The Gorge Magazine - Winter 2016-17

WINTER 2016-17 thegorgemagazine.com

CRAG RATS 90 Years of Rescue

SKIING WITH KIDS Advice from Olympians

NESIKA LODGE A Hidden Gem

HEALTH & WELLNESS issue

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Crag Rats

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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!

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We buy antiques Tuesday - Saturday 10 - 6 Sunday 11 - 4

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11/21/16 8:43 AM

CONTENTS : FEATURES

34 THE CRAG RATS

Ninety years of mountain rescue

By Christopher Van Tilburg 40

BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH The Columbia Gorge earns national recognition for its efforts to improve the health of all residents

By Janet Cook

p.40

Building a Culture of Health 4

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Discover your adventure…experience ours!

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

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PERSON OF INTEREST

14

VENTURES

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BEST OF THE GORGE

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HOME + GARDEN

20

LOCAVORE

22

STYLE + DESIGN

26

EXPLORE

30

WINE SPOTLIGHT

68

PARTAKE

74

EPILOGUE

56

Paloma Ayala

our gorge

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David Hanson

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CONTENTS : DEPARTMENTS

outside

Courtesy of Bronwen and Garth Hager

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FROM HOT CHOCOLATE TO BLACK DIAMOND RUNS Former Olympic skiers and snowboarders offer advice for nurturing a love of snow sports in kids

BY RUTH BERKOWITZ

arts + culture 60

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THE LAST NUTCRACKER Ballet students and teachers at Columbia Gorge Dance Academy stage the final act of a beloved community tradition

BY JANET COOK

wellness

IT’S ALL IN THE JUICE Winter is a perfect time to reap the health benefits of juicing

BY CATE HOTCHKISS

Michael Peterson

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SINCE 1994

JEWELRY

+

HOME

305 OAK STREET • HOOD RIVER 541-386-6188

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

Oregon A-List Award Regional Spotlight Recipient

EDITOR’S NOTE

W

e all know the Gorge is a great place to live. We’ve got it all: outdoor recreation, beautiful surroundings, quaint small towns, a fabulous food and beverage scene. But, as my kids would say, these things speak to wants. What I’ve learned over the past several years, however, exploring our communities for stories to tell in these pages, is that there are a lot of people and organizations working to make sure the needs of community members are met. Just a small sampling of some that have appeared in the magazine include the FISH Food Bank, which expanded into a brand new building two years ago in order to serve more people; One Community Health, which last year marked 30 years of providing health care to the underserved; Gorge Grown Food Network, which works to create a local, sustainable food system for all; and The Next Door, whose myriad programs provide outreach and support to individuals, children and families throughout the Gorge.

There are also countless individuals — working or volunteering with these entities and others — who spend their days helping to lift up those less fortunate. The collective effort of many of these individuals and organizations was recognized recently by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which bestowed on the Columbia Gorge Region its prestigious Culture of Health Prize for the many efforts being undertaken to improve the health of all residents (page 40). Paul Lindberg, a collective impact specialist who has helped create collaborations and obtain funding for many of the initiatives underway, points out that the prize is a great honor, but there’s much more work to do. For at the end of the day, it’s the community that ensures people’s most basic needs are met that makes for a truly great place to live.

We’ve dubbed this our Health & Wellness Issue for the many stories related to the topic, including a profile of beloved White Salmon yoga teacher Kathy Kacena (page 12); a story on Merriann Bell and her organic plant nursery (page 18); and a piece on the benefits of juicing in winter (page 64). We also invite you to peruse our special advertising section, which highlights some of the healthcare professionals in our community (page 52).

New Hours!

Lunch (Fri-Sun) 11:30-3pm Dinner (Daily) 5pm-close

Of course, there are plenty of winter-themed stories as well, including one about Nesika Lodge (page 26), and another on Teacup Lake Nordic Area (page 14). There’s also a story about former Olympic skiers and snowboarders who are now raising their own kids on the local slopes (page 56). Here’s to good health and happy trails this winter. Cheers!

541-386-5710

—Janet Cook, Editor

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WINTER 2016-17 thegorgemagazine.com

celilorestaurant.com 16 Oak Street, Hood River, OR CRAG RATS 90 Years of Rescue

SKIING WITH KIDS Advice from Olympians

NESIKA LODGE A Hidden Gem

ABOUT THE COVER Michael Peterson photographed our cover of Crag Rats Christopher Van Tilburg, Bill Pattison and Tom Rousseau near Cloud Cap Inn, the organization’s historic training and rescue base located on the north side of Mount Hood. The trio are long-time members of the Crag Rats, which marks its 90th anniversary this year and is the oldest mountain search-and-rescue organization in the country. michaelpetersonphotography.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS issue

Crag Rats

Call Heather Sullivan

503-781-3749

catering@celilorestaurant.com

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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.

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WINTER 2016-17 JANET COOK Editor

RENATA KOSINA Creative Director/Graphic Designer

MICKI CHAPMAN Advertising Director

JENNA HALLETT Account Executive

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, David Hanson, Cate Hotchkiss, Peggy Dills Kelter, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Christopher Van Tilburg, Kathy Watson

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER MIchael Peterson

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Paloma Ayala, Silvia Flores, David Hanson, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Michael Peterson, Denise Rehse Watson, Stu Watson

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.

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OUR GORGE person of interest p. 12 ventures p. 14 best of the gorge p. 16 home + garden p. 18 locavore p. 20 style + design p. 22 explore p. 26 wine spotlight p. 30

Skiers at Teacup Lake Nordic Area enjoy a sunny day at the popular Mount Hood destination. p. 14 Photo courtesy of Teacup Lake Nordic Club

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OUR GORGE : PERSON OF INTEREST

Kathy Kacena

A beloved yoga teacher melds disciplines in her unique practice STORY BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER • PHOTOS BY SILVIA FLORES

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“

i there, have we met? I’m Kathy.” The soothing, friendly voice, resonant with the sounds of the rural south, greets all newcomers who venture into the large building, formerly a creamery, at the west end of Jewett Boulevard in White Salmon.

Welcome to Yoga Samadhi. The yoga studio opened in 2007 and has become one of small town White Salmon’s most popular destinations, thanks to the vision and graciousness of its owner and lead teacher, Kathy Kacena.

Energetic, effervescent, funny, caring, wise — the words to describe this remarkable woman are as eclectic as her 67 years of life have been. She was born and raised in rural Arkansas, attended the same school from grades 1 through 12 and as an only child was surrounded by an extended family that still calls Arkansas home. “Almost all my family still lives within 50 miles of where I grew up,” she says. “I’m one of the only ones who actually left there.”

Kacena met her first husband in college, got married and became a high school math teacher. She stopped teaching when her son was born; she and her son’s father divorced when the child was four.

Kathy went home to Arkansas to figure out her future. “I decided, how can I be self-reliant? What are my skills?” she says. “That was a real investigation — I really didn’t know. Somehow I decided that I had the skills to become an accountant. That was a very marketable skill.” Meanwhile, her ex-husband, a surgeon, took a job out west — in The Dalles.

She earned her C.P.A., and entered the corporate world, beginning with a stint at a big accounting firm in Memphis, followed by multiple accounting jobs in broadcasting and at Merrill Lynch. Meanwhile, she had remarried. Their family of three moved multiple times due to corporate job changes, living throughout the South. The frequent moves were difficult for Kathy’s adolescent son, and he headed west, where he moved in with his dad and graduated from The Dalles High School.

On a trip to visit her son in 1987, Kacena recalls calling her husband and telling him that the Gorge was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. “Since I tend to be the enthusiastic type, he thought maybe I was overstating until he came to visit,” she says. “Jim felt the same way.”

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In addition to her high-powered corporate jobs, Kacena was an avid long distance runner.

“I ran for 20 years and never stretched,” she says.

“At the age of 46, I started having trouble with my hip and hamstring. Somebody said, ‘You should try yoga.’ I didn’t even know what that was, but they were so persuasive that I finally took a hot yoga class. I tried it for three months and hated it.” Someone else recommended a studio that taught Desikachar’s Viniyoga, which emphasizes moving with the breath. At first it was very difficult. “I didn’t live in my body, I lived in my head,” Kacena says. “I really noticed how much I held my breath. My parents had both died of cancer at a young age. I learned that grief is one of the emotions that is held in the lungs. Yoga practice helped me release those emotions.”

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Kathy Kacena, an Arkansas native, had a successful career as a corporate CPA before she discovered yoga. She teaches a synthesis of several styles of yoga at her studio in White Salmon, where her classes are often full.

Some months after beginning her yoga practice, Kacena traveled to a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico. “I was over my head,” she says. “It was a really strong style of yoga — I couldn’t do any of it. All I could do was walk up and down the remote beach. There weren’t any distractions. I realized I was unhappy, and decided to go back to Atlanta and quit my job. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Then she discovered Yin yoga, which emphasizes breathing into long-held relaxed poses.

