Here, along the Columbia River, only a half mile or so (1km) downstream of Priest Rapids Dam. I recreated responsibly, mostly.
I had traveled from Rimrock Lake east through Yakima (see previous post), where I caught a shower and grabbed a chance to eat at Yakima's Sportsman State Park.
Fun layout, which I didn't know about until I looked up the site online, from above. I enjoyed my stay.
I was in site 7, way over there, generally upwind of whomever might come along later. (No one did, mostly.)
The place had the cleanest vault toilet I've ever seen. Literally looked like it had just been installed and never used. I used it. Still looked OK afterward. And this was the view from my campsite around 4 p.m.
The river was in flood. The streamside trees were roughly four feet deep (around 1.25m). A week later the water was about half again as high, with severe flooding way up north, and several towns threatened.
Toward evening the scenery got more interesting to look at. The area was breezy, which kept bugs down, though aside from the riverbed itself, there isn't much plant growth — mostly dry grass and sagebrush.
Here you can see the water's depth. Id like to get across the river to explore that shallow ravine.
Correct. Pelican. There was a small herd of them: Fly upstream, float down. Repeat.
Later in the evening. Though the wind was from the west, clouds kept edging in from the east. Wha? (You get a better idea of the river level from this shot.)
Unhappy-looking sky. Coming my way.
Shortly before the rain hit. We had a brief but heavy downpour, and then the sky gradually cleared until dawn, which came clear.
Around two hours after I arrived, a family of six came in. Eastern-European accents. May have been Russian, Ukrainian, Estonian, etc., but I had the presence of mind not to ask. They said they wanted quiet. I said I was quiet. Then they parked as far from me as they could get.
Four kids. Kids ran around. Good place for it. $10 per night.
No one else there except for two vehicles upstream at the day use area where the occupants were apparently fishing. They left about dark.
Somewhere between breezy and hurricane-force winds for the first half of the night, but no dust. The rain did not last long, but it took care of the dust.
The father of my neighbor family asked me if the water was salt water or fresh water. He had a freshwater fishing license and wanted to be sure that he was in the right place for it. Odd, but I reassured him: fresh water.
I said I wouldn't tell on him anyway, even if he didn't have a license, but he wanted to make a point of being legal. OK. Good neighbors. The kids continued running around, jumping from one boulder to another, carefree.
In the morning I left first. No telling where the family is now. Still not sure where I am.
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