kiteboarding - The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

On the slopes today, Meadows is open from 9am – 2pm with limited chairs. Right now, it’s 29 degrees, with no new and a 117 inch base. At Timberline, it’s 26 degrees with no new and a 159 inch base.

If you’re planning on windsurfing or kiting in the Columbia today, you may have heard that there was a little problem at The Dalles wastewater plant yesterday. Since there’s E.Coli in the water, they (and I!!!) are recommending you stay out of the Columbia between Dallesport and Lyle, so Doug’s, Rowena and Lyle are out until Monday.

If you want to hit the water, we’re starting off with low teens in the corridor, and mid twenties out east, but as a warm front pushes in and combines with high pressure at the coast, winds pick up to 27-30 (maybe more) from Mosier to Arlington. My pick would be Maryhill or Arlington. Tomorrow looks like a light west corridor day. Monday looks big in the corridor. Big and gusty. Gnarly and gusty if the models are correct. Cross your fingers.

If you’re a mountain biker, today is your chance to ride the 7 mile Columbia Hills trail. If you’d like to ride, meet at the trailhead at 10am. It’s ½ mile past Horsethief butte on the left side of the road at a gate and cattle guard. You’ll see a few cars parked there. Otherwise, if you’d like to spectate, today is the first day of the Fluidride Enduro on the Dog River Trail. Otherwise… sounds like Post is still pretty muddy, so go ride something else until tomorrow… hopefully today’s wind will dry out Postie.

Boaters, the Hood’s at 4.1 feet, the White Salmon’s at 4 feet, and the Little White’s at 706 cfs.

And finally, if you need something to do tonight, the Hood River Saddle Club has a fundraising spaghetti feed and the Banff Mountain Film Festival plays at Andrews.

Have an awesome day today!

Temira

Good morning!

I just received some information at 9:40am that The Dalles wastewater plant is exceeding E. Coli levels in their discharge and will be posting “Do not enter the water” signs downstream of The Dalles. So, I suggest staying out of the water at Doug’s, Rowena, Lyle and Mosier for now… Yuck… Update @8:30pm: it is recommended that you stay out of the Columbia between Dallesport and Lyle, so Rowena and Doug’s are off-limits this weekend.

The ski report this morning has more snow for Timberline, where it’s 23 degrees with 2” of new overnight. Meadows reopens tomorrow, and they’ve had 12” or so this week, so the skiing should be quite good.

If you’re a kiter or windsurfer, you’re stoked today. Westerlies continue, and with less clouds blanketing the Great Columbia Ditch this morning, and gradients at .13 and .10 the strongest, steadiest wind will be from Hood River to Maryhill, likely best at Doug’s, maybe the Hatchery. Expect 24-27 by mid morning, holding til evening, at the Hatchery, Mosier and Doug’s, with a little less at the Sandbar and Lyle, and gusty teens under the clouds at Stevenson.

If you’re heading to the Hatchery, there’s one lane open on 14, so you won’t need to do the White Salmon detour dance.

Westerlies continue tomorrow, but a passing warm front will make it gusty. 10-15 in the morning builds to gusty 22-25 in the afternoon, from Hood River out to Arlington, with a chance of rain. Expect steadier westerlies, in the Corridor, on Sunday.

If you’re a mountain biker, I have great news: The trail that shall not be named or described is open, and I’d like to say thanks to Marc, Steve, Wayne, and all the others who put in the hard labor to get that trail up and running again. I’d also like to say thanks to SDS for working with CAMBA to let us rebuild this trail on their land. I’m so excited that all I can say is… Whoopee!!! Dog River is also open, but there’s race practice today and the Fluidride Enduro all weekend, so wait ‘til Monday for that trail.

Boaters, the Hood’s at 4.2 feet, the White Salmon’s at 4.1 feet, and the Little White’s at 727 cfs.

Have an awesome day today!