June 14th: Clarkston to somewhere past Boyer Park on the Snake River
Gordy and Dave helped me get down to the river this morning. (see picture) The gate from the marina I came through last night was locked so we had to carry my canoe and gear down over the river bank next to the marina.
Although this is the Snake river it actually is a series of lakes starting here at Clarkston all the way to the Tri-Cities where it joins the Columbia River. Then the Columbia also becomes a series of lakes all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This is because both rivers have a number of dams now. Back in the Lewis and Clark days this was a free and fast flowing river. Not now. It is basically slack water with little or no current and most likely I will have the prevailing winds in my face coming from the west or northwest which could drastically cut my mileage.
However, today there is little wind and I can tell there is a little current in my favor.
As I pushed off I noticed my first barge accross the river. Very small, as is the tugboat pushing it, as compared to the barges on the Ohio.
The day's paddle went well. In the morning I thought I was making super fast time as I was counting down the numbers painted on bark markers alongside the riverbanks. I noticed I was at 24 in about two hours and knew I'd started at 34. Figuring these were mile markers I was doing great. Then in two more hours the next marker appeared, 22! So I figured it could not be mile markers but rather markers numbered only to let barges know what turn in the river they were at.
Late in the day I was out in the middle of nowhere and I heard voices. So a scull of about 7 rowers came paddling by with a motorboat yelling instructions to them. I figure they were learning the art of skulling, but out here I see nothing that shows a marina or town nearby.
In a mile I found out my answer. On the north shore was this nice building with the name, Cougar's Rowing Club. Must be a town somewhere nearby that loves this sport.
At about 6:30 PM I was approaching my first dam on the Snake, which I will need to portage around. On the Ohio if you remember, I was allowed to go through the locks. Here I am not. Plus they only have certain times of the day they open the locks to public motorboat traffic. This will be a bit of a hassle for it means I will need to hook up to my bike and portage around. This portage is supposed to be about a mile but some will be as much as 5 miles as I move along.
Well, as I neared the Lower Granite Dam there was a sign saying the portage is on the right side of the river. Naturally I was on the left side, so moved over but never found the portage. I went all the way to the dam, but no portage (I was on the earth side of the dam so it was safe.) I couldn't get out here because of the steep rock wall so I paddled back until I found a place I could get my gear up and over to what was a dirt road. I carried my first load of stuff up and on my way back I noticed this sign lying on the ground that said, "Boat Portage". Some portage landing. Nothing more than a low spot in the riverbank.
Well, I got my gear loaded up and headed up to the road leading away from the dam only to see that the road was gated off. I looked all around but there was no-one in sight. I pedaled over to the road on the dam leading to the locks. That too was gated off. I yelled; no answer. Went back; still no-one around. I'm inside a gated area with barbed wire strung all the way around the top. Now what. I figured I'd have to set up camp here until morning and as I was about to do so, I see a white pickup coming up the road on the other side of the gate. Good, they came to my rescue. The guy stopped at the gate, got out and said, "How did you get in there? Don't you know you are trespassing on federal property?" I said, " Well, I came by way of the river and was just following the signs that lead me to your fine portage and came up here to get to the other side and found myself gated in." Well, he made a phone call to the lockmaster, upon which I was asked to show my ID, which of course was packed away. Eventually I was allowed through and the man I was talking to turned out to be a very nice person. He said he was just following his instructions and was sorry for the hassle. He told me most of the dams ahead are not gated like this one. Maybe one more, but then they should all be outside the lock authority area. He pointed out where I could get back into the river and left. Where he pointed to was another spot downriver where I would need to carry most of my gear over a bank. Man, these dam portages are going to be more of a hassle than I thought. I lost an hour or more of time, although I believe by the time I stopped to make camp I'd come 40 or more miles and that was with a very late morning start. I hope that continues and I will be in good shape. On the down side, because of the late start, I only stopped once and that was for a quick bathroom stop. Just a bit of a sore back as I crawl to my tent. Tomorrow I will take some breaks.