This practice totally changed her functional flexibility. “After 20 years of long distance running, my connective tissue was so bound up. I wasn’t ever going to be able to change that by doing a muscle-oriented practice.” At the same time, she began studying postural alignment using Egoscue methods, and in 1999 began studying meditation with Phillip Moffitt, with whom she continues to study.

The many labels for the different styles of yoga can be confusing. Kacena says all of yoga is Hatha Yoga, which just means “breath and body.”

The version she teaches is a synthesis of all the styles she’s studied and practiced. It’s obviously a popular approach. Her classes are often full, and

most of her students are regulars, studying two or three times a week with her. She encourages others to experience yoga. “I’ll never be a Gumby,” she says. “You don’t have to be inherently flexible; you just have to find the style of yoga that’s right for you.”

Kacena fell in love with the Gorge on that first visit in 1987, and a few years later she and Jim began vacationing here every summer. Jim took up windsurfing, and eventually they bought land in White Salmon. They made their permanent move to the Gorge in 2005, and opened Yoga Samadhi and Jim’s legal practice soon after.

Kacena says she was recently talking to someone who’d just moved to the Gorge from Manhattan. “I told her that I moved here 12 years ago and that every day I feel as I did in the beginning,” she says. “I am still blown away by the natural beauty of the place and the community of people.

Jim and I both feel that this place nourishes our souls. We are blessed to live here.”

For more information, including a class schedule, go to columbiagorgeyoga.com Peggy Dills Kelter is an artist and writer who lives in Hood River. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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OUR GORGE : VENTURES

Kicking and Gliding into the Future Changes at Teacup Lake Nordic Area ensure fresh tracks for decades to come

BY BEN MITCHELL • PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEACUP LAKE NORDIC CLUB

T

here have been some big changes at Teacup Lake in the offseason this year — so big that you probably won’t notice them.

The cross-country ski trail system, located off Highway 35 just a few miles from Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, is one of the most popular places — if not the most popular place — to go Nordic skiing on the east side of Mount Hood. On a sunny day in the middle of winter after a fresh snowfall, or even a cloudy day in the middle of the week, you can guarantee there will be a line of Subaru Outbacks lining the parking lot, as solo skiers and families unpack their gear for a day of kicking and gliding (or skating) on the groomed trail network.

And now, thanks to the hard work of Teacup Lake Nordic Club’s board of directors, scenes like this one will be guaranteed for decades to come — provided the Outback hasn’t been discontinued by then.

Recently, Teacup Nordic was approved for a permit by the U.S. Forest Service that officially designates the trail network as a ski area, meaning the group can continue cross-country ski operations there for the next 40 years. In another change for the organization, Teacup Nordic recently created its own nonprofit, branching off from the Oregon Nordic Club (ONC).

“We’ve got the proper permit and we’re locked in for 40 years and global warming aside, we’ll be skiing up there long after I am gone,” jokes Paul Blackburn, president of Teacup Lake Nordic Club (as well as the mayor of Hood River), the group that takes care of the trail system.

The ski area, which contains about 20 kilometers (12 miles) of groomed trails of various ability levels, has long been a popular place for cross-country skiing, but the group has never had an agreement quite like this one with the Forest Service.

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Clint Harris, a member of the club’s volunteer board of directors, says Blackburn and other members have been working with the Forest Service for the past year-and-a-half on obtaining the ski area designation. “They want to wholeheartedly get behind us and help us succeed and I think that’s a really great thing,” Harris says of the government agency.

In an outdoorsy region like the Gorge where extreme sports have enjoyed a more mainstream appeal, Nordic skiing — and Teacup Lake — has always remained a popular pastime despite changing trends in outdoor activities. Blackburn says that back in the day, Trillium Lake was once the hot spot for skiing, but the race committee of the Portland chapter of the ONC liked the varied terrain at Teacup Lake, and obtained a permit from the

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Forest Service to do some trail grooming at the location in the mid-1980s. An article in the Hood River News from Nov. 16, 1988, nervously comments on the trend of hordes of Nordic skiers flocking to the east side of Mount Hood, noting that “growing numbers of cross country skiers have been coming to the area in recent years, crowding Sno-Park areas, parking where there are no Sno-Park lots, and putting increasing pressure on existing ski trails.” The article goes on to state that this influx had prompted the Forest Service to create a Sno-Park lot specifically for Teacup during the previous winter recreation season.

Over the years, the Teacup Lake Nordic Club has made some improvements to the area, adding

Teacup Lake Nordic Area, long a beloved destination of cross-country skiers in the region, was recently approved for a permit by the U.S. Forest Service that officially designates the 12-mile network of trails as a ski area. Teacup Lake offers groomed trails for all ability levels and a warming cabin.

portable restrooms, an information kiosk, and a warming cabin. Membership in the club has also grown from a few hundred to 1,200, a third of which are from the Gorge, according to Blackburn.

The club hosts events and runs its own youth and junior skier programs. The trail system is also where the Hood River Valley High School Nordic Ski Team practices.

Despite the changes, much remains the same.

The club continues to be made up of volunteers, with the exception of groomer Harold Fischer, who gets compensated for waking up at the crack of dawn, if not earlier, to groom four times a week if conditions allow. Funds for grooming, maintenance, and other essentials are obtained via donations and membership fees. Day fees for nonmembers are $10 (although kids now ski free), and are collected via a donation box/honor system.

The nonprofit structure will allow the club to broaden its programming, including expanding ski lesson opportunities, although Blackburn says that won’t happen this season. For this winter, at least, families will just have to be content with the same great Nordic skiing that has existed at Teacup for decades, and will now exist for decades to come.

For more information, go to teacupnordic.org.

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

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OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Winter Wine Walk

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Hood River’s downtown tasting rooms are hosting a Winter Wine Walk Dec. 10-11. Each tasting room will offer specials on wines and tastings from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Visit five or more tasting rooms and you’ll be entered to win a gift basket full of local goodies from downtown retailers. Participating tasting rooms include AniChe Cellars, Cascade Cliffs, Cerulean, Naked Winery, Springhouse Cellar, Stave & Stone, Stoltz and The Pines 1852.

Holiday Treats

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Last-minute holiday shoppers rejoice: students of Fresh Start Culinary Arts Program are teaming up with Columbia Center for the Arts to make eatable art for gifts, or for your own holiday table. Fresh Start will showcase a wide variety of pastries, confections and cakes that can be purchased at the center, or ordered in advance for pickup. “The desserts, from truffles to cheesecake, cookies to tea cakes, are perfect for your holiday table, holiday giving to friends, or for your staff or clients,” said Rainbow Trosper, pastry chef and program administrator at Fresh Start. The desserts are available for last-minute shoppers Dec. 21 & 22 at the arts center, or order in advance for pick-up on those days. Each dessert comes in a gift-worthy box with a card attached. A list of desserts and ordering information is available online. freshstartculinaryarts.org

New Year’s at Meadows

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Jay Carroll @ Mt. Hood Meadows

Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort hosts its annual Brrring in the New Year party on Dec. 31.

Lifts are scheduled to operate until midnight. There will be fireworks on the mountain (beginning at 10:15 p.m.) as well as a dinner buffet and live music. New Year’s Eve lift ticket, dinner and party packages are available. skihood.com

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Beer Fest

Polar Plunge

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Looking for a cool way to start the new year? Head east, to Maryhill State Park, for the 10th annual Polar Plunge. The annual tradition is a fundraiser for the Central Klickitat County Parks & Recreation District. You can take the plunge yourself, or donate for someone else to plunge.

