Lewiston to Astoria

H

helm

New member
We finished a two week trip from Lewiston down the Snake, to the Columbia then down to Astoria last weekend. It's a wonderful trip and easily accessible for people in the Northwest. We trailered from Medford up to Lewiston and launched at Hells Canyon Resort. Its a very nice facility with a convenient ramp, good docks, showers and a pool. They let us leave our truck and trailer in the lot across from the ramp where it stayed safe and sound until we flew back up to Lewiston to drive back down to Portland to retrieve Chack Chack. You could probably even arrange to have your truck and trailer shuttled down.

Our Stops on the Snake were at Boyer State Park, which is another great facility, with a small store, and restaraunt and very friendly people. From there it was Lyons Ferry - non alcohol gas available - with again a nice facillity and restaraunt. From Lyons Ferry we head down the remainder of the Snake then up the Columbia to Kennicwick.

From Kennewick we headed to to Arlington, Hood River, Cascade Locks, Beacon Rock, Cathlamet, Astoria, then back up to St Helens, Coon Island, then Rose City Yacht Club in Portland were we arrived for Prime Rib dinner night.

We flew from Portland to Lewiston, got the truck and trailer, drove to Portland then recovered Chack Chack the next day and headed home

We picked the first two weeks of October for its light winds and fair weather which was spectacular. The eight locks were on demand and our longest wait to lock through was 30 minutes to a green light.

We used the Evergreen chart book and an older cruising guide by Malcolm Galatz for the trip. Mr Galatz's book is out of print but you can get it on
Amazon and it is still very useful.

I would highly recommend this cruise to you for its sense of remoteness - you are - and the stark beauty of the Snake which gives way to the verdant green of the Columbia river gorge.
Pictures in our album
Best
Eric
 
Very savvy choices all around. Wind, wind, wind is the bugbear on the Columbia. Two weeks is pretty fast. I bet you guys were up early and moving out with dispatch.

Congrats on the fine cruise.
 
Sounds nifty. I like to read about cruises, especially if they are on a "route" I don't know a lot about (but sounds interesting).

I've camped along the Columbia Gorge near Hood River. Had no idea there WAS a non-windy (or less windy) season. Man, that place was windy! Great trains, too :D
 
This cruise is definitely on my bucket list. I wish you could write up a whole kinda day be day set of notes. It would be perfect to guide me and others on such an adventure.
 
Potterwater,

The Evergreen chart book would be number one on my list, if I were to do this route. It is a set of full size replicas of NOAA charts, from Lewiston to the mouth of the Columbia. Do not have a link for that, but I bet Helm does. Because the Corp of Engineers maintains a shipping channel for barge traffic all the way to Lewiston, navigation is easy if you elect to stick to the channel. Off channel, rocks are pretty well marked on the chart, but caution is advised, especially if some of the pools are drawn down.

Beyond that, there is a rich literature of lore on the Columbia Snake system. Certainly, a seminal work for recent times would be Robin Cody's fine account of his paddle trek via canoe from the headwaters of the Columbia to the bar, Voyage of a Summer Sun. Details here: http://www.robincody.net/books/books.html

I bet Helm has got some even better stuff to recommend.
 
Suprisingly the best resource for this trip is Malcolm Galatz's cruising guide - Boater's Guide to the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Even though it was published in 1997 its still accurate. We got our copy on Amazon from a used book dealer and I would be happy to loan it out.
Evergreens River Cruising Atlas : Columbia, Willamette and Snake Rivers is in print and available on Amazon as well and again would be happy to loan it out.

In addition we used CMAP on our chart plotter, Garmin Blue Chart on an IPAD for the Admiral, and Tiki with a Navionics chip on our laptop.

There is no cell service once you leave Lewiston until you get to Ice Harbor, but Boyer State Park, and Lyons Ferry have free wifi for weather updates and etc.

We never had any concerns about depths or entrances

A highly recommended trip
Best
Eric
 
Eric,

Very cool trip. At some point I would like to do this one too. I have done parts of the Snake, and of the Columbia, but not all at once, all in one time.

I use the Evergreen River book too, and Navionics on RayMarine and a Garmin GPS MAP 640.

You are right about the winds. Good timing.

Will be looking at your pix next.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Hey I did that trip in my C Ranger a few years ago and was a good trip.
I had one hassle with a dam out of service but in the end it worked out ok.
Few years later I thought I might do it again just to have a starter lock up on the motor and made that trip go to pot real quick. I was saved by 911 and the local fire boat. Big hassle was to get back to Lewiston and sounds like you have a good plan for that. I know taking the bus did not look good.
Others thinking about it can look at my pictures on Tugnuts under K7MXE.
Thanks for the post Bob Heselberg in Eatonville Wa
 
I had forgotten my pictures were also on here. Been a few years. Those poles are for ham antennas and were a one time only as decided to do some improvements and tried this and that and in the end a 21 foot boat is just too small for ham radio. It worked but not great.
 
Tom,

On the portions of the Snake and Columbia I have done, I have seen:

Deer
Antelope
Beaver
Otter
Marmot
Eagles
Osprey
Swallows, several kinds
Bats
Herons, Great Blue and Night
Sea lions
Coyotte
Fox
and though not from the water, I have seen Big Horn Sheep around the Dalles

Not all on the same trip, because I have spent many trips over many years.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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