That's My World -- Hell's Canyon and the Snake River

Time again to share your world! That's My World is hosted every Tuesday by Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise. Click here to sign up join the fun and show us what you love about your world!



The Snake River and Hell's Canyon can be found in Washington and Oregon, but also Idaho. They "snake" their way through a lot of the northwest.


The name "Snake" possibly derived from an S-shaped (snake) sign which the Shoshone Indians made with their hands to mimic swimming salmon.
Variant names of the river have included: Great Snake River, Lewis Fork, Lewis River, Mad River, Saptin River, Shoshone River, and Yam-pah-pa.
Early inhabitants



People have been living along the Snake River for at least 11,000 years.


The HELLS CANYON area was once home to the NEZ PERCE and the SHOSHONE tribes. There is still evidence today of the people of long ago all along the rivers edge.

Today boaters can explore the canyon's many archaeological sites and old homesteads.


The SNAKE RIVER is said to have gotten it's name from the first white explorers who misinterpreted the Shoshone people who identified themselves in sign language by moving their hands in a snake-like motion...But instead of referring to a snake, they were saying that they lived near the river.



Other cultures of the Snake River's basin's protohistoric and historic periods include the Nez Perce, Cayuse, Walla Walla, Palus, Bannock, and many others.



Exploration

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 was the first major U.S. exploration of the lower portion of the Snake River, and the Snake was once known as the Lewis River. Later American exploratory expeditions, which explored much of the length of the Snake River, included the Astor Expedition of 1810-1812, John C. Frémont in 1832, and Benjamin Bonneville in 1833-1834. The British North West Company and, after 1821, Hudson's Bay Company sent large trapping and trading expeditions to the upper Snake River and its tributaries. These annual expeditions began in 1817 and continued for about 30 years. They ranged widely throughout today's southern Idaho, western Wyoming, and northern Utah, in the process exploring the region. Many of the rivers and mountains have French names, reflecting the employment of French-Canadian voyageur by the British companies. The policy of the Hudson's Bay Company's was to deplete the region of fur bearing animals as quickly as possible, so as to make it impossible for American traders to operate there. This goal was largely successful. American traders could not compete in the Snake River country. In contrast, the Hudson's Bay Company found the Snake River expeditions very profitable.



By the middle 19th century, the Oregon Trail had been established, generally following much of the Snake River.

The Snake River has become a favorite place for white water rafting as well as scenic canoe trips. Hell's Canyon is the deepest canyon in the US.