The Gorge Magazine - Spring 2021

SPRING 2021 thegorgemagazine.com

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Tasting Opportunity The Sunshine Mill finds ways to get wine to the people

From Seed to Vase

Flower farming as art

Personal Patisserie

Good eats from Icebox Bakery

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OUR TEAM

LOOK GREAT WHEREVER YOU’RE GOING

CONTENTS | SPRING 2021

12

FEATURE

2020: A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

By Janet Cook

34

Blaine Franger

OUTSIDE

OUR GORGE

40 GORGE, INTERRUPTED

Trail reopenings and closures remind us that nature is always in flux

8

By Ben Mitchell

12 HOME + GARDEN

BEST OF THE GORGE

16 LOCAVORE

ARTS + CULTURE

20 WINE SPOTLIGHT

44 FROM SEED TO VASE

The art of flower farming grows organically for Hood River’s Heather Staten

54 PARTAKE

By Don Campbell

58 YOUR GORGE

WELLNESS

54

48 CULTIVATING COMPASSION IN OUR COMMUNITIES

The Gorge Wellness Alliance works to break stigmas

By Janet Cook

44 4

Renata Kosina

SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Heather Staten

Kacie McMackin

HOME HOME HOME HOME

+ + ++

JEWELRY JEWELRY JEWELRY JEWELRY

SINCE 1994 SINCE SINCE 1994 1994 SINCE 1994

305 OAK STREET 305 STREET 305 OAK OAK HOOD STREETRIVER DOWNTOWN 305 OAK STREETRIVER DOWNTOWN HOOD DOWNTOWN HOOD RIVER 54 1-386-6188 DOWNTOWN HOOD RIVER 54 54 1-386-6188 1-386-6188 54 1-386-6188

EDITOR’S NOTE This issue marks the beginning of our ninth year publishing The Gorge Magazine. We feel fortunate for our longevity, especially given the fraught circumstances of this past year.

Thanks go to our loyal advertisers who have stuck with us even as their own businesses endured so many hardships brought on by the pandemic. And of course to our readers, thank you for your continual support.

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As this issue has come together, I’ve been thinking back to our launch in 2012. For months before our inaugural edition that spring, one of our founding members, Micki Chapman, worked tirelessly as our first advertising director to sell businesses on a then-unknown publication. She was literally tasked with selling an idea — not an easy mission. Her connections from years in the Gorge working in both ad sales and as a talented graphic designer — along with widespread respect for Micki in the community — helped her persuade advertisers to sign on without knowing what the whole thing would look like, or if they would like it and want to be part of it.

Many of those advertisers are still with us today. Unfortunately, we lost Micki in December after her long battle with pancreatic cancer. She retired from the magazine in 2017 but remained a stalwart presence and continued to give us invaluable advice and moral support. We dedicate this issue to Micki, without whom this magazine would not be the same — or maybe even be at all.

Our spring issue also marks a year since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. We take a look back at some of the stories from these last challenging months by revisiting a few of the images that went with them (page 34.) Other stories in this issue include our cover piece on the Sunshine Mill Winery in The Dalles, whose owners persevered through the year by coming up with innovative ways to sell their wine (page 20.) We take a look at the short-lived opening of Elowah Falls Trail this winter — and the ever-changing nature of, well, nature in the Gorge (page 40). We go inside the kitchen of Icebox Bakery chef Lindsay Gott to learn how she makes her delicious goodies (page 16.) And we make a cheery visit to Heather’s Flower Farm, where more than 250 varieties of flowers and foliage grow on a half-acre in the Hood River Valley (page 44.)

And there’s more in here. We hope you enjoy it. Have a safe and healthy spring.

— Janet Cook, Editor

SPRING 2021 thegorgemagazine.com

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LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Tasting Opportunity The Sunshine Mill finds ways to get wine to the people

From Seed to Vase

Flower farming as art

Personal Patisserie

Good eats from Icebox Bakery

About the Cover James Martin, owner/founder of the Sunshine Mill, Copa Di Vino and Quenett Winery, walks through the Martin family vineyard with two of his children, Griffin Martin and Natasha Skov. The vineyard, called Oregon Mountain Estate, is located east of The Dalles. It’s planted in 120 acres of Pinot Noir, the largest single planting of the winegrape in the Columbia Valley AVA. Photo by Tony Morales

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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.

SPRING 2021 EDITOR Janet Cook

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Renata Kosina

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jody Thompson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Tony Morales

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Blaine Franger, Katharine Kimball, Renata Kosina, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Tony Morales, Laurel Sparks

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GORGE MAGAZINE please contact Jody Thompson jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @thegorgemagazine on Instagram

THE GORGE MAGAZINE 600 E. Port Marina Way, Suite B and C P.O. Box 390 Hood River, Oregon 97031 We appreciate your feedback.

Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

The Gorge Magazine is published by Columbia Gorge News, LLC. 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 Columbia Gorge News, LLC. 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, Columbia Gorge News, LLC, or its employees, staff or management. All RIGHTS RESERVED. The Gorge Magazine is printed at Eagle Web Press.

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021

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OUR GORGE I BEST OF THE GORGE

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Blossom Time

Maryhill Museum

1

After being closed to the public last year, the Maryhill Museum of Art is scheduled to reopen on March 15. Capacity will be limited, with timedentry tickets available for purchase in advance on the museum website, which will also provide current information on opening status, hours and days. Museum highlights include a gallery of 80 works by Auguste Rodin, artifacts from Queen Marie of Romania, a collection of unique chess sets from around the world, and rotating special exhibitions, educational programs and events. In addition, an outdoor sculpture park features works by many noted Northwest artists. maryhillmuseum.org

2

Celebrate the return of spring by taking in the annual Blossom Time in the Hood River Valley. While some of the usual events during the month-long celebration are on hiatus, the cherry, apple and pear trees will still explode with color throughout April. Take in the splendor by driving the 35-mile Hood River Fruit Loop. Many of the farm stands, wineries, cideries and other specialty shops along the route are open for business, with safety protocols in place. Check out the Fruit Loop website, and go to individual stands’ sites for current hours and services. hoodriverfruitloop.com

Ready, Set, GOrge!

3

Before leaving home for a recreation outing, visit the Ready, Set, Gorge! website to plan your trip and get prepared. The site includes a mobile-friendly, searchable map that shows what trails are open and what hazards exist. While weekends are popular times to get away, the best time to hike the Gorge is mid-week. Venture farther east to avoid crowds. Most importantly, always have two backup destinations in mind in case your top choice is too crowded or the parking area is full. The site has useful tips, including a list of the “10 Essentials,” information on connecting with local communities, and how to travel to and around the Gorge without a car. readysetgorge.com

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Debbie Asakawa

Courtesy of Wet Planet Whitewater

OUR GORGE I BEST OF THE GORGE

Whitewater Rafting

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Story Gorge/Sean O’Connor

The 2021 whitewater rafting season kicks off in April when Wet Planet Whitewater starts its guided trips on several Gorge-area rivers. One of its most popular trips is the Klickitat River, which is only runnable in the spring when water levels are high. The river passes through one of the most remote wilderness canyons commercially rafted in the Pacific Northwest.

The White Salmon River is also a popular, family-friendly trip, while the Hood River, Farmlands and the Wind River offer more challenging conditions for experienced rafters who want to take it to the next level. wetplanetwhitewater.com

Eagle Watch

5

Friends of the Columbia Gorge teamed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other partners this past winter to create virtual programming to replace the annual Eagle Watch events at The Dalles Lock and Dam and guided eagle-watching hikes — which were cancelled due to the pandemic.

As part of the effort, Hood River-based Story Gorge produced a short film entitled Eagle Watch 2021. The film was shot in various locations in the eastern Gorge and is available to watch at storygorge.com/eaglewatch2021.

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Explore More... on the northshore of the Columbia River Gorge in sunny Klickitat County Photo by Starlisa Black

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OUR GORGE I HOME + GARDEN

Rooms with a View A White Salmon home is designed to bring the outside in story by JANET COOK | photos by RENATA KOSINA

M

ax Blau came to the Gorge for the first time in the late 1990s. He was living in Boston and working for Timberland, the outdoor footwear company that for a time sponsored the Gorge Games, a weeklong adventure sports festival held annually for nearly a decade beginning in 1994.

“We landed in Portland and drove straight into the Gorge,” Blau said. “I was just blown away by the beauty.” He spent a few days here, and his ardor was solidified. He loved the “coolness” of it, and the seemingly endless outdoor recreation opportunities. “You can do anything related to the outdoors here, which I love,” said Blau, who hails from the Patagonia region of Argentina. “I saw it and thought, I’d love to be able to spend more time in that place.”

It took 20 years, but Blau’s wish has come true. He and his wife, Angie Beraza, built a home in White Salmon that has become their getaway from Portland, where they’ve lived since Blau started working for Nike in 2002.

The home was designed by Portland architect Paul McKean, whose distinctive simple, modern style can be seen in several Gorge-area homes.

McKean designed his own vacation home in the upper Hood River Valley years ago, and does about a third of his work in the Gorge.

