Nisqually-Ohop Confluence

Day 26: Although this spot sees more activity during a salmon run (and much of it illegal, unless you're a tribal member), for the most part, the point at which little Ohop Creek drifts lazily into the big water of the Nisqually River will be unoccupied by anything more than an occasional eagle or osprey, a handful of chickadees and kinglets, and one lone Crow. The broad, emphatic speech of the Nisqually subsumes the quiet patter of Ohop; its commentary on obstructive rocks and feathering grasses hushes Ohop's tales of upstream wildlife. One must listen carefully for Ohop's voice, but it is there to be caught by a perceptive ear. Up-river, the Nisqually was divided in its opinions, two halves furiously raging on either side of an island issue until they could meet in a common channel to continue their way here. Beyond, a mile or more away, the Nisqually gets cranky once again but soon resolves its internal debate and then moves confidently and serenely toward the towns of McKenna and Yelm where it finds itself dammed despite its best intentions to reach Puget Sound unobstructed.