2017-06-22 The End of the Wind.

Well - that is it for the wind this trip.  I am not sure I have seen a forecast down here as deficient of wind as the current one.  The next chance of any wind at all is next Monday or Tuesday.  It is too bad because the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association is holding their "Windfest" this weekend with lots of interesting events including board and foil demos as well as competitions - none of which will go off it there is no wind.  By the way, we should all join the CGWA.  They charge $25/year and the funds help fund the access improvements, as well as their lobby efforts to maintain the river access points that we have.  I joined in less than two minutes.  You can do it at on their website at http://gorgewindsurfing.org/http://gorgewindsurfing.org/

It doesn't take long for our group to disburse once the chances of wind diminish at the end of a trip.
We had a slow start to the day, not finishing breakfast (Bette's as usual), until almost 11:00.

I stopped at Sailworks to say goodbye to the guys there and ran into Phil Soltysiak, a  world class freestyle professional windsurfer and a friend of mine from back in the Nitinat days.  He was supposed to be doing a freestyle competition this morning, but it was canceled due to the lack of wind.  It was great to chat with him and catch up.  He has been getting some great results lately.  You can follow him on Facebook or his Website.

A bike ride was organized on a new trail that will eventually go all the way to Portland.  Big Air Jim rented an E-Bike and apparently had no trouble keeping up or even leading.  Kent, Brad, and Blaine lead the way as usual, with Jim, Cam, and Cynthia going along for about the first half and then turning back.  (I understand that the E-Bike battery was getting down to 50% when they turned around.

Brad at the Waterfall!

Kent, Blaine, and Brad continued on to the waterfalls before returning.  They were going to stop at Cascade Locks for ice cream, but when they pulled up outside the store, they realized that none of them had any money or even ID.  Something to note for the next ride.....

Ross and I went for an SUP paddle from the event site and around the Island and back.  I then drove Ross to Mosier, and dropped him off at Rock Creek.  The then did the SUP ride 9km back to Hood River.  With the current, he was able to do it in just over an hour.

Ross after rounding the Island

 I did some packing and poking around town, and then met Ross for a beer at the event site once he got back. It was nice sitting on the deck, but very warm.

Ross at Rock Creek - Mosier

I didn't get to say goodbye, but Jim, Cam, and Cynthia headed home midway through the afternoon. I hope they have a safe drive.  If any of you read this please text me once you get home safely.

The rest of us gathered at 1315 Condo for a beer and then headed down to 6th Street for a final dinner.  We are all planning on leaving early in the morning, except for Ross who is flying out on Saturday.

Ross and Harold enjoying the Chicken Special!

Kent with the Full Rack of Ribs!
Always a favorite after an active day...

It has been another great trip.  Not as much wind as usual, but the comradery and the fun we have together is what makes is special.  Can't wait until September.

The Last Supper
Ross, Harold, Brad, Gerry, Ted, Rene, Blaine, and Kent.

2017-06-22 Rip-n-Slog

Everyone was in a good mood at breakfast.  It had been windy all night and was forecast to build all day.  We took our time with Dog River Coffee and Bette's for breakfast, then after a quick stop at Safeway, we headed to Swell City.  It was WINDY.  Cam and Ross weren't with us as they were planning a kiting day.

Brenda came around to collect the $6.00/person fee for using the site.  There were already people on the water.  The decisions about what to rig were pretty clear - rig small.

Kent was out first on a 3.8 sail.  After one reach he stopped over-downhaul it.  Gerry, Brad, and Blaine went out next.  Brad on a 3.7, Blaine and Gerry on their 4.2m sails.  After getting across the river and back, Blaine and Brad decided that they would wait for the wind to die a bit.  They tail-walked all the way across and back - barely in control.  Gerry came after shortly afterward to rig a 3.8.

Brad - Blown off the water!

Rene went out on his 4.2 and got flushed down river and ended up doing "The Walk".   He had a little drama when he drifted into a fishing net, but he managed to get free.  Brad and I walked down to make sure he was alright.  He had a long walk back, because the banks are all rock and too steep to get out - even with help, but the water is not deep beside the shore, so the walk wasn't difficult - just long.

Gerry - heading out for another session!

About an hour after we got there, the wind suddenly dropped.  According to a local with access to I-Windsurf, it had suddenly dropped from averaging 31mph gusting over 40, to averaging 21, with gusts between 12 and 28.

We all got out, but it was hard work.  We would rip in the gusts, and then stand around slogging or dropping in the water during the lulls.

Harold won the prize for most time on the water - he has his own style that we all give him a hard time about, but he is an amazing sailor and seems to be able to sail in any conditions.  He was certainly making it work today.

Harold - makes anything work!

Kent was really enjoying himself in the big swell.  He went out for three long sessions, doing long wave rides sometimes flipping the sail several times on one swell.

