The Gorge Magazine - Winter 2015-16

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TOWER TRAINING Harnessing the Wind

RADIO TIERRA Airwaves for All

DOG MOUNTAIN Winter Wonderland

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Visit Historic Downtown

TROUTDALE the gateway to the gorge Take Exit 17 off I-84

Visit our many Specialty Shops, Art Galleries, Antique Shops, Fine Restaurants, and more!

CELLARS

OPENING SOON!

Taste of Village

DOWNTOWN TROUTDALE

Chinese RestauRant & Lounge

now available online

{ Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine }

503.618.VINO (8466)

CalcagnoCellars.com

277 East Columbia River Hwy Appointments (503)-328-8455 www.meltmassageme.net

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

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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

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CONTENTS : FEATURES

Wind Warriors p.40

40 WIND WARRIORS Students at CGCC bring different backgrounds and similar hopes to their training in Renewable Energy Technology

BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER

46 RADIO TIERRA A homegrown community radio station brings educational and cultural broadcasts to the Gorge’s Hispanic community and beyond

BY DON CAMPBELL

Renata Kosina 4

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11/24/15 3:00 PM

Discover your adventure…experience ours!

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.

TRELLIS Fresh Flowers & Gifts We provide unique fresh cut flower arrangements delivered with a smile.

We are known for our exceptional service and attention to detail that we put into each arrangement. Give us a call for expert floral guidance!

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

(509) 493-4844 • trellisfreshflowers.net 165 E Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

DICKEY FARMS

MUGS COFFEE

Find specialty groceries and meat, local produce, gifts and cards, local arts and crafts, local wine selection, hard ice cream. We are also a garden center and feed, grain, pet supply store. Visit Angel’s Bakery inside for fresh pastries, pies, breads, cake.

Delicious, locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee, and fresh pastries.

For lunch try a savory panini or wrap with a fresh organic green salad. We also serve local wine and NW beer.

Dine inside or on our private patio.

Ask about our catering services.

(509) 493-2636 • Find us on Facebook 806 West Steuben St • Bingen

(509) 281-3100 • mugsco.com 120 West Steuben St • Bingen

THE LYLE HOTEL

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

The Lyle Hotel Restaurant & Bar is a historic railroad hotel that has been newly renovated. Nightly stays and local delicacies in the heart of wine country. Wine tasting, fresh local beers, cider, small plates & dinner served Wednesday through Saturday.

Come experience craft beers and locally-sourced pub food in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge with a family friendly environment and a stunning Mt. Hood view from our deck. Open 11:30 til close.

(509) 365-5953 • thelylehotel.com 100 Seventh St • Lyle

WHITE SALMON BAKING Co. Artisanal breads baked in our custom, hand-built, wood-fired oven. Breads are highlighted in our seasonal breakfast and lunch menus. Enjoy beer, wine, and locally roasted Pacific Rim espresso with your pastry. Call us to cater or bake a cake for your next event!

(509) 281-3140•whitesalmonbaking.com 80 Estes Ave • White Salmon

(509) 637- 2774 • everybodysbrewing.com 151 E. Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

KULA CHIROPRACTIC SPORTS & WELLNESS CENTER Integrating chiropractic, soft tissue therapy, sports injury rehabilitation, and nutritional guidance. Kula’s active treatment approach bridges the gap from pain to performance.

(509) 493-4000 • kulachiropractic.com 410 E. Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER: 1 Heritage Plaza, White Salmon, WA 98672 • (509) 493-3630 • www.mtadamschamber.com

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CONTENTS : DEPARTMENTS

our gorge 12

PERSON OF INTEREST

14

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT

18

BEST OF THE GORGE

22

HOME+GARDEN

26

LOCAVORE

28

STYLE+DESIGN

32

ROADTRIP

34

WINE SPOTLIGHT

60

PARTAKE

66

EPILOGUE

Paloma Ayala

50

Peter Marbach

outside

50 DOG MOUNTAIN IN WINTER The cold, wet season offers a fresh take on this iconic Gorge landmark

BY PETER MARBACH

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arts+culture

54 HEAVY METAL Kelly Phipps, a self-taught metal fabricator, gets creative with the hard stuff

BY DON CAMPBELL

wellness

56 MARKING A MILESTONE One Gorge woman finds a unique way to celebrate The Big Five-Oh

BY RUTH BERKOWITZ

54

Silvia Flores 6

WINTER 2015-16 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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UNIQUE JEWELRY

◉

HOME ACCENTS

◉

CUSTOM GIFTS

◉

SINCE 1994

305 OAK STREET • HOOD RIVER (541) 386-6188 • T WIGGS@GOR GE.NET

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EDITOR’S NOTE

I

’ve lived in the Gorge long enough to remember when there was not a thing on the horizon east of The Dalles except wheat fields and clouds. The high desert unfolded endlessly upon itself in all directions, ad infinitum. Today, the landscape is entirely different, planted with hundreds of wind towers reaching for the sky, marching along ridgelines and across the flatlands on both sides of the Columbia River. The white towers, blades churning as they harness the wind’s power, have come to define the eastern Gorge.

According to writer Peggy Dills Kelter, there are some 2,000 wind towers in Sherman, Morrow, Gilliam and Klickitat counties, with more in the works. Dills Kelter and photographer Renata Kosina (who is also our talented creative director) spent a day with a group of students from the Renewable Energy Technology training program at Columbia Gorge Community College—along with their instructor, Jim Pytel—as they got some hands-on training on towers near Roosevelt, Wash. The story, which begins on page 40, offers interesting insight into the program and its students, as well as some wonderful images of the wind towers from many perspectives.

visit online portfolio at silviaflores.com

You don’t have to have lived in the Gorge—or Oregon—long to know that recently the state became the fourth one in the country to legalize recreational marijuana use (joining our neighbors across the river in Washington, as well as Colorado and Alaska). Starting Oct. 1, Oregon’s medical marijuana dispensaries were allowed to begin selling pot to recreational users—people age 21 and over who do not have medical cards. As writer Ben Mitchell outlines in his story beginning on page 14, Hood River’s four dispensaries (count ‘em, four, which ranks the city high on the list of marijuana dispensaries per capita in the state) began doing a brisk business immediately. The story will continue to evolve, no doubt, as Oregon implements its full recreational marijuana system in 2016, which will separate the medical and recreational industries and place taxes on recreational sales.

This issue is chock full of other interesting stories, including a feature on Radio Tierra, the Gorge’s homegrown community radio station (page 46); a story on hiking Dog Mountain in the winter (page 50); and a profile of artisan Kelly Phipps and her gorgeous metal work (page 54). Plus, there’s lots more. Happy trails this winter—preferably of the fresh tracks sort.

WINTER 2015-16 thegorgemagazine.com

Janet Cook, Editor

TOWER TRAINING Harnessing the Wind

RADIO TIERRA Airwaves for All

DOG MOUNTAIN Winter Wonderland

ABOUT THE COVER Photographer Peter Marbach took the cover photo of the White River on Mount Hood. “It was a short snowshoe trek from the White River Sno-Park area off Highway 35 that is a very popular family destination for sledding,” he said.

“I simply followed the river until I found a composition that I liked with the snow still looking fresh.” petermarbach.com

lifestyle photography by silvia flores

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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.

WINTER 2015-16 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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11/20/15 4:51 PM

WINTER 2015-16 JANET COOK Editor

RENATA KOSINA

Creative Director/Graphic Designer

MICKI CHAPMAN Advertising Director

JENNA HALLETT Account Executive

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, Peggy Dills Kelter, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Kathy Watson

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Peter Marbach

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Paloma Ayala, Silvia Flores, Renata Kosina, Adam Lapierre, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Michael Peterson, Brian Schott

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

facebook.com/thegorgemagazine instagram/thegorgemagazine pinterest/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 : WINTER 2015-16

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OUR GORGE person of interest p. 12

business highlight p. 14 best of the gorge p. 18 home+garden p. 22 locavore p. 26 style+design p. 28 roadtrip p. 32 wine spotlight p. 34

Anastasia and Ben Saur pause during a late-season harvest at their small farm in Mt. Hood. p. 22 Photo by Paloma Ayala THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2015-16

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OUR GORGE : PERSON OF INTEREST

Harper Ortlieb

For this young Hood River ballerina, an invitation to Russia is a dream come true

BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ORTLIEB FAMILY

W

hile most teenagers use their smartphones to post selfies on Instagram and text with their friends, Harper Ortlieb, 14, uses hers to Skype with her parents from her dorm room in Moscow, Russia, and to help her translate things from Russian to English.

Harper, who was born in Hood River and grew up in the mid-valley community of Mt. Hood, has been living in Moscow since October. She’s one of a handful of teenagers from around the world who were invited to a nine-month traineeship at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Harper is the youngest one in the program, and for her, this is the next step on her journey to becoming a world-class ballerina.

For Layne Baumann and Tim Ortlieb, Harper’s parents, the distance is the hardest part. “I just miss her physically,” Baumann says after Skyping with her over a latte at Dog River Coffee in Hood River. The fact that her daughter is in Russia—Russia—pursuing her ballerina dreams is not surprising to Baumann. “I just didn’t think it would be so fast,” she says, adding that she figured Harper might be where she is a couple of years from now. But as for the path Harper is on, she’s been traveling it since she was barely past toddlerhood.

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Like many little girls in the Gorge, Harper started taking ballet at the Columbia Gorge Dance Academy in Hood River as soon as she was old enough—at age 3. Nancy Clement, her first ballet teacher, recalls that Harper stood out from the rest immediately. “While all the other 3-year-olds were running around being butterflies and fairies, Harper would stand in front of the mirror, putting her feet and arms in a ballet pose called ‘Passé Ritiré’ and ask me if she had it just right,” Clement says. “She must have seen that pose in a book, because it’s not one I teach to 3-year-olds.”

As Harper moved along through classes at CGDA over the next few years, the teachers there kept her within her age group even though she could have moved ahead. “Because she was such a good student, she understood the value of perfecting each exercise, and doing it to her best, rather than just moving up to a higher level,” Clement says.

“That’s the sign of a good student, and one of the things that has set her apart.”

After Harper completed Level 4 Ballet at the studio—at the end of her fourth grade year—Clement and fellow ballet teacher Theresa Mason encouraged her to audition for the School of Oregon Ballet Theater in Portland. “We knew that she would benefit from a more intense ballet program,” Clement says.

Harper was accepted, and it became her “second home,” she says. “When I began my training at the School of Oregon Ballet Theater, I was introduced to another level of professionalism,” Harper says.

“Alongside a piano accompanist, my teachers emphasized strong classical technique and discipline by example, critique and physical guidance.”

At first, Harper attended classes there three days a week. Baumann would pick her up early from Westside Elementary School and they’d drive to Portland, returning in the evening. As Harper advanced in ballet, she took more classes. By the time she started sixth grade at Hood River Middle School, Harper was spending so much time in the car with her mom driving to and from Portland that she did all her homework and practiced her flute in the back seat. On the way home, she slept.

Harper’s relentless pursuit of ballet affected her life in other ways, too. She had ballet class on Saturday mornings, so there were no Friday night sleepovers.

Sundays were spent catching up on homework. Her social life was nearly nonexistent, but she didn’t care.

When she started eighth grade, attending school had become too difficult with her intense ballet schedule, so she enrolled in an online school.

Last summer, Harper attended a six-week “intensive” in Connecticut run by the Bolshoi Ballet

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Harper Ortlieb, 14, is spending nine months in Moscow in a traineeship at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy, also known as the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (above). She’s the youngest ballerina in the program this year.

Academy. “It was my first time away from home, and my first immersion into the Russian language,” Harper says. “My teachers demanded stronger technique, musicality and presentation.” Program teachers let it be known that some dancers would be selected for a traineeship in Moscow, but Harper never imagined she’d be one of them. She was just settling back into her fall routine in Oregon when the invitation arrived from Moscow. “I couldn’t believe it,” Harper says. “My dream was coming true!”

Harper and her parents had less than a month to get visas and travel arrangements made, as well as come up with tuition. The three of them left for Russia on Sept. 30. After arriving in Moscow some 18 hours later, Harper went through a rigorous check-in process and began classes immediately. Her parents stayed for a few days before heading home.

Since then, Harper has been immersed in the world of ballet, Russian-style. She sleeps, eats and attends classes at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the oldest theatrical institution in Moscow, dating to 1773. Her classes are six days a week, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m., and include Classical Dance, Pointe, Historical Dance, Character, Repertoire and Modern, as well as gymnastics and Russian

language class. Evenings are spent stretching, working on corrections from classes and doing Russian language homework.

