Hells Canyon & the Clearwater River
Bright skies greeted us yet another day, as we came into Nez Perce country and the wonder of Hells Canyon. From a video viewed the evening before aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, we learned about the unique geology of the deepest river canyon in North America, with unusual boulders called pillow lavas, only formed around water. With the forces of nature, these millions-of-years-old boulders were literally moved here from the South Pacific, with the assist of plate tectonics and a process called subduction. Only discovered in the 1960’s, this information, along with the fossils that could only be from a tropical coral reef, gave geologists quite a thrill, as well as many of us viewing it first- hand today!
Along with this up-close amazing geology, those of us who chose to spend the day aboard a jet boat observed the rich array of animal species that dwell here as we made our way up the canyon. Rocky Mt. Bighorn Sheep (that resemble goats), wild turkeys, mule deer, river otters, bald eagles, sun-worshipers and fisher-persons, as well as one dead bushy-tailed wood rat were all a part of the scenery. Footprints and a broken branch off an apple tree were evidence of a black bear attempting to eat the apples at a stop-over at Cache Creek. Pictographs from ancient peoples rounded out our excursion as we zipped back to catch up with our fellow travelers at the Nez Perce National Historic Park Museum.
The museum holds a rich display of artifacts from this most distinct tribe, described by Clark: “Pierced nose Indians are Stout likely men, handsome women and very dressey in their way.” They were pivotal in helping the Corp at this point in their journey with feeding and assisting them onward. Those who chose a land trip today were entertained and enlightened with Lin Laughy’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the Trail of Discovery, visiting many spots where the men camped and prepared for the next trek across the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean, 425 miles to the west!
After a fun re-cap sharing our experiences from our day and a scrumptious dinner, we viewed a documentary film on “The Great Floods,” and learned just how this canyon was formed, another marvel of nature. Though Lewis and Clark did not have all this information when they traveled here, the wonder and grandeur must have made quite an impression on them, as it did with us today!
