August 2013 Portland and Pacific Ocean Roadtrip...

Back in August of this year (2013) Catherine and I took a little road trip to Portland for Stonerose and made a detour or two on the way home. I don't do many summer road trips, unless I'm on fire suppression assignment, but due to an on-the-job-injury, this was my first summer off in 36 years. I agreed to tag along on this road trip to share some driving, provide moral support and enjoy the company of my fine lady...

Here's a bit of the story...

Our meanderings took us from the north country of Eastern Washington, down the San Poil River, across a corner of the Colville Nation, thru the Grand Coulee, along the mighty Columbia River and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. We followed the coastline for a bit, visited the fishing mecca of Westport, crossed over a northeastern shoulder of Mount Rainer and somehow found our way back home...

Visitor Center Grand Coulee Dam

In the later part of the 1970’s the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center was designed and built by architect Marcel Breuer as part of the dam’s third power-plant. Breuer designed the visitor center to resemble a generator rotor.  From this center the National Park Service stages an evening laser show using four large ion gas lasers.

So were traveling over Manilla Creek Pass in the lower Okanogan Range, crossing a portion of the Colville Nation tribal lands, out in the pine and sagebrush forest lands, when my lady says to me, "I need a restroom break. Preferably a scenic one."

"A scenic one?" I ask glancing around at the towering Ponderosa pines surrounded by sagebrush and bitter bush and not another car or residence in sight.

"A real restroom," she says reading my mind.

"Hmm, a real restroom and s scenic one at that." I mumbled. "Hope you can hold it"... She could and here we are at the National Park Service restroom with the Grand Coulee Dam in the background. Boy, do I ever deliver...

Steamboat Rock on Banks Lake…

Steamboat Rock State Park is located on Banks Lake in the Grand Coulee of Eastern Washington State, U.S.A.

Morning Sunrise Sun Lakes

Sun Lakes and Sun Lake State Park are downstream of the Dry Falls area of Northeastern Washington State at the southern reach of the Grand Coulee.

Towering Basalt Cliffs over Sun Lake…

These towering basalt cliffs, illuminated in the early morning sun, rise over the western shore of Sun Lakes in the Grand Coulee of Washington State, U.S.A.

The Sam Hill Memorial Bridge

U.S. Highway 97 between Washington and Oregon is spanned by the "Biggs Rapid Bridge" also known as the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge. Connecting  Maryhill, Washington to Biggs Junction, Oregon the bridge is owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WA DOT). The bridge. The is located 13 miles above  The Dalles Dam. Bridge length is 2,567 feet, with a 26 foot deck width and has an 88 foot clearance above the Columbia River below.

The Maryhill Museum of Art…

The Maryhill Museum of Art is perches on a south facing slope overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. Open to the public in 1940 the structure was originally intended as a mansion for entrepreneur Samuel Hill (1857-1931). During May of 2012 a plaza open that overlooks the Columbia River, serving as an education center, a collections suite and a café.


Mother Goddess Native American display at Maryhill Museum of Art 

Seal Skin Shirt - Native American display at Maryhill Museum of Art

Stone Carving -  Native American display at Maryhill Museum of Art

 

 

On to Portland, Oregon and the  Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

Well, err, almost...

We did manage to hit rush hour traffic on a Friday summer's evening in Portland and trying to reach our evening destination was a bit delayed. Although I must say if your going to get stuck for an hour in traffic the peak of the I-5 bridge over the Willamette River, over the downtown Portland waterfront on a fine summer's eve is not such a bad place to have to creep along with fellow motorists...

Compilation of images by Catherine L. Brown

Our mission with Stonerose took us to a gathering of rockhounds, scientists, collectors and the general public at the Rice Museum, a fifty year old establishment that has become nationally recognized as the finest rocks and minerals museum in the Pacific Northwest.

The traveling Stonerose booth at the Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals.

Clementine and Catherine staffing the Stonerose booth on the back lawn of the Rice Museum.

 

 

Deep Forest Road of Oregon

Western Oregon has near-rainforest conditions that promote large tree and foliage growth as this one lane road through the deep forest illustrates.

Mossy Old Maple ~ Cloochy/Cloutrie Creek Picnic Area

 Turn easterly off Oregon Highway 26 and cross the one lane bridge over Cloochy Creek into the picnic area. This is in the heart of deceased author Ken Keasy’s Oregon Coastal Mountain country and the story on the plaque of the Cloochy/Cloutrie Creek Picnic Area is one worthy of the great author himself.

The Astoria–Megler Bridge…

The Astoria–Megler Bridge is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. This steel cantilever bridge spans the Columbia River between Astoria, Oregon and Point Ellice, Washington.  Located 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the bridge is 4.1 miles long and has the distinction of being the last completed segment of U.S. Route 101 between Olympia, Washington, and Los Angeles, California. Seen here in transit from the Oregon side.

