A Photo Dump Of Signs

Signs are cool. I tend to take pictures of them when I'm in new places. I took a lot of photos while I was out in the Pacific Northwest. Here's a photo dump of some that just didn't have a place in prior posts. Most don't require any elaboration. Those that do, well... feel free to let your imagination run wild.  :)

Natural Beauty: Crater Lake National Park

It's been a week of Oregon posts, and to wrap them up (just like the trip itself), it's time to visit Crater Lake National Park.

For the last day in Oregon, I put the fishing rods aside and decided to make the drive to spend the day at one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. If you're not familiar with Crater Lake, here's a quick summary, courtesy of Wikipedia:

"Crater Lake National Park is a United States National Park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the fifth-oldest national park in the U.S. and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of Crater Lake, a remnant of a destroyed volcano, Mount Mazama, and the surrounding hills and forests.

The lake is 1,949 feet (594 m) deep at its deepest point, which makes it the deepest lake in the United States, the second-deepest in North America and the ninth-deepest in the world. Crater Lake has no streams flowing into or out of it. All water that enters the lake is eventually lost from evaporation or subsurface seepage. The lake's water commonly has a striking blue hue, and the lake is re-filled entirely from direct precipitation in the form of snow and rain."

Not really going to write too much more, I'll let the photos do the talking. Crater Lake National Park is best appreciated that way, with lush forests, tumbling waterfalls, and of course, the lake itself, which is the most brilliant blue my eyes have ever witnessed. Absolutely breathtaking.

 

 

 

Wandering Around The Willamette Fish Hatchery

On Sunday afternoon, driving back from a third straight day of fishing, I decided to make a small detour and see what was down the "Fish Hatchery Road" I'd kept passing all weekend. Set back a little bit from Route 58 in Oakridge, I found the Willamette Fish Hatchery... and well, I was pleasantly surprised with what I encountered.

Before we get to the fish, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has clearly set up the Willamette Fish Hatchery as an educational destination. The kind of place you could take kids (especially small ones) and easily spend half a day.

There's a very nice picnic area...

Wonderful landscaping and sculpture...

Educational mini golf (no, that's not a typo)...

Upland bird exhibits...

And a small museum speaking to Oregon wildlife and the history of the hatchery...

And then there were fish. Lots and lots of fish. Starting immediately across from the museum were two large swimming pool sized pens. They held some nice sized trout (that were noted for show, not stocking) as well as some big sturgeon. I'm not sure I've ever seen a sturgeon before, they were freaking huge!

Up next were the trout ponds. which consisted of about 10 raceways placed side by side. They were full of rainbow trout of various sizes.

A bit of a walk led to the main hatchery building and the salmon ponds. There had to be at least 40 individual ponds, and they were all filled with fingerling sized salmon. It was a sight to see, so many fish in one place, quite remarkable.

According to a brochure I picked up, "The salmon hatchery was established in 1911 to compensate for the loss of spawning and rearing areas in the middle fork of the Willamette River. Willamette Hatchery, in conjunction with other state-operated fish hatcheries, releases over five million spring Chinook salmon smolts annually into the Willamette River and its tributaries."

Saving perhaps the best for last, tucked behind the main hatchery building are the adult salmon holding ponds. Accessible from a viewing platform, this heavily secured area holds dozens of full-sized Spring Chinook salmon. These fish were collected and brought here, where later this Fall, the staff will collect the eggs & sperm from the adults to fertilize eggs to be incubated in the hatchery building. Each female salmon will yield approximately 4000 eggs.

Whether you're a fan or not of hatchery-raised fish, this little trip to the Willamette Fish Hatchery was an interesting and educational detour. I feel like I left understanding a little bit more than I knew about Oregon's fish and wildlife than I did prior to arrival. Plus, the grounds are really quite beautiful to walk through. With so much to offer, it's definitely worth a few hours of your time if you happen to be in the area.

For more info:

Willamette Fish Hatchery: 

https://myodfw.com/willamette-hatchery-visitors-guide

76389 Fish Hatchery Road

Oakridge, OR 97463

(541) 782-2933