"Natty Bumppo" wrote in message
om...
I'm writing a short story for a class...it takes place in the Pacific
Northwest and I would really appreciate help with an answer to this
question:

Is it possible and likely for a small boat to paddle or row a great
distance up the Columbia River?

A historical note: From 1811, when David Thompson discovered the Athabasca
Pass, until 1846, when the Oregon treaty established the 49th parallel as
the US border, the Columbia was part of the most important (at the time) fur
trading route across the Canadian Rockies.

There's a small lake situated at the summit of the Athabasca Pass, called
The Committee's Punchbowl. (Named after the governing committee of the
Hudson's Bay Company.) This lake drains into the a tributary of the Wood
River on one side (itself a tributary of the Columbia), and also into the
Whirlpool River (a tributary of the Athabasca) on the other side. This
means that there is an entirely water route across the Rockies. You can
imagine the importance of this to traders crossing the continent. Sure,
some portages would still be necessary, as there are significant rapids on
both sides, but they wouldn't have to lug loaded Voyageur canoes over any
mountain passes! (Note that this itself doesn't give a cross-continent
route, since the Athabasca flows eventually to the Arctic, but the crossing
to the Saskatchewan river system (which flows as far east as Lake Winnipeg,
before going to Hudson's Bay) could be made on the prairies, with
horse-drawn carts.

-Paul