“The language barrier is my biggest challenge,” Harper says. “Most of my teachers speak only Russian, so I have to ‘read’ their gestures to understand them.” She’s also had to get used to the raked floors in the dance studios; they’re slanted just like they are at the Bolshoi Theater—and all Russian and many European stages—for better audience viewing.

But Harper is up for the challenges. “Attending ballet and language classes six days a week is not work for me,” she says. “It is undoubtedly where I belong.” Her singular focus on improving her ballet skills helps ease her homesickness, and her parents’ visits help.

“I’m humbled to have this opportunity,” Harper says. “My intentions are to learn, learn and learn more. I’m inspired to improve my ballet artistry and technique, along with my language fluency.” In her spare time, she’s taking in as much Russian culture as she can. “The Bolshoi Theater is only three train stops from the academy,” Harper says. “I plan to attend as many performances as I can.”

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OUR GORGE : BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT

The Gorge gets Green

Oregon’s legalized recreational marijuana brings customers—and dispensaries—to Hood River

BY BEN MITCHELL

I

n the 1980s, wind sports enthusiasts from all over the world began flocking to Hood River to take part in the city’s burgeoning recreation scene. In the 1990s and 2000s, the town began garnering acclaim as a beer-quaffer’s paradise, as new breweries popped up, increased production, and raked in the awards. In 2004, it officially became a destination for wine, included in the brand-new Columbia Gorge AVA. In the 2010s, local entrepreneurs tapped into the area’s rich fruitgrowing industry as numerous cideries sprung up around the valley.

And in 2015, Hood River began playing a significant role in one of the region’s newest industries: cannabis.

Just a little more than a year-and-a-half after medical marijuana dispensaries became legal in Oregon, the city of Hood River is home to four. First came The Gorge Green Cross, which opened on the corner of

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Oak and 6th streets in July 2014. That was followed

by Mountain View Naturals a month later, located on Wasco Street near the edge of the downtown business district. Gorge Greenery, located in the heart of downtown near Oak and 1st streets, opened in the summer of 2015, followed by High Winds NV (NV stands for New Vansterdam, a Portland dispensary that serves as its parent company) on Clearwater Lane in the West Cascade business district.

If four dispensaries in a city with fewer than 7,500 residents seem like a lot, it is. While Hood River can’t match larger cities in terms of sheer numbers (Portland boasted 131 dispensaries as of November), out of the 69 cities in the state that have dispensaries, Hood River is ranked 11th in dispensaries per capita, although that number includes several outliers, such as towns with fewer than 2,000 residents. Take away those, and Hood River is closer to second or third.

It may seem like Hood River and the state have a glut of dispensaries, but it took all of one week to show that the high demand for marijuana here might warrant them. On October 1, medical dispensaries in Oregon, including all four in Hood River, could legally start selling to recreational users— people 21 and over who do not have medical cards.

Portland news station KGW reported that in the first week of October alone, Oregon sold $11 million worth of marijuana—$3.5 million on the first day alone, blowing state revenue projections out of the water. By comparison, Colorado recorded $5 million in its first week of legalization, and Washington sold $2 million in the state’s first month.

It’s been no different in Hood River. On Oct. 1, it was “standing room only” at The Gorge Green Cross, according to co-owner Michael Rachford.

At Gorge Greenery, lines spilled out the door on Oct. 2 for the dispensary’s 25-cent gram pre-roll

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ELEVATION ELEVATION HIGH WINDS NV

Hood River’s Premier Cannabis Destination Flower Edibles Concentrates

High Winds NV 220 Clearwater Ln. Suite B Hood River, OR 97031

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2015-16

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THE GORGE GREEN CROSS

OUR GORGE : BUSINESS HIGHLIGHT

Hood River’s First Licensed Cannabis Dispensary

Northern Lights strain displayed at Gorge Greenery (pg. 14).

Close-up of Purple Hindu Kush at Gorge Green Cross (pg. 14 inset).

Different strains displayed on Gorge Greenery’s reclaimed wood counter, along with the dispensary’s menu that lists strain information, such as the grower and THC content (above). Tia Ballard, a budtender at Gorge Greenery (left).

Superior Quality • Fair Pricing Knowledgeable, Friendly Staff

541-490-5441 602 Oak Street, Hood River www.TheGorgeGreenCross.com TheGorgeGreenCross@gmail.com Find us on Facebook N W

Mike’s Ice Cream

5th St.

Brian’s Pourhouse

6th St.

7th St.

E S

Oak St.

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(joint, if you will) promotion, as customers listened to live music and enjoyed a green-themed menu of appetizers catered by local deli Boda’s Kitchen, while budtenders (think of them as marijuana sommeliers) recommended various strains of cannabis—some grown right in Hood River County—to curious customers.

Up the road at High Winds, assistant manager Lexi Page was also having a busy day. “It was nonstop, all day long,” she said, noting that the dispensary made nearly $60,000 in its first month and has been averaging anywhere from 30-70 customers a day, with new customers coming in all the time.

“It was like a switch had been flipped.”

At Mountain View Naturals, sales were steady, though not quite as high as owner Luke Tanner had expected. Still, they were “double or triple” what he did in September before recreational marijuana was legal—and good enough to warrant Tanner expanding his staff.

So why is Hood River so attractive to Oregon’s

budding cannabis industry? For one, it’s politically supported. While several city governments in the Gorge enacted moratoria on marijuana businesses when they were first legalized, the City of Hood River did not. In fact, the voters who make up the city’s three precincts voted overwhelmingly to approve the 2014 ballot measure that legalized marijuana, with two-thirds in favor of legalization for recreational use.

Another reason? Tanner and Page both suggested that the outdoor recreation scene in Hood River also produces its fair share of cannabis consumers.

“I would say one is tourism,” Page said when asked why High Winds chose to locate in Hood River. “A lot of the people around here snowboard and skateboard and they happen to smoke cannabis at the same time.”

Cannabis customers are far from a homogeneous group in Hood River, though, or anywhere else for that matter. The four dispensary owners attest to seeing all different kinds of people walk in the door, from college students to business professionals, and in many cases, the elderly, indicating a diverse market.

Hood River’s robust marijuana sales aren’t exactly good news for everyone, though. Across the Columbia River in Washington, Margie Lemberger,

WINTER 2015-16 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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owner of Margie’s Pot Shop in Bingen which has been open since July 2014, saw sales drop the first day of Oregon’s legalization, and says her revenue in October fell 60 percent from the previous month. However, Lemberger said her business is still doing well and that Hood River dispensaries have been sending her customers who are looking for edibles, tinctures, and other cannabis-related products that Oregon dispensaries currently can’t sell to recreational customers.

While the initial rush of sales have been exceedingly promising for dispensaries, things will get a little more complicated as Oregon rolls out its full recreational system late next year, which will separate the medical and recreational industries.

Also, taxes go into place on recreational sales in January, which has the potential to affect sales.

But, as public attitudes trend toward greater acceptance of marijuana, Tanner expects his and other dispensaries’ customer bases will grow regardless.

“I definitely expect more people to get on board and get more comfortable with it as time goes on,” Tanner said. “I see an attitude change there and I think it will get better with time.”

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

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gorgecurrent.com gorgecurrent.com currentThe events calendar | river webcam most complete

current events calendar in The Columbia River Gorge.

View events. Post your events.

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OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Balch Hotel

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Adam Lapierre

Frozen Waterfalls

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With all the attention (and crowds) Gorge waterfalls get in the warm seasons, it’s easy to forget that they become something entirely different—but no less breathtaking—in the winter.

For up-close viewing of some of these frozen majesties, take a drive along the “waterfall corridor” of the Historic Columbia River Highway. From just east of Crown Point (from I-84, take Exit 22 at Corbett) meander the historic roadway past some of the Columbia Gorge’s iconic waterfalls—including Latourell, Bridal Veil, Multnomah and Horsetail falls. The highway is blissfully uncrowded in winter, and you can stop and view many of the icefalls right from the car.

Celebrate small-town life at its best at the Dufur Hometown Christmas, then take in the Super Saturday Supper series at the Balch Hotel on Dec. 12.

The holiday celebration features a local artisan’s fair, photos with Santa and a lighted tractor parade. The December installment of the Balch Hotel Supper is a three-course family-style feast prepared by recent Portland transplant, Chef Jason Barwikowski, featuring exquisite farm-to-table fare and suggested wine and beer pairings.

Make a reservation and stay the night at the historic hotel. balchhotel.com

Polar Express

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Put the family in their PJ’s and head to the Mount Hood Railroad for The Polar Express. The iconic story plays out onboard with the conductor punching children’s golden tickets, dancing chefs serving hot cocoa and cookies, the doubting hobo wandering through the train, and a stop at the “North Pole,” where Santa and his elves climb aboard and visit with the children. The elves lead passengers in Christmas carols and Santa presents each child with a silver sleigh bell.

The Polar Express runs through Dec. 27. mthoodrr.com

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Gingerbread Houses

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Skamania Lodge in Stevenson hosts gingerbread house-making workshops in December. The Lodge’s culinary team helps participants create their own gingerbread house—or just a cookie. All materials are provided. Workshops are Dec. 5, 12, 19 and 26. Reservations are required.

The lodge also hosts ornament workshops on Saturdays and Sundays through December, where you can make and decorate your own holiday ornament. skamania.com

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Put your money where your heart is by shopping locally this winter. Gorge Owned, a member-supported organization that works to strengthen connections between the community, the environment and the economy of the Gorge, launched its 6th annual GO! Local Campaign in November. It runs through mid-April. Pick up a free map of participating businesses from around the Gorge and get a sticker at each business you visit. If you collect at least 12 stickers, you earn a chance to win a gift certificate from a participating business. In January, Gorge Owned will begin giving away raffle prizes to participating shoppers every two weeks. gorgeowned.org

Odell $499,000 Large daylight rancher w/ Mt. Adams & valley view. 3 BR, 2 BA on main & 1 BR, 1 BA guest suite in lower level.

Full front deck w/ protected hottub off Master BR. Just off Hwy 35 on 4.45 acres.

Wine & Chocolate

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What better way to celebrate Cupid’s special day than by indulging in wine and chocolate? The Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association’s Valentine’s Wine and Chocolate Celebration Feb. 13-15 invites you to do just that. More than 20 Gorge wineries ramp up the romance with special pairings of wine and chocolate, as well as other sweet treats. Many Gorge wineries offer special releases, discounts and more during the three-day open house. columbiagorgewine.com

Parkdale $364,000 Beautiful Mt. Hood view from this .87 acre parcel. East property line is East Fork Irrigation canal. Large trees, mature landscaping, front & back lawns, 2 car attached garage.

3 BR, 2BA, 1898 sqft.

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

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OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Christmas Bird Count

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Join the Audubon Society’s 116th Christmas Bird Count in Hood River County on Dec. 22. As a volunteer for the project, you can conduct bird feeder counts at your own backyard feeders for part or all of the day. In addition, volunteers are needed to help cover different sections of Hood River County, including Odell, Parkdale, Oak Grove, Pine Grove and Mt. Hood. The nation’s longest-running citizen science birding project, the Christmas Bird Count helps fuel Audubon science year round. hoodriver.org

Museums

Michael Peterson

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If the weather outside makes you want to be inside, load up the family and head to a museum.

The Gorge is home to several top-notch museums, each a worthy place to while away a rainy day. The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum in Stevenson is chock full of history of the central Gorge (columbiagorge.org). The History Museum of Hood River County offers fascinating artifacts and exhibits on local history (co.hood-river.or.us/museum). The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles features both natural and cultural history of the Gorge and Wasco County (gorgediscovery.org). And there’s WAAAM, the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, with its world-renowned collection of historic planes and cars waaamuseum.org.

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OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

In From the Cold Ben and Anastasia Saur work toward four-season farming

BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY PALOMA AYALA

W

inter is the off-season for small farmers in the Gorge. But for some, the time between the last of the fall harvest and the first preparations for spring is shrinking. For Ben and Anstasia Saur, it’s a matter of weeks between filling their last CSA boxes just before Thanksgiving and starting their first seeds for spring growing.

And that’s for the crops they sell. The Saurs, who have been farming for five years in the Hood River Valley, eat their own farm-grown goods all winter. “We try not to buy any produce in the winter,” Ben says.

“Some of it doesn’t look pristine, but it tastes okay.” The Saurs, who operate Saur Farming in Mt. Hood, sell produce from their farm at the Hood River Farmers’ Market and also have about a dozen members of their CSA (community supported agriculture), who receive a box of farm goods once a week from May through November. They also sell some items to local restaurants.

