Waiting for Kate

After we broke camp yesterday morning, we headed toward Viento State Park for showers.  The water was hot and endless... what a treat!

We arrived in Cascade Locks by late morning.  Uncertain where the Pacific Crest Trail might connect, we tried to find someone who could tell us.  We drove to the Bonneville Lock and Dam Visitor Center.  The staff was very helpful but didn't have any details about the trail but suggested the forest service.  We decided to have a look around at the lock and dam system, power house, and fish ladders.  They had an underwater viewing area to see the fish that were migrating.

Bonneville Lock and Dam Fish Ladder Underground Viewing 

Bonneville Lock and Dam Fish Ladder 

We then drove to the forest service office... also to no avail.  I told David that we needed to find a local, preferably young.  We stopped by the port visitor center in Cascade Locks and spoke with a young man manning the desk.  He told us exactly where the Pacific Crest Trail came into town.  After a quick spin up the road, we found where Kate will hike in... now we just need to wait for her arrival.

Our next objective was to do laundry.  Thankfully, they had a Wi-Fi, so as the clothes spun their way  clean and dry, we caught up on posts and emails.

On our way to checking out campgrounds, we noticed a lady selling fruit.  Needless to say, we have been enjoying apples, nectarines, and pears ever since!

Oregon fruit

We discovered that the only two campgrounds in town are each less than 25 feet from the railroad tracks.  With horrors of Kallispell re-emerging, we had to make a choice.  Thankfully, a train came by the KOA campground while we were there.  It blew its horn, and our decision was made.  The port campground is in town near a protected crossing... no horns.  Although the track is extremely active, the rumblings of the train are much easier to deal with than the horn.

We are in the midst of a small family reunion at the campground.  We met the two sisters yesterday... absolutely delightful ladies.  Their brother arrived today and their spouses are coming in for the weekend.  We told them about Kate hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.  They have made her their new celebrity and are awaiting her arrival with us.

In spite of being between two tracks... one across the Columbia River on the shores of Washington and the other being right next to us, we slept well last night.  We were up early this morning, in anticipation of Kate's early arrival.  However, when David received her SpotTracker position, she was closer to Mount Hood than to us.  So we settled into waiting for her call.

Our campground sits on the old Cascade lock system and overlooks Bridge of the Gods, connecting Oregon to Washington.  The bridge is named after a dry crossing that occurred during a 1260 AD landslide that Native Americans once used.

Fishermen setting their nets near Bridge of the Gods

Over coffee, we watched several fishermen take their boats out onto the river, empty their nets, reset them, and return to shore. 

Fishermen sorting their salmon catch on the Columbia River

We also learned about the Sport-Reward Fishing Program on the Columbia.  Evidently pikeminnows are eating salmon fry at an alarming rate.  In an effort to diminish the pikeminnow population, a reward system has been developed.  Anglers catching any pikeminnow over 9-inches long is rewarded $4 per fish for the first 100 fish, $5 per fish for 100-400 fish, and $8 per fish for 401-plus fish.  One angler was rewarded over $77,000 last year during the May through September season.  As a result of this effort, salmon fry have increased by 40 percent.  Now, that's success!!!

Pikeminnow Reward Station

After watching all the fishing, we decided to drive into town to see if Joe Fish was at his post near the bridge, selling salmon.  To our delight (and in spite of the fact that he normally only sells whole fish), Joe kindly sold us a filet of Chinook salmon.  

Joe Fish of Joe's Fishery, Native American Fish, 509.388.3420

We took it back to camp and had it for lunch.  Wow!  It was absolutely wonderful!!!  Recipe:  two salmon filets dusted with marjoram and tarragon, spritzed with one condiment-size packet of lemon juice, and sauteed in olive oil until the center is barely pink... all on a one-burner backpacking stove in a skillet with a collapsible handle.  :)

After lunch, we walked across the bridge to the top of the old lock, now a park and prominent wedding site.  We returned to camp, beginning to worry about Kate.  Around two o'clock, we received her call.  She is hiking with two other companions and was delayed at Mount Hood.  She assured us that they will be in tonight but it won't be until around ten.  They plan on hiking a full THIRTY SIX miles today!!!  Her only request?  PIZZA to celebrate.

We drove into town to make arrangements for the pizza.  I'm now blogging today's post, awaiting Kate and friends.  To personally celebrate her arrival, and on a tip from our new neighbors, we treated ourselves to ice cream cones at the Eastwind Drive-In.  Although their "large" is billed as the world's tallest ice cream cone, we opted for a small.  As you can see by the photo... small is absolutely enormous.

Ice Cream!!!

It has occurred to me that waiting equates to eating for us... we better get back on the road soon!!!