Driving through the Palouse to the Snake River.

The beautiful orange/red is the result of using Round-Up to kill everything in the field, including any of last years wheat seeds that fell during harvest. That way, this year's pesticides and herbicides aren't wasted on volunteers from last year's crop. Think of it as a glucose-free wheat field.

The Chief Timothy bridge. Chief Timothy was a hero or traitor, depending on which side you are on.

After putting in at Hell's Gate, I first went lower on the river. Didn't see another boat all day or the next when I returned to the marina.

Miles of spectacular scenery, if you like this kind of stuff. Yes, that is a nun buoy 500 yards offshore. It probably marks depths of less than 10 feet, but trees get snagged in these "shallow" areas and it is best to observe the buoys when on plane.

The water was glassy, so I could zip along until the next view caught my eye.

I poked into a few canyon bays to see if they would make good anchorages. I was concerned that the wind might come up overnight. That is cottonwood fuzz on the water.

This canyon bay had running water. I scared off a great blue heron, a flock of pintail ducks, a river otter, a black Angus cow and her calf, and probably other wildlife.

There was a train track and a road on one side. Several trains and several cars went by in the night.

This is Kelly Bar, where I "anchored" for the night. It is really the only sand bar on the reservoir. I ran the boat aground and then walked the anchor up on the beach and stomped it into the sand. "We're home."

Walking on the island beach was fun. This two foot by three foot hole was interesting. All of those footprints, and not one human.

Here are some interesting footprints. At the bottom, pointing up, are coyote. At the top, pointing down, are bob cat. Maybe they fought and created the hole in the sand.

After seeing the footprints I was surprise to find these eggs. A Canada goose nest.

The next nest I found because I could hear the goslings peeping. But it looks like I'm a day too early. Each of them had a hole started, but they hadn't pecked through yet.

I returned the next day about noon and found these guys. No shells around and they are all dry and fuzzy. But only five.

The sixth had "run away" about a foot, tripped on a twig, and laid still while I took his picture. Mom and Dad were close by and a little irritated.

I had to be careful and make sure that Mom and Dad were the first to return to the nest. Ravens were everywhere waiting for an opportunity. This guy was a few miles away and eating a goose egg.

They don't all make it.

Right at the Lower Granite dam is a launch and dock. It appeared to be a lonely place and not one where I would want to leave my trailer, although a thief would have a 40 mile drive from anywhere to pilfer through my car. *

At sunset, the moon came up. This calm didn't last through the night.

By sunrise the water had calmed from the overnight wind.

By about 10 o'clock I headed back upriver and the water calmed back down to glass.

I went past Lewiston and Clarkston (no fuel dock), past Hell's Gate (no fuel dock), past Asotin (no fuel). There is no fuel on this giant reservoir. But this picture is about the river starting to get active above Asotin. *

All hands on deck. No time to take pictures.