The Saurs first ventured into farming on property just outside Hood River five years ago. Their first crop was fall vegetables, and they had a successful season. From there, they began growing more crops for the market, eventually farming in two different locations and utilizing a third location for vegetable washing. “We did a lot of driving,” Ben

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says. The launch of their CSA two years ago added to their logistics juggle. Last winter, after much searching, the couple bought 10 acres in Mt. Hood where they’ve been able to consolidate all their farming operations.

Integral to the Saur’s farm are three 20-by-50foot hoop houses (similar to a greenhouse but simpler to build). They help the couple as they strive for “season extension” gardening—a term that Ben prefers over “winter gardening” as it applies to growing produce in the Gorge. In the fall, two of the hoop houses are dedicated to rows of produce—including radishes, lettuce, bok choy, arugula and spinach—planted in intervals to supply the farmers’ market and weekly CSA boxes all the way through November. (The hoop houses also help the Saur’s’ huge tomato crop last well into October.) “The goal of these beds is to make it to Thanksgiving,” Ben says.

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Real Estate Sales and Service

Wishing everyone in our community a great winter!

f

Ben and Anastasia Saur of Saur Farming work on a late-season harvest on their 10-acre farm in Mt. Hood (above and left). They grow and harvest produce through November for the farmers’ market and their CSA members, and continue to eat from their farm through the winter.

It’s tricky; as the days get shorter, growth slows and eventually stops. “What you have is what you have,” he says. “The whole strategy is trying to plan appropriately.” Along with their produce grown in the hoop houses, the Saurs have plenty of field crops that last through fall and into winter, including potatoes, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas and beets.

“Basically these are root vegetables that usually can be left in the field covered with soil, or can be pulled and stored in refrigeration,” Ben says.

The Saurs also grow field greens such as kale, collards, cabbage, lettuce, parsley, cilantro, mâche, arugula and radicchio. “These crops are very cold hardy and usually will survive winter and resume growth in the spring,” Ben says. In addition, crops from the brassica family—including cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts—send out flowering shoots in late winter that are “delicious and productive,” according to Ben. “This is a huge

part of our diet in March and April and is a big sales item to restaurants as well.”

The Saur’s dry storage crops—garlic, onions, shallots, squash, beans—round out their winter staples; they’re harvested in the fall and stored indoors in a cool, dry area.

With the hoop houses, Ben is able to start his seeds for spring vegetables in February. Beets and carrots are first, followed soon after by salad greens, radishes and bok choy. Planning for the first market in May—and the start of the CSA season—is as tricky as making fall crops last. “You want things to be ready,” Ben says, but not past their prime.

Up until now, the Saurs have focused much of their extended season efforts on feeding themselves. Now that they know they can do it, and with ample space on their property, Ben says they plan to grow more produce to sell in the winter. “We’re

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OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

going to be pushing ourselves in that direction more,” he says.

In the meantime, the Saurs will be dining on the fruits—er, veggies—of their labor all winter, and hope their efforts will inspire others. “We are convinced that many folks could do the same things we do in their own gardens,” Ben says, “and with a little education would have great success providing themselves and their families with fresh, nutritious produce throughout the winter months.”

For more on Saur Farming, find them on Facebook.

The Saurs begin planting the first seeds for their spring produce in February. They have three hoop houses on their farm to help with early- and late-season growing.

SEASON EXTENSION GARDENING TIPS Rachel Suits, a master gardener with the OSU Extension Service in Hood River who works with small farms, offers these tips for gardeners who want to extend their season: • • • • •

Spread a layer of mulch around plants to protect them from cold. Straw works well.

Use fabric to create floating row covers, or low or high tunnels supported by wire frames. This adds a protective barrier between the cold air and your plants.

Cold frames and cloches also provide good protection for plants during winter.

Windbreaks are especially important in the Gorge. If you don’t want to plant shrubs for this, get creative with items like large burlap bags.

Choose cold-tolerant varieties of plants. “The brassicas—kale, collard greens, most cooking greens—are great,” Suits says. Some plants even become sweeter after touched by frost, she adds, including collards and carrots.

For more information, go to http://extension.oregonstate.edu/hoodriver/

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OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

It Started With Six Small Jars How one creative guy turned a fruit obsession into a Northwest favorite STORY BY KATHY WATSON • PHOTOS BY PALOMA AYALA

H

e came to Hood River like so many of us, with a yearning for the landscape, a love of windsurfing, and something else: a passion for farm-fresh fruit. He’s turned that passion into a preserved fruit company that sells over 30 products in hundreds of markets across the U.S. and the world. Gee. No, Dave Gee. “We have a simple philosophy: we buy the best fruit in the world, and try not to screw it up,” says Gee, who started Oregon Growers (then called Oregon Growers and Shippers) in 2003.

In those days, Gee, who cooked in restaurants in Martha’s Vineyard and Charleston before the westward tug of the wind brought him here, would use the Sixth St. Bistro kitchen to experiment. Maui Meyer and Ben Stenn owned the venerable bistro in those days, and are Gee’s partners. That’s where he created the company’s first six products, including apple and pear butters. Like any start-up, it was tedious and exhausting in the early going—a long string of demos every weekend at grocery stores.

“There were a lot of lessons: pricing, distribution, how to enter the market in the right way,” says Gee. For years, Gee, staff and friends hand-labeled every distinctive square jar, until last year when the hand labeling cruised near an annual 250,000-jar level. Now, new round jars with deep, classy lids are machine-labeled.

That, and Gee’s decision to drop the “shippers” part of the name are two ways the brand continues to rise above the endless clatter of jams and jellies on grocery shelves, and is now the most widely distributed regional jam company in the Northwest. (Check out the jam aisle the next time you visit Trader Joe’s.)

Here’s what sets Oregon Growers apart from those also-rans: Gee has never strayed from his farm-fresh roots. He still buys his fruit from the Hood River and Willamette valleys. He still asks his growers to pick it at high brix, which means extra sugar sweetness right in the fruit, and less added sugar in the jar. It’s the most expensive fruit in the world, says Gee. And he’s still playing with his food. He’s growing a line of “fruit pates” that pair so well with cheese, they’re featured at Murray’s Cheese kiosks inside many Kroger’s grocery stores. Watch for Sour Cherry Fruit Pate out

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soon, made of 80 percent sour cherries and 20 percent sweet cherries, and just a hint of almond. The firm, sliceable pate pairs well with a bright sheep’s milk or goat’s milk cheese, says Gee. He’s experimenting with more savory jams and fruit spreads, with garlic and onions and other aromatics, even hops, which he says adds a bitter, floral flavor.

The company keeps growing up and out: Gee is partnering with Dragonfly Chai in Portland for several spiced fruit butters. Eighteen of his products are now non-GMO certified, a process that took a year. He makes the Pendleton Whisky BBQ sauces for Hood River Distillers.

And there’s a part of Oregon Growers we’ll never see by name: the company makes the fruit-atthe-bottom for several gourmet yogurts, such as Bellweather Farms.

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Celilo Restaurant and Bar Pacific Northwest cuisine with an emphasis on locally grown products, extensive wine list, and full bar.

2015 Award of Excellence from

Wine Spectator

Oregon Growers has more than 30 fruit-based products that sell in hundreds of markets across the country and the world. Company founder Dave Gee (left) sources all the fruit for his products from the Hood River and Willamette valleys.

He’s kept other Hood River roots, too. Eschewing corporate focus groups to test his products, he just takes new recipes over to friends’ houses for dinner.

“I come with treats,” says Gee. (Note to holiday guest list makers: Invite Dave Gee.) But that down-home, real connection to farmers and friends has its drawbacks, too, says Gee, who finds it hard to stay on the pulse of trends that come and go from his small office in Hood River.

So he’s still on the road a lot, watching how people shop, talking to store managers about what’s selling and why. He’s had to kill eight or so “duds” that just didn’t light up the market place.

Another challenge: there’s a big difference between what Gee can make experimenting on a small batch, and what can go into thousands of jars.

“We ask, ‘Can you scale it?’ I mean, really scale it,” says Gee. It takes the company $10,000 to roll out a new product. “I depend on my gut instinct: do I like it?” But then, that recipe has to pass the mass-production test. What does it taste like when you make a 200-pound batch? And even then, you have to wait

until the next day, after it’s set, to taste if it really makes the grade. Gee oversees that process, working with the same two food-processing plants in Newberg and St. Helens all these years, scrupulously providing all the raw materials for everything.

Gee has earned a lot of “scar tissue” as he puts it, learning how to grow a jar of jam into a fruit powerhouse. No wonder other Gorge start-up food businesses—including Blue Bus Cultured Foods and Oregon Brineworks—have stopped in to see how he does it.

You can taste all that experience this holiday season and beyond, and ship it out to friends, too.

It’s part of why we live here, and eat here, too.

Oregon Growers products are available at Rosauers and Safeway in Hood River; Safeway and Fred Meyer in The Dalles; and Dickey Farms in Bingen, as well as several other retail outlets in the Gorge. Or order online at oregongrowers.com.

Kathy Watson is a writer, foodie and former restaurant owner/chef. She’s a longtime resident of Hood River.

Open Daily: 541-386-5710 16 Oak Street, Hood River, OR www.celilorestaurant.com Lunch 11:30-3, Dinner from 5

Celilo Catering: 541-490-0275 Weddings • Private parties • On/Offsite

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OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

Out of the Woodwork

Artisan Les Lively creates intricate, functional pieces fused with unique style STORY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY MICHAEL PETERSON

W

ith winter in the Gorge comes the rain, or the inversion, or usually some combination of both taking turns to dampen ground and spirits. But for Les Lively, it’s his favorite time of year.

As his work in construction slows with the weather, he gets to spend more time pursuing his passion: woodworking. “When winter comes, I don’t want to be outside,” Lively says. “I start spending a lot of time down here.”

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“Down here” is his basement workshop in Hood River, which is a woodworker’s dream.

Here, Lively is surrounded by a carpenter’s lifetime collection of power and hand tools, as well as all manner of wood—from neat stacks of large timber to boxes of scraps to in-between pieces sprouting from buckets.

A shy man, Lively feels very much at home here. His wife, Mary, attests to not seeing her husband for hours on end some days, despite the fact that she’s right upstairs.

Lively is self-taught, and has been crafting things out of wood since he took his first shop class in high school in Kennewick, Wash., back in the 1960s.

During his senior year, Boeing recruited at his school, and after graduating he moved to Seattle and went to work for the aerospace giant. He did well working as an electrical systems installer for aircraft being built at Boeing’s factory. After a year, the company wanted to promote him, but he decided it

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Les Lively, a lifelong builder, is turning his focus to fine art woodworking projects. He designs and builds a variety of one-of-a-kind items, including tables, jewelry boxes, breadboards, rolling pins and bookends. He also builds large furniture, including beds and dressers. Much of his work features intricate inlays.

wasn’t his cup of tea. “I wanted to be outside,” he says. “So I quit and started doing construction.”

Lively built his first furniture during that time— out of necessity. He lived with roommates, and “we had no furniture,” he says. He made tables and beds out of scrap two-by-fours, and loved the process.

Seattle was booming and work was plentiful, until May of 1980 when Mount St. Helens erupted.

Construction dried up instantly. Lively had a sister living in Florida, so he headed south to try his luck there. He met Mary and the two got married and had two children. But when their kids were in elementary school, the couple decided they wanted

to return to the Northwest, to a small town where they could raise their kids. Lively had relatives in the Gorge, and he was a windsurfer. Hood River was the place.

That was the mid-1990s, and Lively found plenty of construction work. But he continued to dabble in woodworking in his spare time. His family began accumulating beautiful pieces of furniture, jewelry boxes, breadboards, rolling pins and bookends. He would make things just for the sake of it and give them away to friends.

Over time, Lively’s work has evolved from basic, functional pieces to much more elaborate

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OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

We’ll create your winter dreams custom jewelry designs, made in our state-of-the-art studio using responsibly sourced gems and reclaimed gold and platinum

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items. But he still insists on their functionality.

“They’re supposed to get used,” he says.

With encouragement from friends and family, Lively entered a table in the “Best of the Gorge” art show at the Columbia Center for the Arts last year and won Honorable Mention. He’s also begun selling his work at Art on Oak and at Sustain Interiors, as well as through his website.

Influenced by the designs of Art Deco and the Arts and Crafts movement, Lively creates intricate inlays in his works. He eschews stains in favor of using different shades of wood in their natural state to create dramatic designs through his inlays.

Each piece is rigorously hand-sanded and rubbed to achieve a glass-smooth finish.

