The Gorge Magazine Spring 2014

SPRING 2014 thegorgemagazine.com

Art Happens Here The Open Studio Tour

Into the Wild The Essence of Art

Historic Highway A Ride Like No Other

U NIQ U E J EWEL RY ◉ HOM E A CCEN T S ◉ CUS TOM GI FTS ◉ S I NCE 1994

305 Oak Street • Hood River (541) 386-6188 • twiggs@gorge.net

Visit Historic Downtown

TRouTdAlE the gateway to the gorge Visit our many Specialty Shops, Art Galleries, Antique Shops, Fine Restaurants, and more!

Take Exit 17 off I-84

Taste of Village Two floors full of: Kitchenware, Glass, Native American, Pottery, Furniture, Primitives, Toys, Artwork & more! public parking available behind antique mall

Open Daily Mon-Sat:11-5:30pm Sun: noon-5pm

(503) 674-6820 359 E. Columbia River Highway

Chinese RestauRant & Lounge { Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine }

A rt- G l A s s J ew e l ry of f ice / studio / galler y

oRDeRs to go: (503) 666-7768 302 e. historic Columbia River hwy

149 e. Historic Columbia river Hwy (503) 328-8661 • (877) 919-1217 www.marcopolodesigns.com

sun-thur, 11-10pm • Fri & sat, 11-10:30pm

gifts HomE dECoR EspREsso

Troutdale Vision Clinic (503) 618-9394

celebratemehoameonline.com 319 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

Eye exams, diagnosis and treatment Eyewear styling to fit your lifestyle Most insurance accepted

(503) 492-3897 • troutdalevision.com 226 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

café • gifts • candy • souvenirs espresso • ice cream parlour

(503) 492-7912

289 E. COLUMBIA RIVER HWY

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 3

contents features 37

49

59

Exploring the essential connection between wilderness and art

The Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour offers a close-up look at the thriving arts scene in the Gorge

Through her blog and locally made products, Amie Sue Oldfather is spreading the gospel of raw food

by don campbell

by ruth berkowitz

Into the Wild by steven hawley

Raw Chocolate Cake Pops served fondue style, p. 59 4 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

art happens here

food in the raw

Worry less... Play more!

• • • •

Stunning views of the Columbia Gorge Endless recreational opportunities out the door Private pool, hot tub and gym Turnkey living with more time to play

MOSIER CREEK HOMES SALES:

2-3 bedroom homes starting at $245,000

Copper West Properties/Bill Irving, broker 503.816.9251 bill@copperwest.com Windermere/Tim Donahue, broker 541.386.3078 timd@gorge.net

mosiercreek.com

contents departments

OUr gorge 12 Question+Answer 14

Best of the Gorge

18

Person of Interest

20

Business Highlight

24

Roadtrip

26

Home+Garden

30

Wine Spotlight

76

Partake

82

epilogue

OUtside 64 A Ride Like No Other Cycling the Historic Columbia River Highway by christopher van tilburg

arts+culture 68 String by String White Salmon luthier Craig Wilson builds guitars in the timeless tradition of old by janet cook

wellness 72 Weighty Matters Doctor Miriam McDonell helps people make lasting changes for their health by lori russell

6 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

spring 2014 Janet Cook Editor Rachel Hallett Creative Director/Graphic Designer Micki Chapman Advertising Director kris goodwillie Account Executive Jenna Hallett Account Executive

Read it online, too.

View the complimentary digital edition on your iPad, iPhone, Mac or PC www.thegorgemagazine.com or http://issuu.com/thegorgemagazine

Adam Lapierre Contributing Editor Robin Allen Wardrobe Stylist Marcus Morrison Distribution Contributing Writers Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, Eileen Garvin, Steven Hawley, Amber Marra, Kacie McMackin, Lori Russell, Christopher Van Tilburg Contributing artists AmiĂŠe Herring Brewer, Ardis DeFreece, Jon Erickson, Ann Fleming, Rachel Harvey, Peter Marbach, Andy Nichols, Sally O'Neill, Mary Rollins, Bill Sturman, Karen Watson, Paul Zegers Contributing Photographers Paloma Ayala, Jock Bradley, Ric Conrad, Robin Dickinson, Blaine Franger, Jennifer Gulizia, Adam Lapierre, David Lloyd, Amie Sue Oldfather, Amber Marra, Kacie McMackin, Michael Peterson, Shelly Peterson, Denise Rehse-Watson, Greg Siple, John Sarosky, Darren White

Advertising Inquiries mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com Social Media facebook.com/thegorgemagazine twitter.com/TheGorgeMagazin The Gorge Magazine thegorgemagazine.com PO Box 390 • 419 State Street Hood River, Oregon 97031 We appreciate your feedback. Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

The Gorge Magazine is published by Eagle Magazines, Inc., an affiliate of Eagle Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of Eagle Magazines, Inc. Articles and photographs appearing in The Gorge Magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of The Gorge Magazine, Eagle Magazines, Inc., Eagle Newspapers, Inc., or its employees, staff or management. All RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 7

With this issue, we mark the start of our third year at The Gorge Magazine.

We’d like to say a heartfelt “thank you” to all of you, advertisers and readers, contributing photographers and writers—everyone who has supported us since our launch in the spring of 2012. We set out with the mission of exploring, discovering and celebrating what it means to live in and visit the Gorge, and we continue with you on this singular journey.

We thought it would be fun to celebrate our birthday by giving the magazine a little makeover in the form of a few style and format changes. We hope you like them. As always, feel free to give us feedback. We love when we hear from you.

Another notable event this spring is the 8th Annual Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour. The tour has helped put the Gorge on the Northwest arts map, and this year it will showcase a remarkable 40 artists—testament to the talent present in our midst. Don Campbell profiles a few of the artists who will open their studios to visitors April 11-13 (page 48). If you’ve enjoyed the tour before, welcome back. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. It’s always fun to meet the artists, and it’s fascinating to see them in the places where they create.

In this, our Arts Issue, writer Steven Hawley explores yet another aspect of art: its vital connection to nature—and more specifically, to wilderness (page 37). This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, and events are happening around the country to commemorate this landmark conservation bill, which has resulted in the preservation of more than 100 million acres of wildlands. Locally, the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River has partnered with the Mount Adams Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service to commission 21 artists to create art that celebrates the wilderness areas surrounding the Gorge.

The show will hang in the Arts Center gallery during August.

There are some other interesting explorations in this issue as well. Among them, Ruth Berkowitz writes about raw food expert Amie Sue Oldfather (page 58), Christopher Van Tilburg takes a spin on the Historic Columbia River Highway (page 64), and Lori Russell takes a look at The Dalles physician Miriam McDonell and her quest to help people reach and maintain a healthy weight (page 72). Delve in, and welcome to springtime in the Gorge.

Janet Cook, editor

The Gorge Magazine is published by Eagle Magazines, Inc., an affiliate of Eagle Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of Eagle Magazines, Inc. Articles and photographs appearing in The Gorge Magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of The Gorge Magazine, Eagle Magazines, Inc., Eagle Newspapers, Inc., or its employees, staff or management. All RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

8 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

SPRING 2014 thegorgemagazine.com

Art HAppens Here the Open studio tour

IntO tHe WIld the essence of Art

HIstOrIc HIgHWAy A ride like no Other

about the cover The pastel painting, “Approaching Mosier,” is by Hood River artist Karen Watson, one of 40 artists featured in the Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour in April. Watson has been working primarily in pastels for the last 13 years, and has long been fascinated by the “interplay” of the sky and landscapes. “While driving into Mosier one day, I pulled off to the side of the road and took a series of photos of this dynamic scene,” she says. “This painting was created using the images.” She also likes painting roadways. “I find them compelling,” she says. “They invite the viewer to move into the piece.”

The Gorge Magazine is being produced by an environmentally conscientious group. Our publication is printed with text paper that is produced by a local mill located in West Linn, Oregon. West Linn paper mill and Journal Graphics, our publication printer, both follow FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) practices in the manufacturing and the printing of our product.

This publication is also produced with soy based inks. When you have read this issue please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. Together we can make a difference in preserving and conserving our resources.

KEEP YOUR

$

WHERE

YOUR

IS

COLUMBIA GORGE Shop local. Bank local.

Eat local.

When you spend your money with Gorge Owned businesses, you help ensure 30% more money stays in our local economy. And that means more wealth for all.

Flow Yoga - A Sacred Welcoming Community

Join us in the GO! Local Challenge.

Show your support and win prizes!

GorgeOwned.org/LOCAL Presented By

Waucoma Bookstore

10 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Tumbleweed Farm | Gorge Grown | Nora’s Table

Q+A, Best of the Gorge, Business Highlight, Home+Garden, RoadTrip, Wine Spotlight

a hood river home is redesigned after a devastating fire, p. 26 the gorge magazine // spring 2014 11

our gorge

A: We take security very seriously at Google, and the process of getting our data center up and running was one where we were very focused on the security of our systems and of our users’ data. We figured it was probably not a good idea to let people know too much about what we were doing. That said, the company learned pretty quickly that coming in under a cloak of secrecy was not the best way to move forward. While we still go to great measures to protect user data, we’ve worked hard since that time to be a good, and transparent, community partner. We are lucky to be in The Dalles. It’s a great place.

question+answer

Dave Karlson Dave Karlson has been the operations manager at Google in The Dalles since the data center opened in 2006. After obtaining all the necessary security clearances, we sat down with Dave for a little insight–and lunch– at Google.

Q: What happens at a data center?

A: A data center is a facility with many computers that store and process large amounts of information. Our data centers keep all of Google’s products and services—Google search, Google+, Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube—up and running around the clock and around the world.

Q: As operations manager, what do you do?

A: The data center team is made up of mechanical, electrical and environmental engineers, construction professionals, project managers and site operations experts. The role of an operations manager is to support the teams that are monitoring and maintaining the state-of-the-art physical infrastructure behind our technology. Specifically, my team is Hardware Opera-

12 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

By janet cook

tions. We focus on the server and network infrastructure that hosts all of our services. In addition to managing the Hardware Operations team in The Dalles, I also am responsible for the teams at our new Asia sites in Singapore and Taiwan.

Q: When the data center opened, word was that many of the employees would fly in to work here for a few weeks at a time, then rotate out. Is that the way it works?

A: Our data center in The Dalles was Google’s very first Google-built data center. When we built it, we tried to plan for all circumstances. In the event that our staff would need to be on duty 24/7 we built a few hoteltype rooms where employees could sleep before they went back on shift. It turned out that we didn’t use them as frequently as we thought, and as a result, we haven’t built them in our newer data centers. Several years ago we remodeled and converted half of those rooms to be used for other things such as conference rooms and a small fitness center. A majority of our staff lives in the Gorge, with over half living in The Dalles.

Q: Google was very secretive when it first came to The Dalles, but it seems to have opened up a little. How has the culture changed?

Q: Google is involved in several community projects in The Dalles and Gorge-wide. Can you tell us about those?

A: Since 2008, we’ve awarded more than $8.6 million to Oregon schools and nonprofits, with a strong focus on supporting educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This year we sponsored more than 50 robotics teams throughout the Gorge, which has opened the door for a career in a STEM field to hundreds of new students. We organized the Gorge Gravity Games to help students think about physics in a new way, by constructing soapbox derby cars to race through downtown The Dalles. The Wind Challenge competition, a project we're doing with Columbia Gorge Community College, is aimed to fuel student interest in wind energy. Students will learn about wind turbine technology and apply their new skills in an all-day competition on May 3 at the Civic Auditorium in The Dalles. There will also be a STEM Fair that day. More details are at windchallenge.org.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about working for Google?

A: My background before coming to Google was in education and technology. In addition to the day-today responsibilities of managing the site, working for Google has allowed me to participate in community projects to enhance science, technology, engineering and math education. It’s really rewarding and inspiring to see the impact these programs have on students, particularly when I see it open doors for their future.

Another rewarding piece is recruiting local folks for our entry-level positions and watching them grow professionally at Google. We look for people with an excellent work ethic, a great attitude, and the ability to take stuff apart and put it back together. We can teach folks how to translate these skills into supporting/repairing Google’s server hardware.

welcome spring KlicKitat county washington

Say “hello” to Spring with a refreshing stroll through the vineyards, rafting on a scenic river, bicycling through lush forests or windsurfing in the bright sunshine…Klickitat County has it all!

Finish a wonderful scenic driving loop tour with a visit to our premium wineries, museums, colorful shops and festive restaurants. Oh, and meet some of the friendliest folks around.

Life is just Better on the northside… join us this spring Mountain Biking

Fine Dining

Stonehenge

Goldendale Observatory

Maps and Activity Brochures available at: www.KlickitatCounty.org/tourism www.MtAdamsChamber.com • (509) 493-3630 • Highway 14 at the Hood River Bridge www.GoldendaleChamber.org • (509) 773-3400 • 903 Broadway, Goldendale

our gorge

best of the gorge

A few of our favorite things this season

Iron Butterfly Chair

1

We just have to say that this is the coolest chair we’ve ever seen. A new take on the mid-century classic, the Iron Butterfly Chair is made from iron and covered with metal.

