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Category: Washington

The gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger 1996

Sunset over Mt Hood & Columbia River Underwood WashingtonSpring Creek Fish Hatchery along Columbia River & Mt. Hood

After working for the Forest Service at Mt St Helens for five seasons my gypsy life changed and I took a temporary position with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service along the Columbia River Gorge, Washington. I was hired to research and write for publication the history of fish hatcheries along the Columbia River. Bottom line, population of salmon declined as population of people increased. And thus fish hatcheries, since 1876 on the Columbia River.

Salmon in fish ladder Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery Underwood WashingtonSalmon in fish ladder

The salmon life cycle is amazing. Young salmon swim from their birth waters to the sea where they become adults. After 3-4 years they return along the same route fasting all the way, to reproduce and then die. Their carcasses provide a fish buffet for wandering wildlife.

Salmon spawning in Little White Salmon Creek Underwood WashingtonSalmon spawning

Major flooding tore boards from the dam at Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery and many salmon continued upstream another half mile where a waterfall caused a natural obstruction. Their mating rituals are a water-dance like none other.

Little White Salmon River Underwood WashingtonLittle White Salmon River

Maybe someday we can allow salmon to spawn naturally in free flowing clean waters and get rid of fish hatcheries. Of course we’d also have to get rid of damns, or at least build more fish ladders.
While working here I received a cash award that allowed me to buy a cabover camper and resume the gypsy life.
Columbia River, Columbia River Gorge, My gypsy life , 24 Comments

Sky Watch Friday – Mt Hood sunrise

Mt. Hood in Oregon 1996

Mt Hood, one of 15 volcanoes in the North Cascades of British Columbia, Canada, Washington, Oregon and Northern California. Named by European explorers on Captain George Vancouver’s 1792 discovery expedition after a British Admiral, Samuel Hood.

Mt Hood was originally known by the native Klickitat, Cowlitz, and Multnomah people as Wyeast. His father, the Great Spirit, made him Chief of the people on the south side of the mighty river (today known as the Columbia River). His brother Pahtoe—who we know as Mt Adams—was made Chief of the people north of the river. For long times all the people traveled back and forth across the river on the stone Bridge of the Gods and they passed by the beautiful Loowit, Keeper of the Fire—now known as Mount Saint Helens. The brothers both came to love Loowit and both asked her to be his wife. She could not decide and the brothers began to quarrel. Thunder roared and lightning flashed as they threw hot rocks and spewed fire. The earth trembled and broke the bridge. When the Great Spirit saw this he smote the three lovers turning them into mountains of stone and ice.

Mt. Adams in Washington 1996

See Gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger – My World Tuesday further down the page for another photo of Mt St. Helens.

Mt. St. Helens in Washington 1996

Please visit Sky Watch Friday for more awesome photos from around the world.
Mt Adams, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, Skywatch Friday 21 Comments

The gypsy life of a seasonal park ranger – Summer 1992

Since 1992 my world has changed about every six months. As a seasonal park ranger I usually work only six months of the year during late spring, summer and early fall. And, I work in some of the most beautiful places in the world, still limited to U.S.A.

Mount Saint Helens National Monument Washington 1992Mount Saint Helens 1992
I started my career as a seasonal park ranger naturalist while attending Western Washington University during the early 1990s after I’d taken a class in Interpretation.  That’s not a foreign language thing, I was interpreting a landscape.  I learned about the natural and cultural history of the area making it possible to share stories with visitors and answer questions.  My internship was a summer at Mount Saint Helens National Monument 12 years after the big eruption.  I was hooked.  What an amazing job to learn, share, meet people from around the world, and live in a beautiful place.  After graduation, I returned for four more summers to share the never ending stories of Mt St. Helens, a landscape in amazing recovery.  I found it almost unbelievable to see the subtle changes that occurred daily.

Spirt Lake Mount Saint Helens National Monument WashingtonSpirit Lake

When the mountain blew on May 18, 1980 I was planning a wedding in Illinois. Where were you?

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Mount Saint Helens, My gypsy life, National Parks and Monuments, Washington , 19 Comments

Lijit

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