“Exotic woods have always attracted me,” Lively says. Some of his favorites are wenge, yellowheart, purpleheart, bubinga and zebra wood. He makes frequent trips to Portland and negotiates for scraps and end pieces at various wood suppliers.

As for his designs, Lively often begins by creating something with his CAD program on his computer. But once he actually starts making the piece, it almost always changes. He also lets the wood help dictate the design. “If a piece of wood has an interesting grain, or unusual markings, I try to create a piece that highlights that,” he says. He also works with clients to create custom pieces.

Another signature of Lively’s work is the absence of metal. He creates dove-tail corners and mortise and tenon joints. He even built a large dresser made entirely of solid wood, including the drawer runners.

“I make furniture to be heirloom pieces,” he says.

In fact, everything Lively makes could become an heirloom. Even his smaller items like breadboards and rolling pins—each one with its own unique inlay and design—are works of art in themselves. “I do a lot of stuff I shouldn’t,” he says, referring to his relentless attention to detail and exacting standards. “But plain bores me to death.”

For more information, go to livelyfinefurniture.com.

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OUR GORGE : ROADTRIP

All Aboard the Ski Train From the Gorge to Whitefish, Montana, by rail STORY BY CHRISTOPHER VAN TILBURG • PHOTOS BY BRIAN SCHOTT

T

hick fog drapes the Bingen, Wash., rail yard in obscurity. Hulking, rusting machines sit silently in the shadows, as if waiting to be energized. A flake of snow drifts from the murkiness, while a single, dingy-yellow streetlight glows nearby. To find respite from the damp cold, we duck into a tiny waiting room with a tattered vinyl couch and an electric wall heater. My daughters peer westward every few minutes. Will the train come?

Suddenly, like a scene from The Polar Express, the silver Empire Builder emerges from the blackness, thunders down the track toward us and squeals to a halt. From the small whistle stop, we clamber aboard.

Our plan: to ski Whitefish Mountain Resort, Montana. The excitement of the night “ski train” never loses novelty, despite two-dozen trips for my family.

Empire Builder Amtrak’s Empire Builder first plowed through the frontier in 1929. The line originates as two trains in Seattle and Portland, joins forces in Spokane, Wash., and continues to Chicago, a twoday run. The double-decker Superliner cars have comfy seats in coach, a dining car, the Sightseer Lounge with rooftop windows, and first-class sleeping berths.

The real boon of this magnificent adventure is two-fold: low schlep factor and lack of burning daylight. It works like this: zip down to Bingen’s

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station (or Wishram for those coming from The Dalles), park your car 20 feet from the rails, and pile your ski gear trackside. No white-knuckle drive in a winter storm. No hauling gear through a crowded airport. For a spring break trip one year, I tossed on my bike. Hop on at 6:21 p.m. (or 6:55 p.m. from Wishram), steam into Whitefish at 7:26 a.m. the next morning, a mere 7 miles from Whitefish Mountain Resort, and you can be skiing by mid-morning.

Ski the Fish At Whitefish Mountain Resort my favorite time to ski is in the cold morning before the lifts open.

The resort allows uphill traffic via two designated routes. On any given day several dozen snowshoers, snowboarders and skiers with skins ascend the mountain, which boasts 2,365 vertical feet of terrain. Often, I have the slopes practically to myself.

If it’s a powder day, my daughters and I will jump on Chair Two at 8:30 a.m. for a few laps. At 9 a.m. we zip down to Chair One, the main high-

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Western Antique AeroplAne & Automobile museum

Downtown Whitefish (above) is located four miles from Whitefish Mountain Resort (left). A free shuttle between town and the ski area makes a car-free visit to the area easy.

speed quad which ascends to the 6,817-foot summit.

We duck into the North Bowl terrain park via smooth groomers and then hit Hellroaring Basin for steep powder shots. For lunch, newly renovated Summit House has expansive, beautiful views of the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park.

In the afternoon, I meet up with my friend Rob, ski patrol medical adviser. Thanks to an open boundary policy, we drop into Canyon Creek for a lap of creamy smooth untracked backcountry.

Old West Town The quaint town of Whitefish is pure old-West charm. The boardwalk is spackled with Made-inMontana shops touting huckleberry jam, microbreweries pouring lightweight lager, and restaurants grilling local deliciousness like elk steaks and bison burgers. No car, no problem: a free bus zips between the resort and town all day.

When the snow melts, four-season play augments winter sports. Rent a bike to ride lift-accessed downhill trails at Whitefish Mountain Resort, peddle Whitefish Trail cross-country single track in the valley, or spin the paved Whitefish Bike Path. The resort hosts a summer zip line and aerial adventure

park. Just 23 miles away, Glacier National Park is packed with wildflower meadows, crystalline lakes, granite spires, dense forests, and big game like bighorn sheep, mountain goats and, yes, grizzly bears. Flathead Lake, at 27 miles long, offers ample room for boating and fishing.

Homeward Indeed, a few downsides exist. Occasionally, the mountain will get capped with lake-effect fog. And the train is periodically plagued by delays. But having taken two-dozen trips since my parents first lugged me in 1971, the train has only been off schedule a few times due to winter storms or summer wildfires.

When it’s time to head home, hit the slopes all day before catching the 8:56 p.m. westbound train. Arrive in Wishram or Bingen the next morning —just in time to make it to work. No schlep. No white-knuckle drive.

The WAAAM Air & Auto Museum has one of the largest collections of still-flying antique aeroplanes and still-driving antique automobiles in the country. The items on display at this museum are not only full of history, they’re full of LIFE! aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, tractors, military jeeps and engines 1600 Air Museum Road, Hood River, Oregon (541) 308-1600 // www.waaamuseum.org

fly mT. hood SCeNiC flighTS

Christopher Van Tilburg, author of “Mountain Rescue Doctor” (St. Martins, 2007) and “Adrenaline Junkie’s Bucket List” (St. Martins, 2013) lives in Hood River. He’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

RESOURCE GUIDE Transportation Find information and schedules for the Empire Builder at Amtrak.com or 1-800-USARail. Consider a first class cabin for a good night’s sleep. Hertz and Budget have rentals at the train station.

Open Daily 9 -5 Closed: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Da y, New Years Da y

Eats For après ski grub, stop in Hellroaring Saloon, located in a historic 1949-built chalet, or try Café Kandahar for Big Sky big game. In town, grab lunch at Buffalo Café, happy hour at Great Northern Bar and Grill, and dinner at Ciao Mambo.

Lodging For four-season information, including a link to central reservations, go to skiwhitefish.com or call 1-877-754-3474. For dorm-style, old-school thrifty, consider Hibernation House. For upscale lodging, book a slope-side condo at Kintla or Morning Eagle Lodges.

The UlTimaTe View

Flights daily over the Columbia River Gorge and Cascade Mountain Range

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Peter Marbach

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

From Burgundy to Bordeaux in Forty Miles The Exciting Wine Terroirs of the Columbia Gorge

BY SCOTT BURNS AND HILARY WHITNEY, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT

T

David Lloyd

he Columbia Gorge over the last 10 years has developed into one of the most exciting wine regions in North America. The area ranges from cool climate at the west end (like Burgundy, France) to a warm climate in The Dalles (similar to Bordeaux, France) so winemakers match the grapes to the proper climate. In France, in order to get the whole suite of different wines, you have to travel many miles to enjoy the experience. In the Columbia Gorge, wine tasters get the whole suite of wines in a short distance of 40 miles. As Rob Bell, owner of Cathedral Ridge Winery, says, “We have from Burgundy to Bordeaux in forty miles!” You add to this great climate diversity the 31 different soil series, and the winemakers have an incredible palette of possibilities for different wines.

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C athedral r idge W inery The Columbia Gorge AVA (the official name of the wine region in the Gorge) was established in 2004 when there were only 16 wineries. For the past three years I have supervised the Master’s Thesis at Portland State University of Hilary Whitney on the Terroir of the Columbia Gorge. Together we visited almost all of the 38 wineries and the 83 vineyards (growing more than 1,250 acres of grapes) in the Gorge to describe their soils, geology, climate and grapes.

This relationship between the distinct soils, climates, grape varieties and geology helps define the terroirs of the Gorge. Terroir is a French term that originated in Burgundy more than 400 years ago and is literally translated to mean “the taste of the place.” We wanted to learn the different terroirs of the Columbia Gorge. I have been studying the terroir of the Willamette Valley for more than 25 years—its terroir is a lot simpler climate-wise and is based on three major soil groups. The Gorge is more complex and creates greater diversity in the wines.

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The vineyard at Cascade Cliffs (top left) sits beneath basalt cliffs in the dry eastern Gorge near Wishram, Wash. Syncline Winery’s vineyard (bottom left) is on a sloping hill west of Lyle where the Gorge climate transitions from cooler to warmer. Bangsund Vineyards near The Dalles (above) provides grapes to Cathedral Ridge Winery, among others.

The west end of the Gorge is mainly cool climate so most of the grapes that grow in this area are chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling, and gewürztraminer. Underwood Mountain is a 600,000-year-old volcano on the Washington side of the river to the west of White Salmon and has some of the most sought-after vineyard property sites in the Gorge. Its climate is the coolest in the Gorge and when combined with its volcanic soils, the Chemawa Series, creates excellent, crisp, cool climate wines. One of the oldest vineyards there is the Celilo Vineyard whose fruit is in demand by many local and regional wineries.

The Hood River Valley is also mostly cool climate with many of the vineyards developed on the red soils, mainly the soils that have developed on very old, weathered debris flows coming off of Mount Hood (such as the Mt. Hood Winery and its Hood soil series) and Mount Defiance (like the Oak Grove soil series of Phelps Creek Vineyards). Closer to the river, the soils are more affected by the Missoula Floods and are not as old but also produce different, excellent wines like the rieslings of Viento Winery (produced by Rich Cushman, one of the Gorge’s most experienced winemakers) and the Italian varietals of Marchesi Vineyards and Winery on the Rockford soil series. The highest elevation vineyard

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OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

ope n dai ly, n o on - si x 3 0 4 oak st re et, sui t e 3 d owntown ho od ri v e r

cle ar cre e k di st i lle ry pe ndleton® si nfi re® ullr®

Peter Marbach

yaz i®

©2015 HOOD RIVER DISTILLERS, INC. HOOD RIVER, OR USA. Pendleton Blended Canandian Whisky, 40% Alc./ Vol. The Bucking Horse logo and Let’er Buck are registered trademarks of the Pendleton Round-Up Association. Pendleton is a registered trademark of Pendleton Woolen Mills. Stay in control®.

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Making History Come Alive…

VISIT OUR HISTORIC Hood River Photo Blog: historichoodriver.com

in the area is owned by Wy’east Vineyards and is developed on the Culbertson soil series.

As you go farther east, two additional sub regions of the Columbia Gorge AVA are developing on both sides of the river near Lyle, Wash., and Mosier, Ore. The climate is transitioning from cool climate to a warm climate, depending upon the local climatology. The lower vineyards are developed on Missoula Floods soils and contain abundant rock fragments. At higher elevations, you get windblown silt called loess as the main soil and different wines emerge. Syncline Winery near Lyle has developed a great reputation for excellent wines, especially the Rhone varietals.

The vineyard at Wind River Cellars (above) is located at the cooler end of the Columbia Gorge AVA near Husum, Wash. Scorched Earth Vineyard (below) is near Dallesport, Wash., where warm varieties like syrah, zinfandel and grenache grow well.

Once you get to The Dalles, the warm climate then allows the production of the heavier red varieties like cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. On the Oregon side as you go up the side valleys to the south and southwest of The Dalles, excellent grape growing vineyards can be found.

The oldest grape plants in Oregon are found here on the vineyard owned by The Pines 1852 Vineyard and Winery, dating back to the 1890s. Its Old Vine

DISCOVER culture and history through fresh, engaging exhibits, and exciting programs

300 East Port Marina Drive • Hood River thehistorymuseum.net • (541) 386-6772 hrheritagecouncil@gmail.com OPEN: Monday-Saturday, 11am-4pm

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Photo courtesy of Cathedral Ridge Winery

EXPLORE hands-on activities and educational displays for families and children of all ages

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COLUMBIA GORGE GRAPE VARIETALS The cool end of the Gorge and the warm end near the Dalles: PINOT NOIR 31 % Pinot Noir

The cool climate grapes at the west end: CHARDONNAY 9% PINOT GRIS 7% GEWÜRZTRAMINER 6% RIESLING 4%

Pinot Gris

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The warm varietals at the east end: SYRAH 9% ZINFANDEL 6% MERLOT 6% CABERNET SAUVIGNON 4%

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These percentages are for the whole study area.