Find it at Out On a Limb ($265), a high-end home décor and specialty furnishing store in Stevenson—which is one of our favorite places to poke around. The butterfly chair as we know it was introduced in 1938, the brainchild of an Argentinian architectural firm, which created it for an apartment building it was designing in Buenos Aires. The curator of the Museum of Modern Art discovered the chair, and the rest is history. This is the first time we’ve seen it in quite this way, however. Love. It. (facebook.com/outonalimbwa)

14 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

CoGo Juices

2

If you’re too busy to eat your greens, you can drink them. Columbia Gorge Organic, one of our favorite makers of fresh squeezed juices and smoothies, also has a line called Veggie Blends. Made from cold pressed organic vegetables, the blends range from Just Greens and Carrot Leafy Greens to Celery Kale and Lemon Ginger Greens (that one is seriously yummy.) They’re not sweetened with fruit juice, so the clear, clean veggie taste—and nutrition— is all you’re getting. Columbia Gorge Organic, established in 1989, was one of the first organic farms in Hood River. Still run by the Stewart family, the farm spans 180 acres and grows more than 60 varieties of fruit for its dozens of juices and smoothies, as well as its gluten-free food bars. Its veggies are sourced from local and regional certified organic farms. From farm to bottle, these are the real deal. (cogojuice.com)

Blossom Festival

4

At no other time of year is the Hood River Valley quite so splendid as it is when the fruit tree blossoms bloom in April. For more than 50 years, Hood River County has celebrated this spring rite with the annual Blossom Festival, which now spans three weekends, from April 12-27 this year. A drive or ride on the scenic 35-mile Fruit Loop is an ideal way to view the sea of blossoms extending from Hood River to Parkdale. If the fruit trees seem to go on endlessly, it’s because they practically do; the Hood River Valley is the largest pear-growing region in Oregon, producing 50 percent of the nation’s winter pear crop. When you’ve gotten your fill of the eye candy, check out some of the other activities going on during Blossom Festival, from winery and brewery events to art exhibits and craft shows. Many area hotels, vacation rentals and B&B’s also offer special rates. Blossom Festival calendars and maps are available just off I-84 at Exit 62, outside the Red Carpet Restaurant, and at Exit 64 at Tum-a-Lum Lumber. Check for regular updates on the Hood River, Oregon Facebook page. (hoodriver.org)

Disc Golf Klindt’s Booksellers

3

Springtime hits in the Gorge and we break out the flip-flops and the wind sports gear and pretend it’s practically summer. But alas, it is not. There are plenty of wet, gray, chilly days to go around this season as winter wrings itself out. One of our favorite rainy day sports is browsing at Klindt’s Booksellers in The Dalles. Billed as the oldest bookstore in Oregon (it’s been selling books continuously since 1870), you can feel its history when you step through the oversized front door. The creaky floors and worn bookshelves welcome bibliophiles and browsers alike. The friendly staff will help, or leave you alone to poke around the wide selection of new and used books. (klindtsbooks.com)

5

Like everywhere else in the country, disc golf has been catching on rapidly in the Gorge. And what better place to play than on one of the many beautiful courses that has sprung up along the Columbia? In case you’re out of the loop, disc golf and regular golf share a similar structure and scoring system. But rather than using clubs to get a ball in a hole in the ground, you throw discs into specially-designed baskets in as few throws as possible. Spring is great for disc golf around here—before the steady winds of summer really kick in. A new, 18-hole course designed by professional disc golfer Daniel Dulaney opened last year in Cascade Locks. Another beautiful course lies across the Bridge of the Gods and a few miles west in North Bonneville. Other Gorge courses are at Rooster Rock State Park (there are actually two courses here), Benson State Park, the Hood River Skate Park, and Sorosis Park in The Dalles. Another course is in the works in White Salmon. We don’t play favorites here. Try them all.

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 15

our gorge

6

Here’s an antidote to the mundane Hershey’s bar: The Chocolate Lab’s Whiskey Lavender Bar. Or how about the Basil Lime Bar. These are some of the custom chocolate bars created by Sunde Carroll, proprietor of the Gorge’s newest chocolatier, The Chocolate Lab, in The Dalles. She sources most of her chocolate from Portland and elsewhere in the Northwest, with a few select items from afar. She also creates her own recipes, then has chocolatiers she works with make them for her own label. She touts the benefits of “healthy” chocolate—“very dark, organic chocolate,” she says. The Whiskey Lavender Bar is made with 72 percent Madagascar chocolate. She also loves pairing her chocolate with local wines, and has daily tastings in her shop. Need we say more? (facebook/The Chocolate Lab)

7 Hip Sips Try making this cocktail at home

If you’re lucky enough to play a lot of golf, or be married to someone who does, you might find yourself eating many a meal at Divots Restaurant at the Indian Creek Golf Course in Hood River. We love the extensive happy hour menu—good eats for kids and grown-ups, too. Springtime ushers in the delightful patio-seating season, where you can dine with gorgeous views of the greens and Mount Hood beyond.

The restaurant carries local and regional wine and beer, and the bartenders make a mean cocktail. (indiancreekgolf.com)

River City Returns

8

Hood River got a bit of soul back with the return of the River City Saloon this winter. An icon in town since the 1980s (the bar helped put the Gorge on the map in the heady early days of windsurfing) the River City was turned into the Waucoma Club by new owners in 2010. It was a well-meaning nod to the building’s history as the Waucoma Hotel, which opened for business in 1904.

But it never really took. When Joe Kirkwood (right) bought the business in December, he restored the bar’s longstanding name. He even dug out the original sign, put a fresh coat of paint on it and hung it back up over the door. “People love it,” he said. “Everybody has such fond memories of this place.” The River City also has a fresh new menu, pool tables and pinball machines, and will channel the original saloon’s focus on live music. Welcome back, old friend. (facebook/River City Saloon)

16 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Restaurant: D ivots Bartender: Chrissy Benton 4 Lime slices 2 oz Yazi Ginger Vodka 1 oz Orange Liqueur 2 oz Pomegranate Juice Muddle three lime slices in a pint glass with a small scoop of ice. Add remaining liquid ingredients and fill glass with ice, shake vigorously in a cocktail shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with remaining lime slice.

2nd Wind Sports

11 TROUT LAKE ICE CAVES

Hood River’s go-to sports consignment shop, 2nd Wind, gets a new view this spring when it moves to the corner of 2nd and State streets. Although owner Pepi Gerald has liked being on the main drag, he’s excited to have better parking for customers (yay!), as well as a newer building. “We’ll have about the same square footage, but more floor space and much more window space,” he said. Gerald pooh-poohs the notion of spring being a “shoulder season.” “We can be skiing well into May,” he said. Plus, he notes, with the longer days, and summer sports kicking in, it’s the best time for “3-fers.” “You can get up and go skiing, come down for a bike ride and then go windsurfing,” he said. “That’s the ultimate blast.” His advice for getting the most out of the season? Put off the landscaping and the house projects. “Go out and have fun,” he said.

That sounds like an order. And a good one, at that. (2ndwind-sports.com)

9

Just north of Trout Lake lies one of the most under-visited natural wonders in the Gorge. The Trout Lake Ice Cave, formed by lava tubes from Mount Adams, traps and holds moist, cold air, which in turn forms into massive pillars and columns of ice every winter. Spring is the best time to visit, after the winter cold has performed its icy magic and before warming temperatures start melting it. A wooden staircase descends into this frozen wonderland, but be aware of, um, ice on the steps. Also, it’s cold and dark down there. Wear warm clothing and bring headlamps to enjoy this family-friendly site. For information and directions, stop by the Mount Adams Ranger District office in Trout Lake, or search Trout Lake Ice Cave online.

Wildflower Hikes Everybody’s Brew (in a can) 10 Going for a spring hike among the wildflowers is practically a rite of passage in the Gorge.

With the emergence of the first grass widows in late winter at Catherine Creek and Rowena Crest, there’s nearly palpable excitement for the season to come. By the time spring officially arrives, the wildflower show is well underway. Catherine Creek and the Lyle Cherry Orchard in Washington, and the Rowena Plateau and Tom McCall Nature Preserve on the Oregon side showcase the spring wildflowers brilliantly, and the hikes at these locations provide a range of length and difficulty. (gorgefriends.org)

12

In case you hadn’t heard, the can is back. Luckily, we can now get good beer in this handy vessel. Everybody’s Brewing is producing nearly 800 cases of its Country Boy IPA and Little Sister India Session Ale every month, canned onsite at the brewery in White Salmon. It’s currently being distributed in Washington and Oregon bars, restaurants, bottle shops and small grocers—and at Everybody’s, of course. Owner/ brewer Doug Ellenberger plans to expand brewing capacity in the next year, with an eye toward more canning. “The can is great for a number of reasons,” Ellenberger said. “They’re portable, chill quickly, easily pack out and will never break into a bunch of glass shards in our pristine outdoor wonderland.” Nuff said. (everybodysbrewing.com)

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 17

our gorge

person of interest

Kim Brigham Campbell (left) and Terrie Brigham.

Kim Brigham Campbell and Terrie Brigham A new fish market enlivens a family tradition by eileen garvin / photos by jennifer gulizia

W

hen you meet Kim Brigham Campbell and Terrie Brigham, it’s easy to tell they’re sisters. Dark-haired, dark-eyed and lively, they share the same easy manner and ready laugh, and when talking about the family fishing business, they tend to finish each other’s sentences. For these

18 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

two, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, fishing on the Columbia River is a longstanding family tradition. Their father, Robert, fished at thunderous Celilo Falls with his father in the days before The Dalles Dam was built. And the sisters, 41 and 42 respectively, grew up fishing in their hometown of Cascade Locks on platforms next

to Thunder Island. “The scaffolds were our Grandpa’s,” Kim says. “He raised my dad and his brothers fishing there.”

Now the Brighams are taking that tradition to a new level with the opening of Brigham Fish Market in Cascade Locks. “Our main focus is Columbia River native-caught fish,” Terrie says. The market on Wanapa Street will sell fresh sturgeon and Spring Salmon in the spring; steelhead, sockeye and summer Chinook in summer; and fall Chinook, coho and steelhead in the fall—all caught by members of the Brigham family. (Kim and her husband James Campbell co-own the market, and Terrie manages the store and does much of the fishing.)

The idea for the market grew from years of wordof-mouth and riverside sales. “We already had an established clientele,” Kim says. The initial plan for a roadside stand morphed into the current construction, a 1,900-square-foot retail and processing space.

“It was supposed to be small,” Kim laughs. The clean, modern building adorned with leaping salmon is the first new construction in Cascade Locks in recent memory. With new additions to town like Thunder Island Brewing, the reconnection of the Historic Columbia River Highway and a coffee shop opening soon, the sisters are proud to be part of changes in Cascade Locks.

Visitors to Cascade Locks see the waterfront Marine Park as a hidden gem. Sunshine lights up the Bridge of the Gods, the majestic steel span across the Columbia River. Morning mist drifts down the forested ridgeline on the Washington side, and a brisk breeze ripples the dark green waters of the river.

Between Thunder Island and the park, the Brigham family scaffolds hang over the water. In summer you can find Kim, Terrie and their relatives here using 20foot dip nets to scoop wriggling fish from the water.

“You can watch us fish and say ‘I want that fish,’” Kim says. “It doesn’t get much fresher,” Terrie adds.

It’s not work for the faint hearted. In addition to long hours on the water, there’s loading, cleaning and processing. “It’s a lot of work,” Kim says. But they enjoy it. “You’re down by the river. It’s relaxing, and you get to talk to people about what you’re doing,” she says. “I love being on the river,” Terrie says. “I love being on the scaffold,” Kim says. “She gets seasick,” Terrie adds, and they both laugh.

Terrie does the majority of the boat fishing with their father Robert and uncle, Daniel Brigham. Spring and summer usually find them fishing near Cascade Locks in their Boston Whaler or Bowpicker. Fall and winter take them out east to the John Day Pool at Three Mile Canyon near Boardman.

Fishing year-round means exposure to gusty winds, waves and all kinds of weather. “We’ve been out there when it’s zero degrees and when it’s 110,” Terrie says. “And the wind is crazy in the Gorge.”

Fish harvested from the boat and the scaffolds alike fill the cases in the new retail space, which opened in February. The shop will allow the family to reach more customers and broaden their sales to regional restaurants, which, increasingly, look to source locally. “People are starting to care a lot more about where their food comes from,” Kim says. Her sister points out that they can tell people the day and location where the fish came out of the river. “That’s huge,” she says.

The Brighams are excited that their children, the fourth generation, have joined the family fishing tradition. Kim’s kids are 13 and 15. Terrie’s are aged 21, 7 and 3. “The kids are really getting into it,” Terrie says. Kim sees the brick and mortar market as a valuable part of the legacy to pass on. “It’s just a way of life,” Terrie says. “It’s in our blood. It’s what we do.”

Eileen Garvin is a travel writer and editor. She lives in Hood River and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

Experience 15,000 Years of History!

• 23,000 Square feet to explore • Meeting and event rentals

• Family and group rates • Open 10am - 5pm daily

Plan your visit today!

800.991.2338 www.columbiagorge.org 990 SW Rock Creek Dr. Stevenson, WA S P O N S O RED B Y

The City of Stevenson and Skamania County Chamber of Commerce

Cruise the Gorge

20 503-224-3900 Celebrating

years

www.portlandspirit.com

Portland Spirit Cruises & Events

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 19

our gorge

business highlight

The Heights Business District The Heights in Hood River continues to evolve into a dining and shopping hub

By Janet Cook / Photos by Adam Lapierre

T

he Heights business district in Hood River has been steadily undergoing a transformation over the last few years. Once a scruffy sidekick to the city’s downtown, the Heights has seen new development and a host of new businesses settle here recently—joining some long-time stalwarts like the Hood River Taqueria, the popular eatery on 13th Street which has been in business there since 2001, and Hood River Supply, which has anchored the southern end of the Heights business district since 1967.

20 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Office & Computer Products • Stationery Gifts • Fine Pens • Free Gift Wrapping

HOOD RIVER STATIONERS

Downtown Hood River • (541) 386-2344

The Heights business district officially extends from 13th and Cascade streets south past the hospital, where it expands to include 12th Street, and on to the intersection at Eliot and Brookside Drive. Much of the district has changed considerably in recent years, starting in 2007-08 when the Hood River-Indian Creek campus of Columbia Gorge Community College was built, ushering in a spate of new development.

Soon after, the land adjacent to the college campus was developed with two modern medical buildings, which house several independent businesses. Just to the south, the aging building which had been home to Hood River Supply for 45 years was torn down to make way for a brand new store with three times the square footage, completed last year. “What we did really cleaned up the south

end of the Heights,” said Pat McAllister, president and CEO of Hood River Supply.

The Hood River Center, the shopping center that has long been home to Rosauers, Sears and Walgreens, has nearly filled its retail slate of late.

Newcomers include Beall’s department store and the Pita Pit restaurant, along with Washboard EcoLaundry, an energy-efficient Laundromat. (There is another Washboard in town, located on West Cascade Avenue.)

Opposite Page: Apple Green (top left), Pine Street Bakery (bottom right). This page: Marley's Corner Pub (top), Dana's Killer Burger (lower left), Farm Stand (lower right).

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 21

our gorge

Other notable changes in the Heights are on the two one-way thoroughfares of 12th and 13th streets, which have seen an influx of small businesses of late.

After nearly eight years in a downtown location, Dani Correa moved her specialty garden store, Apple Green, to 12th Street in the Heights last year. “I’m so thrilled to be up here,” she said. One perk is more convenient—and free—parking. “When I decided to move to the Heights, it was partly in response to customers who said how difficult it was to get to me.”

Correa has always focused on local customers, and she feels like the Heights business district, with its surrounding residential neighborhood, is a better fit for her shop.

Stefan Guemperlein, who with his wife, Erika, owns Ovino Market & Delicatessen on 13th Street, is happy with the changes that have come to the Heights since they opened Ovino in 2010. “There have been quite a few more businesses open up since

we’ve been here,” he said. The Guemperleins have expanded their business as the Heights has stepped it up, remodeling the market’s interior, adding a sandwich and tapas bar and growing their wine and cider business. After bringing on a business partner last year to help with cider sales and marketing, Stefan has increased production and is distributing his cider under the Gorge Cyder House label to a growing market in Portland. This spring, the Guemperleins will open a beer garden adjacent to Ovino, with a focus on serving wine, beer and cider accompanied by snacks from the deli.

