A Sustainable Abundance

We began our week in Kamper West RV Park in Warrenton, OR. This park was located a quarter mile from the Columbia River. It was an excellent place to explore the northern Oregon and southern Washington Coast. As we ended up our time there, we explored a Maritime Museum and took a trip to Cannon Beach. I have encountered the abundance of creation and how sustainable our lives could be all week. 

One of the recurring questions of the last few weeks is why were so many European explorers searching this part of the globe? This is a map from the Age of Exploration in the 18^th century. It suggests that there is a passage to the Northwest of the Pacific that would make dangerous trips around the tip of Africa or South America unnecessary. Sir Francis Drake, George Vancouver, and James Cook were sent by Britain. France, Spain, and Portugal did the same, believing whoever found the passage would control the merchandise flow from Asia and Western North America. Many sailed right on by the Mouth of the Columbia River, thinking it was just a Bay. But a few courageous and, perhaps, foolhardy captains crossed the bar and did find a river that opened vast stretches of land in North America to European merchants. But even the Columbia did not extend into a Northwest Passage. Ironically, with global warming and the melting of the Artic Ice Cap, the Northwest Passage now exists over the top of North America. But the great age of exploration was driven by far more than curiosity. The prime reason was a thirst for wealth and power.

 

After a good night's rest, we went to Cannon Beach, South of Warrenton, searching for Tufted Puffins. These quirky little birds have fascinated us for years, and when we read that they roosted on the sea stacks of Cannon Beach, we knew it would be a high-priority stop. Cannon Beach is named for cannons from the 19^th-century USS Shark wreck that were found buried in the sand. The largest and most famous of the sea stacks is Haystack Rock. But there are other large sea stacks along the shore. We arrived and had to circle for 15-20 minutes to find a parking place. Once parked, I slung my camera with bird lens over my shoulder, and Marlene shouldered her scope with a tripod; we slogged through the crowded street and then the soft sand. The wind was blowing and felt colder than the 58 degrees we were promised. As we approached the rocks, we could see thousands of birds roosting, flying overhead, or floating in the surf. We set up on the beach and saw cormorants, murres, several species of Gulls, Bald Eagles, and a pair of Harlequin Ducks (a new species for us.) But alas, no puffins. No one else had seen them either. Our search continues for our first Tufted Puffin.

 

I mentioned that we saw Bald Eagles. In fact, we saw a pair who were hovering over the sea stacks. The lead bird swooped in to chase the adult birds away from the nests, and the second would follow in hopes of snatching a chick from a nest. They took several unsuccessful runs, but then we noticed that one of the birds was heading for the trees behind the beach. In its talons was a large Gull chick. The other Bald Eagle followed the first and was chased by a distraught Gull offering all kinds of Gull curses. This is the way of life. The loss of a Gull chick would provide for a single Eagle chick sitting in a nest, waiting for its parents to arrive with food. That is why there are so many Gull Chicks. Some will survive the predators and raise another generation. Creation is lavish in providing for life, but there are winners and losers. It is part of the design of nature. Nature can adjust to meet the needs of all the species. I am not sure that nature can adapt to meet our greed rather than our needs.

 

Thursday was a travel day, and we got up early to get Koko in for an oil change before setting out for Cascade Locks, OR. After an oil change and an early lunch, we set off for a beautiful drive along the Columbia River. A quick jaunt into Washington allowed us to bypass much of the Portland traffic, and we arrived well-rested and ready for new adventures. Our campsite at Cascade Locks / East Portland KOA was very nice, and we are still about a quarter mile from the Columbia River. We have a nice canopy of trees. The air is heavy with the scent of pine and spruce. Once again, nature provided a lavish setting for our week along the Columbia. We are glad to be in a new place for another week of wandering around. 

