Reach of Tide, Ring of History: A Columbia River Voyage (Northwest Reprints)

Aboard a small handmade boat, the author set out to rediscover the river of his youth. The story of his voyage offers an intimate history of the great river and of the people who have lived and worked along its shores.

Beginnning his voyage on the sea, McKinney follows the path of Robert Gray's ship "Columbia Redivia" acrosss the treacherous Columbia River bar, and heads upriver beyond Portland to the barrier of Bonneville Dam. Along the way he visits the sites of old Indian villages, the camps of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the rotting piers of early river communities,and the islands of the lower river.

Combining the river's storied history, rich personal memories, and observations gleaned from the deck of the 16-foot "Gander," McKinney gives us a sensitive portrait of the river, a book that reflects the rhythms of tides that the author knows so well. Portland author Robin Cody has written a new introduction for this edition.