Route:
America’s Rivers Expedition 2009
Portland, OR to Portland, ME
West (Pacific to Jackson Lake) – 1464 miles
Leg One: Columbia River - 324 miles
Leg Two: Snake River - 1040 miles
Central (Jackson Lake to Chicago) - 2400 miles
Leg Three: Yellowstone River - 600 miles
Leg Four: Missouri River - 1400 miles
Leg Five: Illinois River - 400 miles
East (Chicago to Atlantic) – 1560 miles
Leg Six: Michigan - 350 miles
Leg Seven: Erie/New York - 820 miles
Leg Eight: New England - 390 miles
Total miles: 6000 miles, including portages and side streams not necessarily included in the above milages
Leg One: Columbia – 480 miles
From outlet of Columbia R. at Hammond, OR on Pacific Ocean
To confluence of Columbia & John Day R. ENE of Rufus, OR
To John Day R. headwaters S. of Praire City, OR
To Malheur R. headwaters over Blue Mountains
Alternate Route: From confluence of John Day River and Columbia River at Rufus, OR, continue ascent of Columbia River to confluence of Snake River and Columbia River at Kennwick, WA. This would bypass John Day River/Malheur River shortcut, which might not be a shortcut at all.
Leg Two: Snake – 660 miles
From Malheur R. headwaters SSE of Praire City, OR
To confluence of Malheur R. and Snake R. at River Mile 370 N of Ontario, OR
To Jackson Lake, W of Colter Bay, WY
Leg Three: Yellowstone – 600 miles
From Yellowstone Lake at West Thumb, WY
To Confluence with Missouri R. E of Nohly, MT
Leg Four: Missouri – 1400 miles
From confluence of Yellowstone R and Missouri R.
To confluence of Missouri R. and Mississippi R.
Leg Five: Illinois – 400 miles
From confluence of Missouri R. and Mississippi R.
To confluence of Mississippi R. and Illinois R.
To confluence of Kankakee R and Des Plaines R. (start of Illinois R.)
To confluence of Des Plaines R. and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
To confluence of CSSC and Chicago River
To Lake Michigan
Leg Six: Michigan – 350 miles
From outlet of Chicago River
To Lake Michigan
To outlet of
Southern Route - St. Joseph River
Northern Route - Kalamazoo River
To headwaters of River Raisin
To outlet of River Raisin on Lake Erie
Alternate Route: Ascend Ohio and Allegheny Rivers to Lake Erie and then to Buffalo, NY vicinity (long portage rec’q) and traverse Erie Canal as Leg Seven. This would bypass Great Lakes, Chicago, Michigan.
Leg Seven: Erie – 820 miles
From outlet of River Raisin on Lake Erie
To outlet of Erie Canal on Lake Erie at Buffalo, NY
To confluence of Erie Canal (Mohawk River) and Hudson R. at Albany, NY
To Hudson River at Glen Falls
To Lake George
To Lake Champlain
Leg Eight: Home – 390 miles
From Lake Champlain at Swanton, VT
To Missisquoi River
To Lake Memphremagog
To Clyde River
To Nulhegan River
To Connecticut River
To Upper Ammonosuc River
To Androscoggin River
To Androscoggin River at Bethel, ME,
To Crooked River at Songo Pond
To mouth of Crooked River at Sebago Lake
To head of Presumpscot River on Sebago Lake at Sebago Lake Basin, w. lake
To mouth of Presumpscot River on Casco Bay at Falmouth, ME
To Portland, ME
