Halcyon News

OK, here is a cut and paste from my friend Vance in Gifford on Lake Roosevelt:

It takes about 4 hrs and 30 minutes or so from North Bend/Snoqualmie area to here. Do you need directions? In order for the Gifford Campground boat ramp to be unusable, the water would have to flucuate down by about 40 feet in the next two weeks (the lake is almost full and is not flucuating very much at this time) not very likely, don't worry about it. How many boats are coming?

Regards,
Vance

So, sounds like he can park more than just our tow rig, if anybody else is thinking about this, I would like to let Vance know...



El and Bill":38b02as9 said:
Catman --
Juat read your article in Nor'wester -- we'll be sending copies to your buddies, Bryce and Ami -- thanks for the kind words.
We had a great time in Colorado -- camped in the Lost Creek Wilderness, above 9,500 feet -- rain and hail most afternoons, but no problem. The kids caught heaps of trout (and released them, you'll be glad to know), tubed the Tarryall River, hiked everywhere, and whopped the Grandparents at every card game known to kids. Good time had by all.
Now in Stanwood, visiting with Roger and 'Lisbeth -- head out today, in tandem with Chris on Rana Verde, for the Columbia River headwater lakes in British Columbia -- a few weeks cruising Revelstoke, the Arrow lakes, and hopefully on the weekend of 6th we'll be on Roosevelt. Coming up to join? Pat and Patty and hoping to get there.
Click to expand...
 
We pulled Halcyon from Columbia River water this morning. The river is 1,200 miles from source to sea and we now have 600 miles of Columbia water under Halcyon's hull. The lakes in British Columbia are incredible. Lake Revelstoke is perhaps the most beautiful mountain lake we have ever cruised. Doing the writing for Halcyon Days now, to share the experience and views with those of you who might hanker to see the source lakes of the Columbia River.
We are now taking a week off to head down to Grant's Pass and raft the Rogue River. Then, back to Halcyon and a launch sometime in the early August Twenties from Lewiston to see the last 600 miles of the river. She's a beaut. El and Bill on Halcyon
 
Bill & El
We would love to join you on part of the Columbia River cruise. Do you have dates of when you will be on the lower part of the river, ( from Portland to Astoria )? There are several C-Dorys on the lower river, perhaps we can stage a Columbia River gathering.
Have fun on the Rogue, I did that in a several years ago in a drift boat, some day hope to do it again.
 
Rock-C:
Just off the Rogue -- what a great whitewater run. We did much of it in kayaks and used the rafts for support -- marvelous trip, with good wildlife and interesting geology.
We are heading up to Lake Roosevelt now to pick up Halcyon and then will probably trailer to Lake Dworshak for a few days of lake cruising -- the temperatures are simply too warm on the Columbia for comfortable cruising for us now.
So, we'll probably start down from Lewiston in about a week or so. hard to predict a time when we will be to Portland, since the Dalles and the winds will dictate our progress. Are you flexible with a start date at Portland?
Would love to have some company.
 
Been four days on Lake Dworshak in Idaho -- glorious cruising. Now starting down the Snake tomorrow am from Lewiston. Maybe see some of you folks as we get down river. If you think you might join, be in touch with us through Roger and 'Lisbeth, on Sensei. They have our cell phone number.
 
We have just uploaded new stories about the Columbia River and its tributaries on our website:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/2004.htm

Scroll down and click on the tales under July and August to read about the Columbia.

We spent a week at Lake Dworshak -- an incredible hidden gem of a lake just outside Lewiston. Wow, what a wild lake with great critters, and mountain views. It's the north fork of the Clearwater, a tributary of the Clearwater, a trib. of the Snake, a trib of the Columbia -- how's that for stretching a reason to cruise a lake? Don't need any reason, except to appreciate beauty, to cruise that gem.

We have now just come down the Snake, locking the four big locks, and are hiding from 40 mph winds and 10' waves in Wallula Gap. We are in the TriCities and hope to be able to continue on tomorrow through McNary lock and down the river.

The Columbia River headwaters travel through some incredible country -- from glacier-capped mountains in the Rockies down into the high desert. Now looking forward to the cruise through the Gorge and down to the temperate rain forest.

Hope you enjoy the tales of 'fire and ice' and the formation of the Columbia Basin, the Rockies, and a few other geologic tidbits. Been a marvelous cruise with some incredible wildlife and vistas.

Hope to cross wakes with folks down in the lower Columbia country. Best way to contact us is through Roger (Sensei) since we don't often get a telephone link into the Internet when on the river.
 
Just finished a great cruise on Lake Powell. Another special time at a very special place. Will be leaving in a few days for a short time in Denver and then on to the Missouri River. Sorry to have so little time on Internet to communicate with friends, but hard to find a hookup --

Oh, and we just uploaded some new postings on Halcyon Days:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/2004.htm

Head down to August and September and there's some new stuff: Geology of the Columbia River, The Snake River, and such. Am writing up the cruise from Lewiston to Warrenton on the Columbia now and it might be up in a week or so.
 
We leave this morning for the Arkansas River, but just finished a posting for our Halcyon Days website about our cruise down the lower navigable portion of the Columbia River. If interested, check it out at:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/colrivmid.htm

By the way, we received a notice from the Google search engine, that our website is one of the most visited non-commercial boating websites on the Internet ... and it all started as just a way to share tales with our kids!
 
We have completed our fall cruising in the MO/AR/OK country and have pulled Halcyon for a little rest for the engines. We have written up tales of the cruise down the Arkansas River (those of you who know us remember that's where we were headed back in fall 2001 when El slipped on the greasy boat ramp and broke her leg). This year we went down river with Bruce and Larry (on SeeSaw). We also cruised lake Ouachita (one of the prettiest lake cruises in the SE, Harry S. Truman Lake and Bull Shoals Lake. The tales are all on the website:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/2004.htm

and scroll down to October/November to find the stories.

We will heading out to Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado (sans Halcyon) to visit dentist, doc checkups, and holidays with family.

Then, in March or thereabouts, we hope to return to Arkansas, perhaps cruise down the Ouachita/Red rivers and hence to the Gulf. We will take a short vacation to Central America in early April, and then hope to get to the Rendezvous that ByrdMan is planning in Alabama or Tennessee. Then, we hope to cruise south to the Gulf again and cruise the Circle route this next year - Gulf coast, up east coast, into the Great Lakes, and back south via the Illinois, Mississippi, and Tenn Tom. We have done the Circle back in '93, and really enjoyed it, so figure it might be fun to do again.

Hope you enjoy the pages about the MO/AR lakes and the river - this is some primo cruising and boating country, and those of you who haven't cruised here should sure add it to your list - especially out of season.
 
We have just posted a new thread on Halcyon Days. This one describes the Nashville - Mt. Juliet Tennessee Gathering.

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/tenngath05.htm

We gave a CD of photos to Pat Byrd for posting, but his computer has apparently gone south. So, got up early this am to write up a posting so folks can share some of the sights from Tennessee.l

We are now on the Tennessee River, upbound for Knoxville. Hopefully, we'll have another posting in the next few days about our great cruise down the Cumberland.
 
Just pulled into Ft. Loudin Marina, below Knoxville on the Tennessee River. The GPS trip odometer reads 1,064 nautical miles for our now almost finished springtime cruise down the Cumberland River and up the Tennessee River. What a marvelous bit of water. Our previous times on these rivers were in the fall, and El votes for springtime being the very best time on these great rivers. We heartily encourage any of you with the time and interest to cruise these rivers -- they are glorious!!
Rana Verde and Wanderer lifted up the last of many locks with us this afternoon and the three C-Dorys are side by side here in the marina. They have been great companions on the cruise.
Hope to have time in the next week to do some writing for our website about this experience.
 
Bill: Tell the gang I said Hey and I am glad they were all able to enjoy so much of the rivers.... Also, tell George and Penny that I have not forgoten, or given up on their offer for the Chesapeak/easter shore gathering... Sherryl may not be able to make it do to having just been off another two weeks for the Japan mission trip....but I might accediently just drive past Mt. Juliet/Nashville on my way up to pick up my boat... I need a bit more trailer work...and a transducer mounted....and see how the trailer tires shifted forward help my tongue weight issue... If it is good, I may...might....maybe attempt the trip with the boat...If not...a simple run up the interstate system and a visit with Wanderer may not be too far out of the question... Truly enjoyed everyone's participation in the Mt. Juliet/Nashville Grand Ol'Gathering.... Wow what a time....and I can not wait for others to get to land and post some pics too.
 
We hope to be heading up the Little Tennessee and Tellico Rivers tomorrow, if the weather is good.

We heard from Chris and he is home in San Diego, after a long trip from Tennessee. Sure was great cruising with him here on the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.
 
We have just about finished our time here in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Been on the hard to finish some writing of our tales from this spring.

Now, if you would like to read about one of the finest fresh water cruising areas on Earth (1,200 nmiles of beauty, variety, good food, etc. etc.) go get a beer, settle down at the computer, and check out these sites:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/cumber05.htm

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/tenn05.htm

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/tellico.htm

You can check on all our postings for 2005 at:

http://www.geocities.com/bill_fiero/2005.htm

We plan to head up to the Chesapeake soon to do some late spring cruising on those waters and meet the Gathering at Lankford Marina.
 
If anyone has been curious where the Byrdman has been lately (since he's been mighty quiet), he has a health problem in his wife's family and they are tied up with that now. They will be leaving for Japan next week and that will really put him out of 'earshot' for awhile, but, rest assured, we will hear from our Alabama friend when he returns. He wanted us to post a brief message to explain his absence from the pub.
 
We launched at Seneca Lake State Park Monday, did a little cruising on the Seneca/Cayuga canal and are now putt putt-ing along on the Erie Canal. A little hot, until last night's thunderstorm, but delightful countryside and we had a great visit in Seneca Falls (home of women's rights) and Waterloo (home of Memorial Day). Debating whether to trundle westerly or easterly on the Erie.

"You to the left, and I to the right,
For the ways of men must sever.
And it well may be for a day and a night,
And it well may be forever."

Well, we assume it won't be forever, but after that mega-flasher last night one never knows. The trusty Bruce held well. Now a cool, gray morning with the birds singing and 'all's well with the world.' (or at least, our micro-world).
 
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