

I somehow missed this earlier .. great trip and thanks for sharing!

Post by **coolchange** » Thu Nov 26, 2020 6:07 pm

nice trip...when/if you do the San Juans and you want some logistic info..parking, marinas, heads up etc. there are more than a few of us here who do this fairly regularly and some that live close by.//I tow my 27 and launch out of Olympia, or Bellingham (Blaine still has free long term parking..but check) or Port Townsend///If Canada is open then consider hoping over to Gulf Islands..hey you already did all the driving.

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