Zinfandel is a favorite with wine tasters. Volcano Ridge Vineyard in that valley is also producing some great heavy red wines on the Cherryhill soils. To the east of The Dalles, the dominant soil is the Walla Walla series, which is mainly in the windblown loess, and most of the vineyards are irrigated because of the warm climate.

Across the river from The Dalles is Dallesport, which has a very interesting set of terroirs. Climate is very warm. At the southwest end of the area are large sand dunes with the Ewall soil series developed on it, and as you progress to the northeast the soils become mainly very coarse-grained Missoula Floods deposits, which continue up the slope. The upper vineyards, like Chucker Ridge Vineyard, are above the Missoula Floods, and the windblown silts of the Fisherhill soil series dominate the soils.

Pinot noir is the dominant grape grown in the Gorge (31 percent), not only in the cool end of the Gorge, but also in the warm end near the Dalles.

The cool climate grapes do dominate at the west end (chardonnay, nine percent; pinot gris, seven

percent; gewürztraminer, six percent; and Riesling, four percent). The warm varietals dominate at the east end (syrah, nine percent; zinfandel, six percent; merlot, six percent; and cabernet sauvignon, four percent). These percentages are for the whole study area.

Wine tasters visiting the Gorge will find a great diversity of wines produced on 31 different soils and from 42 grape varieties. The climate has such a range that almost all major grape varieties can be grown here. Add the different geologic units and their associated soils to the mix, and you get a wide range of distinct terroirs. All of this combines to draw more and more wine lovers to the Gorge each year to experience the great diversity of terroirs in such a small area. It truly is a world of wine in 40 miles.

Scott Burns is a recently retired professor of geology at Portland State University. Hilary Whitney presented her master’s thesis, “Defining the Terroir of the Columbia Gorge Wine Region,” in June 2015.

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Discover Downtown

HOOD RIVER OREGON :

Winter’s slower pace offers a great time to explore and linger in Hood River’s delightful downtown. With its lighted trees and festive decorations, the town is a great place to do all your holiday shopping. There’s even free parking throughout downtown Dec. 14-26. Downtown Hood River is a vibrant hub all winter long, with restaurants, coffee shops, brew pubs, wine tasting rooms, galleries and shops offering an inviting respite from the weather. Look for winter-time specials at individual businesses. Come stay, shop and play in downtown Hood River!

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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

marketpl ace: d owntown ho od ri ver

APLAND JEWELERS

HOOD RIVER STATIONERS

Craftsman jewelers and designers, we sell and repair in our state of the art shop. A second generation jeweler, Ken Apland brings 32 years of experience. Our other goldsmiths and designers bring an additional 30 years of combined experience.

We have an intimate understanding of what an item might need, from rebuilding an heirloom to creating your own unique design from scratch.

Since 1959 we have been supplying our customers with stationery, greeting cards, gifts, home decor, art supplies, fine pens, and office products. Life is always a special occasion, and we can help you celebrate.

Thanks for shopping local.

213 Oak Street • (541) 386-2344 Find us on Facebook

216 Oak Street • (541) 386-3977 info@aplandjewelers.com

PLENTY

HOOD RIVER JEWELERS

Clothing & Beauty for Women.

Softly Modern.

Some nature is involved.

We are artists and professional jewelers. If you are looking for something special, we can custom design it. We work with silver, gold, platinum and more. We can use your stone or work with you to find the perfect stone for your needs. Hood River Jewelers also carries beautiful timepieces, diamond jewelry and designer collections.

Established in 2002 310 Oak Street • (541) 386-5000 visit us on Facebook

415 Oak Street • (541) 386-6440 hoodriverjewelers.com

TWIGGS

KNOT ANOTHER HAT

You will find a great combination of home decor items plus unique artisan jewelry.

Twiggs has beautiful glassware, ceramics, candles, wall decor, and more. This is the perfect place to find gifts for brides and bridesmaids.

Our mission at Knot Another Hat is to provide yarn lovers with quality products and services that will result in beautiful finished projects. We have everything you need to get started - from high quality yarns (including local hand-dyers) to patterns, needles, notions, gifts, and more.

Come on down to our new space, where we are waiting to help you discover (or enable) your inner fiber artist!

305 Oak Street • (541) 386-6188 Find us on Facebook

11 3rd Street, #103 • (541) 308-0002 knotanotherhat.com

Look for our next issue, Spring 2016.

Celebrating

fresh local food

A publication by the Hood River News highlighting the growing array of producers and the flourishing movement in the Gorge.

“local food first”

Available at select businesses and these newspapers: Hood River News, 419 State St., Hood River The Dalles Chronicle, 315 Federal St., The Dalles

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WIND STORY BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER PHOTOS BY RENATA KOSINA

Students at CGCC bring different backgrounds and similar hopes to their training in Renewable Energy Technology

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WARRIORS Jim Pytel, an instructor in the Renewable Energy Technology training program at Columbia Gorge Community College, stands near wind towers at the White Creek Wind Farm in Roosevelt, Wash.

Pytel takes students from his classes to the wind farm for hands-on training on the towers.

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t’s a cool dark morning, and 12 first-year students from the Renewable Energy Technology program at Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles gather for a school field trip unlike any most of them have ever experienced. They’re not off to visit the zoo or a history museum; they’re headed for a rural Washington wind farm, where they’ll climb up, and descend, a 270-foot-high wind tower.

Their instructor, Jim Pytel, is quick to correct anyone who calls these structures “windmills.”

Windmills grind grain; these behemoths produce energy—lots of it. Collectively, the ubiquitous wind turbines that fill the landscape in the eastern Gorge produce almost as much power as the John Day and The Dalles dams combined. The number of wind turbines in Sherman, Morrow, Gilliam and Klickitat counties is approaching 2,000. More are in the planning stages.

At CGCC, Pytel and fellow instructors teach everything from DC Circuits to Digital Electronics in this nationally recognized RET program. All of the coursework is designed to prepare students to work in the renewable energy industries. Most graduates go on to find employment in RET and other fields where training in Mechanics, Electronics, Hydraulics and Motor Control is required. Entry-level jobs can pay more than $20 an hour.

The college has won several national grants for its RET program; some of those funds have been used

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Getting to the wind farms for tower maintenance and repair usually involves a commute through rural countryside (above), something Pytel says he loves. Students prepare to climb a wind tower for training (below).

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WIND WARRIORS A wind technician is someone who is mechanically inclined, electrically competent and physically fit

for the creation of Pytel’s “flipped classroom,” wherein students can watch Pytel’s free video lectures on YouTube that cover all aspects of the RET program. After watching each video, the students come once a week to campus, where they work in a hardware lab actually building what they’ve viewed on the Internet.

Pytel calls this collection of videos “The Big Bad Tech Channel.” “Not only do they save money and time on books and commute time,” Pytel says, “but if you miss something you can always rewind and review it—again and again and again.” His filmed lectures are not only used by his Gorge students, but get hits from “all over the place,” according to Pytel.

Today’s training, though, has nothing to do with the virtual world, and everything to do with the physical.

There are towers to climb before these students rest.

Soon after they arrive at the White Creek Wind Farm in Roosevelt, Wash., the students review all of the safety concerns with Bjorn Hedges, plant manager of White Creek. This facility is the only one that allows the program’s students to climb. The students sign their permission forms, strap on their hard hats and safety goggles and head out. Soon, they will be heading up.

Nick Mohrbacher, a graduate of CGCC’s two-year program and a wind turbine technician at White Creek, will help lead the tower climbs today. Prior to attending CGCC he was studying mechanical engineering. He wanted more hands-on work so he entered the RET program. He found the wind turbines to be “phenomenally interesting.” He says there’s lots of room to move up in the wind technology industry, and the pay is good.

The daily commute is also good. He often sees wildlife—bears, deer, coyotes, and bobcats. On cool mornings, rattlesnakes will curl around the warm transformers. Bees often swarm the towers, and free roaming cattle leave their scat everywhere. Mohrbacher says cleaning up after the cows is one of the jobs every wind technician must do. This task doesn’t come with any training.

Some of the work the technicians do to maintain the turbines is “down tower” while other work necessitates climbing and working in cramped spaces “up tower.” Mohrbacher says you soon get over the

Nick Mohrbacher (above), a graduate of CGCC’s two-year Renewable Energy Technology program, is a wind turbine technician at the White Creek Wind Farm. Cattle often share the land around wind farms (below), requiring technicians to herd them away from towers they’re trying to access—and sometimes even clean up after them.

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phobia of heights, though on a long day, when he climbs and descends multiple times, it can be exhausting.

“Climbing,” he says, “is secondary to everything else you do.”

Pytel concurs with Mohrbacher. “You can teach any monkey to climb,” he says. “You have to be smart enough to use the tools and interpret the data you’re seeing. A wind technician is someone who is mechanically inclined, electrically competent and physically fit.”

Pytel admits to being an adrenaline junkie and enjoying the climbs. When not ascending towers or making videos, he’s often on the water, kayaking and guiding whitewater rafting. Some of the students on this field trip are serious recreational climbers, while others have never climbed anything higher than a 6-foot ladder. Today will not only test their tolerance of heights and small spaces, but also serve as a bonding time for them. School’s only been in session for a few weeks; many of them hardly know each other’s names.

Two of the students need no bonding time—Jake and Henry Goodwin are brothers. They’ve grown up in The Dalles, where younger brother Henry is in his last semester of high school. They’re both attracted to careers in electronics, and Jake, who’s worked in IT, is also versed in yo-yo. While he waits his turn to climb the tower, he pulls a yo-yo from his pocket and spins some fancy moves.

Austin Thornley is eager to talk about the program, and equally eager to talk about his climb after he’s gone up and come back down in the first group onto the tower. “You get in there, it’s kind of a squeeze,” he says. “You climb up a 9-foot ladder and there’s a deck. You can see that the big tall ladder goes all the way to the top. You just start climbing. It gets difficult…you feel kind of heavy. It’s scary when you’re coming down. It’s best to hold onto the cable and lean back.”

A student begins the long climb up the interior of a wind tower (above). At the top, Jim Pytel sits in what he calls his “classroom in the sky” (below). At right, student Clint O’Brien takes in the view from the top of a wind tower for the first time.

Clint O’Brien believes that renewable energy “is where we need to be headed.” His path to CGCC’s RET program, though, is one of the most unique. He went to college to study music, and plays the double bass and the drums. He’s played with the Oregon Symphony, and has performed at Carnegie Hall and other illustrious venues. Today, up close to the wind turbines, he is reminded of the first time he saw a wind tower at close range. Several years ago, while traveling with his brother in Wyoming, they spied a wind farm. Hiking up to it, they were enthralled by the towers. The image stayed with him.

Brandon Johnson is one of the older students on this trip. He’s 27 and has been out of college for a while. Now he’s back in study mode, and admits it’s hard. Still, he’s determined to succeed in the RET program. He’s tired of waiting tables and interested in a profession that not only pays well, but also focuses on renewable energy. As for the climb, he’s stoked. “I love climbing and jumping,” he says. “I’m an adrenaline junkie.”

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WIND WARRIORS You soon get over the phobia of heights, says turbine technician Nick Mohrbacher. “Climbing is secondary to everything else you do,” he says.

To say that Saul Ascencio’s path to CGCC and the RET program has been crooked would be an understatement. He grew up in Compton, Calif., in the Los Angeles area. By the age of 17 he was in prison, where he remained for seven years. In jail they told him he had the reading level of a second-grader and the math level of a third-grader. He taught himself to read with kids’ “Goosebumps” novels. Six months later he was reading lengthy books for adults. After prison Saul got married, got his GED, and moved to the Gorge, where his father was working in agriculture. When his classmates ask him why he’s so happy, he answers, “I’m the statistic. I’m the little percent that hasn’t gone back to jail. I’m doing this program 100 percent or more.”

On this day, he did the tower at 100 percent or more. Part way up, he says he looked up and saw what might be his limit. Then he said to himself, “My limit is being tired. I can break that limit.” He made it to the top. Back down on the ground and covered in sweat, he says, “Hey, that was so much fun, but next time I’m going running for a week!”

Saul’s a dad to three boys. He has big visions for himself, and for his kids. “I want to own a small solar business. Have you seen those signs that are powered by solar panels? Renewable is the future!” he exclaims.

Pytel’s group is the last one to descend the tower. While they’ve been climbing, the rest of the group has gotten to know each other. They comment on each other’s tattoos, crack jokes, and gaze out over the wind farm. Someone spots a deer. It’s a glorious, fall day without much wind. Aside from the students’ chatter, there’s hardly any noise. When the last group exits the tower, climbing harnesses, helmets and safety goggles are returned. Everyone shares the photos they’ve taken from 270 feet up.