Blau and his family spent three years with Nike in Brazil starting in 2010. When they returned to Portland, they started looking in earnest for a

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Architect Paul McKean, opposite inset, designed the White Salmon home of Max Blau and Angie Beraza to feel like it’s part of the natural environment, including views from every room and a deck extending off one end.

home in the Gorge. “We couldn’t really find a place that was checking all the boxes,” he said, so eventually they decided to look for land where they could build.

They stumbled on the lot they wound up buying when they got lost one day looking at properties. It was a cold winter day and clouds obscured most of the view, but the couple knew the lot was special.

“When the snow melted, we came back and walked down toward the White Salmon River,” Blau said. What caught his attention was that the property not only had views of the Columbia River and Mount Hood, but also of the White Salmon River and Underwood Mountain. “It was unreal,” Blau recalled. “I remember saying, ‘If I could have a beer at the end of the day looking at all this, I’d be a happy man.’”

Blau and Beraza had worked with McKean on a remodel of their Portland home, and they knew they wanted him to design their White Salmon house.

“We connected with Paul right away — with his style and his vision,” Blau said. “We didn’t want anything complex. I love his style. It’s very honest and simple, but he does a great job of looking at every single detail.”

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021

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The couple’s main criteria for the design was to “feel like we’re part of the environment,” Blau said. “We wanted to maximize the views, to see the beauty of the Gorge in a simple way.” They also wanted the home to be low-maintenance. “The point is to be there having fun, so we wanted it to be practical.”

McKean worked with the couple to design a 2,500-square-foot home (the square-footage includes the garage). With a deck that extends from one end over the hillside descending to the White Salmon River, the house “feels like it’s projecting out over the cliff,” McKean said. “But it’s really just two stories, stacked.” Simple, clean style with sensible use of space is McKean’s hallmark. “Smaller, simpler buildings are the best way to spend money,” he said. “Complexity doesn’t necessarily add quality.”

For Blau and Beraza, the home turned out exactly the way they wanted it. “It’s not easy to design something from scratch,” Blau said. “It’s hard

The main living area and master bedroom, above left and right, look out over the White Salmon River, the Columbia and across to Hood River and Mount Hood.

when you have a blank canvas. You can go in so many directions.” The couple appreciated McKean’s patience, vision and ability to gently keep them on track. “We changed our minds about 50,000 times and he just went along with us and helped guide us,” Blau said.

With the couple’s kids nearly grown up and Blau recently retired from Nike, they’re looking forward to spending more time in their new home — Blau’s dream come true from his very first visit to the Gorge more than 20 years ago.

“We’re super happy,” Blau said. “We ended up exactly where we wanted to be.”

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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Candice Richards

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Cyndee is a NW native and has called Hood River home for over 20 years. She and her husband have loved bringing up their kids here. As new empty nesters, they are enjoying all the local recreation! Cyndee is dedicated to her clients and helping them achieve their real estate goals.

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OUR GORGE I LOCAVORE

Lindsay Gott

A Patisserie in Your Freezer Icebox Bakery creates gourmet desserts and savory treats you can bake at home Kate Schwager

story by RUTH BERKOWITZ | photos by RUTH BERKOWITZ and provided

I

magine the comforting aroma of scones, cookies or cakes wafting from your oven without having turned on your mixer or dirtied your kitchen. It’s as if a French baker magically whipped up delicious pastries for you to bake and serve warm to your family and friends.

In this case, the baker is a French-trained chef with decades of culinary experience, Lindsay Gott, who recently launched Icebox Bakery in Hood River, a company that brings delicious frozen pastries and savory items to people’s homes.

Step 1

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Gott initially planned to provide desserts to local restaurants. In preparation, she transformed her Hood River garage into a commercial kitchen. She tested her frozen-to-bake idea at North Shore Café in White Salmon and had several restaurants ready to sign up early last year. But in March when the pandemic forced restaurants to close, Gott had to pivot her business model.

Perusing grocery stores, she saw giant sections devoted to ice cream, yet only a few freezers for frozen desserts. Noting the disparity, she started figuring out which desserts she could prepare in her kitchen that would taste delicious when frozen and then baked in someone else’s oven.

In April, Gott began selling desserts at the Hood River Farmers Market — some that were already baked, and others frozen which could be brought home and baked when desired. Her cookies and cinnamon rolls sold fast, but Gott really impressed customers with her light, fluffy quiches, buttery blueberry-lemon scones and seasonal galettes. Her quiches were so popular that she became known as “the quiche lady.”

Step 2

Step 3 (photos by Ruth Berkowitz)

Fresh Spring GREENERY

ORGANICS PRODUCE DELI & BAKERY MEAT & SEAFOOD WINE & BEER FLORAL Ruth Berkowitz

Chef Lindsay Gott, opposite inset and above, makes goodies that can be baked straight from the freezer. Making the perfect crust, opposite bottom, is key.

Gott loved interacting with people at the market and reconnecting with former customers familiar with her gourmet food from the years she owned the SouthBank Kitchen in Hood River. Selling at the market helped Gott test products as well as figure out how best to educate customers that frozen can mean freshest.

“There is a perception in the United States that frozen is cheap, but the truth is that coming out of the oven is freshest,” says Gott. She tells me about Picard, a supermarket chain in France that sells frozen products, from organic vegetables to gourmet entrees and desserts. Picard’s popularity in a country famous for its exquisite food baffles many, but the quality and convenience make it a huge success.

When I met Gott at her commercial kitchen, she was inspecting a tray of chocolate chip cookies baking in her oven. “The secret to perfectly baked cookies is to pull them out of the oven when they are puffed up, and then let them rest on the hot pan for at least two minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack,” Gott tells me as I inhale the sweet smell of melted chocolate and sugar.

Although her cookies are popular, Gott’s culinary talents shine with her more complicated galettes and quiches. One reason is her handmade puff pastry, derived from an old French recipe involving folding, rolling and refrigerating four ingredients: flour, butter, salt and water.

I’m here to learn. First, Gott takes a heap of white flour (sourced locally from Shepherd’s Grain) mixed with a little whole wheat flour (locally grown at Kelly Ranch in Dufur and used to elicit a nutty flavor) and salt. She places it straight on the wooden countertop, then uses her bench scraper to maintain a rectangular shape and keep it from ending up on the floor.

Next comes the unsalted butter, from Larson’s Creamery in Clackamas.

Using her three-foot-long wooden rolling pin and strong windsurfer arms, Gott puts her whole 6-foot-1 body into the act of rolling the cold butter into the flour. After many rolls, the butter and flour coalesce into flaky pieces, like thickly shaved white chocolate.

Gott makes a well in the flour and slowly adds water. “Not too much,” she advises, “you want to keep the dough dry.” The four ingredients soon mesh thickly. She neatly tames the dough into a rectangular shape, wraps it with cellophane and puts it in her refrigerator to let the gluten rest.

Over the next few hours, Gott repeats the process of rolling and folding, only this time, she uses her lighter and smaller roller. “Always fold the same way so it will rise the same way,” she says. Instead of folding the dough three

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Lindsay Gott, both images

The Icebox Bakery features galettes, left, and other sweet treats as well as savory items like quiche.

times, as many recipes suggest, Gott does it six times. On the final one, the dough becomes smooth like custard. In the oven, the layers of butter and flour are laminated so well that they transform into a light, flaky and tender crust that can house fruit for a sweet galette or eggs for a savory quiche. This is her secret.

Gott learned the art of puff pastry in 1998, when she attended the Harvard of cooking schools, Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Puff pastry is one of the most important techniques used by pastry chefs and mastering the technique is required to graduate. At cooking school, Gott loved the precision required for pastries and the need to follow the recipe exactly. She noticed the difference between “the cake people and the savory people” and quickly figured out that, as she puts it, “the hypercritical, high-standards Virgo” in her was most suited for desserts.

“I am a cake person,” she says, as opposed to a savory chef who has the confidence to throw things together in a less precise manner. Cooking school, however, gave her the skills to do both.

When Gott returned from her year in France, she interned at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., where owner Alice Waters pioneered the farm-totable movement. “The restaurant was buzzing every night with reservations made months ahead and the cafe had lines down the street,” she says. “At Chez Panisse, I learned how to honor ingredients, and keep dishes simple yet delicious.” Although cooking with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients seems obvious, it was revolutionary at the time and a lesson Gott has kept with her throughout her culinary career.

On her days off, Gott learned to windsurf at the Berkeley Marina. Her love for the sport lured her to the Gorge. Like many, she came first as a summer visitor. Shortly after 9/11, she packed up and moved to Hood River.

Gott continued cooking in the Gorge, working for a time with renowned wedding cake-maker Polly Wood. In 2005, she had the urge to do something that was all hers. She mortgaged her house, bought City Market on Oak Street and transformed it into

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SouthBank Kitchen. “I felt there was room to elevate the food in Hood River and provide more gourmet options,” she says.

Just before Gott gave birth to her daughter in 2009, she sold SouthBank Kitchen because she “couldn’t have these two babies at once,” she says. She embraced motherhood, yet was always trying to figure ways to get back in the kitchen and still be home for family dinner. Icebox Bakery seems to be the perfect answer.

