Good morning!
This week’s forecast is brought to you by 2nd Wind, the best place in the Gorge to pick up camping and hiking gear. Prices are competitive at 2nd Wind, but best of all, you’ll save money because the knowledgable staff will help you choose the right gear the first time ’round. Swing by today and check it out! 2nd Wind has donated a cool little hiking prize package for this week for a giveaway to the email list!
It’s already windy this morning, but before you hit the water, head to the Hood River Expo Center for a swap meet. The swap meet’s not just about windsurfing and kiting. You’ll find skis and bikes and all sorts of other toys to add to the stack of gorge toys cluttering up your garage. You’ll also find a CGWA booth where you can sign up for CGWA (it’s only $25 a year) and help keep the Gorge beaches open for everyone!
It is going to be another windy day today, as you might have guessed already. The early gradient was .09 and it was blowing 20 at the Hatchery at dawn. Marine clouds are stacked up just west of Hood River today, so the strongest, steadiest wind this morning will be from the Hatchery to the Sandbar. It’ll blow 23-26 in the Corridor this morning, filling in at Stevenson, Doug’s and Rowena this afternoon. Maryhill, Arlington, and other beaches east of The Dalles see 17-20 today.
Tomorrow looks windier than today, with 25-29 likely, and the forecast for the rest of the week looks similar, with onshore flow and sailable wind predicted all the way through next Friday. If you’re here from out of town (Jose), you’ve picked a good week to visit. If you chose not to get on a plane (Ryan and Melissa), you are missing out.
Speaking of missing out, you’re not going to, because you’re reading this. There are some races today if you want to turn windy play time into windy competition time. The last Big Winds standup paddle race of the summer takes place at the Event Site starting at 9am. Also today, the Gorge Cup Gorge Challenge windsurfing race continues at the Event Site, with a skippers meeting at 10am.
Boaters, the White Salmon’s at 2 ¼ feet and the Klickitat’s at 1040 cfs. If anyone wants to run the Lower with me today, please drop me a note. I want to go boating, and can’t find anyone to go with!
Have an awesome 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. This week it’s some cool camping gear from 2nd Wind Sports. Thank you for using this report, and thank you for your support!
1 – Local staff – Every one at the shop has lived in the Northwest long enough to know all the secrets 😀 – we know where the best hikes, swimming holes and the most likely places to get wind are…although that is really due to Temira…
2 – Sorry gotta throw it out there! – Competitive prices! We don’t just like to sell people gear, we like to sell people the right gear at the right price.
3 – Variety! It’s everywhere! From our awesome staff to our awesome gear, 2nd Wind has something for everyone.
4 – We consign quality used gear! Whether you are looking to sell or buy, 2nd Wind offers consignment gear for all ability levels.
5 – We throw great parties – Next up, Rail Jam on 4th Street and the Premier of A Work in Progress!
6 – Did you know we have camping gear?! – We’re one of the only shops in the Gorge that carries great camping basics from Thermarest, Mountain Hardwear and MSR!
7 – Coolest couches and the best collection of ski, snowboard and windsport movies in town! Stop by and hang out!
I pulled out the paper and scissors yesterday and did some prize drawings. Congratulations to Don K., Mark P., Ali R., Jeff B., and Bruce H. for winning a fish taco and tall boy dinner combo from the Sandbar Café at the Event Site. Congratulations to Daniel A. for winning a Da Kine Nexus Harness from the Gorge Surf Shop. And, congrats to John S. and Jane D. for winning sail repair gift certificates from Overnight Sail Repair at 13 Oak Street (the other winners were associated with other sail repair shops, strangely enough).