Mad River Fish Hatchery

Blue Lake area

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Continuing up Hatchery Road to the end is the actual fish hatchery. They have river access and public areas to poke around. The sign on the parking lot says it will close at 5:30 PM. I plan on taking the trail up along the edge of the river, but first, fishies! More signs say anyone and any pets that have been in the Mad River may not enter the hatchery area for fear of New Zealand mud snails. Most the pools are dry (ish) and empty, but a couple have fish and labels so you can know just what sort of trout or salmon are swirling around down there.

Loads of trout in a pool. The shadow of the mountain has already moved over, so it's rather hard to see them all crowded in there.

Past the ponds, they've got picnic tables and river access and a number of people fishing. There's paths wandering all over including around more primitive ponds. One could get in quite a bit of wandering aimlessly here. I decide to stop at the chain although I watch someone step right over it.

One of three anglers down on the river. He had some electronic devices to help somehow.

One of the ponds. Some are dry. This one doesn't look like it is getting used.

Without too many fish to watch, I was quickly done poking around. There are tours to be had, so I probably didn't get to looking at half of what is available.

A look at the fish hatchery itself. The long ponds at the far right are the ones with fish in them today.

Around past the bathrooms is the trail along the river. It is obviously old road and well traveled.

The start of the well used trail going upstream.

It quickly shrinks, but still shows lots of travel.

Much nicer to be on a little trail than an old road. Underneath, it is still old road.

Stumps along the way, of course. The river would have made logging the area very easy.

Little flowers show here and there.

The trail is starting to look less used and maybe a little mad when it stops at a stream. I can see the old bridge supports from when it was a road. Even those only still exist on one side. At first, I think the trail has finished, but off to my left, only slightly hidden by vegetation, is a continuation climbing down to the creek and back up the other side.

The tiny little stream that looks at first like the end of the trail although it wasn't the end of the road.

The trail just gets madder and madder. The mad trail along the Mad River. I guess it's fitting? Bits are falling away. It only roughly follows the road. In places, the road has become support for thick dirt and vegetation and the trail is below it. Although I managed to cross the stream, I don't get very far before deciding to turn back. I do have a time deadline since I don't want to be locked in the parking lot.

A little of the Mad River from beside it on the trail. It is hard to travel between it and the trail although there are still anglers up here. The far side would be much easier to travel.

I head back, marveling at all the little clues that this skinny, failing track was once a full road. It was built of concrete blocks, which seems like something meant to last. Maybe it was something that could be taken up and put down in the next place instead.

One of the concrete blocks showing along the path.

Back to the remaining bridge support. There was once an easier way.

They surely didn't do a guard rail. Maybe it just holds up the hill.

I'm back at the lot with 10 minutes to spare. It's really quite full still, considering. There's geocaches up that trail, miles along the river. I'm not sure how. I know they mention having to cross it sometimes. I'm not entirely certain if it is low enough for that quite yet. I didn't even get to the first crossing, although I did get to the first (non-premium) geocache just past the stream. (Didn't find it, but I'm not sure I gave it a proper looking.)




©2020 Valerie Norton
Written 14 Mar 2020