Deschutes River

I have driven 17 miles on a good gravel road to Macks Canyon campground on the Deschutes River. (45.392067, -120.879511)  $12 weekend/$8 weekday, SA 1/2 price. It is a take out for rafters and fishermen. If do not take out there they have to go all the way to the Columbia River.

Nice spot, but very hot right now.

It looks like someone is running an experiment to see what the vegetation will do if it is not grazed. The big difference I see is the presence of Scotch Thistle Weed, an invasive species. The thistle is absent in the surrounding area.

Scotch Thistle

The native americans maintain ancestral fishing rights, which allows them to use nets to capture salmon. I spotted these platforms they built so they could use dip nets to catch salmon when they return to spawn.

They reminded me of the precarious platforms I saw at Celilo Falls when I was 11. My parents used to buy fresh salmon there. The falls were inundated by the water captured behind The Dalles Dam. My dad was project manager on that build.

I was buffeted by the strong winds that blow up through the Columbia River gorge. These almost constant winds make the gorge a favorite for wind surfers. 

one year ago

two years ago