Year of the Snake - includes related articles on undamming the Snake and other western rivers - Snake River

Sunset, May, 1999 by Lora J. Finnegan

This Northwestern river delights rafters, hikers, and anglers - but a dam controversy may mean turbulence ahead

From Oregon's 6,982-foot Hat Point Overlook, the Snake River looks burly, swift, and vital as it courses through the narrow, chocolate-colored walls of Hells Canyon. Within the deep gorge, peregrine falcons nest on towering cliffs, 8-foot sturgeon laze in deep holes, and the rare Snake River biscuit-root rises from the earth like a wisp of smoke.

All this nature primeval has made the 652,488-acre Hells Canyon National Recreation Area a playground for rafters, anglers, hikers, and boaters.

But things here aren't as tranquil as they seem. The Snake River has become a battleground between conservationists, who want to redirect the waterway's lower section around four hydroelectric dams, and local farmers, businesses, and others who rely on the power, the navigable waterway, and the commercial port those dams have created (see "Undamming the Snake," page 24).

With dams now being challenged all over the country, the conflict on the Snake could lead to a rushing of waters heard round the West.

Born high in Yellowstone National Park, the Snake runs 1,056 miles to the Columbia River and drains an area larger than Colorado. It plays many roles along the way: critical salmon and steelhead habitat, hardworking agricultural stream, shipping thoroughfare, and somnolent reservoir. But during the 71 miles it runs through Hells Canyon, it's simply wild - cataract-filled, and boiling, one of the federally designated Wild and Scenic rivers. "The most unique things about the Snake River are the big rapids, the big waves," notes Ric Bailey, river guide and executive director of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council. "It's one of North America's largest rafting rivers in terms of water volume."

It's not hard to witness both its wild and its mild sides. Put in near Lewiston, Idaho, below the protection of the Wild and Scenic designation, and you'll find the river sluggish, swelling to a warm, dark lake as it confronts Lower Granite Dam just downstream. But head upriver on a fast boat and you'll soon enter Hells Canyon. The craft works harder as the river picks up speed; the water turns the blue of the sky and pummels the prow with larger and larger rapids.

And then the canyon rises up like the walls of an ancient temple, blocking the sun. Bighorn sheep graze on rock outcrops that jut out like stone altars. On the opposite bank, the intricate and baffling tracings of petroglyphs adorn cinnamon-colored stone.

Ancient tribes called the canyon sacred, and if you spend any time on the water here, you'll see why so many people still do. Thousands take raft trips or jet boat tours every year, and many more visitors fish its waters and hike the recreation area's more than 900 miles of trails.

But the passions of pastime and livelihood both swirl about the Snake's four dams, and as the controversy here grows, they are sure to create as much turbulence as a class 5 rapid.

From Hat Point Overlook, the 8,000-foot Seven Devils Mountains loom across Hells Canyon, dark and brooding against an azure sky. But Ric Bailey's scrutiny remains fixed on the Snake's frothy Rush Creek Rapids below. "That one'll just pull you around and spin you," he says with a chuckle. "It's really exciting," he adds, and his hands clench as if wrapped around oars. Or, one might assume, in preparation for a fight.

SNAKE RIVER/HELLS CANYON TRAVEL PLANNER

The main gateway towns to the Snake River and the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area are Lewiston, Idaho, and its cross-river neighbor, Clarkston, Washington. What they lack in charm, they make up for in services. Temperatures can reach 100 [degrees] in July and August, so bring a hat, sunglasses, and sun protection, and dress in layers.

The best ways into the canyon are one-day and overnight raft trips or jet boat tours (many include fishing and hiking); they run May through October.

For travel information, contact the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce (800/473-3543 or www.lewistonchamber.org) or the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce (800/933-2128). For more information on the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, call (541) 963-3950.

RAFTING TRIPS. OARS (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists) offers the canyon's only dory trips, plus raft trips. Meals and equipment included; prices $730 (three days) to $975 (five days); discounts for ages 7-17; (800) 346-6277 or www.oars.com. Other outfitters: Northwest Voyagers (800/727-9977), Salmon River Experience (800/892-9223).

JET BOATS. Fast (200 miles in a day) but noisy and controversial. Beamers Hells Canyon Tours and Excursions, the biggest and oldest operator, has one-day trips, mail-boat trips, overnight tours, and rafting; (800) 522-6966.

FISHING. Jig Masters (509/758-2310) specializes in guided fishing trips (full- or part-day) for steelhead on the Snake.

HIKING/PARKS. Camp and hike (925 miles of trails) in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area; (541) 4264978. Swim, picnic, and camp in Hells Gate State Park south of Lewiston (208/799-5015). The 18-mile Greenbelt Trail runs on both sides of the river; one entry is at 100 Fair St. in Clarkston.