The Gorge is my Gym

Early morning gradients were looking hopeful, but they dropped quickly, so I’m updating the report. I think the best we’ll see now is some light westerlies today. So much for the early .08 gradient and heavy marine deck. *sigh*

Think about pulling out your old Windsurfer and turning it into a paddleboard for the next few days.

The wind switches direction for the next couple of days. We’ll see easterlies tomorrow, possibly hitting the 20-23 range, if we’re lucky. Tuesday looks similar, as the heat low shifts eastward, turning up the heat across the Northwest. .

A better wind call would be the coast. Today brings 15-20 on the north coast and 20-25 at the central coast with a 5 foot swell. Tomorrow looks like 20-25 in the north and 25-30 at Florence with a 7 foot northwest swell. Sailable and kiteable northerlies hold through Tuesday, at least, for a small craft advisory from Seaside down to North Bend.

Quite frankly, tomorrow holds epic possibility (depending on how big the 7 foot NW swell ends up being)…

If you want plain old boring exercise the next few days, dust off your road bike and ride before the mercury climbs back into the nineties. If you want company, there’s a very fast group ride on Monday night out of Mountain View Cycles in Hood River. There may also be a much slower, no spandex allowed, beer and nacho ride at 6pm out of Mountain View. Then again, there may not be.

Mountain bikers, the recent rain left trails near st. Helens in great shape, so if you have the time, head up there!

The windy streak continues today, making it fourteen out of fifteen or so for August. There was a solid cloudline this morning, the early morning Portland to the Dalles gradient was at .07 and the wind was blowing in the teens at 6am. That’s not huge, but by miday, we’ll see 21-24 in the Corridor. By afternoon, winds fill in from Stevenson out to Doug’s in the 22-25 range.

That high pressure pushes inland tomorrow, setting up a lighter day in the Gorge. If we get wind, it’s going to be in the 17-20 range early, fading as Portland heats up in the afternoon.

Get your windsurfing and kiting and sailboating in this weekend, because fishing and wakeboarding weather returns on Monday. High pressure builds across the Northwest and temperatures climb into the 90’s, for a return to summer heat.

As the wind fades in the Gorge, it picks up at the coast. Sunday and Monday look good at the central coast, with 20-25 knot winds combining with a 5 foot swell on Sunday and 7 foot swell on Monday. The North Coast looks a bit lighter, with 15 to 20 the call for Sunday and Monday.

In two-wheel news, road bikers have the Ladyfinger ladies only ride out of 10 Speed coffee this morning at 9am. If you missed it, come next week!

Save some energy for this evening. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (another of the best cheesy movies ever!) plays at Jackson Park in Hood River tonight. Choose wisely…