Scenic Hells Canyon—My First Trip

Wow, just Wow!  Considering the population of the world, only a relatively few people have experienced being inside of Hells Canyon.  Remote, rugged, dangerous, and wild, some points of the canyon can only be accessed by traveling on the river itself.  Here wildlife is free to roam the cliffs, forage, and thrive.  The few humans that enter the canyon come by rafts, jet boats, tour boats, or by vehicle at the limited roads that lead to the river. Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America, with the Snake River carving its way through the canyon's steep walls.  It reaches a maximum depth of around 7,993 feet from the river's surface to the canyon rim, which makes it even deeper than the famous Grand Canyon of Arizona.

I had lived in the Lewis-Clark Valley for fifteen years before I took my first trip into Hells Canyon.  This is not uncommon, there are many locals who have lived almost their entire lives nearby and have never ventured into the canyon.  Because the remote parts of the canyon are accessed by boat, one must either know someone generous and willing to take them or pay for a guide or tour boat which can be hundreds of dollars per person.  

I embarked on a half day tour boat trip in 2007 that left from the Port of Clarkston, Washington.  I joined with at least three dozen other passengers who anticipated adventure and thrills.  People come from all over the country and world to witness the wonder of this unique stretch of river and canyon.  Spirits were high as we left the confluence of the Clearwater and headed south into the greenish waters of the Snake River.  We passed under the iconic blue bridge that connects the state of Idaho to the state of Washington, and traveled the wide river highway toward the city of Asotin, Washington.  There we stopped to admire the tall, brown basalt columns formed many thousands of years ago by volcanic upheaval.  A geological marvel!  Soon the boat was roaring over the water on its three engines, and three jet pumps at 40 miles per hour.  Along the route we observed beach front homes, seagulls soaring overhead, Great Blue Heron frozen in place hunting from the shore, and birds of all kinds skimming over the water.  At one point the captain spotted a herd of Rocky Mountain Big Horned Sheep and he maneuvered the large boat near the shore so we could observe the sheep as they bounced and climbed over the rocks.  It was the first time I had seen wild animals in their natural habitat.  I was fascinated to watch the young kids chase each other exuberantly over the rocks as the ewes stood nearby and the majestic ram with his big curled horn supervised the herd.  As we moved further down the river we came to Buffalo Eddy where we stopped to see the ancient Native American petroglyphs.  The meaning of the mysterious symbols has been lost to time, yet the awe we felt by inspecting their messages was very much present.  I couldn’t help but wonder who painstakingly chipped these stories into the rocks, what did it mean, why did they leave this message for future generations?  So much history, and so many lives had learned to survive here in this place of wilderness.  One of the thrilling aspects of our tour was running through the river rapids where white water bubbled up in unpredictable waves and crashed against the boat.  Some of us were given an unexpected drenching of cold water that was shocking and exhilarating! Here we feel the power of the river that can flow at 10K to 50K+ cubic feet per second which translates to 60 pounds for each cubic foot of water. For example, at 10K C.F.S. it is 36 million pounds of water flowing per second!  The river owns the water and we are mere guests riding on its surface and at the mercy of its whims.   We traveled several more miles up the river near Heller Bar, stopped for lunch and refreshment then climbed back aboard our tour boat for the return trip home.  It was a day filled with sun, adventure, and wonder.  Although my trip only lasted six hours and spanned 130 miles, I got a small taste of the magnificence of the canyon. Still, I knew there were dozens of miles that I had yet to discover.

My next experiences visiting Hells Canyon would come four years later when I traveled up the canyon with my soon-to-be husband, Roy Broumley.  An avid fisherman and jetboater, Roy has taught me first- hand the mysteries and secrets of the canyon.  I look forward to sharing with you our captivating adventures in future blog posts. 

I welcome you to leave comments and explore the beauty of this area which I have captured through images on my website.  You may follow my daily walks on Instagram at #broumleyjudy.  If you would like updates on my photographic and art journey please subscribe to my monthly newsletter.