We left Mt. Rainier and decided to make a side trip to see Mt. St. Helens en route to the Columbia River Gorge. OMG. First looks are deceiving - a glistening white mountain, clouds wafting over the top.
But by the time we reach the visitors center at the Johnson Observatory, the complete devastation of her May 1980 eruption becomes clear.
Here is a close up of the caldera. You can see the lava flow from where the top of the mountain blew off, a full 15 miles high, landing in a nearby lake.
The lava flow was 650 feet deep in places and extended for 24 miles. That is the gray "stream" running down from the mountain.
While an area immediately around Mt. St. Helens has been left "as-is", the thousands of square miles of trees downed by the flow or killed by the intense heat were replanted asap by the Weyhauser Co, who just happens to own most of this entire area. Over 2 million trees were planted. This picture is not blurred - it was taken from a complete stop - the trees are close together, all the same age, all their branches lined up, giveing a blurred appearance. I couldn't watch them as I drove. Of course, they are actively logging these forests, too. A Weirhauser representative at an overlook used the phrase "Wyerhauser, the tree planting company" --- hmmmm
Here are two videos of the explosion (not nearly as graphic or jaw dropping as the full screen one at the visitor center!!!) Not the best, but they do get the point across. Stay with the second one (the one with a song) long enough to see the eruption).
This one is from the US Forestry Dept - click below
eruption
This one is from the History Channel, with added music and the obligatory commercial first - sigh -
http://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington/videos/mount-st-helens-erupts
Onward to a different climate, the Columbia River Gorge. Our campground is against the river, wedged between the river and an interstate rest area. Never entered a campground through a rest area before, but the state of Oregon seems to like that approach. The river and associated historic area (think Lewis and Clark) are about 100 miles long. Wonderful, but narrow, Historic Highway 30, build in 1915, runs along the water, giving great views and vantage points for stopping. The climate gradually goes from the familiar rainforests, with high waterfalls, to semi arid desert, as we head east.
Multnomah Falls - the third highest in the world. Multnomah Falls is 542 ft high - Niagara Falls by comparison is a mere 86 feet high! About 20 years ago, a bus size boulder fell from the top to the middle of the falls, sending out a 70 ft high splash that soaked (and injured) a wedding party of 13 standing on the bridge.
Next, Wahkeena Falls, 242 feet.
And lovely Bridal Falls, 139 feet. It's a long 2/3 mile hike downhill, a much longer 2/3 mile hike uphill - thank goodness and the park service for appropriately placed benches!
Bright flowers are in full bloom this time of the year in the rainforest environment.
With a 360 degree vista of the Columbia River region, Vista Point is appropriately named. It is a vista itself!
Traveling westward, we see the old lock system for the Columbia River. This old lock would accommodate one barge and her tug. Not sufficient for today's traffic, it is obsolete, always open, allowing the Native Americans who live in this region access to fishing (for salmon!). Their successful catches are generally saved for personal use, but one week per year they are allowed to sell to the general public, from tents set up against the lock. It was tempting, but the fish were whole and I am not into filleting and trying to save an entire salmon. We bought prepared fillets from a Native American shop next door.
The new lock can accommodate two barges and their tugs. Much larger, almost 700 feet long 85 feet wide, 65 feet rise. The Columbia river, along with the Snake raver that dumps into it, has 8 US Army Corps of Engineers dams, making it navigable for barges all the way to Lewiston. This is over 400 miles inland, with a total lift of 730 feet, and a controling depth of 14 feet.
The early desire for a navigable river, and then, later, electricity, lead to the building of Bonneville Dam. This has grown from one power house to two in the 1970s, plus a large spillway. The original dam and spillway were a public works project in the '30s.
The turbines are huge!
A tour of the larger power house allowed us better looks at the generators. Got to walk out to them (look at the walk way at the third one) plus a walk along the floor.
With the building of the first dam in the early 1930's came the acknowledged responsibility of not blocking the salmon migration upstream on the Columbia River. Hugh fish ladders were installed, allowing the fish to still swim upstream to their spawning areas. We actually saw fish swimming up and over these ladders. They didn't exactly make spectacular leaps like you see in the videos, but rather swim just under the water, up into the next level.
Underwater windows allow you to watch the salmon and trout swim past. These fish are counted, every darn one of them, by one poor soul. He has an 8 hour shift, 10 minute break every hour, and has to recognize 6 of the major fish that swim upstream. An appropriate button is pressed for each fish. Think that sounds hard? A record 120 thousand salmon have gone upstream so far this season, plus the assorted other fishes. whew.... (I'm betting his window is clearer than this one!)
Further westward, to the tourist town of Hood River. We plan to visit there this afternoon. As we approach our campground, the climate has changed from rainforest to arid desert conditions.
Fortunately, someone had the foresight to plant trees in the campground when it was established!
Mt. Adams is visible from our vantage point above.
Oh, almost forgot - there IS a river running through here! At 1243 miles, the mighty Columbia River is the largest river in the Northwest region of the US. At least 40% of all wheat that is exported from the US is transported down the Columbia. 14 hydroelectric dams are along the Columbia, the largest being the Grand Coolee Dam (visited last year - the one with the armed guard escorts on the tour...). The at some points and times, water flows downstream at an impressive 10 knots - we wouldn't be able to take Latitudes up stream against that kind of current! And it is a kite-surfing mecca. Hope to catch some pictures of that later today.