Back home, I have the pleasure of baking an Icebox Bakery coffee cake for my neighbor’s birthday. It’s simple. I remove the cake from the freezer, place it in my preheated oven, bake it for 45 minutes and then proudly walk over to her porch with warm cinnamon and butter smells wafting through the air. Delicious, without the hard work. In a post-Covid world, I can easily imagine impressing my guests with many of Gott’s patisserie-quality delights.

For more detailed information, including a list of where to find Icebox Bakery items locally, go to icebox-bakery.com.

Ruth Berkowitz is a lawyer, mediator and writer. She and her family divide their time between Hood River and Portland. She is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

MARYHILL WINERY Wine Press Northwest’s “2015 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year”, 50+ award-winning wines, Tuscan-style terrace with views of Mt. Hood, Bocce, picnicking, live music every summer weekend from 1pm-5pm, tasting room, gift shop.

877-627-9445 • maryhillwinery.com 9774 Hwy 14 • Goldendale

SWEET HOME DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION LLC We are custom builders. Our work is built to last. What can we build for you?

WA License #SWEETHD823DB 509-774-4604 • sweethomeconst.com sales@sweethomeconst.com PO Box 1348, Goldendale, WA 98620

taste · shop local · enjoy PONDEROSA MOTEL We’re located minutes away from the Columbia River Gorge and offer free full breakfast daily. Clean, spacious rooms with phone, free WiFi, Direct TV, coffee maker, microwave, & refrigerator. Kitchens available. Dog friendly!

509-773-5842 ponderosamotelgoldendale.com 775 E .Broadway • Goldendale

GOLDENDALE GOLF CLUB

VISIT OUR TASTING ROOM 304 OAK STREE T #3, HOOD RIVER, OR

A semi-private golf course with great views of mountains and wildlife. Green fees under $45 with cart. Please call for more information or a tee time. Amy Wilson, PGA Professional.

509-773-4705 • goldendalegolf.com 1901 N. Columbus • Goldendale

FOR HOURS AND INFO, WWW.HRDSPIRITS.COM @HOODRIVERDISTILLERS ©2021 HOOD RIVER DISTILLERS, INC., HOOD RIVER, OREGON USA, WWW.HRDSPIRITS.COM, STAY IN CONTROL.®

GOLDENDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISITOR CENTER 903 E. Broadway, Goldendale, WA 98620 • 509.773.3400 • goldendalechamber.org

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021

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OUR GORGE I WINE SPOTLIGHT

Of Walls & Wine Tastings For the Sunshine Mill Winery, the pandemic has brought unexpected opportunity story by JANET COOK | photos by TONY MORALES

A

t first glance, the two things seem unrelated and unremarkable: a very small plastic cup shaped like a stemless wine glass, and a very large wall facing a parking lot.

But these two things, it turns out, are what helped the Sunshine Mill Winery in The Dalles weather our last pandemic year.

The Sunshine Mill, with its history dating to the early 1900s when it was built to mill wheat from the surrounding fields, has housed the winery businesses of James and Molli Martin — both from multigeneration The Dalles families — since the mid-2000s. After the mill’s decades-long run as home to the Sunshine Biscuit Company (producer of Cheez-Its crackers) came to an end in the 1970s, the building and its hulking silos sat empty at the east end of The Dalles for more than 25 years.

A proposal by the Martins to turn the property into an artisan plaza and winery saved the historic mill from demolition. It’s now home to their Martins’ Quenett label, whose first vintage was 2002, and Copa Di Vino, a company the Martins launched in 2009 that “bottles” wine onsite in ready-to-drink single-serving containers. Copa Di Vino (which means cup of wine) is the pioneer of the concept in the U.S. and the leading producer of premium wine by the glass, sold in stores, stadiums and concert venues around the country and shipped worldwide.

For more than a decade, then, the Martins had been steaming ahead with all things wine, including acquiring a 130-acre vineyard along the way and bringing two of their children into the family business.

The Sunshine Mill tasting room, top, is filled with original items from the century-old former flour mill. Inset, cups from the tasting kits are sealed and capped with anti-spill lids. At left, owner James Martin and his kids, Griffin Martin and Natasha Skov, in the family’s vineyard.

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

from vine

d

to bottle Finely crafted wines,

oregon Winery of the year - 2016 Wine Press Northwest

mountain & vineyard views, and spring blossoms.

Wine tasting daily from 11am to 5pm

The Martins expanded the outdoor seating options at the Sunshine Mill to accommodate pandemic safety protocols.

Then Covid-19 arrived last spring and everything came to a grinding halt. “When we got notice we were being shut down, we said, ‘What are we going to do?’” said Natasha Skov, the Martins’ daughter and manager of the tasting room.

That’s when the very small plastic cup shaped like a stemless wine glass came into play. Ironically, the cup had not come into play for the purpose the Martins had hoped it would, which involved a side project they’d worked on with some other wineries. The idea had been to create packageable “tasting cellars” where people could order, say, a Columbia Gorge pack with wine from several area wineries packaged in small, sealed two-ounce tasting pours which could be shipped anywhere. The concept, in theory, could translate to any wine region.

The Martins are experts at single-serving pours, having partnered with the French inventor of the bottling system used for packaging single servings of wine to create their Copa Di Vino contoured cup. They imported their highly-specialized single-pour bottling line directly from the source in France when they launched the company.

Ultimately, the tasting cellar concept stalled out early last year, mostly because the small wineries interested were unable to commit to ordering the large quantity of cups necessary to make it viable.

But the Martins had already had 10,000 cups made.

After the winery was forced to shut down last March, some of its wine club members asked if they could set up wine tastings over Zoom. It was a lightbulb moment. “We said, hey, we have this technology that no one else has, which is the ability to bottle two-ounce pours,” Skov said.

2882 Van Horn Drive, Hood River info@mthoodwinery.com / 541-386-8333 Photo by Jennifer Gulizia

mthoodwinery.com

THE BEST SELECTION OF AWARD-WINNING WINES IN THE NORTHWEST Choose FROM OVER 28 BIG BOLD Hood River, OR. @ 800.516.8710 REDS, SIGNATURE BLENDS AND Dundee, OR. @ 503.537.9977 DELICIOUS WHITES. OPEN DAILY BY Carlton, OR. @ 971.708.0708 RESERVATION @11AM Learn more and order at cathedralridgewinery.com THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021

21

Griffin Martin, above and right, and Natasha Skov are both involved in the family business.

The details and logistics quickly came together. The Martins began creating take-home tasting kits not only for local pick-up but also for shipment anywhere. The kits contain five different wines packaged in two-ounce pours in the small cups. The wine is hand-poured, then the cups are sealed on the winery’s bottling line and capped with an anti-spill lid. The kits are fresh for five days and come with tasting notes, a suggested Spotify playlist, and, in a nod to the Sunshine Mill’s former life, a package of Cheez-Its.

When you order a kit online, you schedule a 30-minute virtual tasting via Zoom with one of the winery’s tasting room staff. A recorded tasting is also available for people who want to do it on their own time.

The take-home tasting kits took off pretty quickly, both locally and regionally. Then, companies that had sent their employees home to work remotely got wind of them.

“Disney contacted us and they wanted to do 30 kits,” Skov said. Soon, Amazon ordered 30 for one of its divisions. Then a Seattle architectural firm ordered 45. Then came Netflix. And so it went.

“Corporations started doing virtual wine tastings as a way to keep remote workers engaged with each other,” Skov said. “It became this weird sales avenue that we weren’t expecting.”

The tasting kits became a steady gig for the winery as it progressed through a rollercoaster year of openings and closings, capacity restrictions and outdoor-only seating.

And somewhere in there is when the very large wall facing a parking lot came into play.

The wall, which is actually the mill’s former silos, sits at the east end of the property, facing a lot

Vineyards Est. 1984, 1998

Winery Est. 2002

Come Get Refreshed.

your safety is a number one priority for our staff!

Small craft winery, brewery and cidery Farm-to-table pizza

22

welcoming tasting room & patio less than 10 minutes from downtown Hood River on hwy 35

Farm Fresh Food coming in Spring 2021 - Wheels!

541.386.1277 / wyeastvineyards.com Please check our social media pages and website for updated hours.

February 12- March 12 Open Friday-Sunday 12-5 or so March 12 Open Daily 11-5 or so

SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Open Daily gratefulvineyards.com

WA Tasting Room Magazine

The drive-in theater has been popular since it opened.

used for winery parking. Confronting an empty tasting room last spring, and many unknowns as summer approached, James Martin had another lightbulb moment: mount a big screen on the wall and turn the lot into a drive-in movie theater.

The drive-in became practically an overnight success when it opened in late spring. It screened movies Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer and most of the fall, and continued to show them Fridays and Saturdays during the winter, weather permitting. The drivein allows 21 cars, with “movie goodies” available for purchase to go from the tasting room, including appetizers and wine.

Between the drive-in movies and the virtual tastings, the Martins — and many of their employees — have stayed busy during the pandemic. “It’s been a constant revenue stream and engagement stream for us,” Skov said.

The virtual tastings will probably continue even after the pandemic fades, according to Skov.

