Development

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

I have loved the Washougal River my whole adult life and become quite a”used to be” critique. We have a reoccurring thing up river near Jeannes old family cabin. Including a real ahole neighbor which is not unusual for property owners. In our case it is 3 generations connected to 3 widow sisters . The last one is 94.organizing a transformation of responsibilities for expenses is a very slowly developing nightmare. Down the river hwy. About a 1/2 mile is the steel bridge and old store. Across the old steel bridge is a large plot of wooded property a new owner believes he can do whatever he wishes including a wooded adventure theme park. The remote neighbors are fighting.

Concerning a theme park on a still beautiful river.

Someone talked about all about money. Well of course that is what business is. Not humanitarian. Manipulation of an attraction idea in their own image to attract dollars.there are plenty of zip line attractions and attempts to incorporate nature into an “enhanced” experience. The truth is nature does just fine without our intervention. The US business model is as self centered as it can be until we and droves of people seeking “entertainment” ruin what was. We can make our own fun by observing nature and interfacing in the subtle details and wonder of it. Some will say property rights first. Until what results is a neutered environment that exponentially throws what was in a struggle for balanced beauty into eroded dirt, silted once clear rivers and all for the sake of…I bought it and its mine now. Ironically, this wooded scraped parking lot and tethered forest made shabby by the monied selfish will unlock another part of the place we love for yet more future abominations of greed.

I get on an apple crate sometimes and speak in a loud voice.

 

[Salmon123]

Capt.... Raised in Camas-Washougal 38 years worth cut my teeth on that river and used to jump off that Steel Bridge you are talking about, I am surprised that store still exists. There use to be a zip line contraption deal along Hwy 14 just as you are coming out of the gorge into Washougal did they shut that one down?

 

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

Capt.... Raised in Camas-Washougal 38 years worth cut my teeth on that river and used to jump off that Steel Bridge you are talking about, I am surprised that store still exists. There use to be a zip line contraption deal along Hwy 14 just as you are coming out of the gorge into Washougal did they shut that one down?

The guy that bought yhe property in question pissed off a lot of people as I was and am and Skamania couunty joined in with the property owners up river . Push back was significant. Jeanne and I went to the old cabin in 1973 for a couple days. She was my first love. Took us until 2019 to sort out our lives and find each other again. We were kids. I used to haul my oldest daughter into the canyon fork above the hatchery to fish for dteelhead. Down small stone cliffs and stuff. . About a decade ago I drove up to the closed hatchery and wandered in to that cliff and told myself i was nuts and certainly would not do that ever again but then I was 63 I think… such a beautiful place

 

[Salmon123]

Ya i think they closed the that before I left that area for the Eastside that was 13 years ago. If you are a chantarelle lover ill pm you some good directions they are not far past that place. We used to fish fall chinook up there after they blew past Oak Park down below in town and fish off that island right above that bridge with everyone and there mothers and fathers brother if you know what i mean

 

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

Ya i think they closed the that before I left that area for the Eastside that was 13 years ago. If you are a chantarelle lover ill pm you some good directions they are not far past that place. We used to fish fall chinook up there after they blew past Oak Park down below in town and fish off that island right above that bridge with everyone and there mothers and fathers brother if you know what i mean

Fly fishing for salmon on the washougal has aways been a challenge if you avoided company. When in
Jr high and hs I fished in oak Park lower river - steelhead rapids and the back side ofthe island where the old washed up boathouse was. Boathouse rapids a nice spot where i will never forget seeing our local Ff legend bill McMilland and author fishing.

This was an article i wrote for the museum mag when I worked there. I guess i was the only guy who flyfished. I thought a fly fishing primer would be a good idea…

 

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

Ya i think they closed the that before I left that area for the Eastside that was 13 years ago. If you are a chantarelle lover ill pm you some good directions they are not far past that place. We used to fish fall chinook up there after they blew past Oak Park down below in town and fish off that island right above that bridge with everyone and there mothers and fathers brother if you know what i mean

Thanks for the memory review for the hatchery closure. I remember talking to the last guy standing at the hatchery. He talked about the last native steelhead returning. It was real native not hybrid natives that I always thought of as a true misnomer