The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning Gorge sports fanatics!

This week’s forecast is brought to you by Sophie’s Restaurant at 1810 Cascade in Hood River. Sophie’s is open 7 days a week with brunch on the weekends and outdoor seating anytime the weather is good. If you come in tonight, you’ll have a chance to eat the very last of the spring porcini mushrooms (no, really, they’ll be gone after tonight). Also on the menu tonight is Oregon coast King Salmon and a chocolate lava cake with a vanilla filling and crème fraiche ice cream. Yum. If you subscribe to the email version of this forecast below with a suggested donation of $10, you’ll have a chance to win $50 at Sophie’s tomorrow!

A nice heavy layer of low clouds is stacked in the Gorge this morning and the 5am gradient was at .12 from Portland to The Dalles, and I can hear wind gusts moaning outside my window. I don’t know why they’re moaning. Maybe they’re upset that they have to be awake so early?

Anyway, .12 is a good start to the day if you want to get out for some windsurfing or kiting. With the clouds a little past Hood River, the strongest wind this morning will be at Mosier, but the wind will quickly fill back to the Hatchery as a few clouds burn off. By mid-morning, we’ll see 21-24 from the Hatchery down to Mosier, building to 23-27 from the Hatchery out to Rufus by afternoon. If you want a little less wind, try Viento, the sandbar and Lyle.

Tomorrow looks lighter as an upper level low sits off the Oregon Coast. Despite a solid marine layer, windspeeds will hover in the teens tomorrow, at best. That’s great if you’re a kiter, but not so great if you’re hoping for the famous super-strong Gorge winds.

For after work fun tonight, there’s the free ladies standup paddle night at the Event Site, starting at 5:30. As a special bonus, Naked Winery is doing a free wine tasting for all the standup paddle girls. And don’t forget about $5 fish tacos and beer dinner at the Sandbar café! Also tonight is the Tuesday Night Tri at the east end of the Event site, starting at 6pm.

Boaters, the Hood River’s getting low at 3.6 feet, the Klickitat’s at 1980 cfs and the White Salmon is hovering around 3 feet even.

If you’re looking ahead to the holiday weekend, 2nd Wind is hosting a huge party on July 2nd at the Horse and Hound pub. The nature of this party isn’t quite set (please approve the permit, Mr. City Manager and Mayor!), but no matter what happens, it’s going to be a good party… 2nd Wind knows how to throw ‘em!

Have a great day today!

Temira

Good morning!

This forecast is brought to you by Sophie’s Restaurant in Hood River, located at 1810 Cascade Street. Sophie’s has an awesome menu, a killer happy hour, and an outdoor patio so you can eat while soaking up summer, now that it’s finally here. Sophie’s has kicked down a $50 gift certificate that will go to a subscriber of the email version of this forecast. To subscribe, click below for a suggested donation of $10.

It’s going to be a bit of a waiting game today for windsurfers and kiters as a weak system moves into Oregon, shoving thick marine clouds into Portland and increasing onshore flow. The 5am gradient only 5/100ths from Portland to The Dalles, but that’s going to pick up later. By midday, westerlies hit the 18-22 range from Stevenson to Hood River, with strongest winds likely at Stevenson and Viento. Winds keep building the later it gets, topping out in the 25-28 range from Stevenson as far east as the John Day Dam, maybe even Arlington.

This particular setup is a little tricky to predict. Here are the two likeliest scenarios: First, we see gradients shoot into the stratosphere with the wind only blowing at Stevenson, Viento and Arlington. Or, we see the entire Corridor go nuts. I’m hoping for the second, but the first is most likely.

Tomorrow looks a little stronger, as the pressure increases at the coast. We’ll see upper teen dawn patrol tomorrow morning in the Central Gorge, building into the mid-twenties tomorrow afternoon as the desert heats up.

If you’re looking for something to do tonight, there’s the alternative ride out of Mountain View Cycles in Hood River. Meet at the shop at 6:30 and join us for a ride to the Thirsty Woman to check out their cute new bartender. Also tonight is free tai chi at Wilson Park in Hood River at 6pm.

Boaters, the Hood River’s at 3.6 feet, the Klickitat’s at 1960 cfs, making for a nice big boat-flipping hole at Ishy-Pishy, and the White Salmon’s at 3 feet at the Husum gauge.

If you’re a friend of Peg Lalor, or you just want to send kind words her way as she heals from her bike wreck, join the “Peg Lalor Rocks” Facebook page here: http://bit.ly/9unL5m

That’s it for today. One piece of advice today: if you want to get better at something, you’re going to have to look silly at some point, so get over it and have fun, and whatever you do today, have an awesome day!