BY KAREN BOSSICK

The COVID pandemic with all of its hurdles ended up providing Marc Onetto with one of life’s big adventures.

With the border with Canada closed in 2021, Onetto decided to go south, heading home to Sun Valley in his 65-foot Marlow Explorer. He journeyed from Seattle to the open Pacific to the famous bar at the Columbia River estuary. Then he launched into a 450-mile river cruise on the Columbia and lower Snake rivers from Astoria to Lewiston, navigating eight locks as the boat climbed to an elevation of 740 feet.

Onetto will discuss his adventure at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Ketchum’s Community Library. He will share many of the pictures he took of Columbia River Gorge waterfalls and the high desert in Eastern Washington and Oregon, while he also addresses the impact of dams on the economy and salmon population.

Onetto, who was born in France, is now retired after serving in senior management positions in major U.S. companies. He named his boat Laperouse after a famous French captain who explored the Pacific Northwest coast from Alaska to California in 1786.

To see the presentation in person, reserve your spot at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/10518537. The presentation will also be livestreamed and available to watch later at https://vimeo.com/event/3575949.