Although this is the Snake river it actually is a series of lakes starting here at Clarkston all the way to the Tri-Cities where it joins the Columbia River. Then the Columbia also becomes a series of lakes all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This is because both rivers have a number of dams now. Back in the Lewis and Clark days this was a free and fast flowing river. Not now. It is basically slack water with little or no current and most likely I will have the prevailing winds in my face coming from the west or northwest which could drastically cut my mileage.
However, today there is little wind and I can tell there is a little current in my favor.
As I pushed off I noticed my first barge accross the river. Very small, as is the tugboat pushing it, as compared to the barges on the Ohio.
The day's paddle went well. In the morning I thought I was making super fast time as I was counting down the numbers painted on bark markers alongside the riverbanks. I noticed I was at 24 in about two hours and knew I'd started at 34. Figuring these were mile markers I was doing great. Then in two more hours the next marker appeared, 22! So I figured it could not be mile markers but rather markers numbered only to let barges know what turn in the river they were at.
Late in the day I was out in the middle of nowhere and I heard voices. So a scull of about 7 rowers came paddling by with a motorboat yelling instructions to them. I figure they were learning the art of skulling, but out here I see nothing that shows a marina or town nearby.
In a mile I found out my answer. On the north shore was this nice building with the name, Cougar's Rowing Club. Must be a town somewhere nearby that loves this sport.
At about 6:30 PM I was approaching my first dam on the Snake, which I will need to portage around. On the Ohio if you remember, I was allowed to go through the locks. Here I am not. Plus they only have certain times of the day they open the locks to public motorboat traffic. This will be a bit of a hassle for it means I will need to hook up to my bike and portage around. This portage is supposed to be about a mile but some will be as much as 5 miles as I move along.
Well, as I neared the Lower Granite Dam there was a sign saying the portage is on the right side of the river. Naturally I was on the left side, so moved over but never found the portage. I went all the way to the dam, but no portage (I was on the earth side of the dam so it was safe.) I couldn't get out here because of the steep rock wall so I paddled back until I found a place I could get my gear up and over to what was a dirt road. I carried my first load of stuff up and on my way back I noticed this sign lying on the ground that said, "Boat Portage". Some portage landing. Nothing more than a low spot in the riverbank.
Well, I got my gear loaded up and headed up to the road leading away from the dam only to see that the road was gated off. I looked all around but there was no-one in sight. I pedaled over to the road on the dam leading to the locks. That too was gated off. I yelled; no answer. Went back; still no-one around. I'm inside a gated area with barbed wire strung all the way around the top. Now what. I figured I'd have to set up camp here until morning and as I was about to do so, I see a white pickup coming up the road on the other side of the gate. Good, they came to my rescue. The guy stopped at the gate, got out and said, "How did you get in there? Don't you know you are trespassing on federal property?" I said, " Well, I came by way of the river and was just following the signs that lead me to your fine portage and came up here to get to the other side and found myself gated in." Well, he made a phone call to the lockmaster, upon which I was asked to show my ID, which of course was packed away. Eventually I was allowed through and the man I was talking to turned out to be a very nice person. He said he was just following his instructions and was sorry for the hassle. He told me most of the dams ahead are not gated like this one. Maybe one more, but then they should all be outside the lock authority area. He pointed out where I could get back into the river and left. Where he pointed to was another spot downriver where I would need to carry most of my gear over a bank. Man, these dam portages are going to be more of a hassle than I thought. I lost an hour or more of time, although I believe by the time I stopped to make camp I'd come 40 or more miles and that was with a very late morning start. I hope that continues and I will be in good shape. On the down side, because of the late start, I only stopped once and that was for a quick bathroom stop. Just a bit of a sore back as I crawl to my tent. Tomorrow I will take some breaks.
posted by Coach at 4:45 PM
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