The foray into the chilly Columbia River starts at 10 a.m. sharp on Jan. 1, and generally ends a few seconds later. Admission to all Washington State Parks is free that day, so you can’t use that as an excuse. centralklickitatcountyparksandrec.com

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Breweries in the Gorge (B.I.G.) hosts the first ever Holiday Hangover Beer Fest in Hood River from noon to 8 p.m. on Jan. 14. The festival, held at the Elk’s Lodge, features a wide variety of craft beer from 12 breweries throughout the Gorge. Each brewery will offer several beers at the event, including special reserves. There will be live music and food at this 21-and-over event. breweriesinthegorge.com

Cultural Performances

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When the weather outside is frightful, head inside for some inspiring performances of the Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association. Along with several ensembles — including the Sinfonietta Orchestra, Voci Choir and Gorge Jazz Collective — CGOA has added a theater group called Stages. Upcoming CGOA performances include A Community of Music 2, with the Jazz Collective along with local musicians Ben Bonham and Kerry Williams (Jan. 13 & 15); a Stages production of The Pirates of Penzance (Feb. 9-12); and the Sinfonietta performing Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (Feb. 17 & 19). Performances are held at Wy’east Performing Arts Center. gorgeorchestra.org

Shop Locally

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Michael Peterson

This holiday season, put your money where your heart is by shopping at locally owned businesses. Gorge Owned, a member-supported organization that works for a healthy economy, environment and community in the Gorge, launched its 7th annual GO! Local Campaign in November. “Every dollar spent at an independent business returns three times more money to the local economy than one spent at a chain,” said Becky Brun of Gorge Owned. When you shop with participating businesses, you’ll receive special discounts and even get entered to win prizes. gorgeowned.org THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2016-17 17

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OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

How the Garden Grows Merriann Bell works hard all winter at her plant nursery to the delight of gardeners come spring STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY PALOMA AYALA

T

he month of January in the Gorge, with its ubiquitous gray and chill and damp, is not a time

most people are thinking about their gardens. Luckily, Merriann Bell is doing it for us. At Rattlesnake Plants, her plant nursery near Lyle, Wash., Bell turns on the lights and fires up the heater in her long greenhouse during the heart of winter — the second week in January. That’s when she tucks her first round of seedlings into flats filled with rich, homemade soil to begin their journey to gardens throughout the Gorge.

Bell fits 84 “plugs” — seedlings in plant nursery lingo — into each flat, and she can start 30 to 35 flats at a time. After each round of flats has its turn near the heat, she moves them to make way for a new round. With each passing week, a sort of controlled chaos reigns the greenhouse, with Bell shuffling dozens of flats sometimes several times a day depending on where the starts are in their growth cycle.

“I’m constantly checking on them and moving them around,” she says. Bell starts about 250 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers each season. “I have to know the needs for the seeds of each one — their germination needs as well as their growth needs,” she says. As the weather warms and the plants grow stronger, Bell eventually moves plant starts from the greenhouse to a semi-protected hoop house, and then on to an open-sided garden house, which protects the new plants only from rain. In between, she often moves dozens of flats at a time from the greenhouse and hoop house out into the sunshine for a few hours, then back into a protected environment as the day cools. From January until mid-June, when the last of her plants are picked up by customers, “it’s 12 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Bell.

Bell followed a circuitous route to Rattlesnake Plants, although gardening has been part of her life since her childhood in New Hampshire, where she often helped her father in his garden. She eventually followed other pursuits, attending the Culinary Institute of America and becoming a professional chef.

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That life took her all over the world, including to Antarctica, where she spent several years as a cook for the National Science Foundation and, later, for Greenpeace.

In the 1980s, between chef stints, she read an article in Smithsonian magazine about a gardener in northern Vermont who operated a large

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market garden. She was fascinated, and wrote to him. He ended up hiring Bell, and she spent an entire growing season living in a tent on his property.

“At first, I was just cleaning up for him,” Bell says. But eventually she oversaw the farm’s greenhouses, learning the ins and outs of growing starts inside in a harsh climate as well as making soil and fertilizer. Her employer’s best friend was famed proponent of organic gardening Eliot Coleman, so she picked up tips from him as well. “I learned so much and got so much confidence during my time there,” Bell says.

She landed in the Gorge in the early 1990s, and got a job with Good News Gardening in Hood River. “I gained more knowledge there, as well as an understanding of what people wanted in this area,” Bell says. Eventually she left to start her own organic heirloom nursery, which she named Rattlesnake Plants after the road she lived on in Husum.

Because of her remote location, Bell had a booth at Saturday Market in Hood River, where she gained regular customers and sold much of her stock of plants every year. “I built a niche there,” she says. “I loved the people I met at market, many of whom are my best friends now.”

In 2008, Bell and her husband found property they wanted to buy near Lyle. They moved the nursery but kept the name, and Bell continued to be a fixture at Saturday Market. But after a dozen years doing the market, Bell decided it was time for a change. “I had two booths worth of stuff,” she says.

She spent hours preparing for it each week, and then hours more setting up and packing everything up at the end — only to do it all over again the next week. It was physically grueling.

“I began to think about how I could continue to do my nursery without hurting myself,” Bell says. She hit on the idea of creating a website, where customers could pre-order their plants and then pick them up when the plants were ready — just in time for spring planting. “At the time, I didn’t even know how to send an e-mail,” Bell recalls, laughing. But she had a friend who was a website designer. “Together, we made it work.”

Bell has been operating rattlesnakeplants.com since 2014. Customers can place their plant orders as early as November (she offers a 10 percent discount on orders placed by the end of December) for pick-up beginning in April. Bell has scheduled pick-ups at the nursery every two weeks from mid-April through mid-June. But she welcomes anyone to come shop at the nursery, even if they haven’t ordered anything online. “I have lots of walk-in

Merriann Bell, opposite, grows some 250 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers — including 30 varieties of tomatoes — at her plant nursery near Lyle. She begins growing starts in her greenhouse in January for pick-up by customers starting in April.

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customers,” she says — many of whom are regular customers, she adds, just not of the online ordering sort.

Bell relishes what she does, even as it has morphed over the years. Of the 250 varieties of plants she grows each season, more than 150 of them are vegetables — including about 30 varieties of tomatoes.

“It’s a labor-intensive business,” she says. But she loves all the details of getting her plants started, including making her own soil and fertilizer and watching the plants grow and thrive under her watchful eye. The solitary hours in the greenhouse during the winter months are rewarded when customers come in the spring. “I love it,” she says. “I love my customers. I love the people I interact with. It’s just been a great thing to do.”

For more information, go to rattlesnakeplants.com.

By J. Stevens

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Photo courtesy of Trout Lake Inn

OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

Dinner Worth the Drive

Snowshoe Mount Adams, then warm up to the charm – and food – of the Trout Lake Country Inn STORY BY KATHY WATSON • PHOTOS BY STU WATSON

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early every table at the Trout Lake Country Inn is taken on a fall Friday night at 7 p.m. As you come up the broad wood steps, you can see diners through the inn’s tall windows, framed with twinkling lights, their laughter urging you toward the wood stove’s warmth and the deep, flavorful menu inside.

“We had a line out the door at 5 o’clock,” says Michael Kendrick.

“Well, that’s because the doorknob fell off and no one could get in!” says Arife Ozkan with a chuckle.

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Together, Ozkan and Kendrick own and operate the dining room, music and dance hall at the venerable old inn. The much-loved tall white clapboard has lived to see 112 years at the end of the worn road on the western edge of Trout Lake. It’s a building that needs their undivided attention. It’s not unusual to find Ozkan on the roof lashing down a loose shingle. Or Kendrick nursing an old cook stove in the tiny kitchen. The building has its quirks, its secrets, its reincarnations. When they were repairing the floor recently, “We found a two-lane bowling alley right under there” says Kendrick, pointing to the worn wood floor under the couches and wood stove near the dining tables.

The inn may show its age, but Ozkan and Kendrick work hard to keep the old building’s spirits up, its charms genuine. From the mismatched tables, chairs and tablecloths, to the post office boxes from the inn’s days as the local post office, to the spotless bar with local beers on tap, the inn is the real deal. People are still entertained and fed and comforted by a warm fire, not unlike the inn’s first days in 1904. And when there’s live music in the big dance hall, expect 100 or more to be stomping it out on the old wood floor.

The charm offensive can only offer so much, but not to worry. It’s the food Ozkan and Kendrick serve up that make the 25-mile drive from Hood River worth the trip. Especially if the meal comes after cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, caving or winter hiking along Mount Adams’ snowy flanks. Scores of locals descend on the inn for Taco Monday or Italian Thursday or weekend specials from around the world. There’s also a solid every-day menu with burgers and classic salads and sandwiches — a cheesesteak sub, Greek salad, patty melt, reuben — and a few not-so-standbys, like the Thai yam tuna salad sandwich. The sandwich, which the menu describes as having, “a slow spicy hot burn that is euphoric” reveals Ozkan’s and Kendrick’s love of flavor, especially Asian.

On the specials’ board on a Friday night: Hawaiian BBQ pork loin ribs, jasmine rice, zucchini and cucumber salad, ginger dressing, for $19. The five fat ribs are glazed to a mahogany sheen and tender at the

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bone. And lamb kofta made with Washougal-raised lamb, vegetable ratatouille, organic tomato rice pilaf, garlic yogurt and naan, $18.

Tucked up on one of the sofas near the fire, Claude Koch, a caver from Portland, is guzzling a Fanta orange soda and tunneling through the plate of lamb kofta. “It’s delicious!” he exclaims, licking his fingers, and sopping up the garlic yogurt with the flatbread. Koch comes up nearly every weekend in the fall and winter to hunt for caves in the lava-rich Mount Adams country, and then hits the inn for dinner and conversation.

