Columbia River Gorge

Thursday, August 23

We left Kelso and headed toward Portland and the Columbia River Gorge.  As I mentioned yesterday, the Columbia River is beautiful.  You can take the scenic route on either the Washington or Oregon side since this river is the dividing line between the two states.  We took the Oregon side because we wanted to see their waterfalls.

 

The first waterfall we came to was the Wahkeena Falls.  I was trying to take a picture of it and this man across the road was hollering at me and then walked toward dad who was already across the road and down a little hill.  I walked over and here he was trying to tell me that across the road was the perfect place to get a picture of the whole falls.  He was a volunteer with the Oregon falls area.

Just a short distance down the road was Multnomah Falls - the height of the upper falls is 542 feet and the lower falls is 69 feet.  It was beautiful and very popular.  DeAnn had told me about this falls and how pretty it was.  You were right, DeAnn. 

 Dad took the path to the little bridge that went across the lower falls.

 Just another short distance down the road was Horsetail Falls - here's dad reading all about it.  He loves to read every placard and sign whereever we go.  In fact, he even likes to read the newspaper through the little window in the newspaper stands.  If it makes him happy, fine with me.  I can always find a bench to sit on.

 This tree was located right next to the falls and it had moss growing all over it.  Might be a little difficult to see but it was interesting.
It was across the street from these falls that we had our cheese and lunchmeat sandwiches along with some fruit and yogurt.

The gentleman we met at Wahkeena Falls told us we really needed to stop at Bonneville Dam also.  This dam was built by Franklin Roosevelt's CCC during the depression.  We listened to a ranger talk about the building of the dam and the need for it.  When it was originally built, they put two turbines in it and felt that would be enough to supply that area.  It has been enlarged twice since the 1940's and serves something like 900,000 homes.  In fact he said there are so many dams on the Columbia River that it is at capacity.

They had a fish ladder at the dam also.  I'd heard about these but had never actually seen one.  There are three people who sit behind windows next to the ladder and "count" the fish that swim upstream.  They not only count the number of fish but what kind and whether they are fish from a hatchery or from the wild.  The ranger said it is a very popular job and they never lack for applicants.  They use a little counter gadjet with at least 8-10 buttons on it. 

 

The falls man also told us that there was a sturgeon named Hermie that is at the Fish Hatchery at Bonneville Dam who weighs 450 pounds and is over 10 feet long.  Well, you'll have to wait til later to find out about Hermie.  Chase, Grampa and I went to visit Hermie and take his picture just for you.

 

I'm going to take a little nap now and then put the basement bathroom back together again.  My paint looks very nice - bright and cheery.  I just finished doing a "deep" cleaning down there.  I've decided that cleaning is just not all it's cracked up to be but I have special company coming.

 

Have a wonderful long weekend!!!!

 

Love you all,

Gramma and MOM