Hell's Gate

On the recommendation of a good friend, we stopped at Hell's Gate Airtram in Fraser Canyon.  Hell's Gate was first written about by the explorer Simon Fraser.  In his journal  he describes this narrow passage as an "awesome gorge" where the towering rock walls of the Fraser River plunge toward each other forcing the waters through a passage only 110 feet wide (35 m).  When the Canadian National Railway was forging through the Rockies and Fraser Canyon, one of the blasts caused a rock slide which partially blocked the Fraser River at Hell's Gate.  This caused a dramatic drop in the salmon run and since that time the Hell's Gate Fishways were built to help the salmon navigate this section of the river.

There is also plenty history, legends, folklore and mystery written about the Hell's Gate area to make your visit all the more interesting.

The Fraser River

In the picture below you can see a portion of the fish gateway built on the side river bank  to help the salmon navigate the river.

 The Airtram and suspension bridge across the Fraser River

I have no idea how the salmon are able to swim up stream against these raging waters, even with the assistance of the fishways, it still seems like an impossible journey with whirlpools and currents everywhere.