The longest continuous truss bridge in North America…

Looking down the maul of the the Astoria–Megler Bridge spanning the Columbia River near it’s mouth at the Pacific Ocean.

Westport and a visit with cousins. The beach house was built by the Pearson Family and has remained in the family for many years. Just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean you can hear the song of the surf  from the front porch couch.  

 

Twilight at Westport – North Pacific Ocean…

It had been a long time since either Catherine or I had visited the ocean. While we occasionally sail the saltchuck of the Salish Sea there is a great difference from the placid inside waters and the Mother Ocean. We walked with cousin Kathleen and Ralph for a twilight walk on the beach. Here Kathleen and Catherine are walking a stretch of the Westport Beach near the Grays Harbor bar crossing during a late summer’s twilight.

 

Catherine illuminated by the glow of her cell phone as twilight turns toward darkness on a northern Pacific Beach.

Greetings from Westport ~ Wish you were here...

Parts of Washington State's ocean beaches are deemed public highways and here we are riding in Ralph's Dodge south on Cohassett Beach with our traveling pup Pinja doing the flying ear thing.

Beach Walker and Dog, Cohassett Beach…

Catherine and Pinja on Cohassett Beach during a calm summer’s day near Westport, Washington U.S.A.

Hanging at Westport we enjoyed the hospitality of cousin Hillary and hubby Rob. Professional fisherman and gourmet cooks go together hand-in-hand in this family. What a grand table they set.

Pacific Sunset

We'll wrap up the visit to Westport with a golden orange sunset off Cohassett Beach, near Gray’s Harbor, Washington, U.S.A. Notice the two sailboat’s dim silhouettes under the setting sun.

Pacific Crest Trail

Leaving the I-5 corridor behind we again wandered off the main roadways and found ourselves at the Pacific Crest Trail where it crosses this bridge over the Chinook Pass Highway in Mount Rainer National Park in Washington State, U.S.A.

Mount Rainer…

14,411’ Mount Rainier, in the heart of Washington State is a massive strato-volcano. The topographical prominence of  this mountain contributed to the Puyallup Peoples naming it Tahoma, from the Lushootseed word  meaning "mother of waters". Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Seen here behind Governor’s Ridge in Mount Rainer National Park.

 

Tipsoo Lake, Governors Ridge, Mount Rainer…

Catherine and I hamming it up in front of: Tipsoo Lake at 5,400 feet vertical elevation is the foreground for this image of Mount Rainer behind Governors Ridge in Mount Rainer National Park, Washington State, U.S.A.

Yakima Peak, Mount Rainer National Park…

The 6,226 foot summit of Yakima Peak towers over Tipsoo Lake in Mount Rainer National Park near

Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility…

With tongue-in-cheek it might be said that an astute traveler may note not only the topographic differences but the climatically distinct variations between the western and eastern geographic areas of Washington State. Whiskey Dick Mountain is the site of the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility. The farm, with 149 wind turbines, is owned by Puget Sound Energy and named after the famous metal sculpturing ‘Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies’ which is located across the Columbia River.

 

Columbia River – Vantage Bridge Crossing…

The Vantage Bridge carries Interstate 90 across the Columbia River. Due to the Wanapum Dam this section of the river is named Wanapum Lake. This 2,504 foot long bridge carries over 10,000 vehicles daily. The bridge separates the Ginkgo Petrified Forest (east) and Wanapum Recreational Area State Park (west) in this portion of the Columbia River Valley.

 

Sunset over Windy Ridge and the Columbia River Valley…

Whiskey Dick Mountain is the highest point on Windy Ridge in the L.T. Murray Wildlife Area. Seen here with the mid-August sunset flaming over the landscape.

Lead Pony – Wild Horses Monument…

This is the lead horse of fifteen metal sculpted wild horses from artist and sculpture David Govedare.  While WA DOT refers to this larger-than-life sculpture as Wild Horses Monument the artist has entitled it GRANDFATHER CUTS LOOSE THE PONIES.

Alkali Lake – Sun Lakes Basin

Alkali Lake was formed by the Missoula Floods in the lower coulee south of Dry Falls. The lake is located in Grant County, Washington, just north of the town of Soap Lake. The Sun Lakes drainage runs north and south right beside Washington State Route 17 leading from near the city of Moses Lake to Coulee City, Washington, U.S.A.

  Basalt Cliffs and Formations at the Southern Reach of Alkali Lake

These basalt cliffs and Washington State Highway 17 form the western shore of Alkali Lake in the Sun Lakes drainage. The lake is a critical habitat for wildlife, especially waterfowl in this parched area of the Evergreen State.  These massive basalt cliffs and rock formations were exposed by the great Missoula Floods during the last ice age and form a part of the Grand Coulee in Washington State.

