| This long planned boat trip through
the heart of the lower Palouse Canyon will give us a new view of some places
we've been hiking in for years. |
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
These
stalwarts supervise all water traffic in and out of the lagoon. |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
When
we got past the guards on the log boom, we headed upriver to the cliffs. I
think that round rock on the left is Heart of Beaver. It remains from the
titanic struggle that dug the canyon when the 4 giants tried to kill Beaver.
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
A
bouquet on the cliff |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
An
arch is uncommon in basalt formations. |
©2008 Mike Huntington
|
When
you look up, you see yet another cliff above this one. |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
More
flowers on the talus. |
©2008 Mike Huntington
|
Why
it's sometimes called the "Grand Canyon of the Palouse" |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Two views of a cave between the basalt layers |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
onward... |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
ever onward |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
This isn't pollution. Natural phosphates enter the Palouse
River from the north. That also contributes to the dark coloring |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Mud Wrestling!!!!
(Actually, it's more like the avian version of a sale at Home Depot.) |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
The mud goes to build these nests
on the cliff |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
This buck tip-toed across while were were watching the swallows. |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
There is a good current here in spite of the placid appearence
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
End of the line. We are about a mile below the Great Falls.
The boat could just hold its own in the current. So we cut off the motor and
started drifting back downstream...... |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
....but we climbed out to stretch our legs a bit. |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
See the giant?
It looks like
it could be one of the brothers who chased Beaver, but the myth doesn't say
Coyote petrified any of the brothers. |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Some of Beaver's claw marks |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
One last look up the canyon |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Seeps on the cliff |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Russian olive. It will soon get thousands of small yellow
blossoms that smell nice (if you don't have hayfever) |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Back out in the Snake River, we were so engrossed watching
ospreys fishing that we didn't get pix until they started back to the nest
on the bridge |
©2008 Mike Huntington |
|
©2008 Mike Huntington |
Watchful eyes on the pylon marking the entrance to the lagoon.
|
