To the Gates of Hell!

Today I did something that I have always wanted to do.

Hell's Gate Airtram is a fun tourist activity that takes you hundreds of feet over a roaring, rushing, raging river. The tram first opened in the Summer of 1971, and has grown from just a tram to a house and the fish ladders, to the Interpretive Centre, shops, restaurant, and attraction that it is today. There is a lot to do for people of all ages, from walking across the steel grate bridge, to eating ice cream, or even listening to the musical entertainment. Kids of all ages can even try their hand at panning for gold!

I've been going to Hell's Gate for as long as I remember. I might have even been there during their first few years! The gondola/tram ride down is fun, even a little scary for some, as it swings a little, and on a windy day you can really feel the movement; but it is quite safe, and I don't know of any accidents there. The idea is to pay for the ride at the top of the mountain, and take the tram down, spend a few hours checking it out, then ride the tram back up.

But there is another way! There is a service road about 400 meters down from the entrance that is blocked off, but people are welcome to walk down. It is a kilometer down several steep switchbacks. Walking down is okay, but up? Looks hard. I have always thought "why walk when you can ride the tram?", but today I decided to walk down. It was easier than I thought it would be, and only took about 20 minutes. You have to walk down the steep switchback gravel road, across the railway tracks, and then across the steel grate bridge. there are some incredible views, and a lot of untouched forest to see. I am sure that
wildlife is abundant, but I only saw a chipmunk and some birds.

Once I got down and joined the others, we waited a bit for our table to get set up at the restaurant (they missed our reservations somehow!), so we had a few minutes to browse the shops and check out the entertainment. As we were there on Canyon appreciation Day, they had a decent live band playing a lot of classic rock music. Some people were complaining about it being quite loud, but most seemed to be enjoying it.

The views are incredible, and watching the water come through is pretty amazing. I would not want to be a salmon trying to get through that water; that is why they built the fish ladders in 1945, making it easier for the fish to come through. Today the water was high, and the water was brown.

Take a day off, and visit them. You can find out more at www.hellsgateairtram.com!