 

Morning in the Grand Coulee

Morning sunlight softens the otherwise harsh features of these unique rock formations. Castle-like topographic features top the basalt cliffs forming the rim of the Grand Coulee.

Road trips these days have a lot of user-friendly technology available to the savvy traveler. And so it was that Catherine was checking her Facebook profile whilst we were on the road and discovered that the Washington State Department of Transportation, operators of the Keller Ferry, which crosses the lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt / Columbia River, was staging the dedication ceremonies of the new M/V SAN POIL, (the new Keller Ferry).

Logistics worked out for us to spend the night nearby and attend the celebration the next morning.

And as it worked out  our ship's dog and canine traveling companion, Pinja, was the first pooch on the new MV SAN POIL once it was open to public. And to seal her place in on-board canine history Pinja was also first dog onto the fly-bridge of the new vessel, as captured here in a photo by Catherine...

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Postscript: in the wake of the dedication ceremonies the new MV SAN POIL began her mission of ferrying vehicles the impounded waters of the mighty Columbia River on the lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt and we also caught the first ride across the lake. From that northern landing it is less than two hours to Riverhome and the end of this fine summer's road trip...

On that first ride across of the MV SAN POIL this old truck was the in the front of the line. It happened that this truck was built the year that the retired Keller Ferry, MS MARTHA S. had been brought into service. A fun loop of history for the inaugural ride across the lake...

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Foster

Foraging has been defined as:  is searching for and exploiting food resources.
Recently had a chance to do a bit of foraging in the Okanogan Highands when a friend mentioned finding a very bright, very large orange fungus growing on a stump. I guessed immediately she was referring to Chicken-of-the-woods, thanks to my neighbor Sue. Laetiporus is a genus of edible mushrooms found throughout much of the world. Some species, are commonly known as chicken of the woods, the chicken mushroom, or the chicken fungus because of texture and taste like chicken. Here's a visual on how I like to prepare them.

Fortunately there are no look-a-likes to this unique edible fungus.

Individual "shelves" range 2"-10" inches across and are made up of many tiny tubular filaments. The mushroom grows in large brackets - some have been found that weigh over 100 pounds. It is most commonly found on wounds of trees, mostly oak, though it is also frequently found on yew, and willow, as well as conifers in some species. This one was found on a Douglas fir stump.

I separate the plates while harvesting, selecting only the soft, pliable portions of the mushroom.  Once in the kitchen wash in cold water to remove any debris.

Slice the mushroom into long pieces, somewhat like French fries,  and place them in a pan to be covered with your favorite marinate.

Cover with marinate and spices, fresh garlic works great. Cover with a wax style paper and set in fridge or on these cool autumn days, on the deck table is what I did. Let them soak up the marinate for a few hours.

I used a medium sized wok over very high heat to prep the olive oil. Once the oil was ready I added enough of the mushroom to cover the bottom of the pan. As one batch was ready I shifted them to an open baking pan and grilled them until the edges were crisp. Heated up the kitchen sautéing and grilling at the same time.

 

 

Once the mushrooms were ready I put the portion to be served back into the wok, to hold the heat and sprinkled a hard Italian cheese over the top. Whip up a sauce for a dip and your ready to go.

 

This dish compliments most autumn food, baked beans, baked squash, etc, but my favorite was to serve is with fresh venison steaks. Bon appetite!

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A March visit to the Emerald City...

Or how we lucked out with few days of late winter and early spring sunshine in Seattle…

Catherine and I had a chance to spend a several days in Seattle taking care of Stonerose and fire department business as well as a few personal chores. Getting by with a little help from our friends included our lodging on the waterfront of Elliott Bay seen in this image with Bell Harbor Marina as part of the front yard.

Seattleites’ like those of us residing in Ferry County, enjoy complaining about the weather but we found the daily sunny periods good chances to walk, cycle or capture a few photographs of the neighborhood as this one of dawn over the Olympic Mountains seen from our abode.

 

A new feature of Seattle's waterfront is what they are calling The Seattle Great Wheel, a Ferris wheel standing 175 feet tall and carrying 42 fully-enclosed gondolas. Each gondola seats up to eight people, meaning the wheel can hold over 300 passengers at any given time. The wheel extends nearly 40 feet beyond the end of the pier, over Elliott Bay, is open year round and weighs 280,300 pounds.


Enjoyed capturing this image of two of the Northwest's icons: a section of the Pike Place Market and one of the Washington State Ferries heading on a crossing to Bainbridge Island.

Catherine and I on the western Market Place stairs (and outdoor elevator) on one of the sunny afternoons.

Part of the Seattle waterfront seen from the Space Needle observatory. Looking closely one may note the Great Wheel just before the Ferry Landing. The commercial port area lays further south in the background of this image.
 