On the way home, Pytel mentions his past as an army captain. “My job was to train soldiers, and I feel like this is an opportunity for me to train technicians to meet our energy future,” he says. “As hokey as it sounds I view domestically produced, renewable energy and a trained, technically competent work force

The perspective from behind the wind tower’s blades offers a bird’s eye view of the eastern Gorge landscape. The dark areas are from past wildfires. The wind towers visible in the distance are just a few of some 2,000 towers that are harnessing the wind in Sherman, Morrow, Gilliam and Klickitat counties.

as important strategic assets to the U.S. Renewable energy is homeland security.”

Pytel continues, “There’s another way of fighting —produce our own energy. It’s going to take time, a lot of investment, and it’s not going to be easy.

You’ve got an option; send your kid to serve in some foreign country or invest in wind turbines, dams or solar power.”

Don Quixote fought the windmills of La Mancha, believing them to be ferocious giants intent on inflicting harm. For Jim Pytel and his army of renewable energy technology students, the wind towers may be our salvation, not our enemy.

Peggy Dills Kelter is a retired elementary school teacher, and an artist and writer. She lives in Hood River.

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95.1 fm

RADIO TIERRA Story by Don Campbell Photos by Adam Lapierre

A homegrown community radio station brings educational and cultural broadcasts to the Gorge’s Hispanic community and beyond

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MUSIC

NEWS COMMUNITY EVENTS HEALTH & EDUCATION INFORMATION SPANISH-ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

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N

Mi Espanol es muy malo. My-Spanish-is-very-bad. ot for lack of trying, but what little I can speak is of the tourist variety, for when I necesito el baño or mas cerveza.

I’m adorable when I stumble through what I think might actually be a complete sentence.

One night, on a hunt for something besides Gorge contemporary radio, I stumbled across KZAS, Radio Tierra, at 95.1 FM on your radio dial, out of Hood River. Tejano music!

Or possibly Norteño, or maybe just Latin pop music. Regardless, I was thrilled. The DJ spoke entirely in Spanish. I spent the car ride happily picking out the few words I understood and tried to infer the meanings of new ones.

Several songs in a child’s voice took over, and began reading a story in Spanish. Then reread the passage in English. It was a five-minute language lesson.

The next morning I tuned in and listened to what sounded like a community news and information show, interview-style. I continued to drop in on KZAS over subsequent days, mostly for the music, which I love, but also to try and decipher what I had found.

Radio, by its very simplest definition, is radiant energy, and no station is more vibrant and radiant than KZAS (also found at 95.3 and 107.7 FM).

Housed within Hood River’s Next Door family services building on the Heights and staffed by ardent volunteers, the bilingual Radio Tierra serves the greater Gorge as a kind of social, economic, and educational glue for the Hispanic community and beyond.

Fueled by its volunteers, listener and sponsor donations, and grants, the station covers a broad mix of music, news, community events, health and education information, and the aforementioned Spanish-English translations, held together by grit, spit, electrician’s tape, and a common goal to nurture, bolster and uplift the entire community.

Board member Gale Arnold got involved in 2005. As we walk around The Next Door—a bustling place of never-ending activity—toward the small studio space, she explains that in 1995, several Spanish-speaking individuals in the community formed Mid-Columbia Centro Cultural to promote Hispanic culture in the region. The group included Argentine architect Dardo Salas, who had relocated to the Gorge.

Near that same time, the Federal Communications Commission was bringing all of what were called “pirate” (as in small, low-watt, and not entirely legal) radio stations under one umbrella. Pirate radio stations, by and large, operated without FCC licenses. However, the august body allowed certain exceptions that, while not required to have an FCC license to broadcast, could operate if they followed strict FCC guidelines.

Salas took note of the new regulations and, seeing a need, spearheaded the inauspicious beginnings of the area’s first non-profit low-watt FM community radio station in 2001. Through his sweat and dedication, along with technician Aaron Glasgow and Norberto Maahs (who still serves on the station’s board of directors) the group was granted a construction permit in 2000, and in 2001, the 501(c)(3), non-profit KZAS/Radio Tierra was born, though it would take another three years to become fully operational.

It was akin to an old-fashioned barn-raising. To raise the needed funds, they held dances, food sales, community activities, and sought grassroots

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RADIO TIERRA ... donations and underwriters. For some 14 years, the station broadcast from Salas’ house—with its antennae atop Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital —through the sweat and love of its volunteers. Two of those volunteers, Anne Key and Paula Asher, sought and obtained a significant grant from the Oregon Community Foundation in 2009 (enabling them to upgrade Emergency Alert Service capabilities), and by 2011, KZAS had outgrown its small quarters, and a new partnership was formed with The Next Door.

The station applied for and was granted an eight-year renewal for its FCC license in 2013, and received a large Meyer Memorial Trust grant in 2014, giving it the opportunity to plan the next five years of growth.

Arnold’s pride is palpable. “When we moved in here,” she says, “we had an in-kind agreement with The Next Door. They provide us space free of charge, in return for us providing their public service announcements to the community about everything that’s going on.”

Arnold got involved, along with Susan Hess (now the Radio Tierra board vice president), 10 years ago because they wanted to do a program. Arnold, a Spanish speaker and community activist, started “Truth Be Told,” an Englishspeaking program, to interview local people who were active in the community— artists, politicians, “anything and everything,” she says.

The station underwent and survived some turmoil, short-term closings, and growing pains, but always with a multi-cultural board and an awareness of the need. Arnold took the reins in 2014, becoming its president and the period since has seen continued growth, improvement and sustainability. “We’re quite an eclectic group,” she says.

The Colt Part of that eclectic group is Humberto Calderon, El Portillo (The Colt), a morning deejay Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. He has been with the station for nearly eight years, and is its longest running announcer. A successful area businessman, he owns and runs Novedadas El Potrillo on 12th Street on the Heights, a store full of Western boots and hats, belts, apparel, and more.

His shop itself is a sort of cultural hub, with frequent visitors who know him by name. In fact, his retail space for a short time housed KZAS, when it needed temporary broadcasting quarters.

Calderon has been in the area for nearly three decades, coming first through Los Angeles and Napa Valley, then arriving in Hood River to work in the orchards and later for the Crazy Pepper, and a local Dairy Queen franchise.

During that time, he was selling apparel door-to-door out of his van. Within

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...continues to shower the Gorge 24 hours a day with its relevant, uplifting and positive airwaves.

three years, because of his success, he opened his store, and has been at this current location for eight years.

Seven years ago he was invited to be on a radio show in The Dalles hosted

by Eloy Pando, who liked the sound of his voice. “We decided to make a program,” Calderon says. “They closed down the Spanish programming there, and I asked Radio Tierra here in Hood River if I could become a volunteer deejay.

They said ‘Yeah, sure, but we have to close down for three months because we have no money.’ I asked why and they said because it’s a community radio station and just didn’t have the donations.”

From there his passion and activism kicked in. Though he didn’t know much about how it all worked, he learned about the monthly station board meeting and started attending. He found a following and drummed up sponsors.

After only a year on air, he had raised some $20,000 in support. “Then they received a grant to get new computers and microphones,” he says. “So with the money we had in the bank, we started to make some changes. It was pieces of radio, it wasn’t really a radio station. Everything was connected with little pieces of wire and pieces of tape.”

Calderon continues to do his three-day-a-week show, a lively two-and-a-half hours of talk, education, health, legal, and general news. And people continue to support him and the station with monthly donations and through station fundraisers and community events. With his show, “I do so many things,” he says. “I try to be funny, and at the same time play clean, good music, and do reflections— to talk about good stuff for everybody. And that’s been growing. I’m open to everybody that has something good to say to the community. It’s something that comes out of my heart. We pass on good information to not just Hispanic people but to English people that have been changing our community for the good.”

That might well sum up Radio Tierra at large. The station is growing, as well as support for it. A new repeater is under construction to extend its reach into the community, and, as Gale Arnold says, “We’re always looking for new programming.” The station boasts some 25 volunteer deejays, and within the past two years hired a full-time station manager in Patricia Baum. With its recent growth spurt, the station brought aboard its first operations manager, Leticia Valle, to help continue to shower the Gorge 24 hours a day with its relevant, uplifting and positive airwaves.

It’s all music to the community’s ears.

Thanks to Radio Tierra, Don Campbell’s Spanish is improving. He is a writer who lives in Mosier and Portland, and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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OUTSIDE

Dog Mountain in Winter The cold, wet season offers a fresh take on this iconic Gorge landmark STORY AND PHOTOS BY PETER MARBACH

D

og Mountain is widely known as one of the premier springtime wildflower destinations in the Columbia River Gorge. On any given weekend in May, thousands endure the nearly 3,000-foot trek up the mountain just east of Stevenson, Wash., in hopes of experiencing the enchantment of the wildflowers at peak bloom.

But if you seek a more solitary moment of magic, there is nothing quite like the cold, austere beauty on the upper slopes after the first real storm of winter.

Significant snow doesn’t last long in the Gorge so it’s important to think ahead and stay

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A lone hiker descends on snowshoes from the upper slopes of Dog Mountain (left). A snowy scene from the summit forest (below left). A snow-weighted tree atop Dog Mountain, with the river far below (right). Looking up toward the summit (below).

tuned to forecasts in order to seize that first bluebird-sky day after a winter storm. If there is snow at river level, chances are good for a foot or more near the summit. The lower approach trail can be icy so I recommend a traction device such as Yak Trax; snowshoes are recommended for the upper slopes.

Approaching the summit, you pass through a surreal forest canopy transformed into a frozen garden of delight, with snow dunes capped with wafer thin patterns sculpted by the ever present winds. The fresh powder sparkles under the low arch of the winter sun.

Since first going up in winter a decade ago, I have seen only one other person, so chances are good you might have the view to yourself. And it is a view that is definitely earned. As my mother used to say, “It’s the hard that makes it great.”

As the sun dips toward the horizon, the light casts a warm glow and the snow crystals catch it and hold the fleeting beauty at bay. With the light waning and the temperature dropping fast, next comes my favorite part—that singular joy of floating downslope with powder flying up from buoyant snowshoes and knowing that my headlamp will guide the way as darkness enfolds me.

Approaching the summit, you pass through a surreal forest canopy transformed into a frozen garden of delight...

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OUTSIDE

Local knowledge, local service and local experience make us the ‘go to’ shop for your new, used and demo equipment needs: Ski and snowboard tuning / Repair and mounting services / High-Performance Downhill Ski, Nordic Ski, Snowboard, Snowshoe rentals and demos Ask about our “Try before you buy” policy

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A view from the summit, with the tip of Mount Hood visible in the distance (above). Looking east toward Hood River (below).

Legend has it that the mountain’s namesake goes back to pioneers who were trapped there in winter and resorted to eating their dogs to hold off starvation. Then again, from the western edge of the Gorge on the Oregon side, the upper ridge has the appearance of a sleeping dog. Others wonder if it is named because so many people hike with their dogs—or maybe they hike with their dogs because it’s called Dog Mountain!

Anyone who has snowshoed by moonlight knows the experience is transcendent, with an ethereal light that is beyond this world. This year we are blessed with a full moon landing right on Christmas Day. So during this season of celebrating light at a time of darkness, be bold, bring a thermos or a flask of holiday spirits, and seize the moment. For if the

stars align and the night is clear, the memory of winter magic on Dog Mountain, be it by day or night, will linger for many seasons to come.

Peter Marbach is a landscape photographer who lives in Hood River.

GETTING THERE

From the east, cross the Port of Hood River Bridge. Head west along SR 14 to just past milepost 54 where there is a large parking lot on the right side of the road. From Portland, take I-84 east to Cascade Locks (exit 44). Cross the Bridge of The Gods and head east to milepost 54 and Dog Mountain parking lot is on the left. A Northwest Forest Pass is required, or a day-use permit can be purchased at the trailhead.

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BEST RAINY DAY HIKES IN THE GORGE COMPILED BY FRIENDS OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE

Relax&Recreate IN SCENIC HOOD RIVER ASK ABOUT WINTER SKI PACKAGES Just minutes to outdoor fun, shopping, dining, breweries, world-class wine tasting

CAPE HORN, WASH.

This loop hike winds through a forest of coniferous and deciduous trees, providing a natural buffer from the rainfall. The trail features numerous viewpoints, including the Nancy Russell Overlook. You’ll cross a wooden bridge in front of tumbling Cape Horn Falls and walk on the bluffs high above the Columbia River. Note that the lower section of the trail is closed beginning Feb. 1 for peregrine falcon nesting.

