Articles

    In Kennewick on the evening of August 31st, EG and I are almost a week 

ahead of the Corps of Discovery. The Corps camped at the meeting of the 

Clearwater and Snake Rivers near present day Lewiston, Idaho, on October 

10th. They dined on what they purchased from the Indians: dried roots, salmon 

and dog. The next few days were spent working their way through some rapids 

and down the Snake River to the Columbia (Kennewick area). They passed many 

Indian fishing villages so never had trouble buying their now typical food. 

It appears that fishing was a bit alien to the Corps. If you couldn't shoot 

it, it wasn't real food! What was scarce was firewood, and the Corps spent 

lots of time scouting for wood to cook the salmon and dog meat stews. The 

Corps met with many different Indians along the way. Palouse, Wallawalla, 

Yakima, Wanapam all proved friendly and helpful to a point.



    Lewis and Clark left the area on October 12, 1805, and headed down the 

Columbia with 40 dogs in their canoes! Around where the current McNary Dam is 

today, Clark was walking the bluffs while Lewis and the rest struggled 

through one more set of rapids (all are gone today because of the dam 

management - how often has that phrase been used!). He spotted a Umatilla 

Village and went to greet them but couldn't find anyone. When he entered one 

of the huts he found many inside cowering in fear of the white men. They only 

quieted their fears when Sacagawea appeared. War parties don't have women 

with them.



    Although the river has changed dramatically since Lewis and Clark passed 

through, much of the landscape is close enough so that one can get an 

appreciation of what the Corps faced. If you don't like dry and yellow, it's 

not a pretty sight.



    EG and I made our way out of Kennewick by following I-82 south as far as 

the turnoff to Highway 14 (just north of the Columbia and near the McNary 

Dam). I elected to follow the smaller road on the Washington side of the 

Columbia instead of crossing over and following I-84. Both are scenic but 

"the road less traveled" remained the theme of the trip. Unlike some of the 

Missouri River roads, 14 gives good views of the Columbia. The big river 

poses in stark contrast to the dry landscape.



    I stopped next at a lookout above the John Day Dam. The Corp camped here 

on October 21st and even had to buy firewood. They had so little they managed 

to cook but not to keep warm on the cold night. They also noticed that some 

of the Indians were wearing cloth coats and even sailor's hats. They knew 

they were within trade range of the ocean.

On a viewpoint above the John
Day Dam looking east. 

You can get a feeling for the stark
landscape.



    The next stop looks a bit odd and familiar. The photo first. Then an 

explanation.

EG's speed causes time
warp!



    This memorial to the area's WWI dead was built in 1918 by Samuel Hill (he 

of railroad "fame") as a Stonehenge replica. It was good for its time but 

this was many years before research started uncovering Stonehenge's secrets, 

and there are inaccuracies regarding alignment.



    Just a short drive further is the Maryhill Museum of Art. This was Samuel 

Hill's home dedicated by Queen Marie of Romania in 1926. Supposedly it was 

built for her but she didn't want to have anything to do with it (or was it 

the countryside?) and went home. She did donate some items that are on 

display. I wasn't there for the artwork or the Indian artifacts (which are 

worth several hours), but for the view around back. The Museum is situated on 

a bluff above the Columbia River and a marker points out many of the sights; 

including, where the Great Falls used to be and the mouth of the Deschutes 

River. The Falls disappeared in 1957 when the Dalles Dam was completed. They 

were there in force for the Corps and they had no choice but to portage. 

Compared with the Great Falls in Montana, this was an easy portage, however.

The Maryhill Museum from the
highway.

From behind the museum facing
west towards the mouth of the Deschutes.

Unfortunately, the weather further
towards the west (the direction I'm heading) 

is cloudy or Mt. Hood would be
visible.



    Between the Falls and the current Dalles the Corps ran two rapids, the 

Short Narrows and the Long Narrows. The Indians (probably the Wishram in this 

area) said they couldn't do it, so they did. There might have been a bit of 

bravado here. "Aw, shucks. It t'weren't nothin'" Then they spent the next 

three days (October 25-28) at The Dalles drying out their gear and fixing 

canoes.



    I crossed over the river to the Oregon side at The Dalles and just west 

of there spent time at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County 

Historical Museum. There wasn't too much about Lewis and Clark, but the 

Museum was well laid out and showed an interesting history of the area. The 

interesting geography is also explained. Worth a stop, if you get the time.



    EG and I went back over the river to pick up 14 and continue the way 

west. The sky looked dark ahead and the scenery changed in what seemed like 

only a matter of a few miles. It went from yellow and treeless to green and 

lush. The marine climate was exerting its influence. EG seemed to enjoy 

running in the cooler weather, and I sure enjoyed driving in it better.



    Lewis and Clark certainly noted the difference. They also were now in 

different Indian country: the home of the Chinook. Not only were they much 

better bargainers, but, according to the journals, they had an annoying habit 

of petty theft. Both traits took their toll on the rapidly depleting store of 

trade goods and the nerves of the Corps.



    October 30th the Corps reached the Cascades, a series of rapids at the 

present day Cascade Locks. Over the next couple of days they ran some and 

portaged around others. At the other end they noticed the river seemed to 

widen and no white water was in sight. More important, they noticed tidal 

changes in the water lever. Another clue to their nearness to the ocean. They 

thought the hard part was over and the rest would be easy. They were wrong.



    The Corps passed through the Portland area on November 4, 1805, and 

breakfasted at a large Skilloot village. (That's an interesting name 

considering the theft problems, and true to prior experiences, more items 

disappeared!) EG and I arrived in Portland mid-afternoon on Friday, September 

1st and checked into a hotel near Portland International Raceway (north end 

of the city near the Columbia River). The drive had been a good one along 

most of the river until about Camus. Then it became much like any other busy 

road, and the river crossing at Vancouver gave me only a brief glimpse of a 

Washington/Oregon border crossing sign. No "Welcome" here.



    Dorothea, my better half, was taking the train down from Seattle to meet 

me and spend some time at the All British Field Meet and with mutual, 

Portland friends, so I fought my way into the city center to the train 

station (getting lost which I do at least once every time I'm in Portland). 

She shared adventures with me and EG in South Africa and was looking forward 

to being reunited with the Wolseley (and me, I think!).

To steal from a cliché Academy Awards
speech, 

"I'd like to thank all the little people." Dorothea was one of the 

little people who helped make my trip possible. (She's five-one.)



    By the time we blundered our way back to the hotel, it looked like it was 

going to rain, but I wasn't feeling sorry for all the British Cars that had 

shown up on trailers! Already there were five or six Minis in the parking 

lot. I was looking forward to seeing many more the next day at the Meet.

EG from the hotel window looking
a little lost in the rain, 

but also looking forward to meeting up
with a number of brothers 

and sisters to talk about all the
adventures.



    EG's odometer now read 7,648. Another 246 miles had been added making it 

5,766 miles since leaving Miami and we weren't home, yet.