mountain biking - The Gorge is my Gym

Good morning!

It’s another good day for skiing on Mt. Hood. It stayed cold up there yesterday, so the snow is still in excellent shape. If you’re going to ski today, though, do it early, because sunshine on the slopes will turn the snow to mush by afternoon. You can double that for the backcountry, where the avalanche danger will be high this afternoon as the spring sun warms the slopes. That’s according to NWAC, issuers of a special avalanche forecast for today. So, get the snow early, and then do something down in the gorge this afternoon.

Gorge westerlies blow this morning before dropping off this afternoon. Morning winds in the 17-19 range will fade towards midday as high pressure fills in over the northwest. Tomorrow looks like a sunny, gorgeous, light east wind day with high temperatures in the 60’s. There’s a chance of 17-21 or so tomorrow morning at Stevenson. if you’d like to wavesail, the North Coast looks possible tomorrow, with 15 to 20 knots, gusting to 25 and a 4 foot swell.. At this point Saturday looks light in the Gorge.

If you’d like to ride your bike today, you can ride by yourself or for triple the fun you can join Mitchell and his dirty fingers gang for the Post and Pint Ride. Meet at Dirty Fingers at 5:30. The trail that shall not be named is in perfect riding shape right now, but for some reason it always kicks my butt. How can such and easy trail be so hard?

For something more relaxing and less sweaty and muddy this evening, check out Richard Hallman’s slideshow about Kashmir, India at the Skylight Theatre tonight.

Now, the wild food report: the yellow and black morels are out and so are the wild asparagus! I find the black morels way more delicious than the yellows. It’s a shame the blacks aren’t more prolific.

And finally, if you’d like to say goodbye to Jeff “JeffersonStoneTemplePilot” Young, services will be at 4 pm. on Friday May 7 at St.Mary’s Catholic Church in Hood River. Here is the link to Jeff’s memorial Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Jeff-Jefferson-Young/117174624979689?v=wall

That’s it for today. Whatever you do today, have an awesome day!

Temira

Rest in Peace Jeff Young… this forecast is for you.

Good morning!

I held off yesterday morning on saying anything about Jeff. Nothing had been confirmed, but now it has, and you’ve probably heard that Jeff Young didn’t make it back to the beach at Threemile on Monday. It was an insane day on the river… I was on a 3.2 when I first went out, and didn’t think I would be able to make it back downwind to the launch. Victor came in right after me, and he said he’d never been so scared… He guessed it was gusting to 70 or 80 out there. Jeff came in looking a little scared too, but then he started smiling.

He told me he was having a great time out there… he was actually jumping and sailing, while the rest of us (with the exception of Luther the animal) were just trying to get back and forth across the river. Jeff was just going out for a last session when I left, and the wind was still nuclear. Nobody knows what happened to him out there, but it’s worth saying that if you’re overpowered on your smallest sail and want to keep sailing, for safety’s sake, you should be wearing a helmet.

Rest in peace Jeff… I’m glad you went sailing the biggest day ever, rather than some other way, but I wish you’d waited many, many more years to go. My heart goes out to Hannah.

If you’d like to get out on the river and have a session for Jeff today, you’ll get your chance. The morning gradient was at .08, and with low pressure in the desert and high pressure at the coast, winds will pick up with afternoon heating. This morning brings 17-20 from Hood River to Arlington, and this afternoon, we’ll see gusty 16-20 from Stevenson to Hood River and 24-28 this afternoon from Mosier eastward

Tomorrow looks light light west wind, and Friday looks like light east wind, but sunnier, and warmer with highs near 65 degrees.

In biking world, Hospital is sloppy, Post is sloppy, Dog River’s under snow and so is Surveyor’s, but Nestor, should you choose to torture yourself, is rideable. Post and Pint looks unlikely for tomorrow.

If you’re a boater, The Hood’s at 4.5ft, the White Salmon’s at 4.1, and the Little white’s at 776 cfs.

And if you’re looking for something to do tomorrow night, check out Richard Hallman’s slideshow, Kasmir, India, at the Skylight Theatre.

So, whatever you do today, do it for Jeff and his daughter and have an awesome day!

Temira

We'll miss you, Jeff...