Other businesses launched in the Heights in recent years have made the area a veritable food-anddrink hub. From the ever-popular Volcanic Bottle Shoppe and Pine Street Bakery to Dana’s Killer Burger, Marley’s Corner Pub and the Thai House, you can find just about any food—or beverage—you’re craving in the Heights. The Farm Stand Organic Market

Tortilleria La Cascada (top left), Thai House (lower left), Grow Organic (top right).

22 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

and Deli and Juanita’s Marketa Mexican market add to the Heights’ eclectic mix.

“It’s amazing the variety of stores and businesses we have in the Heights now,” said McAllister, who sits on an urban renewal committee for the Heights business district. The committee has been discussing long-range plans for the district—including the potential for pocket parks, improved streetscapes and lighting. Water and sewer improvements by the city will need to be done first, according to McAllister, and then beautification projects will be prioritized when urban renewal funds become available.

“I think urban renewal will bring even more businesses here,” McAllister said. It will likely be several years before ground is broken on any urban renewal projects in the business district. But from all appearances, the Heights is thriving in the meantime.

marketplace: hood river heights GOOD NEWS GARDENING

Spring is the time to start planning and planting your garden! Peas, potatoes, lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and more! Start indoors...tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Our nursery carries a fine selection of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, seeds and veggie starts. Visit our Garden Cafe for fresh, organic food from the garden, soups, salads, sandwiches, and espresso drinks. Breakfast & Lunch.

1086 Tucker Road goodnewsgardening.com

SPRING 2014 thegorgemagazine.com

IntO tHe WIld the essence of Art

HIstOrIc HIgHWAy A ride like no Other

Come share a sunny table with friends old and new! You might be sitting next to the local farmer, orchardist, rancher, or gardener who provided the goods that we turn into delicious breads, pastries, sandwiches, soups, and treats. Our menu changes with the seasons, reflecting the availability of local farm fare. Outstanding coffee provided

by Nossa Familia. Follow us on Facebook or check our website for seasonal menu updates. We are open daily, 7am to 3pm.

1103 12th Street • pinestreetbakery.com

morgan paint co.

rosauers

Choose from a wide selection of Graber and Hunter Douglas brand window coverings. We also offer a complete line of Benjamin Moore® products for virtually every project you have…from surface preparation products, to a wide array of coatings in sheens and formulas for every requirement. In addition, we have the knowledge and experience to handle any of your window covering needs.

At Rosauers Supermarket you will find: a floral, deli, bakery, and meat department as well as Huckleberry's Natural Foods section. We offer you one-stop shopping for a broad array of natural and organic products that are viable and wonderful alternatives to the conventional supermarket world. We bake everything from scratch using only the finest, fresh ingredients… let us help you create the perfect wedding or special event cake!

1402 12th Street • morganpaintco.com

Art HAppens Here the Open studio tour

PINE STREET BAKERY

1867 12th Street • rosauers.com

Daniel’s Health & Nutrition

Hood river sewing and vacuum

The body has an incredible capacity to repair itself, but sometimes it needs a little help! At Daniel's Health & Nutrition, we believe in helping our customers to find: Good Health Naturally.

Come and discover what a difference quality vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements can make in your life.

We proudly offer premier brands Miele vacuums and Janome sewing machines, on-site service and repair, plus we carry a full line of accessories. You can shop with confidence since we allow you to try the equipment before you purchase. Looking for a great gift? We have gifts cards! Visit our web site for a schedule of our sewing classes.

918 12th Street • danielshoodriver.com

1108 12th Street • hoodriversewandvac.com

your business here

GROW ORGANIC

Want an affordable and easy way to let readers know where to shop in the Hood River area? Contact us to find out how you can get an ad in the marketplace section.

The Gorge Magazine is a quarterly publication that can be found in print and in a digital format online.

We love the healthy living lifestyle in the Gorge and we’re here to help you explore the fascinating, fun world of homegrown and homemade. We can get you started on your Spring projects ranging from: keeping heritage chickens and honeybees, growing heirloom fruits and vegetables, and making probiotic cultured foods. Check out our website for more info on our products and workshops. Open daily, 10am-5:30pm.

Micki Chapman, advertising director (541) 380-0971 • thegorgemagazine.com

2035 12th Street • groworganics.org

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 23

our gorge

roadtrip

The Painted Hills

Tucked into a remote pocket of west-central Oregon, this geologic wonder makes for a perfect spring trek from the Gorge by janet cook

I

f you take one roadtrip this spring, go to the Painted Hills. I abashedly admit that I lived in Oregon for nearly 20 years before I made it to this jaw-dropping place, tucked up a remote road, several miles off another remote road, several more miles from the nearest small town (Mitchell) in westcentral Oregon. But it’s worth every lonesome mile you have to travel to get there.

One of three widely dispersed “units� that make up the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the Painted Hills spans a little more than 3,000 acres. But its geologic roots go back more than 30 million years, to an other-worldly time when the area was a temperate floodplain where prehistoric horses, rhinos, camels and tapirs roamed, dining on lush vegetation. As millennia ticked by, volcanic

24 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Getting There

Roundtrip: 163 miles, Driving Time: 3.5 hrs The Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located nine miles northwest of Mitchell. The most direct route from Hood River takes you southeast from The Dalles through Condon and Fossil (if you have time, stop to dig for fossils behind Wheeler High School, in the center of town). Mitchell is about 150 miles from Hood River. The Painted Hills is another nine miles northwest from the town; take Highway 26 west from Mitchell about three miles, then turn north on Burnt Ranch Road.

2014

COLUMBIA GORGE

Visitors Guide

2014

A great resource C O L UMBIA GORGE for local hikes, Visitors Guid e camping, wine, dining, events & much more!

LOOK FOR IT eruptions from the rising Cascade Range sent layers of ash with varying mineral content to settle over the area. Erosion, climate changes and earthquakes over millions of years worked to form the Painted Hills as we see them today.

Spring is the ideal time to visit.

Rainfall brings the hills’ colors to their most vibrant and streams of wildflowers trickle down the ravines.

Several trails with explanatory signs wind among the hills. Each one offers distinct views and information about the area’s geologic history. Amenities are few—little more than some well-maintained picnic areas. But really, none are needed in this place where the earth itself puts on an unforgettable show.

MAY 2014 PUBLISHED BY THE HOOD RIVER NEWS AND THE DALLES CHRONICLE FOR OVER 25 YEARS! ADVERTISERS: Reserve Ad Space by April 15th. • Call 541.386.1234 x210

Explore the Gorge with the comforts of home…

The Gorge’s Accommodations Experts!

Foree Area of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument near John Day.

John Day Fossil Beds If you have the time, it’s worthwhile heading back through Mitchell and another 40 miles east to the Sheep Rock unit of the John Day Fossil Beds, where the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center museum is located. It houses a collection of 40,000 fossils of plants and animals spanning the area’s last 50 million years. Interactive exhibits, films and park rangers help inform visitors of the area’s history—including the formation of the Painted Hills.

Stylish Homes • Cottages • Condos • Private Retreats • Views • Hot Tubs

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 25

our gorge

home+garden

Patricia Bunch serves lunch to her kids in her new kitchen. Cabinets and hardware were salvaged from the burned house.

From the Ashes

A Hood River home is redesigned from the ground up after a devastating fire by janet cook / photos by jock bradley

P

atricia Bunch was teaching a yoga class in January 2012 when she got word that her house was on fire. Firefighters were already on the scene at her Westside Hood River home, but by the time it was over, the home she had recently remodeled was a near total loss.

The fire had started in the chimney. “The roof collapsed into the living room and the living room collapsed into the basement,” Bunch says. A portion of the west wing of the house was declared salvageable by the insurance company, but after everything else was taken down to the foundation, Bunch decided to completely re-design the entire house.

“I knew I wanted to make some major changes, but I couldn’t figure out how,” Bunch says. Along with her builder, Bob Thayer Construction, Bunch hired architect Todd Tegman of Tegman Design (both are Hood River companies) to design the new house from the ground up. For insurance reasons, it had to remain in the same footprint as the old house.

As Thayer and his crew demolished the burned house, they salvaged as much as they could—including nearly every bathroom vanity, the mahogany kitchen cabinets, some of the granite counter tops from the

26 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

george purvis

Real Estate Sales and Service

This spring, find yourself a new nest!

Residential Vacation Investment Commercial

Hood River 541-386-2330 The Dalles 541-296-1045 www.copperwest.com

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 27

our gorge

The master bedroom is a private oasis looking out on the patio and the Gorge beyond.

kitchen, cabinet hardware, lighting and much of the redwood from an expansive outdoor deck.

Most of the cabinets were used in Bunch’s new kitchen, and more in her laundry room. A few of the shelves still have faint rings where cans or jars sat during the fire, smoke wafting around them. The soaring living room ceiling, as well as the porch covering the front entry, are strikingly planked with the salvaged redwood, stained dark.

Bunch hired her good friend, Shelley Toon Lindberg, a Hood River artist and arts educator, as her designer. “I get overwhelmed with too many choices,” Bunch says. She and Lindberg got a lot of ideas from Pinterest—among them the concept for her walnut tub stand in the master bathroom.

Bunch also hired several Gorge woodworkers and artists for specific pieces in the home—including custom tables, doors and artwork.

Other aspects of the house were designed with functionality in mind. Bunch injured her leg in a

28 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

A walnut tub stand highlights the master bath.

kiteboarding accident a few years ago and one of her ankles is fused, so she opted to install a dumbwaiter to get groceries from her ground level garage to the second-floor kitchen. She works as a hairstylist, both at a local salon and from home, so she put a cozy home salon on the ground floor.

A former crawl space was turned into a large play area and TV room—a perfect hangout for her two kids and their friends. A barn door separates it from a bunkroom that sleeps six, designed with visits from her extended family in mind.

The large open floor plan of the kitchen, dining and living rooms takes full advantage of the views of the Columbia River and the Washington side of the Gorge beyond. Bedrooms on either side—kids’ rooms on one, the master on the other—allow for privacy.

Bunch and her children were out of their house for nearly a year as it was demolished and rebuilt. They moved back in just over a year ago.

“It was really fun doing it,” says Bunch, despite the circumstances. “It was a great team to work with.”

Sometimes, Bunch says, when the kids are at school and all is quiet, she walks around her beautiful new home in disbelief. “I still feel like I’m playing house,” she says.

Concrete vanities were salvaged from the burned house.

Residential and Commercial Design + Build Renewable Energy Systems Weatherization + Home Performance

541.386.7283 www.greenhome-construction.com 1824 Cascade Ave. Hood River, OR 97031

ccb#182083 • WA#GREENHC917JM

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 29

our gorge

wine spotlight

COR Cellars

Lyle winemaker Luke Bradford gains new converts with his “old-school” wines

By Amber Marra

L

uke Bradford has poured his heart into the making of wine. Bradford launched COR Cellars in 2005, with a tasting room and small vineyard in the hills near Lyle, Wash.

With a focus on wines with lower alcohol content that are softer on the palate, Bradford hoped to serve up a product that lives up to the phrase from which his vineyard gets its name: vinum bonum laetificat cor humanum, or “good wine pleases the human heart.”

“It’s more of an old-school style of wine with higher acidity and lower alcohol that’s meant to be paired with food, rather than dominate food and overwhelm your palate,” Bradford said. His approach has paid off. Not only has he garnered a loyal local following over the last decade, in December Stan Reitan, the wine critic behind The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s

30 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Blue Collar Wine Guy blog, named COR Cellars the Washington winery of the year for 2013.

Bradford, who has sold wine to Reitan in the past, was pleased that the wine that first got the critic’s attention was his 2009 Malbec, which is grown at Hogback Ridge Vineyard in The Dalles. The connection to that vineyard is strong for Bradford, who first met Hogback Ridge owner Richard Lynch when Lynch was a UPS driver and delivered to COR in the early days.

“Out of all of our production, only about 30 percent comes from grapes grown in the Gorge, but it was important to me and certainly important to Richard that the one wine Reitan focused on was from here and that he was a real proponent of the Gorge in general,” Bradford said.

The path to growing grapes and making wine was not always a clear one for Bradford, but the urge to be

outside and avoid being locked to a desk was always strong. After growing up in Manhattan and spending time on his family’s dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a kid, he knew he wanted to end up doing something that kept him outdoors and occupied.

Bradford enrolled at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., where he began studying political science and sustainable architecture. In 2000, he took a trip to Italy to visit a cousin, a winemaker at Tenuta di Trinoro, a vineyard in southern Tuscany. He ended up taking a semester off from college to help out with the harvest, and went back again after his next semester in college for another six months.

Back at Evergreen, Bradford switched to a program that allowed him to take as many business and chemistry classes as possible. “Like any college kid, I had a lot of enthusiasm and I wasn’t really sure what I was going to be up to, but it just kind of clicked,” Bradford said. “This was fun work, it was hard work, and I enjoyed being outside and working with my hands. I could never be a desk-job kind of person, so it was a great way to get into a career that kept me outside.”

After graduating from Evergreen, he began applying to wineries all over Washington. As an avid kayaker, Bradford knew about the Columbia River Gorge and got a job at Wind River Cellars in Husum, and later at Syncline Winery in Lyle. He learned everything he could along the way and eventually set off on his own to launch COR Cellars.

COR sources fruit from a variety of vineyards in both Oregon and Washington—from Jewett Creek Vineyard in White Salmon up to Elephant Mountain Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. Grapes also come from Alder Ridge Vineyard, McKinley Springs, Celilo Vineyard, Hogback Ridge, and Underwood Mountain Vineyards.

Bradford finds his white wines to be the most interesting, but the 2009 Malbec that got COR its recent attention follows along with his philosophy of lower alcohol, higher acidity wines.

“In general what we’re trying to do that would set us apart is trying to make wines that are a little lower alcohol and lighter bodied,” Bradford said. “Instead of trying to pick the ripest, densest, richest fruit we can, we’re trying to pick it a little earlier.” Most Malbecs, he said, tend to be very ripe, almost jammy.

“This one from a slightly colder site still has all the fruit, but also has those nice, peppery, herbal characteristics that make it a little bit different.” (For more information, go to corcellars.com.)

THE NEXT GENERATION OF WASHINGTON WINE

can be found in the heart of the incredible Columbia Gorge, only 75 breathtaking minutes east of Portland.

For individual winery info: WINERIESOFLYLE.COM

RELAX…TASTE…ENJOY www.cascadecliffs.com

Our casually, sophisticated tasting room offers an up-close and personal look at our winery. From the event room enjoy views of the river, vineyard cliffs, and Mount Hood. Have a picnic or glass of wine on the patio, shaded by a grape arbor. Visit our Library Room and browse through books on viticulture and enology…ask questions, stick your nose in a glass.

