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Photo: Fishing for steelhead on the Grande Ronde River requires concentration, something easily lost in this surreal landscape. Photo courtesy Drew Winterer.

The finest meal, according to Lewis, is a steelhead trout fried in bear's grease. While the grease may be difficult to come by, steelhead are still swimming in the western rivers where Lewis found them. Of all the game fish that call the Lewis and Clark Trail home, the steelhead is one of the most awe-inspiring. First, steelhead grow big. The steelhead in the Columbia drainage average 6-25 pounds, with 30-pound fish possible. Second, they fight like hell. When they jump, you feel the sea in them. Known for spectacular acrobatics and vicious runs, steelhead trout send pulses racing. Third, these are some of the most beautiful wild fish in the world. Part freshwater fish, part saltwater fish, the steelhead represent Northwest fishing at its finest. One fantastic spot to chase these fish is the Grande Ronde River. While the Corps of Discovery did not have time to explore the many twists of the Grande Ronde River, do not make this same mistake. This wild river offers easy access into a unique world. The lower river has carved a marvelous canyon out of a high plateau of basalt flows, resulting in a crazy crooked riverbed twisting through a surreal landscape. Roads cannot follow the river for long here, due to the immense canyon walls and the dramatic turns.

Conservation Update The Sierra Club is working in the vicinity of the Grande Ronde to permanently protect proposed additions to the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness, as part of the Lewis and Clark campaign. This modest and reasonable proposal encompasses five specific areas and approximately 50,000 acres. These proposed additions are roadless areas on public lands, found on the Umatilla National Forest in the Upper Tucannon River Valley in southeastern Washington. They were left out of a 1984 Wilderness Bill, and ,interestingly, no conflicts exist with motorized recreational users in these areas. Designating these special places as wilderness would be an ideal way to commemorate the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark’s journey. Lewis and Clark passed very near this area in the spring of 1806 as they returned to the Rockies from the Pacific and were headed eastbound from the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The Walla Walla Indians generously directed them to an 80-mile shortcut as they returned to the west end of the Lolo Trail and the Clearwater River in the heart of Nez Perce country. Located in the Blue Mountains, the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness Additions support spring Chinook salmon,steelhead, bull trout, deer, elk,bighorn sheep, and mushrooms, and contain many natural springs, some of the largest known basalt flows, and the only known mountain mahogany trees in Washington State (some trees are more than 200 years old). Vistas include Seven Devils, Hells Canyon, the Wallowas, and the Grande Ronde River Canyon. The Sierra Club is encouraging the Senators from Washington and the Congressman from eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District to permanently protect these unique wildlands. The Sierra Club is also conducting public education presentations and doing outreach in urban, suburban, and rural areas to gain further support for protecting these areas. Hikes and outings highlight these areas so that the public can experience the same awe that Lewis and Clark felt when they walked through this part of wild America. Who to contact: Chase Davis Spokane, Washington Sierra Club Office E-mail: chase.davis@sierraclub.org 10 N Post St, Set. 447 Spokane, WA 99201-0907 P: 509-456-8802 Find out more: Lower Snake River Protecting the Salmon Species at Risk: Salmon Other resources: Twin River Anglers, www.traflyfish.com