Ozkan roams the room, talking to regulars like Koch. Kendrick and one line cook keep the food coming. Titles? Ozkan doesn’t like them, calling her husband Kendrick “head food scientist.” She runs the front of the house, and sources local food, such as Blue Skies Bakery bread and Cascadia Creamery cheeses, or vegetables and eggs from local farms. “I’ll bring Michael some lamb, or fresh seafood, and he experiments, or I’ll ask him to make a certain dish,” says Ozkan of their collaborative style and world food passions.

It’s a style forged by their family histories. Ozkan grew up on Long Island, daughter of a Turkish father and German Irish mother. Her great, great, great grandfather was the sultan’s pastry chef in Istanbul. Her father was most often the family’s cook, instilling a love of Ottoman Turkish cuisine.

Nearby in New Jersey, Kendrick’s father cooked Lithuanian meals, and Kendrick roamed the woods with his paternal grandmother, hunting for mushrooms.

Both Kendrick and Ozkan remember trips with their fathers into New York City, always searching for authentic foods, from Chinese restaurants to Kosher butcher shops.

Maybe that’s why Ozkan just shrugs when she talks about provisioning the inn. There are days spent in the car, driving to Portland for fresh seafood, or cajoling suppliers to deliver up the long highway to Trout Lake, especially in winter. Call it delivery diplomacy: Convince food suppliers to drop her orders at Everybody’s Brewing or Double Mountain, and then coax the breweries to hold her order in their coolers until she can get there. “It helps that we sell their beer,” she says.

The evening is winding down, the tables emptying. The couple’s son Jon, age 10, is finishing his homework. Their daughter Beyyine comes in the door from Central Washington University for the weekend, her golden retriever puppy in tow. Locals still lingering at the bar gather around, welcoming her home.

The Trout Lake Country Inn has been a fixture in the community for more than a century, once doubling as the town’s post office. Owners Michael Kendrick and Arife Ozkan, below middle, serve locals and visitors an eclectic menu ranging from classic burgers to specials like Hawaiian BBQ pork ribs, below right.

“After everyone goes, we light the candles and lanterns, and play pool and pinball,” says Ozkan, gesturing back to the dance hall. “It’s good, it’s good.”

So if you happen to wander up to the Trout Lake Country Inn this winter, and the door knob is stuck, just knock and wave. They’ll let you in. It’s worth the trip.

GETTING THERE 15 Guler Rd., Trout Lake, Wash. • troutlakecountryinn.net 509-395-3667 (reservations for large parties appreciated) Fall/winter hours: Thu-Mon dinner, 5pm-9 pm; Sat & Sun, lunch 11:30am-4 pm. Closed Tue-Wed. Occasionally closed due to weather, so call to check.

Taco Tuesday and Italian Thursday available during winter, too.

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OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

Not Your Dad’s Thrift Shop A new company in Cascade Locks is reimagining the lifespan of our outdoor clothes STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVID HANSON

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own a dead-end road in Cascade Locks there is a new kind of thrift store with a half-million dollar washing machine and a small team of seamstresses and salespeople hoping to expand the life of our clothes. The 7,500 square foot warehouse’s towering metal racks hold cardboard boxes of used dungarees, fleece sweaters, long underwear and flannel shirts. Bright lights illuminate a handful of sewing tables where three women repair fabric tears and stitch The Renewal Workshop (TRW ) labels into recently cleaned clothes. A makeshift photo studio shoots images for the TRW website catalogue. The $500,000 Tersus washing machine uses state-of-the-art waterless technology to clean clothes to almost-new without using a drop of water.

The idea is simple: TRW partners with, for now, five clothing brands: Ibex, Prana, Mountain Khakis, Toad & Co. and Indigenous. The brands send TRW their returned merchandise, TRW cleans and repairs minor issues, rebrands the item and sells it via their own e-commerce site at a 30 to 40 percent discount off original price.

“We call it re-commerce,” Nicole Bassett says. The Renewal Workshop is the brainchild of Bassett and Jeff Denby. The two friends, both Canadians, have been in the apparel industry for almost two decades. Denby started PACT, a line of underwear made with organic cotton. Bassett worked for Patagonia and, more recently, Prana 22

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The Renewal Workshop co-founders Nicole Bassett and Jeff Denby, opposite top, pose with renewed outerwear at their Cascade Locks warehouse. The business partners moved into the 7,500-square-foot warehouse less than a year ago, inset. Seamstress Ofelia Gandara Munoz, opposite bottom and above, works on small repairs and sews TRW labels into clothing. Employee Dave Russell, retrieves clothing from the waterless Tersus washing machine, top, and works in the company’s makeshift photo studio, above right.

where she managed supply chain sustainability (essentially, keeping the path from source to customer as ethical and environmentally efficient as possible).

Denby and Bassett knew the apparel business and, despite their roles as sustainability stalwarts, they saw massive inefficiencies and opportunities that could be addressed by first understanding the industry’s back end: what happens to the clothing items once they’re returned to the companies?

“Every single one of us, until we started this company, didn’t think about where does this stuff go when I return it back to the company because of an issue,” Bassett says. “You’re more in the moment of ‘I bought this for a certain reason and it didn’t perform to my expectations and it’s my right to give it back and you give me a new one.’ And the outdoor industry has been fantastic about building lifetime warranties. But now those commitments have generated a lot of byproduct.”

Between 1999 and 2009 the volume of textile waste rose by 40 percent with the EPA estimating 15.1 million tons generated in 2013. Charities such as Goodwill and Salvation Army simply cannot keep up with that volume, selling roughly 80 percent of the donated textiles to for-profit companies that shred the material for use in last-step products like insulation, carpet padding or industrial rags. And the fashion industry continues to find new ways to encourage more buying. “Fast fashion” means brands like H&M and Gap roll out a dozen new styles a year, mostly lower quality products intended to be discarded quickly — or returned to the companies via vaunted recycling campaigns that often encourage new purchases and contribute to the mountain of returned clothing.

Hipsters and millennials have been beating the drum over waste and injustice in the clothing industry for years. Fashion Revolution Week’s annual April 24th social media campaign came about as a call for ethical sourcing following a Bangladesh factory collapse in 2013. Patagonia’s 2011 “Don’t Buy

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OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN This Jacket” campaign and its ongoing Worn Wear initiative to repair old items have discouraged buying new. Even Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” pimped reuse, aka upcycling.

The social media pulse #haulternative encourages fashion vloggers to post videos of their creations utilizing upcycling, swaps or charity shops. There’s a positive environmental story to tell with re-commerce, especially for the outdoor brands TRW is targeting who know that selling a feel-good story is perhaps more effective than selling a particular design or fabric or the tenth new “style” of the year.

For Cascade Locks, the opening of TRW is positive news following the contentious decision in early 2016 to prohibit Nestlé from opening a bottling plant in the town. Jobs and tax revenue are a major priority, but with Nestlé, heavy semi-truck traffic and basic apprehension about relinquishing a pristine water source proved too concerning for voters. TRW’s commitment to low water use (they do use a conventional washing machine for delicate clothing items like seamsealed jackets) was a welcome addition.

For Denby and Bassett, Cascade Locks offered an affordable space and a manageable distance to Portland for shipping. TRW doesn’t plan to expand too much in Cascade Locks, preferring to replicate the same space around the U.S. in order to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.

“The venture capitalists probably needed to get out a map to find Cascade Locks,” Bassett says. She and Denby’s industry connections solidified backing from two major investors. On the grassroots side, an Indiegogo campaign pre-sold reused clothing as a way to ramp production and

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The Renewal Workshop co-founders established their business in Cascade Locks for its affordability and proximity to Portland for shipping ease. As the business grows, the partners plan to replicate the space in other locations rather than expand locally in order to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.

begin telling the story of TRW and reuse. The end game for TRW is not to be a high-end thrift shop.

They hope to learn about the back-end of the clothing life cycle so they can provide the data to companies looking to improve their front-end.

“If the brands own their products through the entire life cycle, they’ll learn so much more about how to design better product,” Bassett says. “And there’s a chance in the long run that they could make their new product from their old product. So your old polyester hiking pants that are totally trashed could get shredded and refabricated into new polyester yarn to be threaded into new pants.”

“You can keep getting rid of it but at some point it has to go somewhere,” Bassett adds. “Are you designing it to go somewhere good?”

For more information, go to therenewalworkshop.com David Hanson is a writer, photographer and video producer based in Hood River. Find his editorial and commercial work at ModocStories.com and weddings at CascadiaStudios.com.

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Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of marijuana. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age or older. Keep marijuana out of the reach of children.

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OUR GORGE : EXPLORE

Nesika Lodge

This hidden gem high above the Gorge rewards hikers who make the trek

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY PETER MARBACH

n my 23 years of exploring the Columbia River Gorge, I have stumbled upon many hidden gems. But the discovery of Nesika Lodge last winter and how it has grabbed my heart is special beyond words.