Cam and Ross joined us mid afternoon.  They had been kiting and had a "Technical" session with the wind speed and direction shifting continually.  Cam said he was impressed when they first arrived he watched a sailor doing an anchored launch.  The guy set the kite up on the water tied to the anchor but a gust caught it launching the kite.  It did a perfect 180 arc up across the wind window, accelerating all the way across and then crashed down into the bank, exploding.  Cam said the kite was totally shredded - there was nothing left of the kite.

Ted Proudly wearing his 40-20 shirt - Taking photos of the action.

After watching that performance, both Cam and Ross were careful launching their kites.  Once they got out - it was "Technical" sailing, but once they got up to the Hatchery, the swells were amazing.  They both had a lot of fun in the swells.  And Cam launched and returned to the same point.  awesome job!

After visiting for a while and giving us all a hard time about how silly windsurfing is, they went back for another session late in the afternoon!

I got out on my 5.6 and Nash board.  I should probably have been on my 4.8, but I made it work.  Our sail and board sizes varied all over the place because there was no perfect size.  If you rigged for the lulls you were way overpowered in the gusts - if you rigged for the gusts, you would be standing or in the water in the lulls.  At one point, Harold was on a 5.3, Jim was on a 4.7, Cynthia was on a 4.2, Kent was on a 3.8, I was on a 5.6, and Blaine, Brad and Gerry were on 4.2's.  I think everyone, other than maybe Kent, struggled a bit with the variable wind.  Fun, but a learning / tough sailing.  Lots of work.

Kent had fun - but stayed away from the camera...

We sat on the beach until almost 8:00 watching Harold de-rig.  He had everything out and had sailed everything he had except his 6.1m sail.

Most of us went to China Gorge for supper.  We all commented at how good it was.  The rest of the group went to Double Mountain for Pizza and Beer.

We were all exhausted at the end of the day.  I think we managed to stay up until 10:30.

Brad got a lot of exercises - good day but a lot of work.

Thanks to Brad for the photo!  

2017-06-20 Standing Around

We were pretty excited at breakfast.  The forecast for days had been that today would be the windiest day of the week.  When Temira's forecast came up, it confirmed that it should be not epic, but a very good day - especially later in the day.

After coffee at Dog River and Breakfast at Bette's, and a quick stop at Safeway to pick up something for lunch, everyone except for Ross and Cam headed to the Hatchery to wait for the wind.

Ross and Cam went to White Salmon for a kiting session.  Cam went out on his 9m kite and Ross on his 7m kite.  They had a good session and came up to show off at the Hatchery - while we sat on the beach waiting - not enough wind to get out.

Cam - is afraid to come too close to the camera!

Ross - having a good day!

Ross - Showing Off!

The wind picked up a bit and a few of the guy's got out.  The wind was very gusty, so there was no such thing as the right rig.  Harold wins the contest for most time on the water.  With his 99l board, he has enough flotation that he doesn't have to worry about sinking when the wind is light, so he just sails slower.....

Harold - almost going as fast as the sail boat!

Most of us sat and waited for the wind to get stronger as predicted.  The wind gusts may have gotten a bit stronger, but the lulls didn't get any less.   It was a bit of a frustrating day.  The Wind would come up, the guys would go out, then the wind would drop again.

Brad - sailing a gust!

Kent and Rene left for the event site to do some foiling.

Late in the day, after watching Blaine, Brad and Gerry get a few good reaches, I went and got my gear out of the van and brought it down to the beach.  When I got to the beach, Harold had come off the water because the wind had dropped, and Blaine, Brad and Gerry were standing around in the middle of the river drifting downwind.  It didn't look like fun, so I packed up and headed tot the Hatchery to take some photos of Kent foiling.  Of course, after I left it picked up a bit.  Still not great, and still a lot of standing around, but Brad said they still got quite a few good reaches.

Blaine - jibing his new Stubby Board.

At the event site, Rene had been out on his 6.6 and had a good sail.  Kent was out foiling and looking like a pro.  He even made two jibes while keeping the board in the air.  Wow!

Kent - going into a Jibe!

Kent - completing his jibe!

It was almost 7:00 by the time we left.  I heard that most of the guys went to 'Everybody's" in White Salmon for supper.  Kent, Rene and I went to 6th street.

Early to bed again.  The forecast sounds like we will be sailing tomorrow, but possibly not on Thursday or Friday.  Maybe we can get in a bike ride...

Gerry, Cynthia, Brad, Kent, Harold, Rene, and Blaine
Waiting for Wind!

Big Air Jim!

Harold had a good day!

Blaine was on his 5.7 Revo!

Foil on the beach!