With many companies likely to keep at least some employees working remotely indefinitely, the tastings offer a way to connect workers even in far-flung locales. She estimates that at least half of the 5,000 tasting kits the winery has sent out so far have gone beyond the Northwest. “We’ve sent the tasting kits all over the country,” she said.

For the Martins and their Sunshine Mill, as for most businesses, the pandemic has forced the proverbial pivot. But Skov chuckles a little at that notion, pointing out that her dad is “an idea guy.”

“For us, we always have a lot going on,” she said. “We’re constantly pivoting.”

For more information, go to sunshinemill.com.

Finely crafted, award-winning wines made in limited quantities for the highest quality.

Lasting memories await at our vista tasting room, overlooking the Columbia River & Mt. Hood.

jacobwilliamswinery.com

•

541-645-0462

•

Wishram, WA

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021

23

Wine Tasting Tips ASK ABOUT FEES

Some wineries charge a fee for tastings. Some will waive fees with a purchase.

TASTING TIPS

Generally, white wines are tasted first, followed by red wines and then dessert wines. It’s okay to skip any of the wines on a tasting list by politely declining. If you’re genuinely interested in purchasing a particular wine, it’s okay to ask for a second taste.

WHAT TO DO

stock.adobe.com/LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS

CONFIRM HOURS

Gorge wineries and tasting rooms vary in their hours and days of operation.

Call ahead or check websites to make sure the tasting rooms you want to visit are open.

DRESS FOR THE WEATHER

Swirling the wine in your glass helps aerate the wine’s many aromas. When tasting, hold the glass by the stem rather than the bowl as holding it by the bowl can disturb the temperature of the wine. Inhale before taking a sip to appreciate the wine’s aromas. Likewise, swirl the wine around in your mouth once you sip to coat all the surfaces.

HIP TO SPIT

You don’t have to drink all the wine in your glass. Toss the unwanted wine into the dump bucket provided for this purpose.

PACE YOURSELF

Dress appropriately, especially if you plan a vineyard picnic or tour.

Don’t try to visit too many wineries in one day. Know your limit and stop when you reach it.

DON’T WEAR FRAGRANCES

HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER

Perfume and cologne can interfere with the subtle aromas in wine.

This will ensure your wine tasting adventure is fun and safe for you and others.

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

WINERY & VINEYARD

We are a family of winemakers from two generations and two hemispheres, with vineyards and wineries in Underwood, Washington, and Nelson, New Zealand. South Hill is located at 1,800 feet on Underwood Mountain, just 20 minutes from Hood River and an hour from Portland. We look forward to sharing our award-winning wines and our story with you in our elegant tasting room. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the Columbia River, Mount Hood and the Hood River Valley from our patio or our picnic area.

Google reviews: • A hidden gem. All 8 of the wines were delicious. How often does that happen?

Incredible panoramic views of Mt. Hood and the Gorge east and west. New facility, family-operated, they know what they’re doing.

• Visiting South Hill is a great experience, from the spectacular views to the worldclass wines. From the first sip you can tell the Jones family has over 30 years experience in the industry!

Our tasting room is open Friday - Sunday 12-5pm mid-April through October.

801 Scoggins Rd., Underwood, WA • southhillvineyards.com • 541-380-1438 • southhillwine@gmail.com

s p e c i a l

a d v e r t i s i n g

s e c t i o n

Home &Garden R E S O U R C E G U I D E TO T H E G O R G E

D

uring this past year of pandemic life, our homes have become our havens, in every sense of the word.

Even as we start to see light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel, many things have changed — some irrevocably. One of them is what it means to be “home.” More of us are now working from home at least part of the time, and will be for the foreseeable future, necessitating space for home offices. We’ve also come to value more than ever our personal outdoor spaces — for our own wellbeing, for socializing with small groups of friends, for growing food and simply to have our own bit of dirt to dig in. For anyone looking to spruce up, or change up, their home havens, there are many professionals in the Gorge ready to help. We’ve put together a resource guide we think you’ll find useful for whatever your home improvement journey entails. Good luck, and have fun! (The guide continues in our Home + Garden section, beginning on Page 12.)

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

s p e c i a l

a d v e r t i s i n g

s e c t i o n

Columbia Gorge Affordable Homes LLC

Let us help you have the American Dream

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021

27

s p e c i a l

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We Help Build Better Communities Hood River 541.386.1001

The Dalles 541.296.5414

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SERVING ALL COMMUNITIES IN THE GORGE *SINCE 2007* • Service & Repair • Industrial, Commercial & Residential • Remodels • New Construction

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OR #177235 • WA #CAMPSPL938Q9

Accepts: Visa, Mastercard & Discover

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Driven by our Members, Committed to our Community.

We carry all you need to freshen up your home for Spring!

We are more than just a hardware store... we have lawn & garden too!

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SHOP LOCAL!

Especially for Real Estate!

We Local We have have all all heard heard the the phrase phrase “Shop “Shop Local”.

Local” Local retail, retail, local local coffee coffee shop, shop, local local pub.... pub.... but but real real estate? estate?

Especially Especially with with real real estate! estate! Buying Buying and and selling selling real real estate estate is is aa huge huge financial financial decision decision and and for for most, most, one one of of the the biggest. biggest. Whether Whether you you are are aa first-time first time buyer buyer or or seller seller or or aa veteran veteran real real estate estate consumer, consumer, using using aa local local Realtor® Realtor® as as well well as as aa company company that that is is well well established established in in your your market market area area is is crucial crucial in in The The Columbia Columbia River River Gorge.

Gorge.

Some Some people people think, think; “If “If you you have have met met one one broker broker you you have have met met them them all”.... all”.... not not true. true. The The only only thing thing brokers brokers have have in in common common is is their their license. license. Some Some specialize specialize in in commercial transactions, while others are strictly residential. In the metro areas, some brokers brokers have have the the areas some niche condo market and in rural markets some focus on vineyard or farm properties.

So, So, whywhy shop local for for a on vineyard or farm properties. shop local areal realestate estatebroker? broker?

Selling your home can be a very stressful endeavor with all of the preparation, planning, pricing and then the dreaded part...moving. A common myth amongst homeowners looking to use the services of a real estate broker is that using one from a metro area will give them give a market advantage by exposing their listed property to a larger pool of buyers that just happen to be looking for real estate in The Gorge. This is simply that, a myth. However, when you contract with a local Windermere broker they are part of a collaborative group of local agencies that work together. Local agents and local brokerages whose leadership is rooted in the Gorge have the same reach as out-of-area out of area agents and brokerages with all of the online resources that make our reach global.

Our local local Windermere Windermere brokers brokers have have historical historical Our knowledge of of the the area, area, neighborhoods neighborhoods and and what what items items knowledge could potentially potentially affect affect your your property’s property’s value. value. In In our our could “speed of of light” light” real real estate estate market, market, knowing knowing the the local local “speed market is is critical critical in in preparing preparing the the home home for for sale sale as as well well market as pricing your home in this competitive environment. as pricing your home in this competitive environment.

We all all have have access access to to the the local local multiple multiple listing listing service service We (MLS) and can see what is on the market, how long itit (MLS) and can see what is on the market, how long took to to get get aa pending pending sale sale and and what what the the home home sold sold for. for. took What out of area brokers don’t have readily available, What out of area brokers don’t have readily available, is the the knowledge knowledge of of sales sales that that occurred occurred outside outside of of the the is MLS or even the back story on comparable properties MLS or even the back story on comparable properties that were were on on MLS. MLS. that Zoning and land use use are are so so important important to to understand understand Zoning and land when listing a property and local Windermere Brokers when listing a property Windermere Brokers deal with topic everydayand andlocal know the implications deal with topic everyday implications of different zoning; and ifand theyknow havethe a question or of different zoning; and if they a question or need interpretation, they knowhave exactly who to call. need interpretation, they know can exactly to invaluable call.

Your local Windermere Broker alsowho be an Your local Windermere Broker can also be an invaluable resource for contractors, painters, stagers, professional resource for contractors, painters, stagers, professional photographaphers, service companies, legal photographers, service companies, legal assistance, etc. assistance, etc. Because they have established working Because theythrough have established working relationships relationships years of doing business with them through years of doing business with them in The Gorge. in The Gorge

Buying Buying aa home home can can be be equally equally as as daunting daunting for for buyers buyers moving moving to to this this area. area. We We live live in in aa beautiful beautiful place place and and being being able able to to help help aa buyer buyer navigate navigate The The Gorge Gorge is is our our forte. forte. Local Local Windermere Windermere Brokers Brokers live, live, play play and and work work here here and and can can offer offer insights insights to to each each community community that that are are gained gained only only by by living living here. here. Our Our local local real real estate estate community community is is small small but but very very collaborative collaborative and and we we work work together together to to put put people people with with homes homes regardless regardless of of what what agency agency we we work work under. under. This This collaboration collaboration can can give give aa buyer buyer aa head head start start in in the the market. market. Local Local Windermere Windermere brokers brokers know know the the speed speed of of the the market market in in our our different different towns throughout The Gorge so the buyer can react appropriately to improve their chances of getting a home under contract.

Then, there is the biggest “local” issue that we must navigate... The National Scenic Area and Gorge Commission Commission have have an an enormous enormous impact impacton onland landowners owners throughout The Gorge. Experience in understanding these impacts and navigating the rules is critical toto the a critical process.

In addition, there are certain “geohazard” the process.

In addition, there are certain “geohazard” zones where the earth movement has impacted the ability to drill a producing well for domestic water. When representing a buyer, local Windermere Brokers know which areas struggle with wells and which areas have been affected by slide activity.

All this said, our local Windermere brokers are more than tour guides or the person that hands you the keys to your home at closing. We have a working knowledge of all the things that can impact a real estate transaction in The Gorge, regardless if you are selling or buying, they are are your your advocate advocate and and trusted trusted advisor. advisor. Not Not to to say say they that your your best best friend friend from from college, college, that that sells sells real real estate estate that in Bend, Bend, won’t won’t do do aa great great job job for for you you but but they they have have local local in knowledge in in Bend....likely Bend....likely not not in in The The Gorge.

Gorge. There There are are knowledge so many excellent brokers to choose from within our so many excellent brokers to choose from within our communities, why why not not shop shop local local and and give give one one of of them them aa communities, call to guide you through your next real estate call to guide you through your next real estate transaction. transaction.

KIM CHAMNESS OR PRINCIPAL BROKER / WA MANAGING BROKER WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE GORGEWINDERMERE.COM 541-386-3444

LO C A L | E X PE R I E N C E D | G LO BA LLY CO N N E C TE D THE DALLES

$417,456

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2 BED / 2 BATH / 1,602 S.F. / 0.42 AC

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THE DALLES

3 BED / 2 BATH / 2,949 S.F. / 0.48 AC

$499,500

RMLS 20591642

CONNIE THOMASIAN

ROB CARNAHAN

OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER (541) 288-7288 CONNIETHOMASIAN@GMAIL.COM

OR REAL ESTATE BROKER 503-313-0419 RCARNAHAN@WINDERMERE.COM

HOOD RIVER 5 BED / 3 FULL 2 HALF BATH / 3,531 SF/ 2.62 AC

$998,000

RMLS 20378467

$996,000

HOOD RIVER

4 BED / 3 BATH / 2,736 S.F. / 0.17 AC

RMLS 20196005

SOLD REPRESENTED BUYER

ANDREA WOOD

BRIAN LAUTERBACH

OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 541-380-0307 ANDREAWOOD@WINDERMERE.COM

OR REAL ESTATE BROKER 503-858-5010 BLAUTERBACH@WINDERMERE.COM

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

HOOD RIVER THE DALLES CASCADE LOCKS BINGEN WHITE SALMON STEVENSON

LO C A L | E X PE R I E N C E D | G LO BA LLY CO N N E C TE D HOOD RIVER

26+ ACRES / WATER / SEPTIC / POWER

$1,000,000

RMLS 16272859

gorgewindermere.com

HOOD RIVER

3 BED / 3 BATH / 2,726 SF / 2.5 AC.

$825,000

RMLS 20142415

LISTED BY JOHN LOVELL

MIKE FROST

DAWN MCSWEYN

OR REAL ESTATE BROKER 541-386-3047

OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER (541) 645-0951 DAWNMCSWEYN@WINDERMERE.COM

MFPC@GORGE.NET

LYLE

8 ROOM HOTEL / KITCHEN & DINING

$675,000

RMLS 20138079

UNDERWOOD

5 BED / 4 BATH / 3,979 SF / 0.32 AC.

$1,048,000

RMLS 19304433

SOLD REPRESENTED BUYER

CAROL THAYER OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 360-904-4778 CAROLTHAYER@WINDERMERE.COM

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

SHAY RYAN-BLAKESLEE OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 503-819-6419 SRBLAKESLEE@WINDERMERE.COM

HOOD RIVER THE DALLES CASCADE LOCKS BINGEN WHITE SALMON STEVENSON

LO C A L | E X PE R I E N C E D | G LO BA LLY CO N N E C TE D CARSON

$199,000

6+ ACRES / WELL /POWER AVAILABLE

RMLS 20303670

gorgewindermere.com

STEVENSON

$425,000

49 ACRES / MIXED USE PROPERTY

RMLS 19618511

JUANITA CUMMINGS

CAROL BRADLEY

OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 541-490-7515 JUANITACUMMINGS@WINDERMERE.COM

WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 971-533-3646 CAROLBRADLEY@WINDERMERE.COM

STEVENSON

$495,000

3 BED / 2 BATH / 1,612 SF / 1.79 AC.

RMLS 21459186

SKAMANIA

LAKE VIEW / 3 BED / 3 BATH / 3,012 SF

$649,900

RMLS 20440291

SOLD REPRESENTED BUYER

RACHEL BROUGHTON

MARY-LOU BENNETT

OR & WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 541-921-3458 RBROUGHTON@WINDERMERE.COM

WA REAL ESTATE BROKER 503-545-3776 MBENN8@AOL.COM

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

HOOD RIVER THE DALLES CASCADE LOCKS BINGEN WHITE SALMON STEVENSON

2O2O

A Year

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES. As springtime marches into the Gorge, it’s hard not to flash back

to this time last year, when, as the first signs of the season were appearing in March, the word “coronavirus” was just establishing itself in our collective conscience. Oregon’s first official case of Covid-19 came on Feb. 28. A day later, the first coronavirus-related death in the U.S. was confirmed in Washington. Within a week, on March 8, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a State of Emergency, and little more than a week after that restaurants were restricted to take-out only and schools state-wide were shuttered — ostensibly for two weeks.

Our naivety seems almost quaint now (as of the end of February, schools remained closed for in-person learning). But no one knew — save maybe some public health experts — how dire things would become.

March 34

April

SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

May

June

July

August

Like No Other

While the main plot of these many months was universal, our Gorge communities had their own stories of these unprecedented times. Here, we take a trip through some of those stories by revisiting the images that went with them. While the pandemic dominated life in the Gorge, other extraordinary events also became part of the fabric of 2020, including the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the devastating wildfires up and down the West Coast that blanketed the Gorge in smoke for many days.

Amid all the adversity of the past year, there emerged stories of resilience, of compassion, of ingenuity borne of necessity, and of people helping people make it through. —Janet Cook

September

October

November

December

January

February Photo by Blaine Franger

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021 35

Courtesy of Hood River County Health Dept.., both images Courtesy of Hood River County Health Dept.

As the public health officer for Hood River County, Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg became the face of the pandemic response in the county. His video PSA’s kept residents informed during the early months.

Katharine Kimball

Anonymous chalk art decorated the steps of the Hood River County Health Department during the first weeks of the pandemic.

Laurel Sparks

Bruce Peterson, founder of Sailworks, designed a face shield using monofilm — a clear polyester material used in windsurfing sails — as part of a local effort to produce PPE for frontline healthcare workers.

Hood Crest Winery, also a distiller, began producing hand sanitizer after the federal government asked all licensed distilleries to do so in order to address a shortfall.

Courtesy of Skyline Health

Courtesy of Hood Crest Winery

Celilo co-owner/chef Ben Stenn with meal kits for those in need, which he and his staff assembled from food on hand when the restaurant had to close.

Dr. Matthew Swanson of Skyline Health with an intubation box made by local companies that collaborated with hospital medical staff on the design.

2020: A Year Like No Other

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

LET’S COME TOGETHER TO RAISE $50,000 FOR OUR 50th ANNIVERSARY! THE NEXT DOOR has been CHANGING LIVES AND BUILDING COMMUNITIES in the Columbia Gorge for 50 Years. Caring and committed people like you have helped make great things happen. We’re asking you to donate $50 to our programs so we can continue our great work for another 50 years.

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021 37

Nicole Goldman

Jordan Haas (both images) Jordan Haas

Katharine Kimball

Kids worked on an art project through a program by Arts in Education of the Gorge to provide community connection during the early days of the lockdown.

Blaine Franger

United Way of the Columbia Gorge created the Covid-19 Gorge Community Response Fund to aid nonprofits working to help those in need, including organizations distributing food.

Protesters gathered in downtown Hood River in June during one of several local Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

Community health workers Rena George, left, and Lissette Rivera distributed food to people isolated and in quarantine due to Covid-19 as part of the Bridges to Health outreach program.

Janet Cook

Rena George

As wildfire smoke blanketed much of western Oregon and Washington in September, including the Gorge, the City of Hood River opened parking areas for those fleeing the fires.

The Hood River County Library came up with innovative ways to provide services to the community while being unable to open to the public for nearly a year.

2020: A Year Like No Other 38

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Andrea Johnson/Maryhill Winery

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OUTSIDE

Gorge, Interrupted Trail reopenings and closures remind us that nature is always in flux story and photos by BEN MITCHELL

O

n January 2, 2021, two days removed from a year synonymous with isolation, I reunited with an old friend.

I’m not one for resolutions, New Year’s or otherwise. I try not to allow myself to think that the transition from one year to the next is anything more than a business of accounting — time is arbitrary, and the universe does not care that I’m writing a different number in the dateline of my checkbook.

But because of a timely Forest Service announcement, and with 2020 being such a dog turd of a year, I’m changing my ways. Here’s to you, 2021.

Don’t screw it up.

What I mean is, Father Time had barely finished his shift change with Baby New Year when officials from the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area announced, to many a hiker’s elation, that the Eagle Creek Trail had finally reopened for 40

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the first time in nearly three and a half years — it being the epicenter of a blaze bearing its name that torched 50,000 acres of the Gorge in September 2017, along with four buildings, and forced people living in the communities in the wildfire’s wake to evacuate.

The Eagle Creek Trail was one of several in the announcement by the CRGNSA, including Elowah Falls, which is in the John B. Yeon State Park section of the Gorge, not far from Eagle Creek. I was giddy.

At 213 feet high and framed by a basalt amphitheater speckled with key lime-colored lichens, Elowah Falls has remained one of my favorite — if not the favorite — hikes in the waterfall corridor of the Gorge.

For the past three and a half years, I’ve only snuck glimpses of it for the brief second the falls are visible when traveling on Interstate 84, staring wistfully at the ancient, perpetually leaking water tower that greets you at the trailhead — a structure that, thankfully, was spared from the destruction wrought by a teenage boy’s wanton lobbing of fireworks into a kindling-dry canyon.

Normally, I wouldn’t hike something so soon after reopening due to crowding. Case in point, the popular Angel’s Rest Trail, located about 10 miles west of Elowah Falls, was absolutely bananas when it reopened in November 2018. But this time, I had to go.

On a gray, rainy Saturday morning the day after the announcement, my girlfriend, Jennifer, and I sacrificed precious weekend sleep and drove to the trailhead. We reached it by 9 a.m. and were greeted by cars with several other people who were seemingly even more eager than we were. We passed other hikers, their crinkled, knowing eyes betraying smiles behind their masks that said, It feels so good to be back here.

Like others, the trail to Elowah Falls bore plenty of evidence of the Eagle Creek Fire. Blackened trunks and snags, a canopy more open to the elements, the thinned forest providing better views of the Gorge than before, and downed trees blocking the Nesmith Point Trail — either abandoned, or not yet cleared.

Walking through the matchstick forest brought up a couple of memories.

First, of the fire itself. Jennifer and I happened to be coming back from a trip

The Upper Elowah Falls Trail hugs the cliff, opposite top. McCord Creek plunges 213 feet over a basalt amphitheater to form Elowah Falls, opposite inset. The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire left damaged trees, opposite bottom, and created snags along the trail, above.

to Belgium at the time, a last hurrah before I started an intense grad school program. We were on a layover in Houston on Sept. 4 when we turned on our phones and learned that a wildfire had been started by a teenager with fireworks two days before and was spreading rapidly through the Gorge.

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Two images taken from nearly identical locations five years apart (left, in 2016, and right, in 2021), looking northeast toward Table Mountain on the Washington side of the Gorge, show how the Eagle Creek Fire has impacted the landscape. Elowah Falls is located less than 10 miles from where the Eagle Creek Fire started.

We got on the plane, helpless and angry. By the time we landed and drove back to our home in smoke-choked Hood River, it was much worse. Two hours later, I-84 was closed behind us and wouldn’t fully reopen for another 19 days. The fire wouldn’t officially go “out” until the end of November.

The second memory was of an assignment I had with this magazine three years ago (“Bringing Back the Trails,” Summer 2018), following a dedicated group of Pacific Crest Trail Association volunteers as they performed trail work along Herman Creek. It was a 12-mile hike, and after the sole came off of one of my boots around Mile 7, they and my Forest Service liaison all but had to carry my sorry ass out

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of the woods. I have seen firsthand the amount of effort put in by the PCTA and other groups to bring back these trails for all of us to enjoy, and let me tell you, it’s a lot.

While the forest around Elowah Falls doesn’t look the same, the falls haven’t changed. The basalt amphitheater and lime green lichens are still there, along with the waterfall itself. Not that I didn’t think they would be, but there’s nothing like visual confirmation.

Because of its resilience, and its magnitude, the Gorge sometimes feels indomitable, immutable, a static place. But it isn’t. It never has been, it never will be. It wasn’t when the Missoula Floods carved its dramatic cliff walls some 13,000 years ago, or when the Bonneville Landslide cleaved off the faces of Table Mountain and Greenleaf Peak hundreds of years ago.

And less than two weeks after our hike, a massive landslide triggered by torrential rains careened down a hillside in Dodson, killing a 50-yearold woman from nearby Warrendale, closing a portion of I-84 for a time, and closing Eagle Creek, Elowah Falls, and other trails again, which, as of this writing in late February, are still closed.

A reminder that, try as we might, the Gorge is always changing, and we’re not calling the shots.

Seeing the trails close again so soon after they reopened is undeniably disappointing. But after what we’ve collectively been through this past year, just the fact they were able to reopen at all offers us something that’s been in short supply, something we desperately need: hope.

Ben Mitchell is a writer/filmmaker who lives in Hood River. He’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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ARTS + CULTURE

From Seed to Vase

Tim Ortlieb

The art of flower farming grows organically for Hood River’s Heather Staten story by DON CAMPBELL | photos provided

W

Both images by Heather Staten

e humans have an innate and powerful impulse to put ourselves in nature. Be it forest, field or river, or mountaintop, meadow or glade, we are compelled to seek that from which we’ve come — the wild world.

There emerged in the ‘80s an esoteric thesis of philosophic science called biophilia, espoused by Harvard naturalist Dr. Edward O. Wilson, who offered that we possess “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life.”

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For Heather Staten, that urge manifests itself in a half-acre plot of some 250 varieties of flowers that she plants for not only the benefit of her family, friends and clients, but for her very soul.

Staten is into her fourth year of Heather’s Flower Farm, a labor of love that started with growing flowers on the 18-acre idyll that she cohabits with husband, musician and luthier Ben Bonham, and their two children.

“I love having flowers in the house,” says Staten, who in another part of her life is the executive director of Thrive Hood River. “But I didn’t like cutting things. The yard didn’t look as good.”

She happily tumbled down what she describes as a rabbit hole of growing an intentional cutting garden where, she says, “I could hack away and take whatever I wanted.” As in many aspects of her life, her eyes were bigger than her practicality, and she grew way too much. The natural outgrowth of that was outletting her surplus to a first-iteration business in the form of a 10-person bouquet subscription service.

“I loved it!” she says. “The next year I tripled

Heather Staten, right, stumbled into flower farming after continually expanding her own cutting garden. She’s now in her fourth season of selling flowers.

my field space.” That forced a subscription service for 30 and selling bouquets at the Hood River Farm Stand. She doubled the next year, and on it goes into her fourth pro season as a flower farmer.

Staten’s love of growing and gardening started young. Growing up in Loudoun County, Va., outside Washington, D.C., she gardened as a chore for her parents and the family’s 20-acre farm, which was, she says, “a ‘70s, back-to-theearth farm.” She kept her hands in the earth through college and well beyond.

These days, she’s gearing up for a Covid-informed season — unsure of business, but still locked in the love of what she does. “Starting a business in your fifties, it’s to make yourself happy,” she says. She spends what she calls the “dreamy” part of the year, November and December, with seed catalogs and the whimsy of what she hopes to accomplish. By January, she’s got seed trays going, doing some dead prep, and planting bulbs and perennials.

Spring is now nigh and planting will be in full progress, heading toward a summer of well-timed blooms, which will find their way to vases for tabletop enjoyment, wedding and elopement adornment and other event display.

If it were a deep-money enterprise, she’d plant what’s called mono-crops, like acres of sunflowers or other singular large plantings. But she resonates differently. “It’s not just growing flowers,” she says, “but arranging them.” Mostly self-educated, she offers her customers a large variety of blooms from which to work in order to deliver a carefully curated selection of plants and arrangements.

“I like making the recipe for what I’m going to pick that week,” she says.

Tim Ortlieb

“I’m a fanatic for color.” Maybe broody with burgundy, or bridal with brighter shades, which she plots and plans as she walks through her tightly clustered growing area, attuning herself to what’s maturing and at what stage.

While her now college-aged kids have helped and will continue to do so, and husband Ben lending his tool skills to various projects including rerouting an irrigation system, this is the first season she’ll hire extra help, including not only an actual employee, but several felines to help control a growing gopher and vole problem.

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Staten pays tight attention to the health of her alluvial soil along the banks of the Hood River. She uses sustainable practices akin to organic farming that are rooted in the notion that healthy soil leads to healthy plants. She practices “no-till,” a style that means she doesn’t disturb the soil biome by plowing her fields every year, and feeds that soil compost, cover crops and natural fertilizers that include seaweed extract and rich manure collected from the family’s flock of chickens.

The sheer number of floral varieties inhibits pests and encourages bees and other vital insects.

She absolutely avoids the use of chemicals. “Imported conventionally grown flowers are often doused in [chemicals],” she says. “When someone gets a bouquet, often the first thing they do is hold it to their nose and take a big sniff. With local flowers, it’s not just that they aren’t sprayed with chemicals to help them survive shipping from thousands of miles away, they are more beautiful and multi-dimensional.”

Staten admits to being romanced by scent.

“It’s such an elusive pleasure because even highly scented flowers lose their fragrance in a short amount of time,” she says. “Most supermarket flowers have no scent at all, so when people get a bunch of freshly cut sweet peas, they are transported by the loveliness of their smell.”

Her flower farm uplifts in other ways, too.

An inveterate over-extender, she finds having her hands deep in the dirt is a nice contrast to her job at Thrive, a grassroots watchdog group that keeps an eye on land use and livability issues, which can be controversial and trying at times.

“Working with plants is regenerative,” she offers, “because by nature I’m an introvert. Thrive makes me be with people, but then I get to be with plants and dirt.”

She enjoyed an unexpected uptick in business last summer, with people trapped at home and craving something beautiful, like flowers. As well, not seeing loved ones, people tended to give more flowers to the loved ones they couldn’t visit. And she was ready.

This summer is a giant unknown. But for Heather Staten, it gets back to her biophilic nature, which for her is “waking up in the morning and visiting my baby plants,” she says. “Every morning. It makes me feel so good. Visiting baby plants is the most nurturing feeling out there.

It’s a cliché to talk about being in tune with the seasons, but it’s like the return of an old friend.”

For more information, go to heathersflowerfarm.com.

Don Campbell is a writer and musician. He hides out at a secret fortress on a hilltop in Mosier and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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WELLNESS

|

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LOGO

Cultivating Compassion in Our Communities The Gorge Wellness Alliance works to break stigmas story by JANET COOK | photos provided

F

CoenFilm, both images

or years, Destiny Stohler was told to be quiet. To keep things to herself. To quit being a baby. She had a rocky upbringing in the Gorge, moving frequently to different communities, feeling unwanted at home and bullied at school. She was put on medication for anxiety and depression at age 12. By the time she was 15, she had developed a severe eating disorder.

But Stohler is a survivor. She still battles some demons, but now, at 25, she works as a certified nursing assistant at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, where she finds fulfillment in caring for

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others. And she talks about her struggles whenever she gets a chance. “I’m an open book,” she said. “I’m willing to share whatever.”

Stohler is one of six Gorge residents featured in a mini-documentary, Cultivate: Compassion, which was produced by the Gorge Wellness Alliance (GWA) in 2019. The film debuted in the fall, with a screening at the Columbia Center for the Arts.

The GWA had planned to take the film “on the road” last year, to area high schools, health fairs and other organizations interested in spreading its message.

Those plans had to be shelved when the pandemic hit. But the GWA continues its work to promote emotional health and wellness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues in the Gorge.

The screening of the documentary, Cultivate: Compassion, above. Richard Withers, left, during filming.

ER NEW

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Blaine + Bethany Photography

OPEN!

Destiny Stohler, above, was one of six Gorge residents featured in the documentary, Cultivate: Compassion. They held a panel discussion after the screening.

The organization, a collective of Oregon and Washington health advocates, got its start in 2018. Spearheaded by Lucas O’Laughlin, behavioral health director at One Community Health, the group — which includes people from the Hood River County Prevention Office, Columbia Gorge Children’s Advocacy Center, The Next Door, Inc., public health agencies in various Gorge communities, and others — began having informal, round-table discussions about the meaning of “health and wellness,” and how to better weave it into our communities.

They held discussions around “lofty ideas,” said O’Laughlin. “At the end of the day, it came down to, how do we do this? How do we shift a culture?”

The group hired a PR firm to help distill their ideas and eventually decided they would narrow their focus to mental health.

According to the GWA, nearly 40 percent of adults and 25 percent of youth in the Columbia Gorge are living with a mental health condition or struggling with alcohol or drug use. But many don’t seek help due to stigma.

It was around this theme that the GWA launched its first campaign, “Cultivate: Compassion.”

“We wanted people to be able to have more open and honest discussions around mental health,” O’Laughlin said. “The best way to break a stigma is to break the silence around it.” With initial seed funding from a grant, the GWA hired Colleen Regalbuto as project manager and embarked on creating the mini-documentary.

“We put out a call to the communities saying, ‘We’re going to be doing this film, let us know if you’re interested in having your story featured,’” Regalbuto said. Alliance members also used their network of mental health professionals to put the word out that they were looking for people willing to share their stories.

Destiny Stohler learned about the project from a friend who was involved in the GWA. She knew immediately that she wanted to participate. “I know there are plenty of people who struggle but don’t have the courage to share,” she said.

Richard Withers of Hood River is also featured in the film. He answered an ad placed by the GWA. A retired attorney, Withers and his wife moved to the Gorge five years ago from Wisconsin to be closer to their grandson. Withers has been sober for 10 years after decades struggling with alcoholism. “I was a high-functioning alcoholic, until I wasn’t,” he said.

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Withers has been involved in establishing meditation- and mindfulness-based recovery groups in the Gorge, as well as teaching meditation in the drug and alcohol abuse program at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility (NORCOR) in The Dalles.

When Withers saw the ad and learned about the GWA, he welcomed the chance to share his story with the hope of helping others. “One of the biggest problems people face that contributes to both addictive behavior and further alcoholism — as well as the inability to recover — is isolation,” he said.

“A lot of times we don’t have the skills to know how to reach out and start a conversation over these topics.” The approach of Cultivate: Compassion, he said, “felt like a natural fit.”

When the film screened at the Columbia Center for the Arts, all six people featured in it were there for a discussion panel after the film. Some audience members shared their own stories.

The GWA still hopes to show the film more widely and host facilitated discussions when it’s possible to do so again. In the meantime, the organization is forging ahead with an expanded mission that includes suicide prevention, intervention and postvention efforts.

“The idea is that looking at mental health promotion and suicide prevention is the same thing,” said Cheryl Cohen, behavioral health strategist with PacificSource, who joined the GWA last year. “The Gorge hasn’t had a focused suicide prevention effort. There’s good work happening, but no centralized effort.” Cohen said the message she wants to get across is that suicide is preventable. “If you’re struggling, reach out to a trusted person.”

There has been increased concern among mental health professionals and others that circumstances brought on by the pandemic could lead to higher suicide rates. “Public health data isn’t showing that deaths by suicide have gone up,” Cohen said. But the GWA, with community input showing a desire for more suicide prevention resources, believes incorporating that into its mission makes sense.

The GWA, which meets monthly, is working to identify where gaps exist and how to address those gaps across all of their work, including providing better outreach to the Latinx and tribal communities, and offering training opportunities in “mental health first aid” so more people feel able to respond appropriately if someone reaches out for help.

“There’s a balance to breaking the silence, breaking the stigma,” O’Laughlin said. “We also need to be equipped to have those conversations.” The alliance is working to provide information about free trainings and other helpful resources both for people struggling with issues and for community members who want to feel more capable of helping.

“We want to increase health-seeking behavior,” Cohen said. “Reach out. Let people know what’s going on. Struggles with mental health are really, really common.”

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Destiny Stohler works as a certified nursing assistant at MCMC in The Dalles.

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Stohler hopes that her part in the Cultivate: Compassion film will help others. “If I can be that person who sparks an idea or helps someone in any way, it would be an honor,” she said. “Because when I was going through such struggles, I wish I had someone like myself to talk to.” Like Cohen, she wants people to know that mental health issues are common, and that reaching out can bring hope and healing.

“I can’t say it enough how important it is just to be somebody who recognizes that everybody struggles,” she said. “To be that person who says, hey, you’re struggling. You know what? I’ve struggled, too, because we’re human.”

The film Cultivate: Compassion is available to view on the Gorge Wellness Alliance website at gorgewellnessalliance.org. The site also has outreach information, including phone numbers for local and national crisis support programs and community resources for individuals and families.

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PREMIER PEDIATRIC THE THE PREMIER THE PREMIER PEDIATRIC PEDIATRIC DENTAL SPECIALISTS DENTAL SPECIALISTS DENTAL SPECIALISTS IN IN IN GORGE! THE THE GORGE! THE GORGE!

541.296.8901 541.387.8688 541.296.8901 541.296.8901 FREE DENTAL EXAMS FREE DENTAL FREE DENTAL EXAMS EXAMS FORFOR541.387.8688 FOR541.387.8688 St. Suite1935 4 Suite 1935 19th 200Suite 200 419 State419 St. State Suite419 4 State St. E. 19th 4 St.E.Suite 1935St. 200 E. Suite 19th St. CHILDREN 2 AND UNDER CHILDREN CHILDREN 2 AND UNDER 2 AND UNDER Hood River The Dalles Hood River Hood River The Dalles The Dalles

PARTAKE I COOK WITH US

Fresh Pasta with Herbs Recipe and photos by KACIE MCMACKIN

I love making fresh pasta all year round, but this particular version feels like spring — tender sprigs of fresh herbs like chervil, parsley, rosemary, basil and thyme laminated into the pasta creates a beautiful, blank canvas for your favorite variation. The possibilities are endless, which is how things should feel in this season of renewal.

Ingredients • 2 cups type 00 flour (or all purpose flour) • 1/4 cup semolina flour, plus more for dusting • 2 large eggs • 4 egg yolks • fresh herbs, roughly chopped

Directions Put the flours in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk together the eggs and yolks in a small bowl and make a well in the center.

Pour the eggs into the well. Using a fork, slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour to make a shaggy dough. Dump onto a clean work surface and knead until the dough comes together in an elastic-y ball. If the dough is really sticky you can add a small dusting of your 00 or AP flour; if it’s too dry you can add another egg yolk. Each time you make the dough, it will be slightly different depending on your eggs, humidity, etc.

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SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow it rest for 15 minutes.

Using semolina flour as needed to keep it from sticking, begin to roll out your dough — you can either use your pasta maker per its instructions, or you can roll the dough out by hand with a rolling pin.

When you get the dough to your desired thickness, sprinkle the surface with fresh herbs, fold and roll out once more to laminate it together before cutting into strips with your pasta maker or a sharp knife.

Continue tossing in semolina flour to keep the strands from sticking.

To cook the pasta, heat a pot of very salty water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente — this will take just a few minutes depending on how dry your pasta has become between making and cooking. Drain and toss immediately with your preferred sauce: brown butter with fried sage and Parmesan is beautiful and rich; a quick toss in olive oil, a dollop of ricotta, more fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of flake salt is fresh and light; heated olive oil with thin, fragrant slices of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes is classic!

OUR GOLDENDALE WINERY

NOW HAS A FULL KITCHEN AND BISTRO!

Featuring Chef John from The Glass Onion

PARTAKE I EAT & DRINK

BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY

BRIDGESIDE

541-296-5666 • baldwinsaloon.com 205 Court Street • The Dalles

541-374-8477 • bridgesidedining.com Exit 44 off I-84, Cascade Locks

Backwoods Brewing is family owned and located in Carson, WA. Established in 2012, we offer delicious beers, hand-made pizzas, outdoor seating, and welcome all ages.

Celebrating its reopening, the Baldwin Saloon offers a traditional American fine dining experience. The menu includes dishes made with exceptional ingredients and artisanship.

Serves quality homemade food, fresh meats, seafood, breads, pastas, and desserts. Try our new takeout cocktails!

Stunning views next to the Bridge of the Gods – Bridgeside (formerly Charburger) serves tasty char-broiled burgers plus an extensive menu of breakfast items, chowders, fish & chips, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with friendly service.

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

Open Mon-Sat | Fine dining in The Dalles Pickup & Delivery available | Order online

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

BRODER ØST

CASA EL MIRADOR FAMILY MEXICAN RESTAURANT

CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR

541-436-3444 • brodereast.com 102 Oak St. Suite 100 • Hood River Offering Nordic inspired breakfast and lunch to the gorge. Something new and exciting for the whole family to enjoy. Come try traditional recipes such as aebleskiver (danish pancakes), swedish meatballs, norwegian lefse (potato crepes) and lots more!

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

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

Celebrating over 15 years, Celilo began with a desire to honor the bounty of the Northwest. 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.

#broderost

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.

Drink specials & Happy Hour menu 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.

DOPPIO COFFEE

EL PUERTO DE ANGELES III

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

Relax on our beautiful patio in the heart of Hood River.

Enjoy a hand crafted, in-house roasted espresso drink.

Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini sandwiches, fresh salads, smoothies and fresh baked pastries and goodies. Gluten free options available. Free Wi-Fi and our patio is dog friendly. Our tables are spaced apart and disinfected after each guest.

We are open and happy to serve you. Authentic Jalisco Cuisine. We provide a safe dining experience. Enjoy good food and good times. Offering daily lunch and dinner specials, served all day. Happy Hour Mon-Fri. Outdoor dining available (weather permitting).

Get in here and get to know us! At Everybody’s Brewing, you can enjoy an award-winning and ever-evolving beer menu, an inclusive food menu, and a welcoming environment with outdoor seating.

We look forward to serving you!

541-386-3000 • doppiohoodriver.com 310 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

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BALDWIN SALOON

509-427-3412 • backwoodsbrewingcompany.com 1162 Wind River Hwy • Carson

SPRING 2021 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

541-308-0005 1306 12th Street • Hood River, on the Heights

Open Daily 10am-9pm Dine-In or Takeout

Open Tuesday-Sunday at 5pm

509.637.2774 • everybodysbrewing.com 177 E. Jewett Boulevard • White Salmon

Open daily and take-out available.

PARTAKE I EAT & DRINK

GRACE SU’S CHINA GORGE RESTAURANT & TIGER LOUNGE 541-386-5331 • chinagorge.com 2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River (Located off I-84 and the base of Hwy 35)

A Gorge favorite for over 41 years! Enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine full of flavor and our friendly service.

Open Tuesday-Sunday, closed Mondays Takeout with curbside service Visit us on Facebook for hours & information updates

THE LITTLE SEVEN SEVEN RANCH HIGHLAND BEEF 509-767-7130 • L77Ranch.com Grass-Fed Highland beef from our ranch to your home.

Email to discuss beef preferences and we will assemble a $250 or $500 semi-custom box for contactless pick-up.

Boxes include steaks, roasts and ground beef. Or: Visit us at our Lyle ranch shop to shop in a safe, open space.

Ranch pick-up for boxes: by appointment, daily Ranch shop: by appointment, Saturday and Sunday

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

541-321-0490 • pfriembeer.com 707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront pFriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Europe, 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 Daily 12-7pm | pfriembeer.com

The area’s premier lifestyle publication

REMEDY CAFÉ

RIVERSIDE & CEBU LOUNGE

Organic juice, smoothies, bowls, burritos & salads.

House-made almond and coconut milks.

Vegan and paleo options. Best quality organic and local ingredients. Organic espresso.

Order Online - RemedyCafeHoodRiver.com

Welcome back to Riverside, where you’ll find the best food, drinks and views in the Gorge. Following guidelines for distanced dining indoors, outdoor on the waterfront, and takeout. Fresh menus change seasonally – plus an award-winning wine list and 14 taps with all your favorite local breweries.

541-716-4020 • remedycafehoodriver.com 112 Third Street • Downtown Hood River

Dine-In, Takeout and Curbside Options. Kids Corner.

WiFi. “Where Healthy Food and Your Cravings Meet!”

541-386-4410 • riversidehoodriver.com Exit 64 off I-84 • Waterfront Hood River

Serving Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner daily.

Be a part of the Gorge community!

Support The Gorge Magazine by advertising and subscribing.

Reserve Ad Space Now for SUMMER 2021!

For advertising, contact Jody Thompson:

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO.

We are the local’s favorite spot for fresh fish, Pan-Asian cuisine, and a huge sake selection, all available to-go only.

We offer curbside pickup, 7 nights a week. With creative rolls, rotating specials, and fresh sashimi and nigiri, we also offer staples like Teriyaki, Tempura, and stir-fry dishes to satisfy all tastes. Phone orders only, starting at 4, pickup 5-8pm. Check IG & FB for specials and current menu.

A brewery and taproom located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. With COVID safety in mind, indoor tables are physically distanced and flanked by eight roll-up garagestyle doors, windows, and high ceilings. Our dog friendly outdoor patio is also distanced, heated and partially covered with views of the Columbia River and the Cascades.

971-231-4599 • thunderislandbrewing.com 601 NW Wa Na Pa Street • Cascade Locks

Enjoy the heated & covered outdoor patio this winter!

For more information, contact Janet Cook jcook@thegorgemagazine.com or 541-399-6333 SPRING 2021 thegorgemagazine.com

SUSHI OKALANI

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

jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com 425-308-9582

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Tasting Opportunity The Sunshine Mill finds ways to get wine to the people

From Seed to Vase

Flower farming as art

Personal Patisserie

Good eats from Icebox Bakery

SUBSCRIBE $19.99 FOR ONE YEAR $29.99 FOR TWO YEARS (4 issues per year mailed to your home)

Order online at thegorgemagazine.com or call 541-399-6333

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II SPRING 2021 57

OUR GORGE I YOUR GORGE

Photographer Paloma Ayala was working on a project for a client, shooting photos in different locations around the Hood River Valley, when she came across this road in Odell. The first time she photographed it, “it was a failure,” she said. But she had the vision, and returned early one spring morning when the blossoms were in bloom to capture the image.

The Photographer PALOMA AYALA grew up near Mexico City. She moved to the Gorge about 10 years ago with her husband, Patrick Hiller. She’d been a graphic designer and photographer in Mexico, where she did mostly studio photography. “It was all very controlled, with lights, inside a room,” she said. When she moved to the Gorge, it was like a whole new photography world opened up to her. “There was morning light and landscapes and people,” she said. She knew immediately that she wanted to pursue outdoor photography. “I see all the potential for using the Gorge as a beautiful background,” she said. “I don’t see myself ever going back to the studio.” ayalapaloma.com

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NORTHWEST EXPERTS Our brokers will help discover where you LOVE TO LIVE.

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Hood River Office 118 3rd Street

541.716.0701 350 brokers in 15 offices serving Oregon and SW Washington

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Sotheby’s International Realty is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. All associates are licensed in the State of Oregon. Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc is owned and operated by Realogy.