BaRBeRa estate GROwn • neBBiOLO estate GROwn MeRLOt estate GROwn • syRaH estate GROwn CaBeRnet sauViGnOn estate GROwn • syMpHOny estate GROwn • GOat Head Red

(509) 767-1100 • 8866 Hwy 14 • wishram

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 31

our gorge

Passport Month

This year, the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association has extended its annual Passport event to the entire month of April. Participants who purchase a Passport will enjoy discounts and special offers designed to make the most out of visiting Gorge wineries during the month. Each weekend features a specific theme, with tastings and special events at individual Gorge wineries and tasting rooms. For more information, go to columbiagorgewine.com.

April 4

Portland Grand Tasting

April 12-13

Passport Month Kick-off Weekend

April 19-20

Food & Wine Weekend

April 26-27

Barrel & Reserve Tasting Weekend

Born of Necessity

Did you know?

Gorge Wine Facts

83

G

reg Gilbert was sitting at Pfriem Family Brewers last summer when he hit on an idea. The Hood River resident watched as people came in and out of the brewery awkwardly juggling their growlers.

As he sat sipping a beer, he thought about how much easier it would be if people had something to carry them in.

Then he thought of his friend in Trout Lake with a lot of beetle-kill pine on his property that he was clearing and trying to find a use for.

Gilbert sketched out a simple design for a wooden growler carrier. “I bought myself a table saw, emptied out my shed and started cranking them out,” he said.

He made a similar design for a wine bottle carrier, and started making them, too. He sold them here and there through the holidays, and will soon have them on Etsy. The growler carriers, which come in small (for 32-ounce mini-growlers) and large (for 64-ounce

34 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Number of vineyards

33

Number of wineries

1,250

Number of vineyard acres

growlers) are available at the Volcanic Bottle Shoppe in Hood River, and Gilbert has been talking with some of the breweries and wineries in the Gorge about making custom carriers.

Gilbert leaves the pine unfinished on purpose.

“The beetle leaves a fungus behind,” Gilbert said. “It leaves blue streaks and other marks in the wood that make it really interesting.” (ggilbertwoodworks.com)

41

Number of different varietals grown

95

Percentage of wineries in the Columbia Gorge that are boutique wineries producing 5,000 or fewer cases of wine each year

May 17-18, 2014 usic!

M e Liv s! nerie i W l oca 20+ L l Art! a c o L d! t Foo a e r G

and Columbia GorGe

W i n e ry

Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum 1600 Air Museum Road Hood River, OR 97031

www.wineandpearfest.com

Spring blossoms

in the Hood River Valley Enjoy the show from our patio.

Dry wines made using old world traditions: fermented on native yeasts, organically processed and sulfite-free.

Nothing But the Grapes.

Daily 11-5pm

Visit our tasting room 350 Highway 14 • Stevenson, WA www.klickitatcanyonwinery.com Facebook.com/klickitatcanyon

We specialize in estate grown Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling; along with Chardonnay, Barbera, Malbec, Syrah and Zinfandel, crafted from locally grown grapes.

541.386.8333 2882 Van Horn Drive, Hood River info@mthoodwinery.com • mthoodwinery.com

Mt. Hood Winery the gorge magazine // spring 2014 35

Stay & Play in The Dalles Free SuperStart® breakfast High Speed Wireless Internet Microwave • Refrigerator Cable/HBO Guest Laundry Pool • Pet Friendly 609 Cherry Heights Road The Dalles OR 97058 541-296-6888

www.super8.com

36 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

“art of the wild” Columbia Center for the Arts august 2014

by steven hawley • photos by michael peterson

Exploring the essential connection between wilderness and art the gorge magazine // spring 2014 37

It seems almost like a fairy tale given current circumstances, but once, the United States Congress created a law so well-loved by Americans that artists commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service will help celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer. Better yet, their work will premiere at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River in a gallery show entitled “Art of the Wild—Celebrating 50 years of the Wilderness Act,” which runs throughout the month of August.

O

ne artist taking part in this project is walking ahead of me on the trail this late winter morning. In part to gauge how well life imitates art, we are headed into the 29,000-acre Badger Creek Wilderness on the east side of Mount Hood.

A photographer and wood-worker, Bend resident Jon Erickson is one of 21 artists participating in the wilderness anniversary project.

For him, this is a busman’s holiday. He’s also a Forest Service wilderness ranger. Erickson’s territory encompasses a vast stretch of wild country from Mount Theilsen, just north of Crater Lake, to Mount Jefferson, south of Mount Hood. He likes his job patrolling this Rhode Island-sized alpine area on foot, so much so that on days off like today, he will go for a hike.

38 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Jon Erickson in the Badger Creek Wilderness

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 39

Erickson prefers to shape wood strictly with hand tools, whether for work or pleasure. For the latter cause this morning, somewhat ironically he’s packing a one-man misery whip, an apt term used to describe a very big hand saw. He carries the five-foot-long blade slung over one shoulder, a five-pound splitting maul swinging by his side in the other hand.

Mile by mile, these burdens seem as light on him as what ordinary hikers might feel from the weight of their shoes.

Erickson is hoping to find downed timber—heart-wood rotted out, sap wood and bark intact, a condition known as “cat-faced”—from which he might make some rustic-looking picture frames to share with landscape photographers and painters in the upcoming wilderness exhibit.

In a recent burn along a creek, we find a half-charred cedar log cantilevered upward at a useful angle. One end of the 40-foot long, three-foot diameter cedar rests chest high. Erickson unsheathes the sharp, freshly oiled saw. Each raker, or point along the serrated edge, is slightly bigger than a German Shepherd’s canine teeth. Erickson sets his jaw, furrows his brow, begins his cut. In seconds, pungent kerf—wood shavings that fall like snowflakes in the wake of a working saw—elicit a mildewed barbeque smoke and cedar smell you couldn’t reproduce at any artificial flavor factory on earth.

Erickson rests for a moment. He scowls. “Rakers get pinched in these cracks,” he points out. “I don’t think we’ll make a full cut without splintering.” He shrugs and resumes sawing, kerf floating to earth in a miniblizzard from the cat-faced cedar.

As it turns out, the genus that includes Erickson’s woodwork, what you might call a kind of ecological objet trouvé, may well be among humanity’s oldest. A 30,000 year-old sculpture carved from a mammoth tusk depicting a human body with a lion’s head was recently uncovered in a cave in Germany. The first of our kind walked in wilderness, hunted and gathered in wilderness, made clothing, shelter, and tools from wilderness and were inspired by wilderness to invent rite, ritual and religion.

Art was born alongside civilization as a way of honoring the wilderness that invented us.

It took a mere 300 centuries, but in 1964 we returned the favor. Wilderness was reinvented by humans. The U.S. now has 109 million acres of wilderness, seven million acres of it in Oregon and Washington. The movement has its heroes, visionaries and pioneers. But wilderness redux was born as much out of a few brilliant minds and dedicated souls as it was out of an ongoing, widespread reckoning with the excesses of civilization. You know the talking points already: too much pollution and war, too many bureaucrats, chemicals, dams, experts, missiles, hair products, Marlboro men, freeways, McMansions and cheeseburgers made for a time to experiment not with what civilization could do, which has become painfully clear, but what it could choose not to do. Wilderness, among its many other attributes, is a long-term experiment in restraint.

It may take an army of good artists as well as advocates to affirm that restraint in this case is wise.

40 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Making History Come Alive…

Threats to wilderness seem to be multiplying. More recently, it has become fashionable for a certain kind of desk-bound social critic to denigrate the very idea that it exists. Without veering off into the weeds of this enviro-wonk polemic, the argument goes that since modern wilderness is a political construct, complete with borders, rules and signs, and a history more complicated than Eden’s before the fall, it can’t possibly signify anything more than a projection of an overprivileged society’s narcissistic desires.

This kind of thinking has even infiltrated the upper echelons of the conservation world. The lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy, Peter Kareiva, recently gave a speech where he described wilderness as a place “as artificial as Disneyland.” This novel approach to a wilderness ethic piles on to the usual pressures from extractive industries to undermine every kind of land and water protection, wilderness included.

Erickson calmly defends wilderness like the ranger he is, putting a lost hiker back on track.

“The law protects our biological heritage,” he points out. “I would just say if you doubt it’s doing enough good, come out and spend a couple weeks in it. I can show you where we’ve protected watersheds that supply cities. The headwaters of salmon streams. But I think it’s also important that it gives us the chance to experience things with less distraction—no cars, nothing plugged in. There’s no 24-hour news cycle out here. It changes the way people talk

ViSit Our HiStOriC Hood river Photo Blog Discover culture and history through fresh, engaging exhibits, and exciting programs explore hands-on activities and educational displays for families and children of all ages

300 East Port Marina Drive • (541) 386-6772 www.co.hood-river.or.us/museum OPEN: Monday-Saturday, 11am-4pm

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 41

to each other and the way they look at their surroundings.”

Good art provides the same break. Art and wilderness both require the eye of a beholder for human interpretation. Each, taken merely at face value, exists in a frame, wilderness within its geographical boundaries, art within the confines of its medium: the sculpture, the canvas, the print. Yet both art and wilderness invite the eye of any attentive beholder to splinter frames, to breach borders, to infer relationship from observation. With this kind

42 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

of insight, wilderness can permeate the most urban scene, and art can influence opinion far beyond gallery walls.

Art is also sometimes born from the wreckage of these grander visions that don’t quite hold. Back at Badger Creek, as low afternoon light dims to gloaming, options have narrowed.

“Ahhhhg,” Erickson protests. The cracks that pinched the saw’s rakers were a sign that this log was too rotten to be reincarnated in a gallery. We’ve splintered our frame. Instead of a smooth ring of fire-scarred cedar we have a

jagged-edged hoop resembling what I imagine a motorcycle tire might look like if it got tossed in the middle of a pack of angry lions. Back to the drawing board.

Erickson improvises. With an ax he flush cuts the sharp cedar teeth from the ring of wood.

He splits the ring in two, the halves in two again. He chooses the smoothest quarter, and chops it into four pieces. Like hapless toddlers goofing with an erector set we try to piece together a square for the requisite frame. It works. Sort of.

Hand tools foster patience. Fifty years isn’t very much time. On the hike out, we stop to admire an immense fire-scarred, vanilla-scented, cinnamon-hued, jigsaw puzzle-barked ponderosa pine that’s probably several centuries old. I think of that ancient mammoth-tusk carving. Whatever inspired that Cro-Magnon artist to conjure up a cave mate with a killer cat’s head is something of a mystery, as is the drive to create something equal to the beauty we’ve always seen in nature. The arts are the wilderness areas of the human mind.]

Steven Hawley is the author of “Recovering a Lost River: Rewilding salmon, revitalizing communities, removing dams.” He lives in Hood River with his family.

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 43

The Dalles

Sunsational Charm Trail With over 40 locations to collect from, come to The Dalles to create your one-of-a-kind 'Sunsational' Charm Bracelet! Charm Trail Maps are available at The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce Office. Start your ‘Sunsational’ journey today!

TGMS14

Bring this cut out into the Chamber office for a free charm

541.296.2231 44 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

#TheDalles www.thedalleschamber.com

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 45

46 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

marketplace: downtown hood river Oak Street Hotel

doppio

Oak Street Hotel • Farm-to-table breakfast buffet • 9 Rooms with private baths • Located on the quiet edge of downtown

Relax on our patio, right in the heart of downtown…enjoy a hand-crafted espresso drink made with locally roasted, fair trade and organic coffee. Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini, salads, smoothies, and fresh baked goods (several vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available).

Local beers on tap, and local wines by the glass or bottle. Wi-fi is free, the patio is dog friendly, and we strive to source local and organic products. Open daily at 7 a.m.

Vacation Homes in the Gorge • Town & Country • Weekend play or month long stay Stay and Enjoy OakStreetHotel.com 610 Oak Street • (541) 386-3845

hood river vacation rentals Masters at finding the perfect vacation home! Views, hot tubs, fireplaces—we have the largest selection of homes in Hood River and the Gorge—year round. Choose from gorgeous lofts, classic craftsman, spacious retreats, country cottages, comfy condos and pet friendly pads. Our homes are fully decked out and ready for you to enjoy!

310 Oak Street • doppiohoodriver.com

ETC (Every Thread Counts) Our store is a quilters dream…you will find sewings supplies, fabric, thread, patterns, kits, and sewing machines. We also offer quilting and sewing classes for beginners to advanced, see our web site for more information. And we also showcase handmade quilts for sale by local artists.

514 State Street • everythreadcounts.net

(541) 387-3113 • hrvacations.com

art of the wild An exhibit that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act

The Wilderness Act, signed into law by Lyndon Johnson on Sept. 3, 1964, was a landmark conservation bill establishing a unique land preservation system that now includes more than 100 million acres of wilderness areas from coast to coast. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act regionally, the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River partnered with the Mount Adams Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service to organize an art show that will hang in the gallery during August. Twenty-one artists, selected by jury last year, have been venturing into designated Wilderness Areas surrounding the Gorge—Mount Adams, Trapper Creek, Indian Heaven, Badger Creek, Mark O. Hatfield and Mount Hood—to create art that celebrates the beauty, character, history and solitude of the wilderness.

Renee Couture mixed media

Sally O'Neill oil painting

Jonathan Erickson photography

Venka Payne watercolor painting

Gillian Freney charcoal, oil painting

Ann Chadwick Reid cut paper

Anthony Gordon ceramics

Mary Rollins watercolor painting

Rachel Harvey oil painting

Liz Roth oil painting

Leah Hedberg photography

Jeff Stewart sculpture

Jurgen Hess photography

Donna Van Tuyl pastel painting

Darryl Lloyd photography

Hannah Viano cut paper

Peter Marbach photography

Paul Zegers oil painting

Alex McDexmott kiln cast crystal

Greg Zuck photography

Jan Muir watercolor painting

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 47

Gorge artists open studio tour 48 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

The 8th Annual Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour April 2014

The Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour offers a close-up look at the thriving arts scene in the Gorge. Here, we profile a few of the many talented artists on the tour.

T

he depth of the Columbia River Gorge extends far beyond its tall basalt walls and achingly unfathomable waters.

Such a place of natural beauty inspires a diverse and passionate palette of fine art, rendered at the hands of a league of world-class artisans.

A number of them will put not only their work but their workplaces on exhibit April 11, 12 and 13 for the eighth annual Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour. Some 40 artists—up from 29 participating in the 2013 event—from The Dalles, Hood River, Trout Lake, White Salmon and other area communities will throw open their doors to display their arts and crafts and their studios, giving mere mortals an inside look at how art is made.

The popular tour, under the auspice of Gorge Artists, Inc., a not-forprofit organization founded by Gorge artists John Maher, Pat Bozanich and Marian Dyche in 2006, will feature a broad brushstroke of the Gorge art scene, including works in glass, a panoply of painting and drawing, sculpture, textiles, and more.

“It’s really exciting the number of quality artists in what is a pretty small area,” says GAI board member and pastel artist Karen Watson. “[The tour] is a lot about self-starting and entrepreneurship. And the diversity is amazing.” Watson enjoys opening up her studio for visitors to see her workspace, showroom and the place she conducts workshops.

