The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning everyone! It’s gloomy out there this morning, with low clouds covering the highest peaks along the Gorge. With a warm front overhead, and a cold (very cold) front headed our way, Gorge winds will struggle to get out of the single digits today. It’s a good day to sit in a coffee shop, if you have that option.

Tomorrow looks quite a bit better on the wind front. Sometime during the day, an upper level low heads east over Washington. That dynamic combines with high pressure off the coast for building west winds through the day. I’m not sure where the clouds will end up, so I’m going to suggest you head to Arlington tomorrow for strongest, steadiest winds. 27-30 seems pretty likely out in the desert towards sunset. If you can’t stay out that late, you can head out earlier for 23-27 out in the sunny areas.

At this point, Saturday and Sunday are looking cold, with occasional showers and light westerlies. I’m not convinced that NOAA’s correct about the coast going off on Saturday.

In other news, you can catch Crossfit tonight at 5:30 at Children’s park in Hood River, First Friday in Hood River tomorrow night, and Hops Fest (yuck… I don’t like beer. Why isn’t it Tequila Fest?) on Saturday, also in Hood River. Coming up next weekend, Saturday actually, is a CAMBA work party in Post Canyon. If you ride Post, you damn well better be there. =)

Finally, the radio season is done for the year, so forecasts will be issued on an as needed basis for wind, snow or anything else I think is worth forecasting. If you find this forecast helpful or entertaining, or if it saved you gas money this summer, please take the time to make a small donation at http://tinyurl.com/ya7vnh7 . As you might have guessed, putting this together (almost) every day takes quite a bit of time and energy.

Thank you for a great season, and I look forward to seeing all of you on the water and on the snow this fall!

With yesterday’s rain, the mountain biking trails are in awesome shape. I rode Seven Streams last night, and it was fast and tacky… not quite as fast and tacky as I was in the 80’s, but still really, really good. If you have a chance to ride somewhere, anywhere today, you should jump on the opportunity.

If you’d rather be on the water, dig your warmest wetsuit out of the shed, cuz it’s going to be chilly today. Steadiest wind today will be east of Hood River, with Doug’s, Rowena, Maryhill and Roosevelt seeing winds in the 22-26 range from midday onward. We’ll also see gusty 16-19 or so under the clouds in the Corridor. Once again, it’s not going to be epic, but it’s almost October and we’re still seeing westerlies, so nobody gets to complain.

Weak high pressure off the coast on Thursday keeps light westerlies flowing through the Gorge. We’ll still be under the influence of passing fronts, so the wind isn’t going to be super steady. Even so, I think we’ll see upper teens in the corridor on Thursday and also on Friday.

If you’re already making your weekend plans, think about the coast on Saturday (anyone want to carpool with me). The long-range forecast says 20-25 with gusts to 30 and an 8 foot Northwest Swell.

Other upcoming events include free Crossfit workouts at Childrens Park today and tomorrow at 6:30am and 5:30pm. There’s also free walk-up-and-down-the-Stairs with Temira at lunchtime today. If you were hoping for Post and Pint tomorrow, you’re out of luck. The darkness has cancelled that ride until next summer. However, I’m sure you mountain bikers (and the rest of you two-wheel fanatics) are still welcome on Mitchell’s couch, anytime.

Have a great day today!