2014 Exploring The Northwest – DAY 34 – Astoria, OR
Today was focused on visiting Astoria, located on the southern bank of the Columbia River. It is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. Formally established in 1811 by John Jacob Astor, the outpost was intended to develop Far East markets for the beaver-fur trade. By the 1870’s it was a flourishing fishing and lumber center. Today, it is the largest town near the end of the Columbia River. The city is in transition. Lumber has dwindled. Fishing is primarily focused on sport fishing rather than commercial fishing, and tourism seems to be the hope of the future. The city is not prospering. Many downtown shops are empty or closed. Most of the buildings look like they need a coat of paint or some love and care. The harshness of the weather amplifies these needs. But they are trying and investing for the future.
Southern jetty being pounded by the surf
Port Astoria
Astoria is also the major exchange port of shipping cargo. Medium sized Ocean going ships are able to enter the river through a dredged channel to dock in the port. Cargo is offloaded onto barges that move it up river. The same thing happens in reverse for cargo coming from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington for shipment to the Far East.
“ The Columbia River is where the enormous swift moving river, flowing like water from a fire hose, collides with the immense power of the Pacific Ocean. The two forces slam into each other at the entrance to the river creating the worst wave conditions on the planet.”
US Coast Guard in action – well sort of – in the museum
The Columbia River Maritime Museum is absolutely well done and engaging. We spent a couple of hours there and learned a lot, including:
Where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean is knows as the Graveyard of the Pacific
More than 2,000 ships sank near the entrance, including more than 200 large vessels.
700 people have lost their lives to the sea in this area
More than 1.5 billion gallons of water flow from the Columbia River into the Pacific Ocean each day.
This is one of the top three, worldwide, hardest river entrances to experience. It is the most difficult in the USA.
The US Coast guard trains its most elite teams on how to handle boats and rescue operations under these types of conditions.
An US Coast Guard team needs to pass a test of rescuing a man-overboard, in less than 3 minutes, with 20-foot swells, at night.
The US Coast Guard saves an average of 600 lives each year at the entrance to the Columbia River
Any ship entering the river requires a highly qualified pilot, on board, and must follow the lead of a pilot-boat.
Roselie learning how to navigate the entrance to the Columbia River
Columbia River paddle cruise ship
The city also runs a rail-trolley along the waterfront. Given the rain, we decided not to wait for this randomly scheduled ride. But we discovered something exciting – a Columbia River cruise. When we traveled down the Columbia River gorge with John and Ginny last year, we heard about a riverboat cruise on the Columbia. Surprise! We found the rear-paddle powered riverboat preparing for its 8 day cruise up the river – from Astoria to Clarkston, Idaho and passing through 8 locks. It looks great. Every day it docks at a different town to explore and experience. This has now been added to our list of Must Do’s.
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