Catherine in our digs enjoying another sunset over Elliott Bay and the distant Olympic Mountains.

 

One of the Argosy tour vessels on an evening dinner cruise along the Seattle waterfront. During this visit to "The Emerald City" we did splurge for the Argosy Ballard Locks tour (more on that later)... 

Another dawn on the waterfront of Elliott Bay looking into Bell Harbor Marina near a historical point of interest for any of us naval buffs. This sculpted tower, erected on National Maritime Day 1961, marks the spot where the U.S. Navy's "Great White Fleet" anchored in 1908 during their famous 46,000 mile world cruise.

Lake Union, seen in this image from the Space Needle is in the heart of Seattle. Catherine and I did a leisurely bicycle ride along what is known as the West Lake area, a nautical community of small marinas, boat brokers, houseboat neighborhoods and chandlery shops.

Catherine walking her bike along an abandoned rail pathway on West Lake, which serves part of the Seattle houseboat community.

This row of quaint mailboxes nearly grown into the surrounding shrubs are also part of the houseboat neighborhood.

And one of the boardwalk pathways to a number of the houseboats on located West Lake Union in Seattle.

It was during our cycle along the lake that we chanced upon the sailing vessel ZODIAC laying pier side at the southern end of the lake. The ZODIAC is a beautiful, old, wooden sailing vessel I've had the chance to photograph while it was traveling in the San Juan Islands under sail. Neither of us had ever seen the vessel up close.

As it worked out while Catherine and I paused on our bikes and stood admiring the ZODIAC her watchmate, Don came on deck and began a conversation with us. When Don heard that Catherine serves as secretary to the Rickey Point Sail Club and I the commodore he insisted we come aboard for an 'informal' tour. In this image Don and Catherine are in the galley of the schooner ZODIAC.

The ZODIAC is 160 feet long, 26 feet beam, displacing 145 tons and was launched in 1924. The vessel is currently used for charter, research and education. Don captured this image of Catherine and I at the crew's dining table in the ZODIAC.

Here is an image I caught through a pilothouse portal of the ZODIAC looking aft onto her starboard deck.

The dedication plaque in the ZODIAC placing the vessel on the national historic register.

And this last image of the ZODIAC is of the earliest known photograph of the vessel under full sail. This framed image is hanging on a gang-way wall of the vessel itself.

Nicknamed the Ballard Locks, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, seen in this image beyond the railroad bridge, was constructed in 1911 and provides a link for boats sailing between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal connecting Lake Union and Lake Washington.

Catherine and I plan on piloting our sailing Vessel AQUILA thru these locks within the next few years and had been wanting to see how they worked. Thus when the opportunity presented itself to join Argosy Cruise for a tour of the locks we went for it. My 1st mate is seen here sharing the heave line for the shoreside tie with our tour guide Tray.

The vertical lifting capacity of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks is up to 20' but each lift of each passage is dependent on tides. Here our Argosy tour vessel is poised at the opening gate, facing eastwards and ready for a passage from saltwater into the freshwater confines of the Ships Canal and eventually Lake Union.

The next day Catherine and I returned to the locks for a walk through the surrounding gardens and some time spent watching various vessels make the passage on both the westerly and easterly points of sail.

This restored trawler is making an easterly passage in the smaller of the two locks.

Besides the locks themselves the facility has other features including a fish-ladder, spillway and saltwater barrier. All of which are designed to address unique functions of this freshwater / saltwater transition area. Here a group of fishing cormorants are taking advantage of "Smolt flumes" in the spillway. These flumes assist young salmon to pass safely downstream, of course "safely" for the young salmon is relative and depends on the number, appetite and skill of the cormorants.

These next few images are focused on the nautical aspect of the greater Seattle area. This statue, dedicated to Leif Erickson attests to the strong nautical ties of the area. Set at the Shilshoal Marina the plaque reads: "Leif Erikson, the first recorded European to set foot on North American shores symbolizes the long history of Scandinavian-American immigration. "

Thinking about an anchor upgrade to my 30' sailing vessel AQUILA: or not! During our cycle art-tour, Catherine caught me goofing off on this 18,500# anchor from the Holland America motor vessel VEENDAM.

Caught this image of a vessel in transit entering the downtown Seattle waterfront of Elliott Bay off Pier 66 from the Space Needle. Alki Point, the site of the first European settlement is visible in the distance.

This stylized ships wheel is one of many embedded in the concrete wall lining the downtown pier area. This one is near the dedication plaque erected on Maritime Day 1961.

 

 

 

This vessel, EXPLORER IV, was one of our neighbors for several days during it's stay at the Bell Harbor Marina. Home port of Saint Johns, Newfoundland tells part of the story of just how far this vessel has come to find itself visiting this northern Pacific waterfront

 

More to come ~ check back soon...