Tucked away in a forest glen, a few hours hike above Multnomah Falls Lodge, Nesika Lodge is a magical destination with a seasonal mystery encounter along the way. “To visit Nesika is to fall in love with it,” say Glenn and Linda Conrad, current co-chairs of the lodge. They first visited the lodge on a date as teenagers, married two years later, and have maintained a passionate connection to Nesika over the decades.

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Nesika was created by the Trails Club of Oregon on the summit of Larch Mountain nearly a century ago — not long after the completion of the Larch Mountain Trail in 1915. The original lodge was built in the 1920s on acreage purchased from homesteaders. By the 1990s, with age and insects taking a toll, the Trails Club decided to build a new facility on the existing site. After a 15-year building project, the new lodge was dedicated in 2005, but it maintains the century-old warmth and charm of the original lodge.

Nesika belongs to the Trails Club, which maintains the lodge and welcomes members and guest volunteers to join in the many work parties scheduled throughout the year. A hearty meal at the end of a workday awaits those willing to lend a hand.

“We try to be an inclusive, family-friendly place to visit,” Glenn says. “When any member has the place open, we invite all hikers who pass by in for coffee and cookies or just to warm up by the fireplace.”

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In addition to the main lodge, there are dorms for men, women and co-eds onsite. And the view from the outhouse is worth every second of the butt-numbing cold.

The trek to Nesika Lodge begins at Multnomah Falls and follows the Larch Mountain Trail for about 3.5 miles until it hits Multnomah Basin Road.

Bear left and follow the old road for a mile to the lodge. During this last mile, keep a sharp eye out on your left for something that glitters, for you don’t want to miss this most magical part of the journey.

Nesika Lodge and its bunkhouse dormitory, opposite top, are located high above Multnomah Falls on the summit of Larch Mountain. Glenn and Linda Conrad, above left, are co-chairs of the lodge, which is owned by the Trails Club of Oregon and maintained by its members and volunteer work parties.

Members and visitors are welcome at the lodge, where they can warm up by the cozy stone fireplace.

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OUR GORGE : EXPLORE

continued

No one knows for certain when it started, but every winter a seasonal miracle occurs with ornaments strung along a spur affectionately known as the Ornament Trail. It’s impossible not to smile or laugh in awe of this holiday magic with whimsical decorations of all shapes and sizes dangling from the pines. With a dusting of snow and a sparkle of sunlight, the joy of this walk will stay with you forever.

Near the lodge there is an overlook with a commanding eastward view of the Columbia River. I have been back to take in this view during many seasons. In winter, the winds can howl so come prepared. But an evening in

The trails to Nesika Lodge are usually accessible even in winter. The beloved Ornament Trail, with decorations strung from the snowy trees, is a seasonal treat for hikers.

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late May here can be enchanting. Sitting at the overlook at sunset, with the scent of an awakening forest, your mind and heart are transported to a world where ordinary time ends and imagination rules.

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welcoming place, have some hot chocolate, learn more about Nesika and consider becoming a Trails Club of Oregon member.

And keep your eyes peeled for the unmarked Ornament Trail. It will lift your spirits and rekindle the soul to embrace the magic of the holiday season.

For more information about Nesika Lodge and the Trails Club of Oregon, go to trailsclub.org.

Peter Marbach is a photographer who lives in Hood River. He’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

Stave & Stone Wine Estates Boulders give way to vines at new Hood River Valley vineyard STORY BY DON CAMPBELL • PHOTOS BY DENISE REHSE WATSON

B

lue sky and bright sun burn through the remnants of what was earlier in the day a glorpy late-fall sky. The ground up here in the Hood River Valley patchwork of verdant and productive fields and orchards is soaked. South, the tip of Mount Hood. North, a full view of Mount Adams. In between, acres of bountiful farmland. You can feel the impending dormancy, as autumn begrudgingly gives way to winter, and life for the growers starts to slow.

But it never grinds fully to a stop. Especially here at Broken Boulder Vineyard in Odell. This old family farm, once an orchard, now hosts some 20 acres of wine grapes that will in the months ahead produce the new vintages of Stave & Stone wine. There is always something that needs doing.

Stave & Stone is a new label, one born of passion and dedication at the hands of Jill House, a longtime area resident. Five generations of Fletchers have worked this land. Jill, along with her husband and

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co-owner, Dr. Kyle House (a pediatric dentist), sister Jody Loop, brother-in-law Don Loop (the vineyard’s manager), assistant manager Dakotah Green, and vineyard dog Bindy have, since 2011, churned this land and its volcanic soil (and MiniCooper-sized boulders, to be sure) into 15 acres of estate Pinot Noir grapes, and two-and-a-half acres each of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

“We didn’t know what the hell we were doing,” says Jill. “We sweated bullets until the third year.”

And, this being agriculture, they also have had to deal with two hard freezes which threatened the operation. But, funny thing about grapes. They tend to be forgiving. “They’re weeds,” she says, but here are treated like royalty.

So, what possesses one to go from being a court clerk to the wine business and under the tyrannical thumb of slim margins, weather whims, and the stiff competition of a truly burgeoning wine region where only the tasty survive?

For Jill, it was a divorce, taking over the family farm, and deciding her own fate. Just because of time, she had begun clearing out the orchards, opting for a hay crop, the operation of which she

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leased out. She also began a stint working for regional wine legend Lonnie Wright, he of The Pines fame, at his downtown Hood River tasting room.

That sealed the deal.

“I asked him to come take a look at our property in the spring of 2012,” she says. It had a naturally good slope, rocky soil, and good sun — a perfect climate for Pinot Noir, which Jill didn’t necessarily want to grow based on her own personal tastes. “But Lonnie said to me, grow what makes you money, not what you love,’” she recalls with a laugh. He helped with the first planting of cuttings, which went in the ground in early June. “We started with sticks,” she says.

Hard freezes in 2013 and 2014 threatened the operation, but by 2015 they were producing grapes. “Because we like to learn the hard way,” she says, “we probably should have done a winery first.” Those first grapes she

Stave & Stone Wine Estates’ Broken Boulder Vineyard in Odell, opposite, was once an orchard. Now it’s planted in 20 acres of wine grapes, a venture of Kyle and Jill House, opposite inset and above, with help from Bindy, the vineyard dog. The vineyard includes 15 acres of Pinot Noir grapes, with the rest planted in Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

trucked over to Mt. Hood Winery’s Steve Bickford and winemaker Rich Cushman and, with additionally sourced fruit, made their initial offerings, which included Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the signature blend Quiver.

So why try and compete with more established wineries? “This is a young AVA,” Jill says. “We’re still at the beginning. People don’t come here to just go to one winery. We feel we have something to offer. And, maybe we’re lacking some intelligence!”

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OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

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Both she and Don feel that the community of wine makers is tremendously supportive of each other, despite competition. “There is an amazing umbrella group of people,” says Don. Though their own winery operation is in the offing, the next step was their own tasting room. “I just imagined I’d be trucking this stuff around in my car,” says Jill. She happened upon an under-utilized storefront in downtown Hood River and negotiated a deal, after eyeballing one or two other potential sites.

Their 1,900-square-foot space at 210 Oak Street would require some serious work, including covering up some original Portland Airport-style carpeting. Don, a builder, cobbled together some plans.

“We just made it up as we went along,” Jill says. Plans changed daily, but eventually morphed into the warm stone-and-wood room that befits the wine they’re producing. They used all local materials (including the mammoth granite bar), contractors and artists, including metal artist Kelly Phipps and artist Mark Nilsson, who did the mural.

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The Stave & Stone tasting room in downtown Hood River is welcoming with its massive granite bar and wood and stone elements. Work by local artisans includes signage, lights and a mirror by metal artist Kelly Phipps, above right.

A longtime music fan, Jill factored in live music from the beginning. The tasting room boasts a cozy stage that she fills with musicians two nights a week, and which will continue through the winter and beyond.

Rhonda Schrock, the room’s knowledgeable manager, and four staffers keep glasses full, along with companion nibbles and appropriate food pairings. Don’t know the difference between a Burgundy or Chardonnay glass? You will within one tasting flight. They also offer local cider, beer and other beverages.

Big things are in the offing for Stave & Stone. A new Cabernet and new Rose personally footstomped by Jill and sister Jody will soon make the scene. “Only girl feet,” says Jill, alluding to a mystic and time-honored crush tradition. More acres across the road from Broken Boulder have been purchased and the operation will see some new growth in the next year or two.

There stands a neat pile of boulders at the family farm, drilled, punched, cracked and hauled from the land to make way for this gentle crop. You can feel the sweat it took to clear that Sisyphean volcanic rubble juxtaposed against the vines sitting quietly until spring.