“They can see works in progress, the materials I use and finished pieces,” she says. It’s an inspirational opportunity to discover that there’s a little art in all of us.

Pastel artist Karen Watson in her Hood River studio (left). "Spring & Hood" by Watson (above).

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 49

F

or watercolorist Bill Sturman, art helped get him deeply into nature and back to the land. After a teaching career in Bend, Ore., Sturman bought 25 acres in Parkdale and took himself largely off the grid. It’s here, in the woods, that he’s built a life of retirement that includes working his land and putting brush to paper.

Though he fiddled with art as a kid, making Christmas cards for his parents, he initially indulged his artistic side in sculpture, including whittling and wood sculpture, soapstone and alabaster. “That takes a lot of time,” he says. “Painting is much quicker.”

After taking classes from a local artist, he’s pursued

“Mostly what I paint is smaller views— shadows, birds and flowers. For me it’s about creating something beautiful… because it’s so difficult to look at white paper and make something interesting.”

it in earnest over the last 14 years. “I always liked watercolor, for its visual sense,” he says. It enabled him to capture the beauty of the Northwest and particularly the Gorge. It also got him involved with the local arts community, first as a volunteer and later as president and chairman of the Columbia Center for the Arts gallery committee.

“Mostly what I paint is smaller views—shadows, birds and flowers,” he says. “For me it’s about creating some-

50 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

thing beautiful.” He’s attracted to abstracts, he says, “because it’s so difficult to look at white paper and make something interesting.”

“It’s an incredible challenge to create something original that you like,” Sturman says. “I feel successful when I come up with something like that.”

Retirement funds allow him to pursue art not as a living but as a fulfilling passion. He tends his property during the good-weather months, but moves indoors at the first signs of winter’s inclemency. “I only paint in winter,” he says. “I love doing projects. Starting in November, I ask myself, ‘What am I going to paint this year?’”

The GAOS tour, for Sturman, allows visitors to “see where you live,” he says. Sturman lives deep in the woods, with a mile-long driveway.

“It’s really fun to be involved,” he says. “A big part of the pleasure is for people who think, ‘I couldn’t ever do that,’ or who think they don’t have special talent. Really, it’s about time on task.”

I

t is Ann Fleming’s deep desire to understand how the world works which fuels her creative fire. A potter for nearly 30 years, Fleming ultimately fell sway to sculpture after decades chunking clay on a wheel.

“Spending 27 years in the studio throwing pots,” she says, “you have a lot of time to mull things over.” Pottery is hard work, she says.

After so many years of repetitive work, she was losing the joy. “I went into the studio one day and sculpted a figure in its own right,” she says. “It wasn’t going to be attached to anything, and I fell madly in love.”

Fleming works in both cold and fire-fin-

“The work I do has really strong meaning to me. The stories that it tells are meaningful to me both emotionally and philosophically. I draw from my own inner life.”

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 50

ished clay and bronze in limited edition works.

“The work I do has really strong meaning to me,” Fleming says. “The stories that it tells are meaningful to me both emotionally and philosophically. I draw from my own inner life.”

A lifelong learner, Fleming’s discipline involves some six hours a day in her White Salmon studio, including weekends because, she says enthusiastically, “I like it! I’m part artist and part mad scientist.” As someone who makes her living in art, Fleming does wrestle with all the things artists confront—self-doubt, being able to work through the lean times, the necessity of running a business for something that, at its best, is pure creativity.

What being an artist means, she offers, is earning the lifestyle and being able to support the ability to make one’s art. For her, it can’t be made in a vacuum, it’s meant to be shared.

“Was it Tolstoy who said that an artist has the ability to take life experiences and express them in such a way that the onlooker can feel the experience?” she asks. “I need the interaction of people who look at my art. I don’t think I could live any other way.”

52 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

I

t might have been the huckleberries that brought Ardis DeFreece to the Gorge in the beginning, but for the Trout Lake, Wash., artist, it’s the natural beauty and the fact that her hands “just itch for a brush” that have kept her here creating her oil and acrylic works. “I have,” she says, “more ideas than I could ever paint.”

Art is all DeFreece has ever done. Born in Bellevue, Wash., and raised in the Portland area, she has explored a number of artistic “I like looking at avenues, including printmaking, jewthings around me, elry, sculpture, fashion design, ceramseeing them in ics, even architecture. “I’ve done it my a way that not whole life,” she says. “My mom tells everybody sees.” stories that, before I could speak, I was drawing on pieces of paper, making things with my hands.”

DeFreece spent her formative art years studying classical painting and drawing, even spending time in Florence, Italy, pulling inspiration from the old masters. These days she concentrates on landscape, still life and portrait works.

“It’s tight, realistic stuff, everyday objects,” she says.

“I like looking at things around me, seeing them in a way that not everybody sees.”

Being a professional means that she no longer paints for herself, she says. Like many, she grew up thinking artists only work under inspiration.

But as her sole means of livelihood, she paints on a schedule, working often from morning until late afternoon.

Part of DeFreece’s work now is also teaching, which she loves. The GAOS tour is a logical extension of that. “My studio is always open,” she says.

“It’s a working studio. I like people to come in, and I talk to them while I work. It’s neat to be so engrossed in what you’re doing you forget time. I love the whole process. It never gets old or boring—it’s always new.”

Carol@DonNunamaker.com RealEstateinTheGorge.com HoodRiverProperties.com

Parkdale $229,000: Sweet little cottage on corner lot in town w/ finished basement, 2 car garage. 2BR, 2BA, 1257 sqft, 50x100 lot.

I

t’s important to understand pastel painting, says artist Karen Watson. Many assume it has to do with soft, muted shades of color.

Au contraire. Pastel, she says, is pure pigment, the very same used to color oil or acrylic paint, and comes in powder form. It’s applied to a substrate that’s like sandpaper, which has a tooth to it.

“There is no ‘wet’ about it,” she says enthusiastically. The pigment is layered to the artist’s desired intensity, with no fixatives added, which would dull the finish.

“Light,” she says, “bounces off these crystals.

There’s a luminosity inherent to them. It’s…lively!”

For Watson, that inherent color, immediacy and intensity was what ultimately drew her to the medium, which she has developed into a successful artistic career. Though she’s worked in acrylic, oil and watercolor, “I wasn’t able to embrace color like I can with pastel,” she says.

A full-time working artist and instructor, Watson’s passion comes from the absolute buzz of creating a new piece based on simple observations of the world around her; she often uses pho-

Westside $760,000: Charming farmhouse, Mt. Hood & Hood River Valley view! Full basement, 4BR, 3.5BA, 4656 sqft, 24.35 ac.

Hood River $305,000: Classic Heights duplex, corner lot, close to everything. Each: 1 BR, 1 BA, upper 720 sqft, lower 972 sqft, .15 ac.

(541) 490-5099 • (800) 544-1930 Oregon & Washington Broker

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 53

I “Light bounces off these crystals. There’s a luminosity inherent to them. It’s…lively!” tographs she’s taken to work off of. “It works better if I’m super inspired,” she says. “But I go out to the studio and if I’m not particularly inspired— and I have a great space—I put some paper up there and I gotta do it. When I’m feeling it, it feels like divine intervention. It’s a channel.”

Watson has participated in GAOS since its inception. Visitors can, she ventures, “get a feeling of what it’s like to be in a working space.”

54 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

t wasn’t that long ago that glass artist Andy Nichols made the grand leap that many long for: He turned his obsessive artistic passion into his life’s work.

Nichols came from an artistic family and studied art in school. His mom was a painter and he briefly followed in her footsteps, but she also had a stained-glass studio, and he eventually gravitated toward a variety of glass-based art—stained glass, fusion, marble-making and glass blowing.

“Out of high school,” he says, “I painted a lot, and thought that would be an avenue—watercolor and oil.

But there is a lot of competition.”

Taking what he’d learned about stained glass, he built some windows for himself and others. “The best part wasn’t building the windows,” he says, “but designing the windows. This led me to other types of glass. My mom told me way back when about the Northwest fusion movement.”

Further forays led him to glass blowing.

After a class in Portland’s Pearl District in the late ‘90s, he retooled his garage completely. “Out of all the glass forms,” he says, “this was the most challenging. Not many were doing it.

With painting and pottery there was a lot of competition. With glass, it’s the challenge of it, the love for it.

If you work hard at something you love, it will get there. Nothing comes easy.”

With his love of the outdoors, especially scuba diving, he began to see the possibilities in the inherent beauty of things aquatic. “It opened up my eyes to different

COLUMBIA GORGE REAL ESTATE

www.thedallesrealty.com

$325,000–Great value, spacious 4 BD, 3.5 BA hom, office, RV parking, and separate guest quarters with kitchenette.

$499,000–Over 7000 sq ft of living space, 6 BD, 5.5 BA, indoor pool, theater room, and other top notch features.

things, colors and textures,” he says. The challenge of capturing that in glass fed on itself, he says, and he decided to orient himself to water and nature, with a particular focus on the challenges of rendering fish.

In 2001, Nichols gave up his 12-year career in the restaurant industry at Cousins in The Dalles, and opened his studio. He hasn’t look back. “I’ve made a living since I started,” he says. “I’ve never had to get another job. The hardest part for me is the challenge of the next piece.”

GAOS—and this is his second go-round in the tour—reinforces, for him, the importance of sharing artwork with people in the Gorge.

“It’s important for people to see the artist’s process,” he says. “I’m glad to be part of it.”

$189,500–Brand new 3 BD, 2 BA home close to the city center and parks, master bathroom with tile shower, and granite countertops in the kitchen.

“Sisters by Chance, Partners by Choice”

Becky Schertenleib, CRS, GRI, SRES Nan Wimmers, CRB, CRS, IMS 714 W 6th Street I The Dalles, Oregon facebook.com/columbia.gorge.real.estate licensed in oregon and washington

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 55

A

imée Herring Brewer had a rare “aha” moment that changed her life. “I actually woke up one day and decided to be a potter,” she says.

Though she painted throughout high school and college, with a proclivity for rendering people and their expressions, she was fascinated by the pottery pieces her parents had around the house. She took an inspiring class and then found herself in Namibia, Africa, studying under potter John Hunter, “a phenomenal man and artist,” she says. “To this day, throughout the year, I think of him and the different words he said. He just loved clay. Function comes later, then design and form and color. His love of clay itself was instilled in me.”

Beginning her pursuit in stoneware, Herring Brewer gravitated toward porcelain, that rare and precious form of clay. “It sabotages your whole thing,” she says with a laugh. “It’s amazing clay. It glows and it’s translucent, but finicky.

It has memory. It remembers every little bubble or shift. That’s the downside. But it’s also kind of fun. It has personality in that respect. It’s like every little scar you get in life.”

Herring Brewer’s work is intrinsically individual and diametrically opposed to many potters’ production-line pieces. For her, it’s the “glow factor” and purity of the medium that matters.

“The colors and glazes are vibrant and bright,”

56 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

“The colors and glazes are vibrant and bright. It’s more of who I am as an artist than stoneware, where the colors can get lost. Porcelain brings that out.” she says. “It’s more of who I am as an artist than stoneware, where the colors can get lost. Porcelain brings that out.”

It’s also about the hands-on nature of shaping clay, the essential interaction. “My fingerprints are all over it,” she says, “and then I fire it to 2,400 degrees for 10 hours, and it becomes like glass.”

Her studio in Hood River is a place akin to a bubble, though a disciplined one, where she is free to indulge her introverted side— “Where I can breathe deep,” she says—and explore the innate relationship she has with her art. “Your art is not about you,” she offers. “It’s the relationship with your art. I’m a relational person. That side is important to me, the connection, the people I meet, the conversations—it really keeps me going. If I didn’t have that, the art wouldn’t be enough.”

That fact is reaffirmed with GAOS. “It’s harder and harder in our culture because we’re used to going to a store that has all the goods,” she says.

“We’ve lost the firsthand experience, and don’t get it that much. GAOS is very unique and I really enjoy the experience.”]

Don Campbell is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Mosier. He's a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

Christine Knowles Pastels Donna Bender Photography Shelley Toon Lindberg Acrylic/laser cut text on wood Karen Watson Pastels Lisa Peterson Mixed media, sculpture Kathryn Watne Enamel Jones and Jones Woodwork Abigail Merickel Printmaking AimĂŠe Herring Brewer Ceramics Carolyn Crystal Glass beads Charlene Fort Glass Elizabeth See Oils Carl Annala Oils, dry pastel Laurel Hagner Glass Bill Sturman Watercolors

mosier Jan Byrkit Textiles

the dalles Andy Nichols Glass Jan Turner Photography Luise Langheinrich Fiber, textiles Mary Rollins Acrylics, watercolors

Charlotte Van Zant-King Monotype, blockprints, mosaics, oils Yvonne Wakefield Paintings, ceramics

white salmon Sarah Morton-Erasmus Metalsmithing, jewelry Cyndi Strid Mixed media painting, acrylics, glass Angela Williamson Paint on wood panel Joy Kloman Oils, printmaking, photography Peggy Ohlson Oils Jennifer Szolnoki Oils Barbara Murphy Acrylics

gorge open studios artists Year round MAP to ART in the GORGE

hood river

8th Annual

2014 gorge Artists open studio tour

Katey Ellen Price Oils Jo Dean Sarins Jewelry Chelsea Heffner Printmaking, textiles Linda Steider Kilnformed glass, photography Ann Fleming Bronze, ceramic sculpture Ellen Nipolt Acrylics

trout lake

Sarah Burr Arnold Jewelry, sketches Ardis DeFreece Oils, acrylics, drawings Joanna Kaufman Watercolors, illustrations Deborah Nelson Oils, rugs

Stephanie Johnston Fused glass jewelry

For more info, visit gorgeartists.org

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 57

Raw and vegan “Nomato� Spaghetti. For more recipe ideas visit nouveauraw.com (photo by Amie Sue Oldfather)

58 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

For more information: oldfatherfarms.com, nouveauraw.com raw food artist

Through her blog and locally made products, Amie Sue Oldfather is spreading the gospel of raw food

B

by ruth berkowitz • photos by shelly peterson & amie sue oldfather

ite into Oldfather Farms’ Dark Chocolate Ganache Brownie and you’ll taste nutty, rich chocolate. Unlike most brownies that contain refined sugar, Chef Amie Sue Oldfather uses mesquite powder, agave nectar and Medjool dates as a sweetener. Feel the gooey brownie flow in your mouth and then pow!, the pepper sparks like a smoldering fire. You might be surprised to know that this dessert never entered an oven.

A raw food expert, Oldfather believes that raw food is “all about food in its purist form, unadulterated, full of life and enzymes.”

“When I serve the raw brownie, I give my guests small portions,” Oldfather says with a smile. “They’ll look at me and ask, ‘That’s all I get?’ and I tell them ‘That’s all you need.’” Raw food is more dense and nutrient packed than cooked food, she says. “You don’t need big portions to fill up.”

