2014 Exploring The Northwest – DAY 31/32 – Cape Disappointment
Cape Disappointment is our destination today. It is located at the mouth and north side of the Columbia River where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. How did it get its name? In 1788, while in search of the Columbia River, English Captain John Meares missed the passage over the river bar and named the nearby headland Cape Disappointment for his failure in finding the river.
When we started this six-week adventure, we embraced two themes: Northwest mountains/mountain ranges, and the North Pacific coast. Today we discovered yet another theme: the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806. This expedition was sponsored by President Jefferson following the Louisiana Purchase and was to find a path to the Pacific Ocean. It was meant to go through areas never seen by a European. The area surrounding the mouth of the Columbia River is central to the expedition since this is where it successfully reached the goal. There are several museums, interpretative sites and a fort built to spend the winter prior to returning to St. Louis. It was fascinating to learn the details of their journey. I was very impressed with the difficulty of the mission, the resourcefulness, bravery, and the sheer strength of these 35 men and 1 woman.
Navigating this entrance to the Columbia River was extremely perilous. In response, the US Army Corp of Engineers built two jetties, each over a mile long on the north and south side of the entrance. Started in 1885, it took more than 10 years to complete. It met its purpose and changed the landmass as well as sandbar. Today we visited the north jetty, and then walked up to the lighthouse – Carmine loves lighthouses.
It rained most of the day, so we did our weekly housekeeping chores. Connecting to the outside via WIFI or mobile network has been a challenge throughout this trip. Becoming WIFI bandits was not our intent, but we’ve become quite proficient in finding places where we could hover and use the available connection. An early evening dinner at a British-like Inn with a charming pub, and a reputation for great clam chowder was our reward. It was great! Their fish and chips were delicious….and their garlic fries…Oh my! The second day, we found a local fishmonger with fresh clams. This gave us the opportunity for Carmine to build a fire in the rain while I steamed the clams. Does it get any better?
YES! As a special treat we spotted a black bear walking down the road from the jetty. What is a bear doing at the beach? Roselie immediately reported the sighting since there were no bear warnings at the campsites. The ranger dismissed any concern because there is so much food for them in the area, they don’t bother with the campers. Now that is reassuring!!
Bear sighting
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