Winter along the Columbia

Guy Miner · Jan 21, 2013

My wife and I both had the day off. Late morning we hopped into the Jeep and headed out. Temp at home was about 25 degrees, we saw a low of 14 degrees cruising along the river. Chilly here in the Pacific Northwest. We went looking for mule deer - didn't find any but we did see a bighorn ewe, about a dozen eagles (bald and golden), literally hundreds of ducks and geese. Thought I'd share a few photos:

My favorite steelhead river, the Methow, frozen over at the mouth, near the Columbia:

A turbine on display at Wells Dam, on the Columbia. Big son of a gun!

Often good for a mule deer or two, but not today:

Frozen springs on the cliff face:

Bebee springs - where the Chelan tribe lived, hunted and fished for 8,000 years. Metal statues by a terrific local Native American artist:

Wish I could have grabbed a photo of the bighorn ewe, the eagles, or any other wildlife, but it didn't happen. On the other hand, the roast beef sandwiches we enjoyed were great. Sure was a nice day!

Guy

JD338 · Jan 21, 2013

Guy

Great photos as always.
That Jeep sure gets you around. Bet you are enjoying the heated bun warmers too.

JD338

Guy Miner · Jan 21, 2013

Thanks JD! Those might be nice - but not on this Jeep. Base model. No bun warmers! :grin: Heck, we even have to roll up our own windows with a crank instead of using a button!

JD338 · Jan 21, 2013

My bad, I was thinking you had heated seats.

I have them in my pick up. My BIL called me a sissy but I noticed he had his bun warmer on EVERY time he got in the truck.

JD338

DrMike · Jan 21, 2013

Great pictures, Guy. I remember thinking that the Methow would be a great stream to fish, though I've never done so. Interestingly, I've never fished Washington, though I did do some fishing in Oregon. In fact, I caught a beautiful doe steelhead on the Santiam one summer. I have a picture around here somewhere. I sure did enjoy your area. My wife and I went down there somewhat regularly when we were living in the Lower Mainland.

HomerOz · Jan 22, 2013

G'Day Fella's,

Thanks for those great images Guy, quite the contrast to my present HOT situation!

Doh!
Homer

Guy Miner · Jan 22, 2013

Thanks guys - thought you'd enjoy. Was downright chilly with the bit of a breeze along the river and temps hovering somewhere in the teens. We didn't do as much hiking/walking as we'd intended!

Dr Mike - the Methow is my favorite steelhead river and I've spent many hours there. One of my favorite places to be. One winter day, only yards from the road, I found myself utterly alone. A light snow was falling. A bald eagle was perched on the cliff above. I was hauling pretty good casts and reeling in an occasional steelhead, doing catch-and-release of the native fish. Thought to myself that but for the muted sound of a passing vehicle time to time, that I could be somewhere deep in a wilderness. Actually though, I was maybe 200 yards from my truck.

Pretty nice. I do like the Methow.

Dad accused me of trying to freeze him there though - we went fishing in a cold snap and had to keep dunking our rods & reels in the river to thaw them so we could keep fishing! They were icing up every few minutes.

Guy

SJB358 · Jan 22, 2013

Very nice pictures Guy!

Kodiak · Jan 22, 2013

Thanks for sharing, Guy.

DrMike · Jan 22, 2013

Guy,

For many years in the Lower Mainland, it was my habit to go fishing on Boxing Day and again on New Years Day. I have caught many last run Dolly Varden on Boxing Day and recall many productive trips that resulted in early steelhead on New Years Day. One of my best days for steelies, I have a big buck run between my legs. I was standing in a big of current and while trying to lift my leg to pass the line under, I was swept off my feet. My son was quite amused and asked if I was willing to do that again. Air temperature was about 30 F and water temperature was measured at about 42 F. It was a bracing dip, though I had not intended to join the polar bear swim at that particular time. I do miss steelheading.

Guy Miner · Jan 22, 2013

Yes, the most chilling water experience I ever had was when I fell into the Methow, while steelheading one winter - maybe 10 years ago. My feet went out from under me on the slick rocks, my waders started filling with water, and I started drifting downstream.

Luckily I'd put a good belt snug around the waders, which somewhat limited the icy water pouring in. All the same, I was in a bad spot.

Managed to struggle/swim to the opposite shore, which somehow seemed like a better idea than trying to turn around and get back to the bank I'd waded in from.

Got over there, crawled out onto the snow-covered rocky shore. Soaked head to toe. Temps were cccccold. Somehow I had NOT lost my rod! It was still in my right hand!

I stripped down to nothing, dumped the water out of my waders. Wrung out my poly-pro long johns & fleece, dressed again and contemplated how I was going to get back across the river... Found a safer place to wade across and hiked back to my truck which was parked a half mile away or so.

Fortunately I was reasonably prepared for getting cold and wet, though I hadn't figured on a swim. Had a thermos of hot coffee in the truck, some food, and a complete change of clothes. Took advantage of all that. What was funny, was after changing to dry clothes and warming up for about 30 minutes... I went back to the river and fished some more! :grin:

True fly-fishing/steelhead nut case I guess...

Guy

DrMike · Jan 22, 2013

Guy Miner":1omtph4z said:
What was funny, was after changing to dry clothes and warming up for about 30 minutes... I went back to the river and fished some more! :grin:

True fly-fishing/steelhead nut case I guess...

Guy

That is hilarious, Guy. Been there; done that; bought the tee-shirt. Oh, yeah, I've gone right back to fishing as soon as I could get into the dry clothes I always took along, just in case. Steelheading will do that to a fellow. :mrgreen: It is a disease.

HomerOz · Jan 23, 2013

G'Day Fella's,

Guy, pleased to hear you survived!

By the way, I thought Global Warming, was supposed to put an end to all that Snow and Ice???

Doh!
Homer

DrMike · Jan 23, 2013

HomerOz":zdp746q1 said:
G'Day Fella's,

Guy, pleased to hear you survived!

By the way, I thought Global Warming, was supposed to put an end to all that Snow and Ice???

Doh!
Homer

Would you believe it is "warm" snow? Not at all like the snow you get in Oz. :grin:

FOTIS · Feb 24, 2013

Excellent photos Guy!

Kodiak · Feb 24, 2013

And some folks when asked about surviving -30* winters,

"well, its a dry cold!" YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DrMike · Feb 24, 2013

Kodiak":32xn0ycm said:
And some folks when asked about surviving -30* winters,

"well, its a dry cold!" YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, it is a dry cold! :grin:

Oldtrader3 · Feb 24, 2013

Man, I have not fished for winter steelhead in a long time! I used to fish the Green, Nisqually and Columbia when I lived in Seattle and the Stillaquamish and Sauk when I lived in Darrington, Washington.

Kodiak · Feb 24, 2013

DrMike":2khhlux8 said:
Kodiak":2khhlux8 said:

And some folks when asked about surviving -30* winters,

"well, its a dry cold!" YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click to expand...

Well, it is a dry cold! :grin:

:lol: :shock: :grin: :wink: :roll: :arrow: 8)

Oldtrader3 · Feb 24, 2013

Dry cold, my foot! When I lived and worked in northern Quebec, I never could get warm, maybe because I was getting wet from the drill bit water! I was outside 12 hours a day in -30 to -40 *F. They did not have the fibefill garment that they have now and wool is still cold when wet!