Salmon Hatchery and Snoquamie Falls

Salmon trying to get over the dam.

Our field trip this week found us at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. I had no idea that salmon could get that big! The Issaquah Creek was brimming with Salmon. The redish colored are the male. They develop a hump and hook looking mouth during spawning season.

Rainbow trout is raised at the Hatchery. Emily and I got to feed the trout. Can you say feeding frenzy?!

Emily was facinated by fish ladder. When we were at the observation area for the fish ladder, one little boy beside me must have been about 5 years old. He stretched his arms out and could not reach wide enough to be the length of the salmon in front of him. I told you these salmon are bigger than small children! :0)

After the Hatchery, we headed a little further North to Snoquamie Falls.

 It is soooo beautiful there. Our drive was lovely. eventhough the weather was not at it's best, I think it enhanced the feel of autum. The trees are beginning to change. Fall begins next week. I think someone forgot to the mountains to wait a little longer.

Wow were the falls beautiful! I have never been here in the fall. I wish that we would be able to go back in a few weeks. It will be stellar with color.
The have been serious renovations to the park that surrounds the falls. There is a new observation area, you can no longer hike down the mountain to the river. This is a bummer. The hike is hard but so worth it when you are able to look at the falls from the bottom. When I lived here many years ago with my parents, the are a was suffering from severe drought. The was just a trickle of a water. You could safely behind or even stand in the falls.

This was a great field trip. We discussed renewable resources as well as the impact of logging in the region.

Cannot wait for our next adventure.....as my favorite guys on Ghost Hunters say, "On to the next!"