 

Unfortunately, our first full day in the new campsite fell into our unfortunate pattern. We had a day of cold rain. Making the most of the situation, we drove over the Bridge of the Gods and checked out the Columbia River Interpretive Center to get the "lay of the land" for our week. The museum told the story of the River and its inhabitants. The one exhibit that really touched me was this image of a native fisherman netting salmon from the rapids in the river. A dip net supplied a year’s worth of fish for his tribe. The river provided an abundance for those who lived along its banks.

 

This picture shows what the Europeans used to catch salmon from the same river. Looking closely, you will see our lone native fisherman next to this behemoth. The colossal wheel included two constantly moving dip nets that scooped up the fish and slid them down a chute. From there, they went to the knives of the cannery worker, who packed them for shipment within hours. These machines fed a corporate need for "product" to compete in a global market. These economic machinations have led to unsustainable levels of fishing. The Native people lived off the river for thousands of years. They have lived long enough on the land and waters of the Northwest to understand sustainability. Yet in a little more than a century, we have nearly destroyed the Salmon stock in the river. As the old saying goes, "Creation provides more than enough to feed our needs, but it cannot feed our greed.”  

 

We woke the following day to sunshine and the promise of 70-degree weather. We packed up Nakai and headed for Mount Hood, the dormant volcano just south of Cascade Locks. Our wandering took us along a portion of the “Fruit Loop,” an autoroute through orchards and farmland along the East and West Forks of the Hood River. There were acres of small and large farms, fruit stands, and farmer’s markets. Creation's abundance surrounded us. Many of these farmers have listened to the lessons of sustainability. They are working with nature to produce a bounty of fruits and vegetables for the US market. But these are not Southern California's mega-sized factory farms and orchards that rely on chemical fertilizers and precious water from the Colorado River system. Instead, the Fruit Loop has manageable orchards and truck farms that produce high-quality food and flowers. They rely on the fertility of the volcanic soils and the plentiful water from the snowpack and glaciers on Mount Hood. Yep, we bought some fresh cherries and strawberries. Abundance is a sweet taste to hungry wanderers.

 

I was in awe with my first glimpse of Mount Hood. This is an 11,000 ft. rock that rises out of nowhere. We came around a bend and crossed a bridge over a vast ash flow. The storyboards explained that global warming had reduced the glacial coverage of the ash fields on the volcano's flanks. When a storm of the century came through in 2006, it created a river of mud and ash that took out the highway. The state rebuilt this vital transportation link, but storms continued to wash out the roads and build up a river of ash. The world's insatiable appetite for electricity from fossil fuels is eating away at this ancient landscape. We are literally spoiling our nest. The majesty of the volcano presides over the slow and inevitable changes that will have unforeseen, negative consequences for our children and grandchildren.

 

We continued around the volcano and ended up on the Historic Columbia River Scenic Hwy. This is old US 30 that parallels IH 84 through the gorge. It was built in the early part of the 20^th century to promote tourism to the many waterfalls that spill out of the cliffs of the gorge. It provides overlooks and pull-offs for seeing the sights. This image is from the Vista House, an ornate rest stop along the road that allows the driver to take a break from the twists and turns of the scenic drive. There is a wealth of beauty in this area. Still, we must accept our responsibility for the treasure for future generations. The road was built to help people appreciate this beauty. That is what sustainability is all about, and it is something we need to learn again and again.

Most of the pullouts were filled with cars and crowds. Being a Saturday, we decided to leave them for a return trip during the week. But the pullout at Shepherd Dells Falls was empty. Taking our opportunity, we parked and made our way to the stairs on the cliff. This is a beautiful little cascade down a dark gray basalt cliff. It was an excellent taste of what awaits us when we return in a few days. After a few pictures and lingering at the water’s edge, we slowly returned to Nakai. The day had lavished a lot of hope for our stay along the Columbia. 

 

Our few days in the Sun convinced us that we had had enough of the windy, cold weather of the Pacific coast. So we changed our next stop to one just north of Tacoma, in Gig Harbor at Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor. A few more days of warm temps and sunshine will prepare us for our coming weeks on the Salish Sea and Puget Sound. 

 

Come on along and enjoy the abundance!

 

Bob