David,
Took my two daughters from the Tri-cities to Lewiston and back in a 24' I/O in the late 80's. The flood control dams all have enormous locks which
lift you 100' to the next level. At the time, most of the locks were sparsely attended. You would pull up to a pylon and pull on a
rope to signal the lock master to open up. We were often the only
boat in them. It get's interesting when you are in a lock with a barge train which is pushed rather than towed. There is a lot of barge traffic both the Snake and the
Columbia to be aware of. The
water conditions can be challenging for a
small boat as the current is flowing to the west and the wind is usually out of the west, setting up a steep chop. You won't do much if any sailing on the relatively narrow Snake.
You should have current
charts and be aware of shoaling on the river. You also will be able to find lots of information on the web regarding the rivers, dams, locks and availability of
marinas and fuel.
My bucket list includes completing the loop form the Tri-cities to Astoria some day.
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