“We are excited about all of the learning along the way,” says Jill about her venture. She adds with no small amount of gusto and verve, “Go live dangerously and productively!”

One boulder at a time.

For more information, go to staveandstone.com.

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

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CRAG RATS the

Ninety Years of Mountain Rescue Story by CHRISTOPHER VAN TILBURG

Photos courtesy of THE CRAG RATS, HISTORY MUSEUM OF HOOD RIVER and by MICHAEL PETERSON

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They are a bunch of rats for leaving their families, almost every weekend, to climb around on the various crags in the area. —Delia Anderson, 1926

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THE CRAG RATS

From leading dangerous mountain rescue operations to community climbs, the Crag Rats — the first mountain rescue organization in the country — have been a fixture on and around Mount Hood since 1926.

Beginnings

I

t all started August 3, 1926, when a band of Hood River mountaineers and skiers, led by Tum-a-Lum Lumber manager Andy Anderson, assembled to organize outings on Mount Hood.

Only ten days after forming their club, the group was called upon by the county sheriff to search for missing 7-year-old Jacky Strong, who was lost on the north side of Mount Hood. The mountaineers found Strong in the remote Lost Creek headwaters. When a reporter asked Anderson if he and his fellow searchers were members of a particular group, he realized they had not yet decided on a name. Recalling his wife’s admonition about the men shucking household duties and being “rats for climbing crags every weekend,” Anderson replied simply, “Crag Rats.”

“CRAG RATS”. The name branded the crew of Hood River skiers, hikers and mountaineers, who added rescue to their repertoire and became the first organized team that provided mountain-specific search and rescue services in the country.

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Mountain rescue missions immediately commenced for the Crag Rats. On New Year’s Day in 1927 the group was called on to search for 16-year-old Calvin White and, a few days later, 20-year-old Leslie Brownlee, who were lost on the south side of Mount Hood. By 1932, the Crag Rats were deploying on six missions a year, some as far away as Mount Rainier and Mount Jefferson. When profiled for their rescue work in a story for American Forests in March 1932, Steward H. Holbrook called the Crag Rats “the St. Bernards of North America.”

As their reputation grew, the Crag Rats became instrumental in rescuing lost and injured climbers, but also participated in the community. In the 1930s and ‘40s, the Crag Rats guided an annual American Legion climb to the summit of Mount Hood; the event peaked in 1946 with 3,000 participants. In 1954, Cloud Cap Inn — an abandoned and collapsing cabin at 6,000 feet in the Cloud Cap-Tilly Jane Historic District — was slated to be razed by the Forest Service. The Crag Rats, with support from the Hood River Historical Society, agreed to maintain the cabin in exchange for using it as a base for search and rescue missions, trainings and snow surveys. The snow surveys were for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service; several times during the winter, Crag Rats skied up the north slope of Mount Hood and manually measured the depth and water content of the snowpack to estimate the spring runoff into the Columbia River.

But mountain rescue has always been the primary focus of the Crag Rats. In the early days, first responders used waxed-cotton coats, wood skis, hemp ropes and alpenstocks — long staffs used for climbing glaciers before the ice axe came into widespread popularity. Radios were the size of backpacks. The Crag Rats’ uniform was a black-and-white buffalo plaid wool shirt — the itchy kind.

After several other mountain rescue teams formed in the Pacific Northwest, a need arose to coalesce.

In June 1959 the Crag Rats, along with eight other volunteer rescue teams and two military units, met at Timberline Lodge to organize a national umbrella organization, the Mountain Rescue Association.

Crag Rats member and Portlander Dick Pooley served as the first president, according to Dee Molenaar in Mountains Don’t Care but We Do. Now the Mountain Rescue Association is comprised of nearly 100 volunteer and government teams in North America and focuses on saving lives and providing mountain safety education.

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Michael Peterson

The Crag Rats still wear their signature black-and-white checkered shirts, and they continue to maintain the historic Cloud Cap Inn for their training and rescue base, as they have for more than 60 years.

Crag Rats Today

T

he Crag Rats have come a long way since 1926. We now use modern equipment like GPS, smart phones and high-tech rescue equipment. Alpenstocks have long since been replaced by ice axes. Radios have shrunk in size with every passing decade. Skis and ski boots are crafted with high-tech plastic and carbon fiber.

But, like the very first rescue, we still respond to missions at the request of and under the authority of the Hood River County Sheriff. We deploy on 30 callouts annually. With 100 members, half of whom participate in the field, we log 1,000 hours annually for missions and another 2,000 hours each year in training, administration, equipment maintenance and various meetings with public agencies.

Rescues are split between the expansive glaciers, moraines and foothills of Mount Hood and the thick forests, deep canyons and towering cliffs of the Columbia Gorge. Many missions are technical rope rescues, a few are in waterfalls and plunge pools, and once or twice a year we recover a fatality. We also provide mutual aid to nearby counties in Oregon and Washington.

As an active member of the Mountain Rescue

Association, Crag Rats are certified in cliff, crevasse, avalanche and wilderness search techniques by our peers in the Oregon Mountain Rescue Council, which includes Portland Mountain Rescue, Eugene Mountain Rescue, Corvallis Mountain Rescue and Deschutes County SAR Team. Crag Rats are participants in Mount Hood SAR Council, a monthly multiagency review of rescues on Mount Hood.

Although we don’t lead American Legion climbs or provide snow surveys anymore, the Crag Rats still have a strong commitment to the community beyond rescues. We clear downed timber from Cloud Cap Road every winter. In 2016, we helped the Mount Hood Ranger District clear wood on three separate occasions at Tilly Jane Campground, and cut out downed logs on Polallie Ridge Trail.

Traditions

S

ome longstanding traditions remain unchanged as we enter our tenth decade of service to the community: our passion for mountaineering, skiing and hiking; our strong sense of community service; the 62-year stewardship of maintaining Cloud Cap Inn for a training and rescue base; and the famous black-and-white checkered shirts.

Even membership requirements are remarkably unchanged in nearly a century. Back in 1932 potential members, according to Anderson, had to have reached the summits of Mount Hood and Mount Adams, be fit, know how to ski and climb, and “most important of all, to be on call at all times to start for the moraines, the névés, glaciers and the deep crevasses of the peaks.”

The phone doesn’t ring anymore; today, callouts are orchestrated via Reverse 911 cell phone texts.

But we still drag ourselves out of bed and head up to Mount Hood and into the Gorge — often into rugged terrain, sometimes into storms, and frequently into the dark of night. While other rescue teams around the country have more descriptive names, 90 years in, we are still simply Crag Rats.

Christopher Van Tilburg has been a member for 16 years. He’s the author of “Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature” (St. Martins, 2007) and “Search and Rescue Stories: A Mountain Doctor’s Tales of Risk and Reward” (in press, Falcon, 2017).

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Discover Beautiful

HOOD RIVER OREGON :

With the season’s slower pace, winter is a wonderful time to visit and explore Hood River. With its lighted trees and beautiful decorations, the town is a festive place to do all your holiday shopping. This hub of the Gorge is full of unique shops and boutiques, jewelers, restaurants, breweries, wine tasting rooms, bakeries, coffee shops, galleries and more. Look for wintertime specials at individual businesses. Come stay, shop and play in Hood River this winter!

Photo by Adam Lapierre courtesy of Hood River Chamber of Commerce 38

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BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH

BY JANET COOK

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THE COLUMBIA GORGE EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR ITS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF ALL RESIDENTS

IF

someone asked you to define “health,” the answer is pretty simple, right? Health is feeling good, the absence of illness, not having to go to the doctor, being able to do what you want without being hindered by ailments.

Sure, “health” is all of these things. And for those of us lucky enough to have plenty to eat, a place to live, a good job, the definition probably starts and ends there. But for many, defining health this way is wishful thinking. If you’re worried about what your kids are going to eat for dinner, “health” might simply mean being able to fill their plates — and their tummies — with food.

In the Columbia Gorge, an effort has been underway for some time to look at “health” in broader terms. It started a few years ago, when the State of Oregon changed the law governing how Medicaid funding was spent. As part of the new regulations, the state was divided into 16 regions known as Coordinated Care Organizations. Each CCO was responsible for assessing the needs of its residents and coming up with a plan for making improvements.

The Columbia Gorge CCO included health care providers from both Hood River and Wasco counties, and under the new state law, each had to do a community needs assessment, looking at the well-being of residents and where improvements were needed.

“Each county would have had to do their own, and spend their own money on it,” said Paul Lindberg, a collective impact specialist for the Gorge region. Instead, they decided to collaborate on doing one, and share it. “Then, they took that idea and spread it to the five-county Gorge region,” said Lindberg — which included Gilliam County in Oregon as well as Skamania and Klickitat counties in Washington.

