6/30 Gorge wind and events

Good morning,

Windance is your source for just about everything: Kiteboarding, windsurfing, SUP, snow, surf, with a knowledgeable poser-free sales force there to help you choose the right gear. Plenty of demos ensure that you’ll love what you buy. Plus, Windance has the Gorge’s largest selection of used gear and 3 swap meets (next one: July 1st). Not only does Windance bring you great gear and great service, they bring you great parties, with free food, free beer, and the chance to hang out with all your wind-loving friends. Windance, open 7 days a week, 8am-6pm.

Before you read on, please remember that this report (wind, snow and events!) is brought to you free of charge. Nobody pays me to do this unless you do! If the report saves you time, money, keeps you in the loop, or just helps you have more fun, please take the time to

make a donation. Suggested minimum: $12. That gets you on the mailing list and in the running for prizes. That’s $1/month You pay more than that in gas driving to the beach or the mountain. I know I’ve saved you that much. Kick down! Thank you for your support!

Don’t forget: Outside Magazine is having a contest to name the best river town. Hood River is in the running. Now, I know we don’t want to encourage more people to move here, but remember, we have two secret weapon to scare off immigrants: the Inversion and Junuary. So, feel free to take part in the Facebook voting. You can vote once a day.

It’s Canada Day weekend, so welcome to all our visitors from up north. This is the busiest weekend of the summer on the water, so be careful out there! For you wind Johnnies, Big Winds is stepping up to the plate today with free Naish windsurf and kite demos from 10 to 4 at the Event Site, which, by the way, reopens for kiting for all tomorrow due to continued high water at the sand bar. Well, tomorrow according the Port gal I had ice cream with last night. Today according to a CGKA representative. Yes, I know that’s not very helpful, but it’s better than no information at all. Also tomorrow, a Windance swap meet.

In just plain old weather, we’re under SW flow right now, giving us some pretty clouds in the sky. By this afternoon, the sky will cloud right up, and by late this afternoon, we’re going to see some sprinkles, maybe even some thunderstorms.

West wind at 5-10 this morning picks up to gusty 21-24 mid-afternoon at Stevenson as a weather system moves in. We’ll see gusty 18-23 from Hood River to Arlington, and also in the Hood River valley. But then again, if we see thunderstorms, we’ll see less wind. A classic Gorge setup tomorrow starts us off with fairly steady 23-26 from Mosier to Maryhill, possibly picking up to 26-30 at Doug’s, Maryhill and Arlington in the afternoon. We’ll see less wind in the western Gorge and Odell area, unless the clouds burn off faster than forecast. Monday also looks windy.

In road biking news, today is the Mt. Adams Tour organized road ride and then on Sunday, the Cascade to Crown ride out of Cascade Locks. Today is also the Dry Creek World Championship Time Trial. If you’d like to race up Dry Creek for cupcakes, meet at Ground Coffee at 8:30. For mountain bikers, there are free Ellsworth bike demos at Post Canyon today at the bottom of Post Canyon Road from 10 to 4. Also a mountain biking heads up: according to JJ, someone saw a big bear on Whoopdee trail yesterday, so a bit of yelling while riding wouldn’t be a bad idea. Yelling, sadly, will not scare away the oak, only the bear.

In Gorge business news, there’s a frickin’ convenience store downtown. Finally! Idlewilde, kitty corner from the post office, open daily ’til 10pm and ’til midnight on the weekends. Yes, they sell beer and wine. Also, I was at Doppio yesterday evening poaching a table and internet (working at home all the time sucks), and the nice folks from Gorgelato handed me a free bowl of yummy espresso gelato. They’re in the patio by Doppio, and since they gave me free gelato, you should probably support them.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira