I. Puzzle Solved
As I was preparing for this trip I diligently studied maps of the river, but the one thing missing on all of them was ant mention of the Columbia River per se. The Snake yes, the Columbia no. After a day on the river, traversing four locks, a vertical descent of 400 feet, and studying the GPS navigation display on the TV in my stateroom, I finally figured it out.
There are seven dams on the Columbia and above each dam the impounded water creates a “lake” so as we journey down the Columbia River Basin we are doing so lake by lake and the maps, quite understandably, identify the lakes rather than the underlying river basin. I am sure this is old news for persons living in areas like the Columbia River basin, but for a flat lander like me, it is a revelation.
NOTE: Apparently I was not the only one confused. I explained the lakes to another another passenger and since then I have heard my exact explanation repeated several times.
II. We Are Not Alone
Speaking of Lake Umatilla, we are starting to see barge traffic moving up and down stream and the banks are littered with fishing boats, fishermen, and young women in swim suits (the outside air temperature is a balmy 57 Degrees and there is a constant 10 to 15 mph wind on deck)
An Aside
My power supply has stopped working, so this may be my last post until I can sort that out.
Problem solved by a quick trip into The Dalles
III. Moving Ever Westward
I keep a close eye on the GPS
As we continue on our journey to the Pacific I am struck by the energy production I see all around us we have passsed six huge hydro electric dams running full blast, and wit’s the river so high huge amounts of water are running over the spillways.
….and if that were not enough renewable energy the hills are littered with wind turbines
It is late afternoon when we pass through the sixth, and largest of the eight locks on the Columbia
We exit onto… are you ready for this?
Wait for it…
Keep scrolling…
THE COLUMBIA RIVER
Just above The Dalles, Oregon. (The Dalles - French for the rapids because of the long stretch of rapids that were inundated by the seventh dam on the Columbia.
IV. Observations
I’ve met several nice people on this journey including a retired Air Force Colonel who did a tour at Sheppard AFB a few years before me, a financial planner and his wife from Houston. A former plastics engineer and his wife (a talented painter) and several others I like, but I seriously doubt we will remain in contact after this cruise.
I might sail with American Cruise Lines again, but definitely not on the Mississippi, but they do have an Alaskan cruise I might like, is affordable, and on a ship with only 90 to 100 passengers.
V. Tomorrow: an all day trip to Multnoma Falls and Bonneville Dam
(It is starting to feel like one dam thing after another 😜 )