The first stop was at Chanticleer Point, where we got our first glance of the Columbia River and the Gorge.
The Vista House at Crown Point is an Oregon treasure, one of the the most photographed and recognizable in the Columbia River Gorge.
Built soon after the highway was dedicated in 1916, it offers a 30-mile panorama of the Gorge from 733 feet above he river.
To help motorists navigate the 600 foot vertical drop from Crown Point, a series of "figure-eight loops" were engineered, that gracefully wind down toward the river.
Once back down to the level of the river, we encountered a series of eight remarkable waterfalls in the next five miles.
They were each majestic in their own way and I wish I could post pics of them all, but photos do not do them justice.
The third one we encountered was Bridal Veil Falls, which involved a 3/4 mile hike down to the viewpoint then 3/4 mile back up to the parking lot. It was well worth it.
Next was Wahkeena Falls, a 242 foot (73 m) waterfall that has a subtle cascading flow instead of plunging directly to the ground. We took the steep 0.2 mile hike which climbed 900 ft to the stone bridge that crosses the main part of the falls. Each of the Falls involved a hike up or down to reach a viewing point!
We went to the first stop, the bridge, which offered a beautiful view. The falls plummets 543 feet to the upper plunge pool, descend another 69 feet, plus an additional 8 feet in between to total a 620 foot fall!
The pic on the right is looking down from the bridge.
The next stop along the highway was at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, where we went on a self-guided tour.
In the Egg Incubation Building, salmon eggs are incubated beginning in October, after they have been fertilized during spawning.The eggs develop into small fry and are placed in the outdoor rearing ponds the following February.
The rearing ponds are normally used for Coho and Fall Chinook Salmon and can hold millions of fingerlings.
Next was the White Sturgeon pond, home of Herman, the sturgeon that is over 10 feet long, weighs over 450 pounds and is over 70 years old!
Sturgeon like to eat things off the bottom of the river, sucking the food into their mouth, like a vacuum hose.
There were also Rainbow Trout Ponds, which are for the enjoyment of visitors as Bonneville does not raise trout for distribution.
Following the tour, we drove half way across the river to the Bonneville Lock and Dam Visitor Centre. The project’s first powerhouse, spillway and original navigation lock were completed in 1938 to improve navigation on Columbia River and provide hydropower to the Pacific Northwest. A second powerhouse was completed in 1981, and a larger navigation lock in 1993.There was a guided tour starting five minutes after we arrived.
On display outside was a turbine that was put in to service January 9, 1941 and was taken out of service for replacement July 24, 2000. It weighs 123 tons.
The water churning through the spillway is not presently producing power. Biologists found that a high percentage of young fish survive when they go down through the spillway.
The fish ladder helps the fish gain 60 feet elevation. Adult fish ladders at all eight lower Columbia and Snake dams were integrated into the design of the dams beginning with Bonneville in 1938. These ladders consist of a series of steps and pools which provide a gradual upward climb over the dams for returning adults. To steer the adults to the ladders, "attraction" flows at the downstream ladder entrances simulate conditions that would be found at the base of natural waterfalls. The concept has proved effective for adult fish passage.
This is the powerhouse that we toured. We enjoyed our picnic lunch on the grounds before continuing the drive.
From the dam, we continued east on Interstate 84 to exit 64, Hwy 35 at Hood River, to drive the Mt. Hood Scenic Loop. Along the Hwy, we passed many orchards and fruit stands. It was getting very warm, so we stopped at Packer Orchards for some cherries and an ice cream cone. Delicious!
A little further along, we had a view of Mount Hood, which rises 11,239 feet in splendid isolation, dominating the horizon for miles around. It looked interesting with the clouds over it - these were the first clouds we have seen in a few days!
The peak is the highlight of the Mt Hood National Forest and the highest point in the state.
We completed the loop after going up to 5,000 ft and down to 900 ft a couple of times. The temp when we returned was 29C and the thermometer in the trailer registered a high of 34C (outside).
Total driven today was 234 km.
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