2017-06-19 Sailing both ways at Bob's Beach

Twelve Grueling Hours at Bob's Beach

I got up at about 7:15 and had a shower.  When I got out of the shower, I turned on my phone and texts from Gerry and Kent.  Gerry was already at Bob's Beach - the wind was 31mph.  Kent's said he had left at 7:11.  The rush was on.

I stopped at MacDonalds for an Egg McMuffin and then drove to Bob's Beach.  I arrived at about 8:00am.  I think I was the last to arrive - except for Ross, who told us he was sleeping in and that he would Kite off the bridge in the corridor.  Apparently, he had a great day on his 9m kite.  Sorry - no photos.

Looking for Gerry

When I got to Stevenson, a few blocks from the beach, I passed Jim, Kent and Harold - on their way to rescue Gerry.   When I got to the beach, Blaine and Brad were standing on the top of a picnic table with their binoculars watching Gerry who was walking back down by the island.  Apparently, he had declared confidently, before heading out on his 4.8 sail, that he had never had to do the walk of shame at Bob's Beach.  He got planing for about 20m, but persevered out to the wind line, which turned out to be a current line and was promptly flushed down to the island...  Gerry decided to just walk back, rather than risking his rig climbing over the rocks and across the tracks.  When he got back, he told us that the walk had been a lot of fun - kind of like grinding up a big hill on a mountain bike.

Brad - made it back - just.....

Brad was the next wind dummy.  He headed out on his 5.6m sail.  He got planing and headed upwind and up-current.  About half way across the river, he started slogging.  Still pointing upwind, the current dragged him back down the river.  He made it back with a nice gust on the way home, but barely.  He loosened his outhaul and told us that the wind was good on this side of the river and not to sail on the far side.  He then headed out - did even better than the last time for the first half of the river and then ran out of wind in the same place.  We all expected him to jibe and return in the wind, but for some reason kept on going to the far side and lost even more ground than the last reach. There was no wind on the way back - so he ended up at the island for a repeat of Gerry's walk.

Brad - enjoying his walk and thinking about the lack of wind on the far side.

Al was our third walker.  Al has to leave tomorrow, so was understandably eager to get out.  He took out a 6.5m sail and big board.  He got planing, but then slogged.  He had the biggest walk of all - ending up on the far side of the island.

Al - Making it work!

Al - oops - a long walk ahead....

There were more attempts, but Cynthia probably did the best - being the lightest.   Harold went out, but sailed/slogged back and forth close to shore - staying on the shore side of the current line.

Cynthia

Kent, Harold, Blaine and Cam - watching the excitement!

At around 11:00 the wind started to shift West.  We went up to the Crossing Bistro for Panini's and Lemonade for lunch - our favorite spot in Stevenson for lunch.  The wind continued to pick up and by 1:00pm just about everyone was out.  First on big sails (6.6m Sails, and then smaller sails - 4.8 and 5.6 sails.

The Crossing - best Paninis lemonade in town!

Kent - sailed everything - from his foil to his 5.6m

I went and helped Cam launch his 12m Kite.  The kite launch at Stevenson is tricky but better in a westerly than in easterly wind.  Cam had a great sail - getting marginally overpowered by the time he came in.  He is on a directional board, and is enjoying doing repeated S turns.

Cam had fun, but wouldn't come close enough for a decent photo....

Cam was stoked - great day kiting!

By the end of the day, the beach was littered with sails.  Most had used two or three sails and a couple of boards.  When I got back from launching Cam, I got out on my 6.6 and Nash board, and had the best jibe of the trip.

Drying our riggs.....

We sailed until about 5:30   Gerry was the last off the water.  He had been trying to hit 50 miles of sailing (as measured on his GPS watch, but the wind started to die so he came in with only 46 miles, although he commented later that if you counted his walk, he would be very close to his goal.

Blaine, Rene and Kent - Great day!

Rene needed to eat (Right Now), so Kent and Rene headed off.  The rest of us sat in the sun telling stories while we waited for our rigs to dry.  It was almost 8:00 by the time we packed up and headed home.

We decided on Mexican for supper, but then Jim, Cam and Cynthia decided to do their own thing. The Mexican was excellent as usual.

We met up with Ross and Kent again after supper at the Condo.  Ross told us about his day, and then we watched some Sailboat Racing Crashes.  Ross is very keen on sailboat sailing since his cross-Atlantic trip this spring.

It was late - 10:30 - by the time we headed to bed.

Al - enjoyed his last day and had some good sailing!

2017-06-18 - Fathers Day

Light, Fickle Winds...
Sophia
Once again, the forecast was for light winds - building in the afternoon.  I don't want to jinx us, but it looks like the winds will get stronger, with Tuesday and Wednesday in the 30mph range.

We all met at Dog River as usual.  It was Fathers Day so Bette's and all the other restaurants were very busy.  Six of us endured the line at Bette's - not sure where the others went.

