King

I'm from Ohio (a great state to be *from*) where I only knew salmon to come in cans.
I know! 
Fool!
It took moving out to Seattle as a young adult to see the light that there was MUCH more to it than that.
What an epiphany.
Two of my (many) jobs in that city were particularly edifying.
Both the tour boats and performing as an interpreter at the Ballard Locks taught me such a great deal about these amazing creatures, that I've been a fan ever since.
And by fan, I mean I stalk them.
I'll spare you all the mumbo jumbo of a full-on spiel, but know that there are 5 species of our Pacific salmon (not including the Steelhead trout): King/Chinook, Red/Sockeye, Silver/Coho, Pink/Humpy, Chum/Dog
They are born upstream in fresh water, then make their way out to the sea during adulthood before returning TOTHEEXACTSAMESPOT they were hatched, mate (spawning) then DIE!
Is that not totally fucked up?
Fascinating.
The fancy word for this migration is 'Anadromous.'
It wasn't enough to see these beauts randomly at the Fish Ladder during work hours, so every fall I began to hunt them down to their final destination, or at least try and follow them along that path when able.
No doubt the best spot was also the easiest to access- the Renton Library, which was constructed across the Cedar River.
Pretty nifty architecture.
The gravelly bed just underneath the bridge was perfect for their 'redds' and hovering over to watch them spawn was just amazing.
I still get chills thinking about how crazy beautiful nature can be.
There were some other vantages we'd discovered in the ensuing years on their route which also proved rewarding.

Fall has always been my preferred season.
I loved getting new clothes and school supplies for the upcoming year and socializing on a grander scale once again.
Football was in the air, literally, and later on as a HS Flag Corp member (!), I got to enjoy its electricity.
The colors in The Heartland as the trees turned were vibrant and nuanced.
And who doesn't love jumping into a huge pile of damp, yet crisp leaves your grandfather raked up for you to do just that?
Another favorite family activity was apple picking then heading over to Ye Olde Mill for ice cream.
Contrary to what the Wheel of the Year says, I've always been drawn to Autumn for personal renewal.

Which was why having a reason to go be outside felt so right, and now with the extra added bonus of salmon viewing.
So when we moved, leaving the fish behind saddened me.
Oh sure, I knew they were in Oregon, too.
I'd done lots of reading* and from all of our trips to the area prior to relocating, was aware they were very near.
It was just a matter of finding them.
Because big, developed sites such as the Issaquah State Salmon Hatchery don't exist here, we'd have to track them down the old fashioned way- maps, driving around and instinct.

We're fortunate to have a lovely creek bordering the backside of our property which ultimately drains into the Long Tom River (coincidentally at OCF, which is the reason we moved here, remember?)
Sadly, no fish to speak of run it and as of now, I don't think introducing frys would be productive.
However, there *are* many streams nearby which are stocked.
We found this out pretty much by accident, sleuthing notwithstanding, when we finally decided to investigate these 'Rock Slides' all the local kids kept on about.
During the summer, this natural water park has attracted hoards of partiers over the years, and it's easy to see why.
Free, out in the middle of nowhere with no official oversight, lots of space for revelers, not to mention the exhilaration of the slide itself.
(Be sure to wear sturdy cut-offs; a regular bathing suit bottom will give you a wedgie- I speak from experience.)
But we hadn't realized that this was an official fish ladder for 3 species.
Thanks to signage and the tell-tale design of concrete weirs, we vowed to return.
That discovery occurred a few years ago and we've had success ever since following them as they make their way home throughout the web of  neighboring waterways.
Yet the only evidence of the huge Chinook were decaying carcasses, until now.
We were always a few weeks behind their run, despite vowing the following year to come earlier.
Thanks to a late (U of O) Duck game and beautiful Saturday afternoon, that resolution paid off.
Below are some photos of that visit.

Dog likes nature

Damn vandal kids messing up my nature

So busy taking this bird pic, I missed money fish shots

We wear special Salmon-Spotting Specs during the hunt; this is what things look like in our golden world

Attractive, no?

Zabby actually doesn't give a damn about the fish

Lake Creek HWY 36 OR

When we pulled Zippy in, the parking lot had nothing but Subarus; upon return we see now Pru's represented (but remember, that's a no-dog car) This is so PNW

Yeah, everyone follows *that* rule!

*Some salmon related books in my library in no particular order:
Where the Waters Begin; Cecelia Carpenter
Mountain in the Clouds; Bruce Brown
Salmon Without Rivers; Jim Lichatowich.
Salmon of the Pacific; Adam Lewis