The result was a Gorge-wide needs assessment that has become the standard used by all health care providers, medical clinics and hospitals in the Gorge — and any other entity that uses a community needs assessment in their work — to define the most important needs of the community. The top four priorities identified by more than 1,100 community members from the five-county region were food insecurity, affordable housing, jobs and transportation.

“Everyone has agreed that these are our needs,” Lindberg said. “That is incredibly significant because it means the medical community is accepting that these so-called social determinants of health impact health, but have nothing to do with a doctor’s office. That’s huge.” In addition, Lindberg said, the medical community also has begun putting funding toward addressing those needs.

This broad definition of health was one of the factors cited by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in September when it awarded the Columbia Gorge region its prestigious RWJF Culture of Health Prize. The foundation also recognized the Gorge for the spirit of collaboration in working toward better health for all community members; the Veggie Rx initiative, spearheaded by Gorge Grown Food Network; and the widespread use of community health workers.

In other words, the Gorge community is not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk when it comes to improving the health of everyone.

Lindberg’s role is a big part of the picture. Funding for his position, which includes creating collaborations among disparate organizations and going after funding, comes from Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital (via United Way of the Columbia Gorge).

In his role as collective impact specialist, Lindberg has helped secure more than $3 million in public and private grants for health-related programs since 2014.

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BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH

PAUL LINDBERG

“It’s really been a team effort,” Lindberg said. “We couldn’t do it without all these people working together.” Another vital element is the Community Advisory Council, mandated by the creation of the CCO, which is made up of 18 community members — more than half of whom are Medicaid recipients. The council meets monthly to talk about community needs and discuss how programs and initiatives are working. According to Lindberg, it’s become an authentic voice of community members who are actually using the programs, as well as a forum for others — including community groups, state agencies and service providers — to offer input. “Legally, we’re required to have that, but we’ve taken it and tried to elevate the end user,” he said.

Lindberg also lauds the people and organizations that have been working to better people’s lives in the Gorge for years. “There are organizations who have been doing this work day in and day out for decades,” he said, citing The Next Door, United Way, One Community Health and the FISH Food Bank, to name a few. “Our success today is built squarely on the shoulders of those who came before us.”

Receiving the RWJF Culture of Health Prize is not only an honor, according to Lindberg, it helps validate the work many have been doing over the past few years. But what he’s most interested in now is building on the foundation that’s been laid to create a healthy community. “We’ve been very intentional about building the infrastructure to allow us to do more work on the specific issues,” he said. “Now it’s time to get to work.”

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Lauren Kraemer, above, a family and community health expert with the OSU Extension Service, teaches a community cooking class in The Dalles. June Husted, top left, cooks at home in Klickitat, Wash., with fresh food from the Veggie Rx program. (Courtesy of RWJF)

HERE, WE’VE HIGHLIGHTED A FEW OF THE INITIATIVES AND COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE “CULTURE OF HEALTH” IN THE GORGE.

VEGGIE RX The Gorge Grown Food Network, a nonprofit organization that works to build a sustainable food system in the Gorge, has always had a focus on addressing hunger. When the community needs assessment put food insecurity as a top priority (a follow-up survey showed that one in three people in the Gorge reported not having enough food, and one in five said they regularly missed meals), “it brought the whole issue of hunger into the forefront for organizations Gorge-wide,” said Sarah Sullivan, executive director of Gorge Grown. “For us, it felt like, ‘Wow, food is on everyone’s radar now.’ We felt like we had the impetus to do something bold.”

Gorge Grown came up with an idea, melded from other programs Sullivan knew of, for providing people who had food insecurity access to healthy food. Dubbed Veggie Rx, the program allowed health care providers to give patients who screened positive for food insecurity a packet of vouchers for purchasing fruits and vegetables — literally, a “prescription” that could be filled at grocery stores and farmers’ markets throughout the Gorge.

SARAH SULLIVAN

Vouchers for purchasing fruits and vegetables — literally, a “prescription” that can be filled at grocery stores and farmers’ markets throughout the Gorge.

To launch the program, Gorge Grown obtained a small initial grant from the Oregon Community Foundation. With that start, additional funding was sought. “A kind of revolutionary thing happened,” Sullivan said. “Hospitals that might normally be competing joined together to contribute.” Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, Mid Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles and Skyline Hospital in White Salmon all helped fund the program, as did Hood River’s Tofurky company and many individual donors.

More than $100,000 was raised for an eight-month pilot program beginning in August 2015. Veggie Rx vouchers were distributed at 40 sites throughout the Gorge, ranging from health care clinics and

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health departments to senior centers and Head Start programs. Twenty-nine stores, farm stands and farmers markets accepted the vouchers. More than 2,200 individuals participated in the program.

“Making it simple for health care providers was part of the success,” Sullivan said. The pilot program ended last spring. Since then, One Community Health, the nonprofit health center with branches in Hood River and The Dalles, has incorporated the Veggie Rx program into its annual budget — becoming the first health clinic in the country to allocate funding for such a program.

“We continue to see tremendous benefits from this,” said David Edwards, CEO of One Community Health. “Most things we do are a two-edged sword. But Veggie Rx is one of those things where we can’t see any downside. This is so focused on the basic building blocks of a healthy diet. We just continue to see its positive impact on people’s lives.”

In addition, Columbia Gorge Family Medicine in Hood River is also continuing to provide vouchers for its patients.

In the meantime, Sullivan said she and others are now working on designing the next iteration of the program, which could involve more long-term funding sources. “I think there’s a lot of momentum around this,” she said.

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Heritage Heights, an affordable housing project of the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority, under construction in The Dalles. (Courtesy of MCHA)

The community needs assessment proved what most people in the Gorge already knew: affordable housing is both vital to the overall health of the community, and it is in short supply. “Throughout the Gorge, we’re experiencing a housing shortage,” said Joel Madsen, executive director of Mid-Columbia Housing Authority and Columbia Cascade Housing Corp., which work to provide safe, decent, affordable housing to low-income families in Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties in Oregon, and Klickitat and Skamania counties in Washington.

The organizations work the problem from a number of angles. Along with developing and operating affordable housing throughout the Gorge (the Housing Authorities currently maintain a portfolio of 23 properties from Cascade Locks to Roosevelt, Wash.), they also provide rental assistance, aid to people working to become homeowners and those facing foreclosure, and housing advocacy in the Gorge communities. In addition, they provide residential services to people living in Housing Authority properties, helping them connect to social services in the area.

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Mid-Columbia Housing Authority and Columbia Cascade Housing Corp. work to provide safe, decent, affordable housing and other services to low-income families in the area.

A recent initiative brought the Housing Authorities together with long-time partner The Next Door.

When MCHA got a grant from Meyer Memorial Trust for a Supported Housing Program, “we gave every penny of it to The Next Door,” Madsen said. The Next Door, a nonprofit whose more than 20 programs work to strengthen and empower children and families, in turn used its network of community health workers to reach out and provide assistance with Section 8 housing vouchers.

“The community health workers helped people navigate the system,” Madsen said. “The challenge was the lack of housing stock.”

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THE GORGE GREEN CROSS

BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH Madsen has been working for the Housing Authorities since 2010 — the last two years as director — and he’s seen the affordable housing conundrum change significantly in that time. “I think there’s a groundswell of awareness,” he said. With the healthcare community in the Gorge looking at housing as one of the core needs of community members, he’s hopeful that the momentum will continue to grow.

“I think the Robert Wood Johnson prize shows that there’s more recognition of the importance of housing,” he said. “Right now there are rigid parameters of where healthcare dollars can be spent.

Maybe this will free up money for some of the upstream issues like housing.”

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On a recent Friday morning, more than 30 people were gathered in a community meeting room at the FISH Food Bank in Hood River. As a speaker explained the ins and outs of the Affordable Care Act, focusing on how people can access various healthcare options, it would have been understandable to see eyes glazing over. But instead, the group was fully engaged, asking questions and offering tips from their own experience.

This was one session of several over the course of that day, ranging from brainstorming about health topics to “pop ed” terminology to active listening. And this was one day out of a dozen — 90 hours — that each member of this group will participate in to become eligible to be certified as a community health worker.

The training session, facilitated by The Next Door, is the third one in the last two years. By the time this group finishes, there will be more than 80 certified community health workers in the Gorge.

They’re employed in a variety of places, including The Next Door, social service and government agencies, and health clinics.

Community health workers are lay people who reach out to members of their community — usually meeting with them in their homes — to assess their health and wellness needs and help connect them with health care providers and social services. “We serve to meet the needs of the community,” said Claudia Montano of The Next Door. “We are the eyes and ears of the community.”

Community health workers are lay people who reach out to members of their community to assess their health and wellness needs and help connect them with health care providers and social services.

