The next stop was the Fish Ladders at the Bonneville Dam.
I didn’t see any fish jumping the ladders – apparently it’s easier to swim underneath to get up the ladders.Mostly shad was running, and lamprey eels. There were a few rainbow trout and a couple of salmon, but mostly shad.The lamprey would attach to the windows, presumably for a rest from battling upstream.Oh, gross! But what else is there to take photos of when the impressive salmon are missing.What we were seeing were the 2 smallest fish in the left case. IF you come at the right time of the year, you will see the salmon in the right case, and they literally fill up the window.
In addition to the ladders, they have mazes for the fish to maneuver. I guess it mimics streams that meander about.
The water swirls around in a circle in the top chamber, and you can see the fish rest in the center of the top chamber.
The gardens everywhere we went were beautiful and in full bloom.
Day lilies, always one of my favorites.
Our lunch was scheduled on the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler. Our ride was only an hour, but across the river was a small cruise ship which comes out of Portland and runs all the way to Clarkston, Washington for 11 days.
Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler, a 3 story paddleboat.
The original Bridge of the Gods happened in 1450 AD when a massive landslide blocked the Columbia River. Eventually the river cut through the landslide debris and created what Lewis and Clark described as the The Great Shoot Cascade Rapid.They build locks and a canal through this area, hence the name Cascade Locks, the town we are now staying in.Here you can see where the landslide came from – basically half of the mountain to the right. The landslide filled the Columbia River, blocking it entirely. Indian lore talked of being able to walk across to the other side without getting your feet wet.
When they built the dam, the rising water covered Indian villages. They allowed the Indians the right to fish in the way they always fished. So the banks of the river in this area are dotted with Indian fishing decks.
They all looked somewhat the same – a deck projected out over the water with a long pole attached.More flowers! Have you ever been able to get your hydrangeas that blue (the color in the photo is untouched).
Our bus could make it up to the Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint, but apparently the Vista House drive was a bit much for the bus. This viewpoint is very iconic to Portland and the Columbia Gorge.
The view is east up the Columbia River. You can see the Vista House is on the knob center right.
Then we went to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery. They raise salmon here, but have rainbow trout and sturgeon as special displays. One of the things I learned was that if salmon are born and raised in the hatchery, they return to the hatchery to spawn.
I got lots of good photos of the rainbow trout, but the sturgeon where hiding in the shadows.The salmon were almost to a fingerling size. The spaces in the net are about 1 inch square.Oh, gosh! More flowers! Aren’t they beautiful. One of the rainbow trout ponds can be seen behind the flowers.Oh my! I spotted Bigfoot at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery!
Back at the campground, Larry and Pat got their Solo Stove out and we drank tequila shots around the fire.
That’s Penney, Steve and Evi.The crowd got bigger and noisier. Ellene, Penney, Steve, Evi, John, Marty, Lynn and Randy.
And around the corner, me and Sherry, one of the Tailgunners.Sherry and “The Witch”, one of Joyce’s 3 Chihuahuas.
Well, after the tequila shots made everyone noisy, they made everyone sleepy. Good night!
