Hell’s Gate

Hell’s Gate is an impressive display of power, both in terms of water and wind. On the Fraser River, where two mountain ranges meet, the scope of this place is deceiving. This section of the river was named after Simon Fraser’s voyage in 1808, stating in his journal that “no man should ever pass through here it was truly like passing through the Gates of Hell!” Not only is the place visually awesome, it’s also an active mountain crossing as the Hell’s Gate Airtram shuttles people from the east side of the river, from the Cascades Mountain Range over to the Coast Pacific Mountain Range. Pretty cool.

The pictures don’t do the place justice. Being out on the footbridge above 150′ (or more) of water depth watching the white water rush underneath, all while feeling the intense winds that also funnel down the canyon is nothing short of exhilarating. While I was there I was fortunate enough to talk to a gentleman of First Nation heritage who was counting fish (salmon were running) in the fishways. He told me there were approximately 1300 salmon in the fishways that morning alone. He seemed quite pleased with the salmon run.

The whole experience was just a fun time. Good food in the little cafe there. I panned for gold. Mostly though, the depth of the canyon, the rush of the water, the volume of the water, the wind in my face, made the visit quite impressive.