After
several great nights in Richland with Mike and Rachel, we headed
out toward Bend, OR. We got "close" to our objective when
we learned that our next host was unavailable for 2 days due to
family obligations, so we decided to mark time along the
Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge. This is a
scenic river canyon with sustained high winds (40 mph) due to
the temperature differential between one end of the canyon (cold
Pacific Ocean) and the other (hot desert in the Tri-Cities area
to which Richland belongs).
The photos below are what we saw.
The
Columbia River is huge with strong flows. It is a big
river capable of supporting shipping of various types as well as
private water sports like fishing and boating. The
interstate highway follows the southern bank of the Columbia
River.
Soon we
encountered the John Day dam and lock complex.
The John
Day dam was designed by the Army Corps of Engineers and is
operated by the same entity. In the photo above, left to
right, you can see the lock structure, the salmon ladder
(inclined), spillway and powerhouse. Note the windmills on
the far ridge. The strong, sustained winds were perfect
for an industrial scale wind farm. As a plus, the power
distribution system was pre-existing and capable of handling the
extra current.
We
spotted this expedition camper on the banks of the Columbia and
discussed going down and meeting them, but decided that we would
be better served meeting with out next host. We turned
south toward Bend when Kathleen stated that she had just gotten
a text from our next host stated he would be unavailable for the
next two days. So, armed with 2 days to burn and the
camper people in our mind, we did a U-turn and headed back to
the gorge to meet them.
We
parked Thor close to their rig and dismounted to go meet them.
This
couple were Dutch, but were Austrailian citizens on world
tour. Their truck was also a Mercedes with a similar cab
style.
The
living quarters were his own design, but I never got the full
story on that. They have been living in the truck for 10
years or so, but return to Australia every year for visa
reasons.
When we
encountered them, they had just come up from Mexico and South
America.
The
truck has factory hydraulics and has a winch both front and
rear. "Only used for others benefit" the owner stated when
asked if he ever had to self-extract.
A tire
handler very similar to Thors, but rear mounted.
We had a
very nice cocktail hour with them then parked a respectable
distance away for mutual privacy. We spent two hot nights
on the banks of the Columbia in 40+ mph winds. We were
happy when it was time to move on.
We
spotted this tug and barge headed for the locks. Note the
gate is up.
A long
exposure photo revealed that the lights on the dam were red,
white and blue.
On our
departure day, the sun was bright and the wind was strong.
The windmills on the opposite side of the gorge were working
hard in the stiff breeze. Note the scree slopes on the far
cliffs created by weathering of the Columbia River basalt flow
layers. Some of the layers were harder than others
resulting in the layer cake appearance.
We
headed south toward Bend, OR and got some nice views of Mt. Hood
from the highway.
Later,
multiple volcanic cones were visible.
We
arrived at the Palmer Ranch and Ben had us park in front of his
shop.
Ben's
collection of inventory, both personal and for his business, had
increased significantly since our last visit. This Jeep is
a diesel.
Ben's
firm is called the "406 Garage" referring to the area code where
the company was founded as opposed to the 406 Unimog he once
owned.
Ben
recently acquired this very rare International diesel car
transporter.
The
clear, hot weather provided a great view of the peaks of the
nearby Cascade Mountains.
Kathleen is
checking out Ben's new custom Peterbuilt hauler. This
truck got the full treatment including air suspension, new
sleeper, new paint, tranny rebuild, engine rebuild and a frame
extension.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2023, all rights
reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.