On Friday July 1, Patty and I went to explore Cascade Locks. I had seen it on the map and that there was a marine park there, so my curiosity was aroused. Because this is in the Columbia Gorge, with high hills and cliffs on both sides of the river, there is an unexpectedly strong wind. As I got out of the car, my hat was blown off and I had to chase it down. From the parking lot of the Cascade Locks Marine Park, looking west (down river) there is the Bridge of the Gods. It gets that name from native lore about a land crossing used by the Gods in centuries past. Today, it is still a toll bridge and is the only crossing between here and some 40 miles downriver to Interstate 205 crossing from Portland OR to Vancouver WA.
When Lewis and Clark came through in 1803 - 1806, they had to portage around the rapids (Cascades) some 5 - 6 miles on land. Eventually, a road was built, then a railroad and finally in the late 1800s, a series of locks. When the Bonneville dam was built down river, the sixty mile lake behind the dam submerged the rapids and most of the locks. What is left above water now is only part of the upper most lock and the top of Thunder Island. People today still fish from the locks by climbing down ladders to platforms and use nets to scoop fish out of the river. You can see a couple of the ladders and ramps just beyond the bridge on the Thunder Island side of the lock.
It is an easy but windy walk out to Thunder Island, but the views across the river and down river are excellent.
The Oregon Pony, the first train to run when they finally built the railroad, is on display outside the Cascade Locks Museum - unfortunately, the museum was not open.
By the restaurant, there were sculptures and memorials to remind us of the people who had passed through in prior centuries.
There is now a paddlewheel boat that cruises on the river on the lake behind Bonneville Dam.
We had not learned about Bonneville Dam, but decided to stop as we still had some time left before needing to get back to Troutdale for Patty's flying lessons. We had no idea how big it was, nor that there were multiple islands that were included in the facility that includes locks, generators, fish hatchery and multiple recreational area. It is a federal facility and since Sept. 11, 2001, it has great security. We could see some of the facility from the first island, but then had to go through a security gate just like at a military base.
After going through security, we drove across a couple of bridges and over the locks to get to the Bradford Island visitor center. Two things we saw outside were a concrete guard shack built during WWII when they feared invasion from the Japanese and one of the huge propellers that the water turned to generate electricity.
The visitor center is five stories and from the rooftop, you can look up and see osprey nests on some of the electrical towers. You can learn about how the electricity is generated. And you can actually see the fish swimming upstream.
I determined that we would need to come back when we had more time to visit.
When Lewis and Clark came through in 1803 - 1806, they had to portage around the rapids (Cascades) some 5 - 6 miles on land. Eventually, a road was built, then a railroad and finally in the late 1800s, a series of locks. When the Bonneville dam was built down river, the sixty mile lake behind the dam submerged the rapids and most of the locks. What is left above water now is only part of the upper most lock and the top of Thunder Island. People today still fish from the locks by climbing down ladders to platforms and use nets to scoop fish out of the river. You can see a couple of the ladders and ramps just beyond the bridge on the Thunder Island side of the lock.
It is an easy but windy walk out to Thunder Island, but the views across the river and down river are excellent.
The Oregon Pony, the first train to run when they finally built the railroad, is on display outside the Cascade Locks Museum - unfortunately, the museum was not open.
By the restaurant, there were sculptures and memorials to remind us of the people who had passed through in prior centuries.
There is now a paddlewheel boat that cruises on the river on the lake behind Bonneville Dam.
We had not learned about Bonneville Dam, but decided to stop as we still had some time left before needing to get back to Troutdale for Patty's flying lessons. We had no idea how big it was, nor that there were multiple islands that were included in the facility that includes locks, generators, fish hatchery and multiple recreational area. It is a federal facility and since Sept. 11, 2001, it has great security. We could see some of the facility from the first island, but then had to go through a security gate just like at a military base.
After going through security, we drove across a couple of bridges and over the locks to get to the Bradford Island visitor center. Two things we saw outside were a concrete guard shack built during WWII when they feared invasion from the Japanese and one of the huge propellers that the water turned to generate electricity.
The visitor center is five stories and from the rooftop, you can look up and see osprey nests on some of the electrical towers. You can learn about how the electricity is generated. And you can actually see the fish swimming upstream.
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| Lampreys had attached themselves to the viewing windows - the lampreys are about two feet long |
I determined that we would need to come back when we had more time to visit.
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