Strenuous: 8.3-mile loop, 1,500-foot elevation gain

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MULTNOMAH—WAHKEENA FALLS, ORE.

Enjoy one of the most popular loop hikes in the Gorge on a quiet rainy day. This hike passes by seven waterfalls in just five miles and the trail is fairly protected under the tree canopy. Moderate: 4.8-mile loop, 1,540-foot elevation gain

DRY CREEK FALLS, ORE.

Begin the hike in Cascade Locks, following the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail has good drainage and adequate tree coverage to keep your head and feet dry(er). Continue on the trail to Dry Creek Falls, which plunges from a basalt, amphitheater-like wall. Extend your hike to include a visit to the Herman Creek Pinnacles, an additional 3.2 miles round-trip. Easy: 4.4 miles out-and-back, 700-foot elevation gain

EAGLE CREEK, ORE.

You’re practically walking in a waterfall as rain drips off the rock walls lining the trail. (Look at it as a great opportunity to test out your rain gear.) Choose the distance that best suits you on this out-and-back hike that passes waterfalls nearly every mile—some that are year-round, others that only appear with the rain. Two of our favorite hikes are: Eagle Creek to High Bridge Moderate, 6.4 miles out-and-back, 840-foot elevation gain. Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls Moderate, 12 miles out-and-back, 1,640-foot elevation gain

MOSIER TWIN TUNNELS, ORE.

Keep your feet dry while walking this portion of the paved Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, which links Hood River and Mosier. When you get to the namesake tunnels, appreciate the foresight of the conservationists who removed the 45-year-old rock pile to open up the tunnels for all of us to enjoy.

Moderate: 14 miles out-and-back, 300-foot elevation gain

KLICKITAT TRAIL, WASH.

Here’s a different spin on a rainy day hike: go to the eastern Gorge where it rarely rains. This flat, former railroad bed follows the Wild & Scenic Klickitat River and provides a slice of solitude. Choose the length you’re comfortable with for a pleasant out-and-back adventure. Moderate: Up to 13 miles one-way from the towns of Lyle to Klickitat, gentle grade

For more information, go to gorgefriends.org

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Based in Hood River, OR

Studio open by appointment for holiday sales and year round

541-490-2254 marbachphoto@gorge.net www.petermarbach.com

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ARTS + CULTURE

Heavy Metal

BY DON CAMPBELL • PHOTOS BY SILVIA FLORES

Kelly Phipps, a self-taught metal fabricator, gets creative with the hard stuff

K

elly Phipps turns found objects into art. It might be something as simple as a barnyard shovel, as large as a former Hood River Les Schwab Tire Center, or—truth be told—as grandly life-altering as her career.

Phipps, likely more often than not, greets visitors to her downtown Hood River shop/gallery/creative space wearing a face-obscuring industrial-grade respirator and safety goggles. Armed with a high-

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powered plasma cutter—it’s as high-tech and precise as it sounds—she extracts a kind of cold-metal beauty by removing beautifully rendered cut-outs in metal designs that emerge from her fertile imagination.

The athletically inclined artist escaped the confines of the corporate world some 17 years ago and found her way to the Gorge. Software marketing, project management, and market research were not floating her kiteboard. “I couldn’t take it

anymore,” she says with a grin. A summer transition doing landscaping helped the extrication, but it wasn’t until a friend sparked a dormant artistic streak by showing her the accelerated jet of a hot plasma torch and the artistic potential of an arc welder that she saw her future.

Phipps curls up on a sofa in the gallery portion of her studio space and lets the physical exertion of her cutting and buffing and transforming metal slip away. She’s had this space for three years and calls it “my little SoHo.” She morphed it from its Les Schwab-cum-skateboard shop history (“It was just trashed when I moved in”) into its current playful and productive state.

“This is all by accident,” she says of finding the present path. She’s largely self-taught, though credits her mom with at least passing along the creative gene. Always crafty, she found her way out of ink drawing to the edges of metal and hasn’t looked back. Arming herself with the cutter, the welder, a compressor, and a ’79 plumber’s flatbed

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truck, she started making artful garden stakes, which she took to an Odell flea market, turning 200 stakes into several hundred dollars.

“I didn’t even read the manuals,” she says of learning to pilot her tools.

But it was enough to ignite a career. “I love to turn something hard and cold into something that looks like lace,” she says. “It’s not hard, but it’s tedious. I’m always bent over the table.”

“The table” is the industrial hub in the shop portion of her studio where she transforms saws,

“I love to turn something hard and cold into something that looks like lace. “ wheelbarrows, and hand tools like shovels into her airy, lace-like creations. She’s moved to using more recycled materials these days, and has expanded her business to include retail-shop signs, which are on exhibit all over Hood River.

Surviving the economic collapse of ’08, and wanting to push her own artistic envelope, Phipps has been looking for ways to expand her offerings.

A new challenge emerged recently with her discovery of the “rat rod,” a rough-around-the-edges custom hot rod genre based around rods that are built to drive, not show. Funky yet functional, it fit in with Phipps’ bent for creative metal. She joined the team of Hood River’s Resurrected Rust, a rat-rod shop that includes Gary Fisher, Matthew Marx, Gordon Hinkle and some dozen-plus others.

The team competed in the 2014 Rat Rod Great

Kelly Phipps (left and above) discovered a passion for metalworking after leaving a career in software marketing. She uses a high-powered plasma cutter, among other tools, to turn found objects into beautiful works of art.

American Blue Collar Build-Off in St. Louis, with a modified 1933 Chevy delivery van. She added her metal stylings to the grill, roof, fenders and windows.

The team took home top honors.

Phipps contributed again for Resurrected Rust’s 2015 build-off honors, and the team repeated as best-in-show for a second year. That led to her

WINTER ARTS & CULTURE EVENTS Holiday Art Show

Sense of Place

The gallery at the Columbia Center for the Arts hosts its annual Holiday Art Show Nov. 27 through December 24. Regional artists exhibit a range of work for sale, including jewelry, scarves, ornaments, cards, paintings, sculpture, household items and more. columbiaarts.org

Gorge Owned presents the 6th Annual Sense of Place Lecture Series, which aims to educate residents of the Gorge and stimulate dialogue around historical events and current community issues. Lectures are the first Wednesday of the month, through March, at Columbia Center for the Arts. gorgeowned.org

The Nutcracker

The Columbia Gorge Dance Academy stages its 18th Annual Scenes from the Nutcracker. Performances are at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Dec. 12, and 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at Hood River Middle School. The show is a benefit for FISH food bank and Providence Hospice of the Gorge. General admission is with canned food or cash donations. columbiagorgedanceacademy.com

snagging her own potential rat rod—a 1937 Chevy truck—on which she’s just begun work.

“I am building my own rat rod right now,” she says. “It’s exciting. And it would be cool if I could someday enter my own rat rod in the competition, as the first woman to ever submit a car. I met some really wonderful, talented, supportive people there.

I hope to go back there next year regardless.”

Not one to let the metal shavings gather under feet, Phipps continues to carve metallic signs and hand tools, and pursue the glory that is rat rod, but hopes to find larger, higher-end commissions to help support her love of art, travel and outdoorsport pursuits. “It’s a learning experience for sure,” she says. “It’s one of the hardest ways to make a living.

There are so many things I want to do. The stressful thing is always the money, but it always seems to work out. There is so much freedom to do what I want to do. And that’s huge for me.”

For her, it’s all about flow. She imagines it in her mind, and the skillful, lace-like cuts follow. It’s a lovely way to fabricate a life.

For more, go to kellyphipps.com.

Don Campbell is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine. He lives in Mosier and Portland.

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WELLNESS

Marking a Milestone

BY RUTH BERKOWITZ

One Gorge woman finds a unique way to celebrate The Big Five-Oh

W

hen I was younger, I wrote my birthday wish list at least one month in advance and posted it on the refrigerator. I counted the days to the homemade double layer chocolate cake, the traditional lunch with my father, presents and a party with friends. At 16, my mother surprised me with a ride in a hot air balloon and a mud bath in Calistoga, Calif. After celebrating adulthood at 21 with a glider ride, I stopped marking my milestones until I reached 40 and we hosted a large birthday party at our Hood River home. Then I retreated again, focusing on my children’s birthdays.

A decade passed quickly and before I knew it, I was approaching The Big Five-Oh. As April 7, 2015 ticked closer, I started dreading the day, wishing for Peter Pan’s magic. Plucking gray hairs became useless, wrinkles didn’t iron off and suddenly I had to fight a tire around my belly. Another party? No, it didn’t feel like the half-century mark was something to celebrate.

While contemplating my passing youth, I serendipitously encountered my friend Carey MacNaughton while mountain biking at Post Canyon in Hood River. She asked me to join her in the Rajalta Rajalle-Hiihto, an organized event where people cross-country ski across Finland from its eastern border with Russia to the western Swedish border.

Was I capable of skiing 274 miles in seven days? Finland wasn’t even on my bucket list. “If you are going to turn 50,” she said, “you might as well mark the milestone with a thick pen.” Reluctant to take time for myself and away from my family, I didn’t commit immediately to the land of snow and reindeer. But she persisted, sending me texts about training and emails with links to Finland and videos on waxing skis.

How could I refuse, especially because adventure flows freely in my blood? Skiing across Finland seemed like an ideal way to celebrate my milestone birthday. The prospect made me feel excited for April to come, rather than apprehensive. “I can go,” I emailed MacNaughton in late September.

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“FABULOUS,” she responded in all caps.

I learned how to skate ski in my late twenties while living in Alaska, but had never tried classic style skiing. The difference lies with the motion: skating requires pushing off your legs, like ice-skating but with skinny skis, while classic is a diagonal stride with lots of finesse while kicking and gliding.

Fortunately, my 15-year-old daughter competed on the TeaCup Nordic Team, so I tagged along when the coach gave tips. He taught us about waxing—no candle wax, but the real Swedish Toko brand that needs to be corked onto the bottom of the ski. Despite our lack of snow last winter, I skied as much as possible—a week at McCall, Idaho, a few sessions on Mount Hood when we had snow, and many weekends schlepping to Mount Bachelor.

Having the goal of the epic ski fuelled me with purpose and joy. A neighbor gave me her NordicTrack, allowing me to train at night. MacNaughton and I schemed about what to bring, socks being at the top of the list. I experimented with electrolyte

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Was I capable of skiing 274 miles in seven days? Finland wasn’t even on my bucket list... drinks and started making energy bars.

In January, with icy conditions on Mount Hood, MacNaughton broke her ankle while skiing. She called me from the hospital. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “we’ll have to go next year.” Sad to lose my training partner and inspiration, I told MacNaughton that I needed to go this year. This was my milestone year. I had mentioned Finland to others and, fortunately, Hood River local Jul Dolan signed up for the adventure because she, too, wasn’t getting any younger—and being a cancer survivor, she’d learned to seize opportunities.

Skiing Across Finland Departure to Europe came quickly and on March 6, Dolan and I were in the dreamy town of Oivanki in northern Finland. It was snowing light powder. The Rajalta Rajalle-Hiihto would feature four heats, with

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a total of about 75 skiers from more than 20 countries, including New Zealand, France, Andorra and Slovenia. There were six of us from the United States.

Dolan and I were placed in the third group of skiers.

Each day we skied between 40 and 88 kilometers, with numerous stops along the way where locals

Ruth Berkowitz en route on the Rajalta Rajalle-Hiihto, an organized event where participants ski across Finland from east to west (above and left). She was one of about 75 skiers from around the world to take part in the annual event in 2015.

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WELLNESS

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LIFE’S AN ADVENTURE...

SMILE!

cheered us on with chocolate, pickles, reindeer sausage and loving support. At night, we stayed in a variety of accommodations from ski resorts to schoolhouses, each equipped with saunas, something I looked forward to every night. Each morning, my new friend Synnove Jorgensen—who I called “Sue” because her Danish name was too hard to pronounce— greeted me at breakfast, eager for the day: “Today, we do it!” she would say, with an emphasis on the “do.”

The terrain was relatively flat with some steep areas, but the sun at this latitude stays consistent and that meant the snow did, too. Unlike preceding years, the weather was mild, hovering around freezing. Skiing for seven to eight hours a day was

Reindeer were a frequent sighting during Berkowitz’s trek; they roam freely in Finland and sometimes even become pets. Inset, Berkowitz and some fellow skiers at the finish line.

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intense. Our Finnish guide, Thomas Rose, remarked about my smile, “It never leaves you.”

There were outs available—a bus met us halfway each day for anyone who wanted or needed to stop skiing, or just change their socks. But I hadn’t come all this way to ride a bus.

