Cascade Locks and Bonneville Dam

We have spent the last couple of days visiting sights around Cascade Locks.  A small town, kinda dying but the Pacific Crest Trail hikers keep it going from about mid July to the middle of September when all the hikers should have made it through to this point, having the state of Washington to yet hike on through.  Don’t even blink because there are no traffic lights in the town, has a main drag with a large hotel and some small establishments, but the main draw the Bridge of the Gods.  Huge steel bridge spanning the Columbia River, a toll bridge that is not that costly to drive over (we will be utilizing the bridge Monday), Cascade Locks was once a thriving town with the logging business and the managing of the locks, which was completed in 1892 and in it’s height - 1,417 boats locked through.  The Cascade Locks are now under water with the flooding of the river when the Bonneville Dam was completed in 1937.

Could follow the Quilt Block trail in town, but no quilt shops.  Bummer

You can take a ride on the sternwheeler docked in town

In 1905 what Cascade Lock looked like, now underwater

Columbia River, standing at base of Bridge of the Gods

Bridge of the Gods

We see PCT hikers all the time

Bonneville Dam was built just 3 miles downstream (west of Cascade Locks), dedicated in 1937, which when completed, raised the Columbia River significantly to submerge all the hazards and rapids that was so treacherous for Lewis and Clark to transverse (they portaged the boats on land and pulled them around the rapids, then put them back in) and also hazardous for the Oregon Trail emigrants, many who lost their life from drowning.  Lewis and Clark had made note in their journals that they saw evidence of a large landslide (Table Mountain opposite on the Washington side) that had blocked the river and rapids were the result from all the debris of the slide.

Bonneville Lock and Dam

Fish ladder

Look closely - can see fish

Looking through the glass inside the fish ladder

Yep, that's a chinook you see

And eels.  Ewwwww

Fish counter tallies while looking through glass

We toured Bonneville Dam yesterday, the last Dam and Lock system before boats and barges enter the Pacific Ocean.  As they pass through the lock, they are at sea level going west bound.  This lock raises them 72 feet up so they can continue on up the river, eventually to Lewiston, Idaho on the Snake River where they would be 736 feet above sea level and 436 miles away.

Inside power house

Hope there are no leaks

Timing was everything.  When we arrived at the Dam a tour was just beginning and we were able to join it which toured the #1 Power House.  After the tour we saw the fish ladders that aid the fish to move upstream and downstream, by-passing the dam.  Went to the lowest level and saw fish (shad, Chinook, eel) moving through the ladders going upstream.  That was cool!

Artist rendition of what Cascade Locks looked like in 1840's

How the emigrants rode the rapids

Timing everything - a tug with 4 barges locking through

Tug gone, lock stays filled until next boat comes in

Gate closed

Watched the movie which explains the lock - and there was our old boat!

That is a lot of trucks, 538 of them!

Today is pick up/put away, clean, etc.  Moving tomorrow more east along the Columbia River, specifically The Dalles where international sailing and windsurfing competition goes on.