The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Classic Wings Aero Services in Hood River. At Classic Wings, you can go for a flight over the Columbia, around Mt. Hood, or anywhere your heart desires. And if your heart desires to learn how to fly, Classic Wings can help you out with that too. If you’ve never taken a scenic flight in the Gorge, you should. Darla took me up one day, and I was amazed. You can see your ski hill from above, your bike trails from above, and you can take awesome photos of the entire Gorge Gym from above. I know it sounds really touristy, but it’s a great experience and I totally recommend it!

Yesterday was a bonus windy session for a few people late in the evening. The clouds in Portland stuck around just long enough yesterday to let the desert get a thermal jump and bring the gradients up a bit. With the 5am gradient at .07 today, we’ll see west winds pick up as the sun warms the desert. By midday, westerlies from Stevenson to mosier will blow in the 18-22 range, holding through the evening.

Coming up tomorrow, a deep upper level low rotates off the Oregon and Washington coasts. This system will keep much pressure gradient from building across the Cascades in the morning. As a front swings across the Cascades late in the day tomorrow, gusty west winds will pick up in the 15-19 range. That should set us up for gusty westerlies on Thursday morning too.

Coming up this evening at Columbia Center for the Arts, Jon Turk speaks on deep ecology, ancient wisdoms and high adventure. You’ll hear stories and see several short films featuring lonely seas, frigid tundra and steamy jungles. The show starts at 7pm, and costs $10. And coming up Thursday night, the HD surf movie, Claiming Nelscott Reef, plays at the Hood River Middle School.

Boaters, the White Salmon is still great at 1 ¾ feet, the Klickitat’s running right around 700 cfs or so, and the Tieton is back down around 1700 cfs. We’re supposed to see rain on Friday, so the Klickitat should come up a bit then.

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.

Good morning!

This week’s report is brought to you by Classic Wings Aero Services in Hood River. At Classic Wings, you can go for a flight over the Columbia, around Mt. Hood, or anywhere your heart desires. And if your heart desires to learn how to fly, Classic Wings can help you out with that too. If you’ve never taken a scenic flight in the Gorge, you should. Darla took me up one day, and I was amazed. You can see your ski hill from above, your bike trails from above, and you can take awesome photos of the entire Gorge Gym from above. I know it sounds really touristy, but it’s a great experience and I totally recommend it!

If you’re a fisherman getting after the salmon run, you’re in heaven, as it doesn’t look like the wind is going to blow for the next few days. So, start off the week with some early morning fishing. If you’re a windsurfer or kiter, you’re going to have to find something else to do until the middle of the week.

It’s going to be a great few days for standup paddling, wakeboarding,, or practicing your kayak rolls in the Columbia. With temperatures in the low 80’s the next few days, whitewater kayaking or rafting is going to be a good call too. And if you want to stay on land, it’s going to be perfect weather for road biking, with zero headwind, zero crosswind and low humidity.

Speakng of biking, coming up this evening at 6:30, the Alternative ride leaves Mountain View Cycles and heads for the Thirsty Woman in Mosier. There’s only one week left after this, so grab your lights, leave your spandex at home, and come along for a mellow ride this evening. As a bonus, there’s a prize drawing tonight for a free brake bleed for your mountain bike.

Boaters, the White Salmon is still great at 1 ¾ feet, the Klickitat’s still barely runnable at 704 cfs, and the dam controllers at the Tieton dropped the river back down to 1740 cfs yesterday.

Have a great day today!

Temira

p.s. If you find this report useful, entertaining, or just want to recognize all the hard work that goes into it, please take the time to make a donation by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page. For a suggested donation of $10, I’ll add you to the email version of this list ‘til May 2011, putting you in the running for cool prizes donated by the weekly sponsors.