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| Photo courtesy of the National Geographic Production 2002 of Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West. |
"October 13, 1805, the canoes ran down this channel swifter than any horse could run." --Joseph Whitehouse
In the fall of 1805 the Corps of Discovery put their newly fashion dugout canoes into the fast-moving Clearwater River and for the first time in nearly two years had the current to their back. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had faced many nautical challenges since leaving St. Louis, Missouri, in May of 1804, but nothing in their experience had prepared them for the falls and rapids that lay ahead on what is now Idaho and eastern Washington.
As Stephen Ambrose pointed out in his book Undaunted Courage, "The dugout canoes were cumbersome. They overturned or grounded on rocks. They swamped, They sprung leaks. Supplies were damaged, trade goods lost. Men's lives were endangered. The captains ran the rapids anyway, as many as fifteen in a day."
"October 7, 1805, All the canoes in the water. We load and set out, after fixing all our poles &c...Proceed on, passing many bad rapids. One canoe, that in which I went in front, sprung a leak in passing the third rapid." ---William Clark
Whitewater rapids are rated according to difficulty from Class I (easy flow and small waves) to Class VI (virtually unrunnable). Even with today’s high-tech kayaks and rafts, Class V rapids are not included on most commercial river trips. Navigating the rocks, waves, dangerous currents, and steep drops of Class V rapids require scouting and expert paddling skills. The men of the Corps of Discovery had to develop these skills along the way if they expected to survive.
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| William Clark's map of the Clearwater River |
"October 8, 1805, One of the canoes struck a rock in the middle of the rapid and swang around and struck another rock and cracked hir so that it filled with water. The waves roared over the rocks and some of the men could not swim. There they stayed in this doleful situation until we unloaded one of the other canoes and went and released them." ---John Ordway
"October 14, 1805, In passing through a short rapid opposite the head of an island, ran on a smooth rock and turned broadside. The men got out on the rock, all except one of our Indian chiefs, who swam on shore. The canoe filled and sank. A number of articles floated out." ---William Clark
They were nearing the junction of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. It was late in the season and urgency was on their minds. They needed to cover miles no matter what unknown rapids roar ahead and around the bend. In their rush, they were taking many chances in paddling on the rough water.
The local tribes, expert canoeists themselves knew their risks as they gathered sometimes by the hundreds waiting for the inevitable disaster. Surely the white men would drown and they would be able to gather all the abandon equipment for themselves. But to their surprise the cleared the rapids losing only a few shot pouches, some bedding, and clothing, but never a canoe, rifle or man.
"October 16, 1805, Determined to run the rapid. Put our Indian guide in front, our small canoe next, and the other four following each other. The canoes all passed over safe except the rear canoe, which ran fast on a rock at the lower part of the rapids. With the early assistance of the canoes and the Indians, who were extremely alert, everything was taken out, and the canoe got off without any injury...At 14 miles passed a bad rapid, at which place we unloaded and made a portage of 3/4 of a mile, having passed 4 smaller rapids." ---William Clark
About a week later the Corps of Discovery encountered Celilo Falls. The beginning of a 55-mile stretch of the Columbia River proved to be the most difficult and dangerous part of their journey through the Pacific Northwest.
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| Celilo Falls 1899 |
The portage of over the falls gave them little trouble. The explosive Short Narrows and The Long Narrows were another matter. The Short Narrows was a 45-yard wide single channel of raging whitewater. The local Indians considered them impassable. Clark and the corps' best boatman, Peter Cruzatte went ahead to scout it out for themselves. Above the roar of the water, they saw what Clark would later write, "Whorls and swells arising from the compression of the water."
They agreed, that the portage of their heavy canoes over the high rocks would be nearly impossible and by good steering and avoiding the rocks they could make it through safely.
October 24, 1805, I determined to pass through this place notwithstanding the horrid appearance of this agitated gut, swelling, boiling, and whorling in every direction which, from the top of the rock, did not appear as bad as when I was in it. However, we passed safe, to the astonishment of all the Indians, who view us from the top of the rock.---William Clark
October 24, 1805, We went through a place where the river was all confined in a narrow channel of about 20 yards wide, (with) high rocks on each side the current very rapid and full of whirlpools. We ran down (it) very fast."--- Joseph Whitehouse
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| The Short Narrows of the Columbia 1950 |
The next morning the men repeated the scene again at the Long Narrows. The non-swimmers and the valuable baggage portaged around the rapids while the rest of the party shot through them in the dugout canoes.
"October 25, 1805, The three first canoes passed through very well; the fourth nearly filled with water; the last passed through by taking in a little water. Thus, safely below what I conceived to be the worst part of this channel, felt myself extremely gratified and pleased.
We loaded the canoes and set out, and had not proceeded more than 2 miles before the unfortunate canoe which filled crossing the bad place above, ran against a rock and was in great danger of being lost. This channel is through a hard rough black rock, from 50 to 100 yards wide, swelling and boiling in a most tremendous manner." ---William Clark
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| The Long Narrows 1951 |
William Clark's comments are from The Journals of Lewis And Clark, edited by John Bakeless, copyright 1964. Joesph Whitehouse's comments are from the Orginal Journals of Lewis & Clark Expedition 1804-1806, Volume 7. John Ordway's comment is from The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark, Vol 9: John Ordway and Charles Floyd.