Blaine is always happy to show off photos of his granddaughter Sophia, and to tell us all about her.

Blain and Sophia

Around Noon I was heading to the Event Site to watch Kent do some more foiling when he called me and told me the wind had picked up and that everyone was going to the Hatchery.

The Hatchery was underwhelming.  Harold rigged his 6.1m sail and headed out, but did a lot of standing around.  With the strong current, it was interesting watching him come back to shore as he angled at about 45 degrees and was dragged downwind by the current faster than his forward speed.

Harold had a good day!

We watched a sailboat jibe in front of us.  It virtually stopped in the current as the current was about the same as it's forward movement.  It had to angle off into the center channel before it could make any headway.

Going nowhere in the strong current!

Al rigged his 6.5, but his downhaul rope broke so he had to go back to his van to get a new one.  By the time he got back, the wind had dropped even further, so he was saved from a swim (or at least a slog fest).  He decided to rig his chair and read a book.

Al with his lawn chair fully rigged - enjoying his book!

Ross, who had launched with a 9m Kite from the bridge came up and played around in the waves.  There weren't many other sailors out, and those that were, were spending a lot of time just standing around.  We did see Dale Cook and Bruce Peterson flash by on their foils.

After an hour or two, we decided to go back to the event site to see what was happening.
Kent had a great day foiling, Cam had fun on his 12m kite, and Cynthia also had a few runs on a 5.6m Sail.  I think, but can't confirm, that Jim had given it a  go on his 7.0 earlier in the day.  Jim said it was the best fathers day ever, sitting there in the sun watching Cynthia and Cam have fun!

Cynthia enjoyed getting out!

Kent is getting very proficient with the foil.  He is pumping onto a plane proficiently and keeping the board out of the water while going very fast.  He is even completing a few jibes.  He had a big grin on his face when he finally came off the water after hours and hours of foiling.

Kent had a great day foiling!

As it looked like it had picked up a bit, Al headed back to the hatchery, but then "resisted the urge to rig".  Probably wise...

Blaine and Brad went on a Road Bike Ride to the Rowena Lookout and back.  Wow - that is a lot of work in the heat of the day.  Sorry - no photos.

I sat and read, and took a few photos.

Cam and Cynthia took Jim out for a Fathers day Dinner.  I suggested that they should take all the fathers out for dinner, but they weren't having any of it.....

The rest of us went to 6th Street.  The owner, Chirs, was happy to see us as usual.

After dinner, we went to DQ for dessert - then early to bed.  Hopefully, we will be sailing tomorrow.

The only issue with foiling is all the gear you have to haul around...

2017-06-17 Foils and Swell

Event Site

We have settled into our usual routine.  Dog River for coffee, and then Bette's for breakfast.  It was a cloudy day with light wind.   Perfect for foiling.

Dale Cook was coming out to sail with Kent and Rene.  A lot of us went down to watch.

The amount of gear is unbelievable.

Watching people foiling on windsurfers is a little surreal.  They cruise around with the board completely out of the water and no wake.  The guys that know how to do it, make it look so smooth and easy.

Dale and Kent

Kent - riding high!

Kent, who had been out a few times before, did very well.  Dale chased him around and stopped to give him pointers whenever he crashed (which was quite a bit).

I watched for a while and took some photos, and then drove over to the Washington side of the river, picked up my Discovery Pass, checked out the Hatchery and then ended up at Swell with Al, Harold, Gerry, Brad and Blaine.   No one was doing anything yet, but it was looking like the wind was building.

Gerry went out on his 6.6 and Al on a 6.5.  They were making it work, but it looked like the wind was still increasing.  Blaine and Brad waited a bit and then took out their 5.6's.   Gerry re-rigged down to his 5.7 Revo.

Gerry on his 5.7 Revo and Stubby

At first, I didn't think there was enough wind for me - then I fell asleep in my chair - and then it was getting late, so I decided to take some photos and video instead.  When I woke up - Blaine was sitting on the picnic table watching - I asked him if he had been out yet - apparently he had been sailing for quite a while and had come in to rest.   I probably should have gone out....It wasn't epic sailing, but the guys certainly had fun.

Ted- working hard!

Harold

Brad

Blaine

After a while, I de-rigged my chair and then headed back to the event site.  Jim and Cam were there with Cynthia.  They had driven to Portland to pick her up at the airport.

Cynthia had a great day on her 5.6.  Cam also had a good day on his 12m kite.  The feedback he got from the guy's on the beach was that "Kites like Harold sails".

Kent was riding his lawn chair - having had a bit of an experience earlier when he got overpowered on his foil and had some trouble getting back.  At one point he said he thought that Rene would have to rescue him.  He made it back but was feeling the effects.

Rene

Kent

Dale - giving advice..

Dale Cook