Leaving St. Louis, Missouri, Helen Inman and I "set out under a jentle brease," arriving eight days later at one of the few places that still looks like it did when the Corps of Discovery came up the river in 1804. I will use Meriwether Lewis’ description of the canyon. "This evening we entered the most remarkable cliffs that we have yet seen." "These cliffs rise from the water’s edge on either side perpendicularly to a height of 1,200 ft. … the towering and projecting rocks in many places seem ready to tumble in on us." 

Taking the last boat ride of the day the first thing we saw were two young bald eagles trying to learn to fly with help and encouragement from their parents. Next was a herd of mother Bighorn sheep and their babies. These tiny lambs ran and played on those stone cliffs with perfect ease. When we were turning to go back up the river a mother mule deer with twins was drinking from the water’s edge. As the boat swung around, the mountains looked like they moved apart and opened up, and when we passed through they seemed to close (or shut) behind us. When Meriwether Lewis from the same spot beheld this phenomenon he said, "from the singular appearance of this place I called it The Gates of The Rocky Mountains."
 

Explore the Gates of the Mountains