Blue skies and chilly air greeted us when we woke up anchored inside a beautiful area at the confluence of the Palouse and Snake Rivers.
We spent the main part of the day exploring the Palouse River from the canyon rim all the way to the river. Exploring via Zodiac provided fantastic scenery. The blue sky reflected in the calm, glass-like water, as well as various colors of the landscape, mostly greens and yellows. We observed a variety of bird species, including magpies, ravens, doves, and pheasants. The highlights of our bird sightings were golden and bald eagles and peregrine falcons perched on the cliffs. We also observed cliff swallow nests. Overall, our outing was quite productive in terms of wildlife sightings.
To explore from the canyon rim, we used our trusty motor coaches and enjoyed three distinct views of Palouse Falls. This 198-foot waterfall begins about 150-feet below the lip of the canyon, falling into a deep plunge pool.
In the late afternoon, we kayaked around the Palouse side of the Snake and Palouse confluence.
After dinner, we traversed the first of the three locks that we planned to pass through that night.
