The first full day of our expedition began at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. This morning, we boarded jet boats and continued up the Snake River over 50 miles to the confluence of the Snake and Salmon rivers. The wildlife viewing was astonishing throughout the expedition into Hells Canyon.
As we explored the Hells Canyon area on the Snake Rivers, we had a delightful lunch at a quaint river lodge on the western bank. The wildlife and river history provided a new perspective of the canyon, including ancient petroglyphs dating back at least 7,100 years and the only vineyard in the canyon on the same site as a small root cellar equipped with winemaking carboys.
Upon our return to National Geographic Sea Bird, we were treated to colorful stories by Nez Pierce storyteller, J.R. Spencer, followed by a scrumptious dinner paired with extraordinary wines from the region.
