Beacon Rock Vacation #1

I couldn't wait to get off work on Tuesday afternoon.  When I got home mom and Kay had everything ready for the first part of the cruise to Beacon Rock.  Our destination was gov't island.  Lewis and Clark actually named it Diamond Island because of its shape, but the U.S. Army started to raise cattle on the island for the soldiers at Ft. Vancouver, hence gov't island. The ride up to the island was rainy and thunder and lightening.  By the time we got there things had settled down and the river was great.  As we past the rail bridge I felt like we were a ship in the ocean as a bunch of jet skis started jumping our wake like dolphins.  It was also the first time I had ever called to have a bridge opened so that was cool.  Gov't Island was nice, but lots of noise from the airport.  It was the first time I had ever been here.

Wednesday after breakfast and a shower we headed up to Beacon Rock State Park.  As we entered the Columbia River Gorge, it was low hanging clouds and chilly.  Dang no naked bodies at Rooster rock...bummer. The gorge is an awesome site and in some ways reminds me of Alaska. Lots of fishing boats in the lower end.  The further you got up the gorge, the stiffer the current.

As we approached the park you have to go through this very narrow channel.  I go too far to the stdbd and then all the alarms started to sound and I looked down and the depyh sounder said 3 feet!  Crap!  I cut port and ended up in 17 feet of water.  It would appear my sounder was a little off.  Thank goodness.....  Lots of pics.  Jerry and Laura are joining us tomorrow, so that will get the party started.  More things to come.

Ms. Sassy!!!

Sunset on Fisher Slough.  Kay does take some great sunset pics

Supermoon over LYC

Isn't this a cool sunset!  Living the adventure for sure.

See the white duck?

Maybe in this one,,,,

Powering up river at 10mph

Lewis and Clark Bridge Longview

Some of these pilings are over 100 years old

Mom is my co-pilot

This is the Army Corp boat that takes soundings in the river and tells the dredge where to dig.

Old Nuke plant that has been taken down

Looking up river towards Portland

The command center

Pic of my GPS.  Top rt is speed and position, top left is water depth and of course a pic of the river.

Fun party boat

Portland ship yards

Looking up river toward Mt. Hood

Railroad bridge

I-5 bridge in the background

First time ever

Made it and they are closing the bridge

Closed

Here comes the sharks

Building some kind of ship

Portland Airport

Looking at the I-205 bridge.  Last bridge over the Columbia for almost 100 miles

Big huh?

Friends on gov't island.  Black Tail Deer

Docks at gov't island and I am going for walk-a-bout

Looking west toward another great sunset

Mom with coffee and breakfast

Kay too

Leaving the dock

ASD at the gov't island dock

Tug heading down river

No fishing

opps have the rods out.....

Camas WA  These are BPA's 500KV transmission lines

Comorants

Fishing boats

Entering the gorge and look what we meet!

Ospreys on every post

In the gorge and you can see Rooster Rock lower left (naked beach) and on top of the cliff Vista House

Rooster Rock or it looks like......Leave it up to you!

Old tunnel before the interstate

Looking up the gorge

Vista House

Beacon Rock in view

Rooster rock again, so what is really on Kay's mind?  Mom! Put down those binoculars!

Cape Horn coming up

Cape  Horn

Railroad tunnel on the WA side

Cape Horn

Little waterfalls

This house was built in the late 1800s

But not the floaties.....

See the highway?

Rock in the middle of the river

Columbia River Gorge

Indians mom!  Look Indians!

Tour boat

Water falls

Multnomah Falls 

cool huh.  You don't really see the gorge unless you see it by boat

Yep lots of pics of the falls huh

Beacon Rock

Almost there

Steaming east through the gorge

These mountains are so cool

Beacon Rock

We made it!

Elk on an island at Beacon Rock

Docked up

Nice small bull

Mom and I on walk-a-bout

There is a trail that goes to the top.  Mom said no way...

Looking at the rock

Think mom could make it?

Docked up with our good friends The George Emery

See the trail?

800 ft high and a great view of the gorge from the top

I can do it!!

That wasn't so bad................

Cool pic

Our view from the back of the boat

ASD

Pooperman!! 

This is actually a poop tank sucker that will pump out you black tank on the boat

Small blow boat heading to the Bonneville locks tomorrow

My buddy Ron fishing and Cruiser

There are fish in this river.  Nice small mouth