Sitting in her rustic living room on the Eastside of Hood River overlooking the pear and cherry orchards she owns with her husband, Bob, Oldfather says that in 2007 she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and decided to abandon what she calls the SAD (Standard American Diet) ways and become a vegetarian. At the time, she was living in her native town of Wasilla, Alaska, working in the pharmaceutical industry and noshing on bean burritos from Taco Bell and cheeseburgers from McDonald’s.

Oldfather began to study the benefits of raw, unprocessed food and read the ingredient labels at the grocery store. “The more I started to learn that the foods on the grocery shelf were filled with tons of preservatives and items that I couldn’t even pronounce, the more it pushed me to try the whole concept of raw foods,” Oldfather says.

In August 2008, Oldfather decided to go cold turkey, dra-

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 59

matically changing her diet to 100 percent raw with the goal of maintaining it for an entire year. “When I decide to do something, I plunge in,” she says. Technically, a raw food diet consists of unprocessed raw vegan foods that have not been heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

Proponents of raw food maintain that cooking food destroys its vital nutrients and the natural enzymes that our bodies need for digestion and to fight off diseases.

Eating raw food in Alaska was particularly challenging for Oldfather, especially in the winter when gardens are buried under feet of snow. She drank lots of smoothies and ate whatever fresh vegetables and fruit she could find. Oldfather scoured the Internet for raw recipes, but she didn’t find a lot of information so she started blogging about her journey.

To learn more, she and Bob enrolled in a course at the Living Light Culinary Institute in Ft. Bragg, Calif. They planned to stay for two weeks, but they were so ecstatic about the benefits of eating raw that they ended up staying and studying for three months, obtaining several gourmet culinary certificates.

Bob, who sports a dyed blue goatee, elaborates on the schooling.

“Sometimes our assignment was to take a recipe from a country like Italy and convert it to a raw recipe,” he says. “The next day in class, we would have 90 minutes to make it in the culinary studio, and our product had to be beautiful.” They learned many techniques along the way. A spiralizer, for example, transforms zucchini into noodles. For optimum digestibility, grains and nuts should be soaked in warm water and dehydrated. Dehydration, like cooking, mixes flavors together. If your recipe is too salty, you can balance the taste with something sour like vinegar or lemon juice.

Eating raw enhanced their sense of smell, boosted their energy and made them feel alive. “I don’t know what it is that gives food life, but if you are eating foods that haven’t been cooked, you are eating that life force and getting that extra push,” says Bob. “You get high on it.”

Oldfather converted her blog into a raw food website, nouveauraw. com, which attracts more than half a million visitors per month and includes recipes, mouthwatering food photographs, advice for preparing raw food and products for sale. As she writes on her website: “The process of creating raw, whole food recipes is as much about trust and technique. As a sculptor finds their creation in a block of marble, so too does a chef find their dish: by design, technically, but by instinct, always.”

Oldfather is passionate about raw foods and about showing people how to eat raw without sacrificing favorite meals. In 2013, the Best of Raw organization honored Oldfather with its Best of Raw for an Online Blog award. She has also been recognized by the organization as a “Professional Gourmet Chef and Professional Raw Photographer.”

The Oldfathers moved to Hood River two years ago and set up a commercial kitchen in their home where they create vegan and gluten-

Top left: Raw Cauliflower “Rice” and Mushroom Casserole (photo by Amie Sue Oldfather). Top right: Bob and Amie Sue Oldfather (photo by Shelly Peterson). Opposite page: Edible Veggie Bouquet, e-tutorial on nouveauraw.com (photo by Shelly Peterson).

60 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 61

1. Raw Chocolate Cake Pops served fondue style, 2. Cardamom-Laced Apricot Blush Cream Pie, 3. Psychedelic Grasshopper raw cheesecake, 4. Homemade Raw-E-O Cookie ice cream (photos by Amie Sue Oldfather). For more information and recipes, visit nouveauraw.com.

A local resource guide for the discerning foodie

Reviews & recipies: gorgeinthegorge.com

62 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Celilo Restaurant and Bar

Amie Sue Oldfather packages Monkey Brittle in her commercial kitchen (photo by Shelly Peterson).

Spring.

Time to think fresh! free products. In addition to the raw food brownie, which is made one batch at a time, they also sell Crispy Monkey Brittle, a healthy snack similar to trail mix, but made with organic bananas, raisins and sprouted nuts. (The brittle is available in a number of places in Hood River, including Doppio Coffee & Lounge, Mother’s Marketplace, the Farm Stand and China Gorge Restaurant).

Now a “flexitarian” who eats mostly raw but some cooked food, Oldfather constantly experiments with recipes. She is concocting a Raw Fruit Twizzler that sounds a little like fruit leather and a savory cracker. The benefit of cooking raw, she says, is that if the recipe she’s experimenting with doesn’t work, she Cracked Black Pepper and Cayenne Brownies sold in Hood can always convert it into something else.

River (photo by Amie Sue Oldfather).

One of her best mistakes was an attempt at a raw key lime pie. The ingredients wouldn’t stick together and oozed all over, so she scooped it up and put it in the ice cream machine. “It was heavenly!” she says. For more, go to oldfatherfarms.com and nouveauraw.com.]

Ruth Berkowitz is a lawyer, mediator and writer. She lives with her family in Hood River and Portland and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

Open Daily Lunch 11:30-3, Dinner from 5 Happy Hour from 5-6

Serving Pacific Northwest cuisine with an emphasis on locally grown products, extensive wine menu and full bar

Catering Weddings • Private parties • On/Offsite

541-386-5710 16 Oak Street, Hood River OR www.celilorestaurant.com

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 63

outside

recharge in Cascade Locks

A Ride Like No Other Cycling the Historic Columbia River Highway

by Christopher van tilburg • photos by paloma ayala

We cyclists are lucky in the Columbia Gorge: we have excellent road biking, world-class mountain biking, and the largest cyclocross series in the world in nearby Portland.

The Mosier Twin Tunnels is our go-to route for family outings and longer group rides. Yet I’m always on the lookout for a new route. So, when I caught wind that the final connection of the restored Historic Columbia River Highway from Wyeth and Portland was finished, I rounded up a posse of cycling buddies to peddle the path of yesteryear.

This time: westward.

Building a highway This conduit began a century ago, when two guys set out to build the first planned scenic highway in the country.

The Columbia River Highway was the brainchild of legendary railroad tycoon and “good roads” advocate Sam Hill, who teamed up with renowned engineer Samuel

64 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Lancaster. They set their sights on constructing a scenic route through the Gorge high above the Columbia River, one that would provide access to the many waterfalls and scenic vistas along the way.

For design inspiration, the duo turned to the famed mountain roads of Europe, some of which cut paths through similar terrain. In particular, they modeled the Columbia River Highway after the Swiss Axenstrasse, which traverses the steep cliffs along Lake Uri. Construction on the highway began in 1913 and the section from Hood River to Portland opened after just two years on July 6, 1915. The whole route was finally paved from The Dalles to Stumptown by 1922.

In the industrial age, however, infrastructure development moved quickly. With the construction of Bonneville Dam beginning in 1933 providing momentum, river-level U.S. Highway 30 opened by 1947, morphing into Inter-

Cascade Locks makes a great stopping-off point, or terminus, to a ride on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Visit some of the old stand-bys, or check out the new businesses popping up in this increasingly vibrant central Gorge town.

Jumpin’ Jax Java is a driveup or walk-up coffee stand, and provides outdoor seating.

Charburger with its eclectic mix of historic memorabilia and river views, serves everything from breakfast to burgers. It’s now under the ownership (along with the adjacent Best Western Columbia River Inn) of D.M. Stevenson Ranch, which owns the Best Western Hood River Inn. Cascade Locks Ale House serves burgers, salad, chowder and pizza. It's renowned for its homemade horseradish, which the restaurant has been selling since 1965.

Thunder Island Brewing opened last fall, serves beer made on its two-barrel system.

East Wind Drive-In is a local institution, and perfect for an après-ride ice cream cone.

state 84 in 1969. When bridges and tunnels collapsed, and pavement washed out on the old Columbia River Highway, there was little motivation to keep it functional. Much of the old highway fell into disrepair, with large sections closed off.

Rejuvenation of a road Fast forward to the 1980s. With the passage of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, the National Park Service marked restoration of the Columbia River Highway a priority and began to rebuild sections of decaying bridges, tunnels and roadway. The project was championed by both the Oregon State Parks department (focusing on the bike/pedestrian paths) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (focusing on the road sections).

On November 14, 2013, completion of the final 1.6-mile section from Moffett Creek to John B. Yeon State Park (named after an original Columbia River Highway financier) linked Wyeth to Trout-

dale—a milestone in the previously piecemeal path. For the first time in more than a half century, we can ride once again on the Historic Columbia River Highway alongside gurgling waterfalls, under columnar basalt cliffs, across restored bridges, past rebuilt masonry walls, over moss-covered viaducts and through refurbished tunnels.

Spinning to Portland My squad saddled up early one morning at Wyeth.

We warmed up on rural farm roads to Cascade Locks. Just under the Bridge of the Gods, we

Reid MaRtin (503) 704-7343 www.gorgeventure.com reid@windermere.com

“ Your prosperity is my passion.”

s e rv i ce i n o r eg o n an d wash in g to n

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 65

outside

Post Office, built in 1887, where couples still get their wedding invitations hand-stamped.

Finally, we coasted along the serene Sandy River to Lewis and Clark State Park, the terminus of the 40-mile ride. From here, you can jump on Portland’s bike paths or turn around, like we did, and head back home. For a shorter car-free ride, take the bike path from Cascade Locks to John B. Yeon State Park and back. Either way, don’t wait to spin west through the heart of the Gorge. This renewed path of yesteryear makes for another great ride to add to your cycling repertoire.

jumped on the bike path that meanders through a thick Douglas fir and Big Leaf Maple canopy spackled with a brilliant green and chartreuse understory of ferns, Oregon grape and moss, which creeps up the old guardrails. On exiting Eagle Creek, we climbed a double flight of old stairs, shouldering our bikes.

From there, although a few sections are a bit bumpy from roots, much of the lane is new blacktop, which rides smooth and fast.

At John B. Yeon State Park at Ainsworth, we popped off the bike path back onto rural road: the famed waterfall loop. This section takes you past Oneonta Gorge and through the historic timber-

frame Oneonta Tunnel. At 1925-era Multnomah Falls Lodge, you can grab a latte or make a quick jaunt up to the Benson Bridge, built in 1914 and named after lumber tycoon Simon Benson who donated the land.

On a warm day, welcome the spray from the 620-foot plunge of Multnomah Falls, purportedly the second highest year-round waterfall in the U.S. Continuing west, we climbed up smooth new blacktop, meandering upward through a thick Big Leaf Maple forest to Vista House, built at Crown Point

by Samuel Lancaster in 1918 and dedicated to Oregon Trail pioneers. Just past Crown Point, the downhill begins: we whizzed through Bridal Veil, famous for its

Connecting the rest When will the Historic Columbia River Highway connect to Hood River? Kristen Stallman, ODOT’s Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Coordinator, said construction on the section from Starvation Creek to Lindsey Creek will begin in 2015, with most of the remaining 10 miles funded by 2016. The crux: blasting through Mitchell Point. The old tunnel was obliterated with I-84 construction. Funding for construction of the Mitchell Point Tunnel has not been secured yet, according to Stallman. Christopher Van Tilburg is author of The Adrenaline Junkie’s Bucket List: 100 Extreme Outdoor Adventures to do Before You Die (St. Martins, 2013) and Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature (St. Martins, 2007). He lives in Hood River and rides for Upper Echelon Fitness and Rehabilitation cycling team.

Golf or Fish…it’s Your Quest Sun Quest NW

executive jet charter

66 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

Fly family and friends to your vacation destination on Sun Quest NW Executive Jet Charter.

Anytime, anywhere…our team of charter professionals can take you wherever you need to go. Enjoy limousine service to and from the Salem Airport.

Secure, professional air transport on your schedule: sunquestnw.com / (503) 364-7858

Dave Lipps of Thunder Island Brewing (photo by Greg Siple)

Bicycle Eclectic Exhibit at Thunder Island Brewing Thunder Island Brewing in Cascade Locks hosts a traveling exhibit in May featuring black-and-white portraits of long-distance cyclists. The exhibit, Bicycle Eclectic, began in 1982 when Adventure Cycling cofounder Greg Siple began taking portraits of the many cyclists dropping by the Adventure Cycling office in Missoula, Mont. (Adventure Cycling is a non-profit whose mission is to empower people to travel by bicycle.) The exhibit showcases a selection of interesting portraits from the three-decade old collection, creating a fascinating set of images and stories of cycletourists and their rigs from around the world.

In 2009, Thunder Island owner Dave Lipps rode the 4,300-mile TransAmerica Trail from Florence, Ore., to Yorktown, Va. On his cross-country trek, he stopped in Missoula and had his portrait taken by Siple. Lipps’s photo and story will be part of the Bicycle Eclectic exhibit on display at the brewery.

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 67

arts+culture

String by String White Salmon luthier Craig Wilson builds guitars in the timeless tradition of old by janet cook • photos by adam lapierre

Craig Wilson has the calm demeanor of a man who spends his days doing something that requires patience and focus in equal measure. You get the feeling he’s not easily flappable. These are useful personality traits when it comes to his vocation: Wilson is a luthier, an artisan who builds string instruments by hand.

The centuries-old craft of lutherie (luthier is pronounced loo-tee-ar) is typically divided into those who make stringed instruments that are plucked or strummed, and those who make ones that are bowed.

Wilson is a guitar maker, although he repairs and restores all stringed instruments at his White Salmon Guitar Co. shop.

68 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

“I divide my time between restoration and repair and making custom guitars,” Wilson says. Working on old instruments and crafting new ones is a perfect complement for Wilson. “The things I learn from working on historic instruments guide what I do when I’m making a new one,” he says. “I can see what went wrong and what went right.”

Like many life stories, Wilson’s didn’t start out to wind up here. After graduating from high school in his native Vancouver, B.C., Wilson set out to be a photographer. He headed to Toronto’s Ryerson University, where he did some photo shoots for local musicians as part of his studies. A guitar player

himself, he gravitated toward a popular guitar shop in Toronto, The 12th Fret. “A lot of the best musicians in Canada would come and go through that shop and they had some beautiful guitars there,” Wilson says.

He felt himself drawn more toward the guitars than photography. “I got distracted,” he says, “by music.”

In 1992, Wilson attended a workshop in Saskatchewan where he built a guitar under the tutelage of Canadian luthier David Freeman. “I fell in love with it,” he says.

