The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

It’s beautiful out today, but the one thing that’s off the list for today is backcountry skiing and mountaineering. NWAC issued an avalanche forecast for today as the freezing level climbs to 10,000 feet. They expect the danger to continue through the weekend, so if you’d like to ski today, tomorrow or Sunday, your best bet is the resorts. This is the last weekend at Meadows, so if you have a pass, come on up and join me for a few runs on Saturday and Sunday morning!

If you’d like to go windsurfing or kiting in the next few days, your best bet is the coast today, where it’s 15 to 20 knots with a 6 foot swell. The wind backs off on the weekend and a south swell moves in, for fun surfing with highs in the 60’s. In the Gorge, the best chance for wind today and tomorrow is in the afternoon, when thermals blow in the 10-15 range. If we’re lucky, we’ll see 17-19 at Stevenson and in the Corridor this afternoon, but we’re going to have to get very lucky for that to happen. On Sunday, a weak front heads towards Oregon, which should give us stronger west winds.

If you’d like to bike today, it’s going to be great road biking in the light wind and great mountain biking on perfectly tacky trails. My pick for road biking today is Lost Lake. The main road is clear of snow, and it’s a great ride on a warm day. For mountain biking, I have to go with Post Canyon.

Finally, don’t forget that tomorrow is the annual open house at The Dalles Rifle and Pistol Club. 10-2. Free ammo, hot dogs and diet coke.

Have a great day today!

Temira

Good morning!

You know what? Sleeping in is something special when you only get to do it on a no-wind, no-new-snow day. I slept 10 hours last night, and it felt great.

If you’re headed to Timberline today, you’re probably already gone, but it’s going to be warm and sunny, so wax warm. If you’re missing Meadows, they reopen Saturday and Sunday for bikini skiing on the last two days of the their season!

Today’s wind forecast won’t make windsurfers and kiters happy, but if you’re a fisherman, a standup paddler, or if you just want to leave the house without using an entire can of aqua-net on your hair, today is for you. No wind. Same goes for tomorrow: no wind. At this point, it’s not looking like we’ll see much wind this weekend, so the next few days are looking like road biking paradise!

If you’re a mountain biker and you haven’t ridden Post this week, you must go. It’s perfect, and that means the Post and Pint ride is on for tonight. Meet at Dirty Fingers at 5:30, take a lap around Post Canyon, and claim your reward at the shop afterwards. Also tonight is a very cool movie: Follow me, a hi-def mountain bike film at Andrew’s on the big screen. Showtimes are 6 and 7:30pm.

Coming up this Saturday is something totally different: It’s the annual open house at The Dalles Rifle and Pistol Club on Saturday. If I weren’t working at the mountain, I’d be there, but since I can’t go, you should. There’s free ammo, free hot dogs, free diet coke and cool people including my friend Phil. Go check it out!

Have a great day!

Temira