Days were physically rewarding. “Always take your sauna before dinner,” Swedish Katariina Pouraskari advised me, adding that it’s better for digestion and more pleasant for the sauna companions. Each night, after our “first” dinner, the guides briefed us about weather and provided waxing advice. Then we’d wax our skis and return for a second, slightly smaller dinner. Finnish food tasted especially good after a long day of skiing. We had thick rye bread and a variety of cheeses, but my favorite was the gravlax, a salted cured salmon.

At dinner each night, Sue, who celebrated her 69th birthday on the trail, hugged me, saying, “Today we did it!” There was only one day when both of us couldn’t ski the entire section, stopping 10 km short because

wet conditions made the snow stick to the bottom of our skis, prohibiting us from sliding forward.

On the seventh day of skiing, we reached the finish line in Karunki, near the Swedish border.

There was a cheering squad. Dolan teared up with joy. “We DID it!” shouted Sue. I thought all the hours skiing would provide some sort of epiphany on my life, like Cheryl Strayed had while hiking the 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. My journey wasn’t that profound, but I knew I’d rung in my 50th year by doing something memorable. The beauty of skiing through vast forests and over frozen lakes, the camaraderie of the people and the physical challenge filled me with the desire for even more: more adventures, more ways to connect with people, and more ways of marking milestones.

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.

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Come see our new location at: 810 13th Street Hood River

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OUR GORGE : PARTAKE

Mustard Chicken

Beverage Pairings THESE LOCAL BEERS & WINES GO NICELY WITH MUSTARD CHICKEN

RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY KACIE MCMACKIN

This Mustard Chicken is my spin on Julia Child’s classic French dish. This recipe is incredibly flavorful, and perfect for a winter day when the rain is beating against the windows or snow is falling steadily outside. The chicken is slathered in a thick sauce made from shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, and sprinkled with breadcrumbs before it’s roasted. You can use any combination of herbs in the mixture; I use mostly flat leaf parsley, rosemary, thyme and tarragon. My favorite way to serve Mustard Chicken is over homemade fettuccine, or egg noodles that have been tossed with butter and freshly chopped parsley.

Ingredients:

• • • • • • • • • • • •

4-5 lb. whole chicken 1 large shallot, finely minced 2 garlic cloves, finely minced lots of fresh herbs for the roasting pan 1/3 cup finely minced fresh herbs— parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon 1 Tsp red wine vinegar 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 2 lemons 2 Tbsp breadcrumbs 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Scrub the chicken with salt, rinse, pat dry with paper towels. Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut out the backbone and discard it or save for making stock. Using a sharp chef ’s knife, slice partway through the breastbone. Turn the bird breast side up and slice through the center of the breasts.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. In a large skillet or casserole dish create a bed of fresh herbs and one whole thinly sliced lemon. Place the chicken, breast up, on the herbs. Squeeze the juice from the second lemon and pour the olive oil over the top of the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast on the center rack for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the shallots, garlic, minced herbs, vinegar and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that you also seasoned the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the oven and remove the foil. Pour 1/4 cup of the drippings from the pan into the mustard mixture. Whisk to combine. Coat the chicken evenly with the mixture. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs and return to the oven for an additional 40 to 60 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if the top is getting too dark. Roast until the breast internal temperature reaches 165ºF and the thigh is 180ºF and the juices are running clear. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

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BEER from left to right:

• • • •

Seizoen Bretta from Logsdon Farmhouse Ales Fa La La La La Winter Ale from Double Mountain Winter Ale from pFriem Family Brewers Wilde Appel Oak Aged Cider from Logsdon Farmhouse Ales

WINE from left to right:

• Lynette Chardonnay from Phelps Creek Vineyards • Solimano from Marchesi Vineyards • Gewürztraminer from Analemma Wines

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Kacie McMackin is a food blogger, writer and photographer at gorgeinthegorge.com. She lives in Hood River and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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EAT + DRINK

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. Along with the Skylight DraftHouse Theater where you can create your own artesian pizza or salad, then sitback and enjoy a first run movie while sitting in the luxury theater.

Dine-in, take-out or delivery.

BENEVENTI'S PIZZA

BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY

• 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.

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.

Open: Sun 11:30-9pm • Mon-Fri 3-9pm • Sat 11:30-9pm

brian’s pourhouse

(509) 427-3412 • backwoodsbrewingcompany.com 1162B Wind River Road • Carson

BRIDGESIDE

(509) 493-2177 • Find us on Facebook 201 West Steuben Street • Downtown Bingen

(541) 387-4344 • brianspourhouse.com 606 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

We are a family owned and operated business Serving one of the best pizzas in the entire Gorge!

Hand-Tossed Pizza • Lunch Buffet • Pasta Dishes 40 Item Salad Bar • Oven Toasted Grinders • Daily Soups Hot Wings • Homemade Sausage • Beer and Wine Kids Play Area • Video Arcade Special Event Catering Dine in or take out, local and Hood River delivery

We are located in a charming historic house in the heart of downtown Hood River. Our guest dining experience is optimized by tastefully and passionately blending nature’s finest ingredients with impeccably friendly service, our mission since 1998. Outdoor patio for private parties, groups, and rehearsal dinners. Dinner served daily, 5pm to 10pm.

casa el mirador

celilo restaurant & bar

DIVOTS clubhOuSe ReSTAuRANT

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.

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!

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.

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

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APPLE VALLEY BBQ

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

(541) 374-8477 • bridgesidedining.com Exit 44 off I-84, Cascade Locks Stunning views next to the Bridge of the Gods – Bridgeside (formerly Charburger) still serves tasty char-broiled burgers plus an extensive menu of breakfast items, chowders, fish & chips, fresh salad bar, sandwiches, and desserts. New name, new management, but historic charm and western artifacts remain. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

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

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

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EAT + DRINK everybodysbrewing.com White Salmon, WA

dog river coffee

DOPPIO COFFEE

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

(541) 386-4502 • dogrivercoffee.net 411 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

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

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

Named one of 'America's top 10 coffeehouses' by USA Today

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 (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options). Local beers on tap, and local wines by the glass or bottle. Free Wi-fi and our patio is dogfriendly. Open daily at 7 a.m.

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

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

Photos by Michael Peterson

FULL SAIL BREW PUB

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

LOGSDON BARREL HOUSE & TAPROOM

GRACE SU’S CHINA GORGE

(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.

MCMENAMINS EDGEFIELD

GROUND Espresso Bar & Cafe

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

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

(541) 436-0040 101 4th Street • Hood River

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

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

New in town!!!! Taproom with exquisite Belgian -style beers, brewed on the Logsdon Farm in the valley. Certified organic beers, brewed with local ingredients. Get the Belgian vibe and enjoy. We have a Belgian style menu available as well.

Cheers, op Uw gezondheid

As the weather cools and winter takes hold, you may find yourself in need of a crackling fire or warm cocktail to battle the elements. With a house-made Hot Butter Rum or a Fremont Furnace to sip on, roaring fire pits and nightly live music, we’ve got you covered during this stormy season.

Open: Sun noon-6pm, Mon Closed, Tue - Thu 2:00pm-8pm, Fri - Sat 12:00-9pm

Ales, wines and spirits are crafted onsite.

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.

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EAT + DRINK

PIETRO’S PIZZA & Gallery of Games

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

(541) 296-7870 • rivertappub.com 701 East 2nd Street • Downtown The Dalles (I-84, Exit 85)

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.

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. cebu lounge: happiest hours in town, Mon-Fri 4-6 pm

Showcasing delicious local foods, hand crafted beers, wines and spirits of the Columbia River Basin in a relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff, family dining, and a warm, inviting indoor fireplace. Come experience the best in The Dalles.

(541) 386-1606 • www.pietrospizza.com 107 2nd Street • Downtown Hood River

SOLSTICE WOOD FIRE CAFÉ, BAR & CATERING

(541) 436-0800 • solsticewoodfirecafe.com 501 Portway Avenue • Hood River Waterfront Inventive pizzas with perfectly blistered crusts, seasonal veggies, fresh pasta and amazing s’mores. Creative cocktails, craft beers, wine & ciders on tap. Family dining section and kids play area. Vegan and gluten-free options.

Catering for weddings & events with our mobile woodfire kitchen!

stonehedge gardens

RIVERTAP PUB & RESTAURANT

Enjoy Happy Hour daily, 3pm-6pm!

SUSHI OKALANI

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

(541) 386-7423 • sushiokalani@gorge.net 109 First 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

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.

A local resource guide for the discerning foodie.

Reviews, recipes & more: gorgeinthegorge.com 64

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EAT + DRINK FLYING HIGH Paragliding Takes Off

DISTILLERIES Crafting the Goods

STYLE+DESIGN Sensi Graves Bikinis

HARD CIDER It’s Here, It’s Now

TRIATHLON CLUB A Photo Essay

HOME+GARDEN “Tiny House” Living

WINTER 2016 thegorgemagazine.com

We are nestled on the banks of the Sandy River in Troutdale, OR–the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge. We are located halfway between Portland and Multnomah Falls. Serving exquisite American cuisine since the 1930s. The menu includes: Seafood specialties as well as traditional steak, chicken, and pasta dishes; a full bar, and our famous home-style chicken ‘n dumplins. Open every night for dinner.

SUMMER 2015 thegorgemagazine.com

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

FALL 2015 thegorgemagazine.com

A subscription to the area’s premier lifestyle publication

TAD’S CHICKEN ‘N DUMPLINS

TOWER TRAINING Harnessing the Wind

RADIO TIERRA Airwaves for All

DOG MOUNTAIN Winter Wonderland

Subscribe now for only $19.99 (4 issues) or $29.99 (8 issues) 541.399.6333 // thegorgemagazine.com for more information The Gorge Magazine is published quarterly, new subscribers will receive the next available issue. If the post office alerts you that your magazine is undeliverable we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

THE GLASS ONION RESTAURANT (509) 773-4928 • theglassonionrestaurant.com 604 South Columbus Avenue • Goldendale

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 specialty cocktails, local wines and craft beer on tap, featured artists and special events. Ask about catering and private parties.

Open: Wednesday - Saturday 11:30 - 9pm

Dining out in the Gorge is a popular recreational pursuit So many options: restaurants, cafés, wineries, breweries, food carts, and more. Help visitors and locals decide where to dine and drink.

PARTAKE: see your ad here and in the online digital edition of the magazine...for one affordable price!

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO (971) 231-4599 • thunderislandbrewing.com 515 NW Portage Road • Cascade Locks

An adventure-based brewery that is handcrafting creative and innovative beers in the Pacific Northwest. Thunder Island Brewing makes original beers inspired by a love for outdoor adventures, with a nod to local history and with a respect for all that the scenic Columbia River Gorge has to offer. Bring the family in for a meal, well behaved dogs onleash are welcome on our patio. CALL FOR HOURS

Contact Micki Chapman for more information: 541-380-0971 mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com thegorgemagazine.com

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OUR GORGE : EPILOGUE

Cooper Spur Ski Area during the winter of 1966-67. (Photo courtesy of The History Museum of Hood River.)

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Space Candy

MEDICAL & RECREATIONAL CANNABIS The first licensed Medical Dispensary in the Columbia Gorge. Located in the heart of Hood River at 602 Oak Street.

Superior Quality • Fair Pricing Knowledgeable, Friendly Staff

Providence Providence in in Hood Hood River River Find Find health health care care where where you you need need it it •• Great Great doctors doctors •• Convenient Convenient clinics clinics •• Award-winning Award-winning hospital hospital

541-386-3911 541-386-3911

www.providence.org/hoodriver www.providence.org/hoodriver 602 Oak Street, Hood

River

541-490-5441

www.TheGorgeGreenCross.com // TheGorgeGreenCross@gmail.com // Find us on Facebook

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Providence in Hood River Providence in Hood River Providence in Hood River Providence in Hood Providence in Hood River Providence in Hood River Find health care where you need it health care where you n Find health care where you need it Find health care where you need itFind Find health care where you need it Find health care where you need it

Great doctors ••• Great doctors • Great doctors Great doctors •• Great doctors Convenient clinics •• Convenient clinics • Convenient clinics Convenient clinics •• Convenient clinics Award-winning hospital •• Award-winning hospital • Award-winning hospital Award-winning hospital • Award-winning hospital

• Great doctors • Convenient clinics • Award-winning hospital

541-386-3911 541-386-3911 541-386-3911 541-386-3911 541-386-3911 www.providence.org/hoodriver www.providence.org/hoodriver www.providence.org/hoodriver www.providence.org/hoodriver www.providence.org/hoodriver

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541-386-3911

www.providence.org/hoodriver

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