The next year, he began an apprenticeship in Portland with master luthier Nick Kukich at the Franklin Guitar Company. He worked under Kukich for two years, thoroughly learning the trade and honing his skills, then set out on his own. He worked from his garage in Portland for several years—augmenting his instrument repair and restoration with architectural restoration on some of the Northwest’s renowned national heritage buildings—before moving to the Gorge in 2001 and opening his own storefront on Jewett Boulevard in White Salmon.

The woodworking side of lutherie, for Wilson, comes naturally; his father and grandfather were both woodworkers in their own right. “My dad had a shop

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 69

arts+culture

in the basement, and my grandfather did, too,” he says. “I was always fascinated by fine woodworking.”

Instrument making may well be the ultimate embodiment of fine woodworking. The various woods chosen for different parts of a guitar all have a purpose, according to Wilson. A guitar’s back is most commonly made from rose woods, koa or figured maple. The top is often a type of spruce, or sometimes cedar. The necks are mahogany. “They all have a different tonal characteristic,” Wilson says. “Like a painter would choose a color palette, you start to create an instrument around a sound you’re looking for.”

The rosette, the ornamental band surrounding the central hole of the guitar, is one of the most intricate details of the instrument—and one of the most time-consuming to create. “Traditionally, a luthier’s rosette was one of the individual signatures that they put on their work,” Wilson says. “Now, with modern technology, rosettes are mass-produced and can be purchased very inexpensively. But the best luthiers still insist on making them by hand.”

Wilson’s current signature hand-made rosette, “family of man,” is based on a Klickitat Indian basketry pattern featuring seven dancers and a condor.

“The basketry rosettes are made by laminating many

different layers of wood veneer together—such as ebony, blood wood and holly—to create a ‘log’ of tiny squares of hardwood with the pattern visible on the end,” Wilson explains. The log is then cut into tiny “tiles” that are inlaid in a circle in the guitar top. He will use his current rosette in several guitars, then design a new one “in much the same way a woodblock artist would do a limited number of prints, then break the block up and start over,” he says.

Wilson puts more than 200 hours into each instrument he makes. Every piece is meticulously and precisely hand-carved. “Good craftsmanship and careful choice of materials guide the process,” he says. “It’s never been about productivity to me. A lot of time and effort goes into each one.”

And a lot of passion as well. Wilson so loves his work that he has a hard time defining what his favorite part of it is. “I love starting a new instrument,” he says. “I get really inspired by the wood itself.” As he gets into the process, he starts imagining what the instrument is going to sound like—“what it’s going to become,” he says. “And I really like the woodworking. The closer you get to the end, the more careful you have to be.” And, he adds, “it’s exciting to hear it when it’s all done.”

Ultimately, says Wilson, it’s a humbling process.

“Every one teaches me something new,” he says. “The things I learn here have helped me in life: patience, paying attention, not being in a hurry.”

Wilson’s reputation has grown to where this year he plans to build 10 guitars, which will be sent to dealers he works with in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. He will also keep a couple of them in his White Salmon shop. In the past, he’s worked more on commissions, hired by clients to make a guitar to their specifications. Building his own guitars for dealers to sell frees him up creatively. “These dealers have access to markets where people know what goes into the instruments,” he says. “They’re not shocked when they see a $5,000 price tag.”

Wilson says he feels lucky to have found a life’s work that still, after many years, excites him when he gets up in the morning. But for him, it’s more than that.

“Our culture doesn’t always grasp these older trades,” he says. “Our emphasis leans toward speed and productivity. To me, it feels really important to do something that ultimately doesn’t really change that much.”

For more about Craig Wilson and the White Salmon Guitar Co., go to whitesalmonguitar.com.

70 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

It’s not just a bead store, it’s an experience We are The only full-service: bead, rock, & mineral exTravaganza in The gorge

classes, supplies, gifTs & inspiraTion (541) 387-4367 • sparklingcreationsonline.com 409 oak street • downtown hood river

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 71

wellness

Weighty Matters Doctor Miriam McDonell helps people make lasting changes for their health By Lori Russell • photos by jennifer gulizia Eat more protein. Give up meat. Count carbs, fat, calories. Consume only raw or organic or local food. Try a meal replacement shake. For anyone hoping this will be the year to finally lose weight and keep it off, there is no shortage of options that claim to bring results. According to physician Miriam McDonell of the Healthy Weight and Treatment Center in The Dalles, the key to success is finding the program that works for your body and your lifestyle.

Board certified in bariatric medicine, McDonell specializes in the comprehensive care of people with medical conditions resulting from excess weight.

Those extra pounds increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and depression.

“Excess weight is not a character issue, it is a physical issue,” McDonell says. Genetics play a large part.

“One person can have 100 pounds of excess weight

72 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

and not have other medical issues. Another can have 30 pounds and struggle with high blood pressure and diabetes.”

Whether her clients seek her out or are referred by their health provider, most have tried all kinds of things to lose weight by the time they call for an appointment, according to McDonell. “People whose weight has been an issue all of their lives are often very knowledgeable, but not about what they need individually,” McDonell says. “I always tell people, ‘If it was easy, I wouldn’t be here and you wouldn’t be here.’”

McDonell asks every new patient to keep a journal recording the what, when, where and how much of their food intake and bring it to their first appointment. Along with a medical history, family history and physical exam, the journal helps doctor and patient begin to put together the pieces of the puzzle that

led to excess weight gain and how to reverse it. “For some people, their goal might be a loss of 20 pounds or more to get a medical condition stable,” McDonell says. “The patient and I come up with an individualized plan for how to get there.”

The initial phase of treatment focuses on weight loss. Each client is given a calorie limit and a meal plan that supports it. Some may choose to shop and prepare food at home with family, others select to use meal replacement shakes one or more times a day.

Educating patients about the food choices they make is essential. “Four hundred calories of jelly beans doesn’t equal 400 calories of lean chicken,” McDonell says. “Many people don’t understand that while they are the same number of calories, the way their body responds to those foods is very different.”

Throughout the program, individuals meet regularly with McDonell who monitors their response to the plan and manages any related health issues. Participants also attend weekly group meetings where they find the support and camaraderie of others who are working to lose excess weight. “The connections that people create in the group are huge,” says McDonell.

Foundational to the group’s success are the team of experts in nutrition, behavioral change and physical activity who share valuable information and reallife solutions to help participants tackle the challenges of losing weight.

spring = wildflowers & hiking h spring foot care tip:

The ideal walking shoe is stable and well-cushioned.

Our staff is dedicated to providing the best foot and ankle care through preventative techniques, and patient education in a caring

Complete Foot and Ankle Care

and professional atmosphere.

Kessa Mauras, DPM 541.386.1006 // mthoodpodiatry.com

1700 12th Street, Suite B, Hood River, OR 97031 pediatrics • sports injuries • surgery • diabetic foot care • custom orthotics

Flourish Natural Medicine dr. Samantha Mathers hoodrivernaturopath.com

Dr. Samantha Mathers is a primary care physician that specializes in:

We accept most major health insurance carriers Hood RiveR (541) 399-6644 116 Third Street Suite 305 PoRtlaNd (503) 477-7915 5440 SW Westgate Drive Suite 245 FlourishNM.com info@flourishnm.com

• Hormone Imbalance • Bio-Identical Hormones (BHRT) • Autoimmune Diseases • Nutrient IV Therapies • Women’s Health & Menopause • Men’s Health & Andropause • Weight Loss • Food Intolerance Testing & Management • Progressive Laboratory Testing & Diagnostics • Generalized Wellness “Dr. Mathers is wonderful, and I’d highly recommend her. Her attention to my particular needs helped me achieve a 25 lb weight loss in a few months. I can honestly say, without her knowledge, support, and suggestions, I don’t think I could have made it this far.”

Exceptional Care Close to Home Skyline HoSpital 24/7 Emergency Services • Inpatient Care Swing Bed Care • Full-Service Laboratory Surgical Services • Digital Radiology Physical Therapy

Specialty clinicS Orthopedics • Cardiology • Neurology Podiatry • Travel Immunization Experts Pain Management • General Surgery

(509) 493-1101 • www.skylinehospital.com 211 Skyline Drive • White Salmon, WA

Serving the residents of the Gorge

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 73

wellness

Research shows that changes in nutrition and diet alone will not keep weight off for the long term. The body needs to move. Certified wellness coach and health fitness specialist Susie Griffin says when it comes to movement, she encourages people to focus on what they love to do and to do more of it. She recalls one member of the group who chose geocaching, an activity that combined her love of technology and hiking. Love animals? Walk dogs for a local shelter.

Enjoy people? Join a hiking group or exercise class.

Planning and time management are key in making long-lasting change, Griffin says. “We discuss move-

ment plans that are simple, doable and can be incorporated every day. I want people to have more fun in life. When you feel fulfilled, you feel less need to fill yourself.”

McDonell loves the creative ways her patients find success. “One woman referred to ‘waltzing past the holiday buffet table,’” she says. “Another no longer believes in elevators.”

As patients shed excess weight, they notice small but important physical milestones on their way to their goal. “We have people who are walking without a cane or able to climb a set of stairs for the first time in years,” McDonell says. “I have many who no longer need blood pressure or diabetic medication.”

Anyone who has lost weight and tried to keep it off knows how difficult that can be. The National Weight Control Registry—a group of more than 10,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time—has shown that those who have kept weight off the longest have made changes compatible with their lifestyle.

McDonell’s patients who are on very low calorie

Comprehensive Eye Exams for All Ages

visit our neW location at 810 13th st. (across from the hospital)

Proud Participants in InfantSEE & VisionUSA Public Health Programs

Dr. riCharD martin, DO, mph Board Certified Pediatrician jessiCa sanDersOn, pa Physician Assistant

541.386.2300 nwpediatrics.com Offering 7 Day availability•Urgent Care “On Call”: WeekenDs by appOintment • Weeknights, 7pm-10pm

810 13th Street (across from the hospital) • HOOD RIVER

74 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

(541) 386-1700 • www.icfec.com • Find us on Facebook 1700 12th Street, Suite A • Hood River, Oregon Prescriptive Eyewear, Sunglasses, Contact Lenses I Pediatric Exams for Children Diabetic Eye Care I Amblyopia I Strabismus I Conjunctivitis I Dry Eye Disease I Glaucoma Hypertensive Retinopathy I Cataracts I Macular Degeneration I Spots & Floaters Treatment of Eye Diseases I Emergency Services I Surgical Co-Management

diets begin transitioning to a maintenance plan as they get close to their goal.

“They build in the changes bit by bit,” she says. “There will always be something that comes up.”

Support is there when it does. “It takes a long time,” McDonell says. “I tell people to expect to gain weight and to call me if they gain five pounds so we can regroup.”

Many insurance plans cover medical appointments with McDonell for the treatment of conditions related to excess weight. Group sessions are not currently covered by insurance. There is currently no group available for McDonell’s pediatric patients, although she does meet with them individually.

McDonell says that after years of working in medicine and treating patients with medical issues related to excess weight, she opened the center in June 2013 to provide a specialized program to help those ready to make a longterm change. “When I realized what was keeping people from feeling good— and knew that we could address it—I needed to do it,” she says. “I love being physically active and want people to enjoy it as much as they can.”

Lori Russell is a freelance journalist who lives in The Dalles. She is the editor for Oregon Home, and her writing has appeared in Travel Oregon, Ski Oregon, Ruralite and Oregon Unforgettable (Far Country Press).

The Healthy Weight & Treatment Center is located at 1815 E. 19th Street in The Dalles, (541) 506-6430

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 75

our gorge

Thai Soup

partake

Tofu Mixture 14oz package of firm tofu, 1 Tbsp agave or honey, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil Sofrito 2 Stalks of lemongrass,discard outside layer, 1-2 Thai red chilies (seeded and deveined), 2” Fresh ginger (peeled), 4 Garlic cloves, 1 Large shallot (peeled), 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp fish sauce

Thai Coconut Soup and Thai Toddies

Discover a delicously spicy and fragrant vegetarian soup recipe perfect for Spring. Serve with a Thai Toddy for an extra special treat. Bon appétit!

By Kacie McMackin

1. Wrap tofu in paper towels, and set it on a plate, place another plate on top. Let it drain for an hour. Mix together the tofu marinade. Cut tofu into 1" cubes, place in a bowl and pour in the marinade. Gently toss and set aside.

2. Put all the ingredients for your sofrito in a food processor and puree it. Set aside.

3. In a bowl, gently mix together all of your soup base ingredients (coconut milk, peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice). Set aside.

4. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sofrito and cook, stirring constantly for 2 mins. Once it smells really fragrant, add in the soup base. Let your soup simmer for 15-20 minutes.

76 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

5. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While you're waiting for it to boil, heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add a bit of vegetable oil to the pan and allow it to heat up. Carefully add your tofu cubes to the pan. Sauté the tofu until golden. Transfer it to a plate and set aside.

6. Cook the Udon noodles in the boiling water until done (about 8-11 minutes), drain them.

7. Ladle the broth into large bowls, add in some noodles, top with tofu, cilantro, and the thinly sliced shallot.

Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and serve immediately.

Soup Stock 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 14.5oz Can coconut milk, 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, 1 Quart chicken broth, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/3 Cup fresh lime juice, 10oz Udon noodles Garnish 1 Large shallot (thinly sliced), Cilantro (trimmed), Toasted sesame oil

Thai Toddy Juice from 1/2 lemon, 1/8 Tsp Thai Red Chili Paste (optional), 1 Tsp brown sugar, 2” Slice lemongrass (outside layer removed), Thin slice of Thai red chili (seeded), Thin slice of lime, Thin slice of fresh ginger (peeled), 2oz Bourbon Put water on to boil. Put the ginger and lemongrass in the cup and cover with boiling water. Allow to steep for a few minutes. Add lemon juice, Thai red chili, Chili Paste, brown sugar, and the slice of lime. Add bourbon and boiling water. Stir to combine. Garnish with lime.

Recipes +Photos

by Kacie McMackin For more recipes, online cooking demos and a food guide for the Gorge visit gorgeinthegorge.com

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 77

andrew's pizza & bakery

(541) 386-1448 • andrewspizza.com 107 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River 310 SW 2nd Street • Downtown Stevenson Since 1991 Andrew's Pizza has been serving New York-style, hand-tossed pizza. Topping selections from basic to gourmet.

Feel like a movie? Step through the Hood River restaurant and enter the Skylight Theatre…sit back and enjoy a firstrun movie while sipping on a pint of beer or a glass of wine. dine-in, take-out or delivery.

backwoods brewing company

aniche cellars

APPLE VALLEY BBQ

(360) 624-6531 • anichecellars.com 71 Little Buck Creek Road • Underwood

(541) 352-3554 • applevalleybbq.com 4956 Baseline Drive • Downtown Parkdale

We are a small family owned and operated winery located in the heart of the Columbia Gorge. We make wine with an eye to European tradition and a particularly Washington sense of terroir and style. Our wines are almost entirely varietal blends which creates an eclectic mix of characteristics and complexity. The fruit we use comes from Washington’s plethora of renowned AVAs, including our very own Columbia Gorge AVA.

