Spokane’s Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park really needs no introduction to local Spokanites, but at risk of seeming a bit trite with a community landmark, Riverfront Park has been more than fabulous lately. For those of us in Spokane who have dealt with the massive snowfall this winter, we are now seeing that snow return for our viewing courtesy of the Spokane River.

I made a photo trip into the Park this week, and I could instantly see the difference between our normal river flows, and the massive flow going on right now. We are told that we will be at or above flood stage for another week, and you can see that even when you set foot into the 104 acre Riverfront Park. Water from the river had spilled over some riverbanks into pathways along the south river channel. Not all of the paths, but seeing the river on the pathways is a little different. Some of the birds seem to have adjusted to the flow being on the paved surfaces

(This spot was dry a couple of days ago, http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/spotwasdry.htm)

The evening I made it into the park was almost as though I was there for a major event in downtown Spokane. There were more people along the river than I had ever seen before, enjoying the massive river flow. I tend to not shoot people pictures in evenings and after dark, but I almost gave up on that attempt. Although I took about 750 digital images in areas around the park, this trip was more to enjoy the sights and sounds of Mother Nature. I did add a PDF file with some early evening shots (7PM or so) to the website, although the shots were not a traditional type for me. The PDF file is linked from:

http://www.spokanenightscenes.com/mf.htm (Reaching flood stage May 2008 (PDF 460K)

If you have not witnessed this year’s water display, take a few minutes and head downtown and enjoy it. There was not much we could enjoy during the winter that lasted forever, but now Mother Nature is giving us an opportunity to enjoy the moisture that we received over the winter.

I plan on making one more trip today or tomorrow with my grandkids. I think that the power of the river will be an intimidating experience, but also a family outing in a beautiful community. I’ll take a tripod and one DSLR with me (Canon 40D), just in case something presents itself, but I’m more interested this time in how big the kids eyes get when they see the falls.

JDM