The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

It’s already windy on the Columbia this morning with the Portland to The Dalles gradient at .07 and another .08 out east. In the western Gorge under the clouds, winds blow in the 15-18 range today, but from about Rowena east to Arlington, we’ll see 26-30. My pick today is Rufus and The Wall this afternoon, assuming the current isn’t overly strong. If it is, I pick Doug’s.

Models are having a hard time with tomorrow, but I think we’ll see mid twenties near Hood River, with a little less at Stevenson and Lyle and a lot less in the desert. No matter how much wind we get, it’s going to turn more northerly and get gusty in the afternoon. But more importantly, it’s going to be sunny tomorrow. Saturday does not look windy. However, it looks like we’ll see 80 degrees, and that’s a fine tradeoff. Sunday depends on timing. I expect a big day Monday. =)

If you’re thinking about the coast, it looks great both today through Saturday from Lincoln City south if you’re a windsurfer, and everywhere except Pistol if you kite (unless you like kiting in 35-40). The swell is 7 feet today and tomorrow, 3 on Saturday and 7 on Sunday. Those are west swells with 9 second periods. I wish mine was that short…

If you’re headed over to Syncline to bike or hike, keep your eyes open for rattlesnakes. I had two people tell me yesterday that they’ve seen rattlers, and one dog was bitten already. You may want to leave your dog at home if you’re headed there, and don’t forget, speaking of dogs and biking, that dogs are not allowed on Hospital Hill at this time.

Boaters, the Hood’s at 5.7 feet, the White Salmon’s at 4 feet, and the Klickitat’s at 2980 cfs. I had thought the Wind was done for the season, but with all this rain it’s at 6.7 feet and Wet Planet’s running one last trip down the Wind River on Saturday.

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Have a great day today, and thank you for reading this every morning!

Temira

Good morning everyone!

First, I’d like to ask everyone to keep Peg Lalor (of the Gorge Games) in their thoughts today. Peg was hit by a car while bike commuting in Calgary yesterday, and is in critical condition. Peg’s a tough gal, and she’s in super good shape, giving her the best chance of survivable possible. So, think good thoughts (I have no idea if thinking good thoughts really helps, but it can’t hurt) about Peg, because she’s an awesome person and we all want her to come out of this okay.

Now, your forecast…

The clouds and sprinkles are back this morning and the wind is light, but it’s going to pick up this afternoon. As this weather system moves east, westerlies pick up behind it. Watch for the clouds to start flying across the sky and then drive east past Rowena for the strongest wind, 24-28 from early afternoon on. From Stevenson to Rowena, we’ll have gusty 16-19.

If you’re in Hood River this evening, it’s sailboat racing night. If you know anything about being on a boat, show up at the marina this evening with a six pack, and you’ll likely get a ride!

High pressure builds at the coast tomorrow for a less gusty, but chillier day on the river. Best wind will be west of Hood River, but it should be steady from Rowena as far east as Arlington starting midday. 26-30 looks reasonable tomorrow.

Models are really having a hard time handling Friday. One model suggests we’ll see almost no wind at all. The other suggests it’s going to be a big west day in the Corridor (that’s everywhere near Hood River). My instinct says it’s going to be w-i-n-d-y at the Hatchery and Sandbar Friday. If not, a sure bet on Friday is the coast, where it’ll be 30+ from Florence south and 20+ from Lincoln City to Florence with a 7-9 foot west swell. At this point, it’s looking a little light on the north coast for windsurfing, but we can hope…

If you’re looking for biking today, try Syncline or a trail off the 44 road where the soil drains better than post, although if the rain stops early, upper Post should be rideable by this evening. Thanks to Mike and Mitchell, Knebal is clear of trees. And thanks to the forest service Falls Creek is now open from top to bottom, although given the low snow levels tonight, there might be a trace of new at the top tomorrow.

On the rivers, the Hood’s at 5.1 feet, the White Salmon’s near 4.25 feet, and the Klickitat’s at 2960 cfs. If you’re interested in rafting the class V Wind River, Wet Planet is running a trip on Saturday. Shoots… I have two rafting invites this weekend now. What do I do? =)

Finally, if you’d like this forecast delivered to your inbox, you can subscribe for just $10 a year. Click the donate button on the bottom of the page to sign up, and I’ll add your address to the mailing list. Besides the forecast, you’ll also get a chance to win some cool prizes and get shop discounts.

Have a great day today!

Temira