• Our meats are smoked using local cherry wood • Dry rub and BBQ sauces are all made in-house • Pulled pork, chicken, ribs, burgers, salads, vegetarian items • Nightly dinner specials • Local draft beer, wine, hard cider • All desserts fresh-made by Apple Valley Country Store • Outdoor seating available • Ask about catering Open: Wed-Sun at 11am to 8pm. Closed: Mon & Tues.

casa el mirador

cascade locks ale house

(509) 427-3412 • Open Thur-Sun, 3-9pm 1162B Wind River Road • Carson

(541) 298-7388 • casaelmirador.com 1424 West 2nd Street • The Dalles

(541) 374-9310 • cascadelocksalehouse.com 500 Wanapa Street • Cascade Locks

We, the Waters family, decided to open a new brewery in Carson, Washington. Our brewery is inspired by the finest craft breweries of the Columbia River Gorge and all around the Pacific Northwest. We are locally owned and our beer is locally brewed in the “Backwoods”. Enjoy delicious pizza, fresh salads and tasty appetizers in our family-friendly pub.

Quality Mexican food prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients. Warm, friendly service and a lively atmosphere.

Indulge in generous portions of flavorful sizzling fajitas,fish tacos, savory enchilada dishes and daily specials. Happy Hour margaritas, drink specials and 1/2 off appetizers from 4-7pm, Mon-Fri. Full service bar, take-out menu, gift certificates and catering services. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

• Great pizza and an awesome beer selection • American: new and traditional • Lunch and dinner • Burgers and sandwiches • World-famous horseradish • Outdoor seating • Take-out • Groups welcome

celilo restaurant & bar

grace su’s china gorge

(541) 386-5710 • celilorestaurant.com 16 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

Celilo began with a desire to honor the bounty of this region and a commitment to a healthy and sustainable future. Our ever-changing menu reflects the seasonal highlights of the region’s growers and foragers. We offer the most innovative in fresh, local cuisine as well as an award-winning wine list, full bar, small plate menu, and happy hour daily from 5-6pm. experience the freshest foods here, today!

78 the gorge magazine // Spring 2014

(541) 386-5331 • chinagorge.com 2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River (Located off I-84 and the base of Hwy 35) While visiting the Gorge…take a trip to China.

Great Szechuan-Hunan taste.

No airfare. Free Parking. Very happy family. great plates for more than 30 years.

open: Fri & sat 11am-11pm; Mon, Wed, Thurs, & sun 11am-9 pm, and closed Tuesday.

dog river coffee

(541) 386-4502 • dogrivercoffee.net 411 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River Full service espresso bar featuring Stumptown coffee Breakfast burritos, pastries and more caffeinating your adventures since 2004 open: Mon-fri, 6am-6pm & Sat-Sun, 7am-6pm

everybodysbrewing.com White Salmon, WA

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

DIVOTS clubhOuSe ReSTAuRANT

double mountain brewery & taproom (541) 387-0042 • doublemountainbrewery.com 8 Fourth Street • Downtown Hood River

(509) 637-2774 • everybodysbrewing.com 151 Jewett Boulevard • Downtown White Salmon

A scenic choice with excellent food and personal service located in the heart of the Hood River Valley just minutes from downtown. Unwind with breathtaking views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams from our covered, wind protected patio. Relax with a beverage from our full service bar or enjoy some fabulous northwest cuisine at a reasonable price.

Open Daily for lunch & Dinner. happy hour 3-6pm.

A local favorite, serving up an ever-changing variety of ales and lagers that are brewed onsite. The highly-regarded brews are complemented by a menu of sandwiches, salads and delicious thin-crust New York-style pizza that has earned rave reviews. Outdoor seating available.

See for yourself why Everybody’s Brewing is a local favorite!

We brew 12 different styles of beer plus seasonal selections onsite. The menu is filled with affordable food choices made with high-quality local ingredients. The atmosphere is warm and family-friendly. Enjoy the stunning Mt. Hood view from the outdoor deck, listen to free live music on Friday nights.

Open Tues-Sun: 11:30am to closing

(541) 308-0304 • indiancreekgolf.com 3605 Brookside Drive • Hood River

FULL SAIL brew pUb

open 7 days a week at 11:30am

GROUND Espresso Bar & Cafe

mcmenamins edgefield

(541) 386-2247 • fullsailbrewing.com 506 Columbia Street • Downtown Hood River

(541) 386-4442 • groundhoodriver.com 12 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

(503) 669-8610 • mcmenamins.com 2126 SW Halsey Street • Troutdale (off Exit 16)

If there is one thing a brewer loves more than great beer– it’s great food and great beer! Our northwest-inspired menu complements our award-winning brews and features seasonal, local ingredients. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery or just soak up the view. Open daily at 11am serving lunch and dinner. Guided brewery tours are offered daily at 1, 2, 3 and 4pm and are free of charge.

Get your daily fuel for your Gorge sports and activities here!

A long time locals favorite coffee house and eatery, Ground features fresh in-house roasted coffee, house made pastries and cookies with lots of gluten free options. We make our soups from scratch every day and source mostly local and organic ingredients. Feel like a having a brewski?

Local beer and cider on tap.

Our seasonal hard ciders offer a new twist on the hard cider we have been brewing since 1992. With its crisp, clean flavors, hard cider is a great pairing to the menu options found at the Black Rabbit Restaurant and Power Station Pub. ales, wines, and spirits are handcrafted onsite.

Mothers Marketplace

mUGS COFFEE

north shore café

(541) 387-2202 • mothersmarketplace.net 106 Highway 35 • Hood River

(509) 281-3100 • Text order (206) 486-6080 • mugsco.com 120 West Steuben Street • Downtown Bingen

(509) 493-1340 • Find us on Facebook 166 East Jewett Boulevard • Downtown White Salmon

We are a locally-owned vegetarian health food market that emphasizes organic foods. Our deli features pizza by the slice, a juice bar, fresh soups, and smoothies. We have an organic produce section, over 100 bulk bins of “real food”, grocery items ranging from boxed and frozen foods to natural beauty care products, plus bulk herbs and supplements.

Follow us on Facebook

We pride ourselves on being your friendly neighborhood café…enjoy delicious, locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee, and fresh pastries. For lunch try one of our savory panini’s or wraps and a fresh organic green salad paired with a glass of local wine or a Northwest micro brew.

Dine inside or on our private patio. Catering available.

Come in to fill your mug and enjoy a friendly smile!

North Shore Café, formerly known as 10 Speed North, offers: • Fresh, quick, healthy breakfasts and snacks served all day • Locally roasted coffee from 10-Speed Coffee Roasters • Fresh juice and real fruit smoothies • Fresh fruit mimosas • Wine, beer, and hard cider • Local art and live music • Beautiful views of Mount Hood • Indoor/Outdoor seating open daily 6:30am-4pm • open later for events

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 79

PFriem Family brewers

pietro’s pizza & Gallery of Games (541) 386-1606 • pietrospizza.com 107 2nd Street • Downtown Hood River

(541) 387-7600 • pintshack.com 105 4th Street • Downtown Hood River

Pfriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Belgium, but unmistakably true to our homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world. We’ll let you decide.

Open 11:30am to 9pm daily

We offer fun games for all ages and three TVs so Mom and Dad can catch the game. Our extensive menu consists of a variety of pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, and a 24 item salad bar. It also includes broasted chicken, chicken wings, and seasoned fries. Place your to go orders at pietrospizza.com.

Delivery available in Hood River and White Salmon.

Free delivery to local hotels.

Welcome to the sunny side, where Hood River and Baja collide! Head on in for a fun vibe and enjoy the great selection of Northwestern craft beers, ciders and wine. 12 taps rotating often and a great selection of bottles. Enjoy it here or take ‘em home. We also offer great pub food!

Live Music on Wed and Fri nights

pita pit

riverside & cebu lounge (541) 386-4410 • riversidehoodriver.com Exit 64 off I-84 • Waterfront Hood River

sixth street bistro & loft

(541) 386-5737 • sixthstreetbistro.com 509 Cascade Avenue • Downtown Hood River

We believe you don’t need to sacrifice your health to get a quick, tasty meal. That’s why we start with our unique soft and roll-able pita bread, then fill it with your choice of lean, grilled meats, fresh vegetables, flavorful cheeses, and savory sauces. Conveniently located in the Rosauer’s shopping center next to Cherries Frozen Yogurt. Plenty of free parking!

Fresh thinking…Healthy Eating

Diners seek out Riverside for some of the best food in the Gorge—and Cebu for great bar food, drinks and live entertainment. With amazing panoramic river views, Riverside offers fresh menu choices that change seasonally for breakfast, lunch & dinner—plus an award-winning wine list.

Check our website for current menus and our Chef’s Blog. cebu lounge: happiest hours in town, Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

A local favorite for over 20 years! We are committed to serving naturally raised, organic and local produce, meats, beer and wine. We have 12 microbrews, draft cider and a full bar. Happy hour daily from 5-6pm. Casual setting, outside seating and family friendly. Located at the corner of 6th and Cascade Streets in downtown Hood River. open 7 days a week at 11:30 for lunch and dinner.

(541) 321-0490 • pfriembeer.com 707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront

(541) 436-0600 • pitapitusa.com 1769 12th Street • Hood River Heights

SolStice wood fire café, bar & catering

(541) 436-0800 • solsticewoodfirecafe.com 501 Portway Avenue • Hood River, OR MOVED TO HOOD RIVER! A community focused café, bar and mobile catering kitchen serving inventive pizzas with perfectly blistered crusts, Moroccan beef stew and seasonal chef's entrees. Book your Holiday Catering now! Great pizza and great cocktails make the world a little better.

80 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

stonehedge gardens

pint shack

the subterranean

(541) 386-3940 • stonehedgeweddings.com 3405 West Cascade Avenue • Hood River

(541) 436-4600 • Find us on Facebook 113 3rd Street • Downtown Hood River

“The best outdoor dining in the Gorge.” –NW Best Places We are a favorite among locals and visitors. Our cuisine is a classic, European blend that utilizes fresh, local ingredients and pairs well with our select wines. Our gardens are the perfect setting for weddings. Full-service catering available.

“Romantic setting and the best meal I had in town.”

–The Los Angeles Times

The “Sub T” has quickly become a favorite of both locals and visitors alike. Striving for the highest in quality and consistency, our goal is to make your dining experience the best it can be. From Steaks to Gourmet Italian and more. Martinis, Cocktails, Beer and Wine. Happy Hour daily from 5-6pm.

Seasonal hours: Wed-Fri for lunch from 11:30-2pm and dinner 6 nights a week at 5pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

(541) 386-7423 • sushiokalani@gorge.net 109 First Street • Downtown Hood River

sushi okalani

TAD’S CHICKEN ‘N DUMPLINS

(503) 666-5337 • tadschicdump.com 1325 East Historic Columbia River Hwy • Troutdale

the glass onion restaurant

Come find us in the basement of the Yasui Building, the local’s favorite spot for fresh fish, Pan-Asian Cuisine, and a rockin’ atmosphere! Lots of rotating specials, creative rolls, and a large sake selection means you’re always trying something new! Private rooms are available for groups up to 20 people. Take-out menu available online. Open for dinner nightly at 5:00, closing hours change seasonally.

Nestled on the banks of the Sandy River in Troutdale, OR. We are located halfway between Portland and Multnomah Falls. Serving exquisite American cuisine since the 1930s.

The menu includes: Pacific NW seafood specialties as well as traditional steak, chicken, and pasta dishes; a full bar, and our famous chicken ‘n dumplins.

Open: Mon-Fri, 5pm-10pm; Sat & Sun 4pm-10pm

Join us in our cozy dining room for delicious local food made entirely from scratch by Chef, Matt McGowan. His philosophy: use fresh, quality ingredients and let the dish speak for itself, keep it simple and clean. Enjoy local wines and craft beer on tap, free WiFi, featured artist every month, special events and wine dinners. Ask about catering and private parties. open: Wed-sat, 11am-9pm

the gorge white house

the restaurant at cooper spur (541) 352-6037 • cooperspur.com 10755 Coopur Spur Road • Mt. Hood/Parkdale

(541) 436-1226 • volcanicbottleshoppe.com 1410 12th Street • Hood River Heights

Featuring our own wines and hard ciders, regional wines and craft beers, farm fresh cuisine, local and u-pick fruit, cut flower fields, art, and more! Taste wine in our historic home and enjoy spectacular double mountain views. Nestled in the lower Hood River Valley just 4 miles south of town.

Open: 10am-7pm, April through October. Days vary, check our website for details and off season hours.

Our rustic mountain restaurant offers fresh creative food, a seasonally changing menu, local beers and wines, and wellcrafted drinks. A perfect place to dine after a day of exploring the Mt. Hood National Forest. Come celebrate with a FREE entrée on your birthday. Open daily for dinner. Breakfast and lunch served Fri, Sat and Sun. View our menus online!

We have the most extensive and diverse selection of craft and import beer, cider, mead, and gluten-free beer in the Gorge…enjoy it here or take it with you.

We also offer wine, light food, an outdoor beer garden, and the best foosball table in town.

OPEN 7 dAyS A wEEk

(541) 386-2828 • thegorgewhitehouse.com 2265 Highway 35 • Hood River

(509) 773-4928 • theglassonionrestaurant.com 604 South Columbus Avenue • Goldendale

VOLCANIC BOTTLE SHOPPE

What’s for Lunch? Find out here...in Partake { The dining and drinking guide for the Gorge }

the gorge magazine // spring 2014 81

our gorge

epilogue

The Oregon National Forest, created in 1908, became the Mount Hood National Forest in 1924. A note on the photo indicates that it was taken at the entrance south of Parkdale (photo courtesy of The History Museum of Hood River).

82 the gorge magazine // spring 2014

er v o c is D the difference Directors Mortgage makes Locally owned and operated, with

17 offices throughout Oregon and Washington to serve you.

888.636.1112

directorsmortgage.net

Information deemed reliable but subject to change without notice. This is not a commitment to lend. Consumer Loan License NMLS-3240, CL-3240

Reduce your risk of cardiac disease.

Simple changes can help keep your heart healthy.

You can dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by making a few simple lifestyle changes: ■ Eliminate tobacco use.

■ Adhere to a heart-healthy diet.

■ Follow an appropriate exercise program.

Not sure where to start? We can help. Providence Cardiac Conditioning Center offers a program just for you. After a provider referral, our team of exercise physiologists, registered nurses, dietitians and diabetes educators will create a custom program designed for you that is overseen by one of our cardiologists.

For more information, talk with your primary care provider or call 541-387-6326. www.providence.org/hoodriver

Get your free 2014 Northwest Guide to Heart-Healthy Living at local grocery stores or by calling 541-387-6342.