Temira's Gorge Forecast

Hello Sailors,

Many thanks to Pablo for the therapeutic suggestion for dealing with Thursday's disappointment. Pablo used to be my wind adviser... he always seems to know when and where it will be windy. A couple of years ago, I'd know I was in the right place if Pablo was there. Now that he has a real - and good - job, he can't be my barometer. Instead, he's my therapist. You'll have to listen to the audio to know. It's posted at Gorgeradio.com... somewhere...

You may need Pablo's advice for Saturday. Not much in the way of wind. Light thermals late if we're very lucky. Otherwise... well... there's free food and music at the grand opening of the Hood River Waterfront Park (4-7 pm), also known as the New Beach. No, not the nude beach. That's at Rooster Rock. Although... Never mind... Ann would kill me...

Sunday looks much better for windsurfing and kiting. An upper level low off B.C. pushes a front our way in the afternoon. This will limit heating in Portland, while the desert remains toasty. Best winds buffet afternoon wind bunnies with averages in the 22-26 range. If this summer's pattern holds, we'll see 2 hours of good sailing in the corridor, followed by less consistent winds at Doug's, etc. Stevenson seems to do well under this pattern as well.

I've placed Monday's forecast in the wait-and-see folder. Theoretically it should be windy, but models aren't looking so hot yet.

Alrighty. One last thing: Free movie at Jackson Park tomorrow night is The Little Mermaid. Starting time is dusk, right around 8:30.

Oh, and the mountain bike trails are in awesome shape after the rain last week.

Have a great day!

Temira

Hi Everyone,

That's it. My gentle spirit has been crushed. Permanently. I arrived at Arlington yesterday to perfect 3.2 wind, blowing smoke, big ramps and only 3 people on the water. I rigged and sailed for 20 minutes before the wind died. Granted, I had neither predicted nor expected 3.2 wind. But as soon as I saw perfect conditions, I expected them to last for a couple of hours. Mother Nature had other plans, apparently. The following 4.2 session was fun, however.

Maureen and I were talking on the beach about this. We decided that windsurfing this summer has been like going on a series of bad dates. You show up and everything goes great for a few minutes, but pretty soon you realize that it's just another dud. If you want to go on a good date, I suggest sticking with Rowena. It seems to be the windiest spot this year. I've had the best sessions there, and have grown to love the rocky, choppy beach. (It's not really choppy, by the way. It just has microswell!)

Light easterlies today. Light westerlies late tomorrow.

An upper level low approaches B.C. Sunday, sending marine clouds into western Oregon and Washington. I can't guarantee steady winds, but it should be windy for much of the day. It's not clear yet what will happen Monday. I'll hazard a guess that it will be windy in the desert.

(back to my coffee now)

Oh... someone called yesterday and asked me to mention that this is the last day to nominate people for the CGWA yearly awards. You are supposed to print a PDF file and fill it out, but I'll hazard a guess that you could email suggestions to CGWA@gorge.net. The categories are.... (drum roll)

Gorge Windsurfer of the Year

Overall good spirit, friendly windsurfer, kind to his or her comrades, embodies and/or respects the Gorge lifestyle, etc.

Most epic wipeout

You saw it and cringed.  We want to know. 

Best rescue

Does someone deserve recognition for his or her repeated rescues or general “heads up” for fellow wind enthusiasts? 

Best steward of the Gorge

This person “gets” what the Gorge is all about and respects it.  It could be your friend who picks up beach litter after sailing, or somebody who is extra involved in the local community, or…   

Most stoked

Who inspires your best sessions?  Who do you look to for that smile at the end of the day?

 

Best Dale Cook impression

Who gets the biggest air?  (Okay, almost the biggest air… we know Dale could blow him or her away any day).

Up and Comer

Tell us about a stoked kid or an aspiring competitor.

Have a great day!

Temira