A rocky cowl shoots at a sharp angle from the road. Years ago, thousands of swallows nested on this cliff, but blasting for an irrigation tunnel killed many and frightened the rest away. Beyond the cliff is the river; a jetty serves to deepen the channel for navigation by diverting the main stream from behind an island. The route runs through an almost continuous succession of orchards and vineyards, down a steep grade, and through a rocky cut. Far below, the Snake River swirls around the base of basaltic canyon walls and shifting sand bars.