The community health worker model is not new to the Gorge. The Next Door has been using it for more than 25 years. But only in the last couple of years have community health workers been able to receive certification by completing the 90-hour training course, administered under the auspices of the Oregon Health Authority.

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Recognizing the importance of community health workers in the Gorge, several partner organizations joined forces to facilitate the training (including The Next Door, Columbia Gorge Community College and Nuestra Communidad Sana) and still others helped fund it — including Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital and the Columbia Gorge Health Council, which works in partnership with the Columbia Gorge CCO. The job of community health workers is important not only to community members but for social service and health providers looking to expand their reach. “It’s a two-way bridge from the community into services,” said Lorena Sprager, who works in health promotion services for The Next Door, “and for agencies to know what the community needs and how to accomplish it.”

HEALTHY CORNER STORES/WALKING GROUPS

An initiative between Gorge Grown Food Network and the North Central Public Health District in The Dalles is putting fresh fruits and veggies in corner stores.

Corner stores tend to be a great place to grab food on the fly — a bag of chips, a bottle of soda.

But what if they also had fresh fruits and vegetables, prominently displayed, as easy to grab for a snack as packaged junk food? With the help of a grant from the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Gorge Grown Food Network has partnered with the North Central Public Health District in The Dalles to connect local food producers and growers with small corner stores in the community.

“Just stocking produce makes this program unique,” said Sarah Sullivan, executive director of Gorge Grown, of the local fruits and vegetables that will be available at two corner stores in The Dalles.

Other projects involving corner stores have focused on things like replacing fried chips with baked chips, she added. “We wanted to do something better than that.”

Gorge Grown and the health district also have partnered on an initiative to create walking groups in The Dalles. “Research has shown that social support has a big influence on a person’s overall health,” said Dr. Miriam McDonell, public health officer with the North Central Public Health District. “What this approach does is build on people’s social network and strengthen them in a very deliberate fashion.”

Walking group leaders are being recruited in the community, according to McDonell. They commit to organizing a walk once a week, and are encouraged to recruit fellow walkers from their social group. “We have a couple who is going to form a group through their local church,” McDonell said. “Other groups will be through people’s place of employment. We’re also looking at senior centers and schools.”

Walking group leaders are being recruited in the community to organize a walk once a week, and are encouraged to recruit fellow walkers from their social groups.

According to McDonell, the walking groups and corner stores initiatives will tie together. “Both of the neighborhood stores in the program happen to be really convenient places to start a walk,” she said.

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BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH

SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER

Participants will be encouraged to grab a healthy snack before or after the walk. The corner stores will also accept Veggie Rx vouchers.

The grant for these initiatives is for one year, but McDonell is laying the groundwork for the long haul. There will be a website and ongoing social media outreach for the programs. The health district plans to tie the initiatives into other events like health fairs and community walks. In addition, OHSU is providing support to help monitor how the programs are working and make changes where needed to make them more effective.

“We don’t want to just push the ball down the hill and hope it catches steam,” McDonell said. “We want to influence the general culture.”

The first school-based health center in the region opened at Hood River Valley High School last year, above. The center is open to all students enrolled in Hood River County schools. (Courtesy of SBHC)

In perhaps one of the biggest collaborations among disparate entities, One Community Health opened the first school-based health center in the region last year at Hood River Valley High School. The health center, located in a portable on school grounds, is open to all students at the high school, as well as any child enrolled in the Hood River County School District.

The first school-based health center in the region is open to all students at the high school where it’s located as well as to any child enrolled in the Hood River County School District.

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The health center is a partnership between several entities, including One Community Health, Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, the Hood River County Health Department, the school district and DAVID EDWARDS private providers. “There’s been a movement to try and make this happen in Hood River County for years,” said David Edwards, CEO of One Community Health. “Either there wasn’t a medical partner to do it, or there was no school district interest, or no money.”

Lynne Frost, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Hood River, advocated for a school-based health center for years based on her experience working at such a clinic as part of her training. “I recognized that this could be a huge benefit to our community,” said Frost, who serves as medical director for the clinic. “Finally, the stars just aligned.”

Along with medical exam rooms and a full service lab, the center also provides mental health services through a licensed professional counselor on staff. In addition, the center offers resources for getting students and their families enrolled in Medicaid.

Students and families can pay on a sliding scale, and no one is turned away for their inability to pay. “We’re trying to take away as many barriers as possible,” Frost said. Once a student is seen at the clinic, they’re part of

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Making History Come Alive…

VISIT OUR HISTORIC Hood River Photo Blog: historichoodriver.com DISCOVER culture and history through fresh, engaging exhibits, and exciting programs EXPLORE hands-on activities and educational displays for families and children of all ages

The school-based health center is staffed by, from left, Lynne Frost, administrator & medical director; Health Nielsen, behavioral health consultant; Sarah Dang, family nurse practitioner; Christina Ayala, team assistant; and Melody Farrell, medical assistant. (Courtesy of SBHC)

the records system at One Community Health, making it easy for them to access local health care even after leaving high school.

The health center has a youth advisory council, made up of 24 students equally represented by each grade level, which provides input from the students’ perspective. In addition, the high school’s Health Media Club has created public service announcements to help get the word out about the health center.

“We’re really trying to make this their health center,” Frost said.

“We’re providing comprehensive, whole person care in one location that supports the needs of our students,” she added. “Healthy students learn better.”

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

THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION CULTURE OF HEALTH PRIZE THE COLUMBIA GORGE WAS ONE OF SEVEN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY TO WIN THE 2016 RWJF CULTURE OF HEALTH PRIZE. The winning communities were chosen from a group of nearly 200 applicants.

Honored for their efforts to ensure all residents have the opportunity to live longer, healthier and more productive lives, the communities that won the prize along with the Columbia Gorge were: 24:1 Community in the St. Louis area of Missouri; Louisville, Ky.; Manchester, N.H.; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; Santa Monica, Calif.; and the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe in Washington.

Each winner receives a $25,000 cash prize, joins a network of prize-winning communities, and has opportunities to share their stories with other communities across the country.

“The RWJF Culture of Health Prize communities show us that in towns and regions across the nation, individuals are coming together to find powerful ways to help people achieve the best health possible,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, RWJF president and CEO. “These communities are connecting the dots between health and education, jobs, housing, and community safety. We’re privileged to learn from this growing network of communities that offer hope for the well-being of the entire nation.”

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Health & Wellness Guide to the Gorge

The Columbia Gorge and healthy lifestyles go hand in hand. We’re surrounded by nature and seemingly endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and exercise. Whether adrenaline sports are your thing or simply walking in the woods — or something in between — the Gorge has something for everyone when it comes to getting outside and moving. Studies have even shown that simply living amid green spaces — by which we’re surrounded here in the Gorge — lowers the risk of depression and anxiety. THE COLUMBIA GORGE REGION WAS RECENTLY AWARDED THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION CULTURE OF HEALTH PRIZE for the work many organizations are doing to ensure a healthy lifestyle for all residents. From working to provide healthy food to those in need to ensuring that the underserved have access to medical care and social services to creating opportunities to get outside and exercise, dozens of entities all around the Gorge are collaborating on creative ways to bring good health to everyone. We’re also lucky to have top-notch healthcare professionals in every field. From eye care and oral health to orthopedic surgery and natural medicine, you can find solutions to all of your healthcare needs right here at home. With the new year at hand, it’s a good time to make a pledge to be the healthiest you can be this year. We have all the necessary tools right here in the Gorge. To your health!

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CASCADE

CASCADE ACUPUNCTURE CENTER offers Acupuncture, Allergy Elimination and Custom Chinese Herbs in Hood River and The Dalles, Monday through Saturday.

EYE CENTER A Sight for Sore Eyes…

88% of Adults spend more than 2 hours using a digital device.

Kids and Teens even more, with an average of 8-11 hours per day.

This means possible Digital Eyestrain: Blurred vision • Eye fatigue • Dry, irritated eyes

We work as a team of Acupuncturists and Office Staff to help you: Get Healthier - Naturally.

Visit Cascade Eye Center to learn about :

We offer a FREE 15 min Consultation, including an Insurance check and mini-trial Acupuncture treatment for stress.

No charge - no obligation.

(541) 387-4325

(541) 298-2378

HOOD RIVER

THE DALLES

The latest in blue-light blocking lenses Lenses designed to reduce vision fatigue with screen usage • Contact lenses with built-in UV and blue light protection • Treatment for dry eye • •

Chris Barbour, OD. • B. Jeffrey Pulk, OD. John D.Willer, DO., Board Certified Ophthalmologist

www.CascadeAcupuncture.org

The Dalles: 541-296-1101 | Hood River: 541-386-2402

Specialized Treatments For • •

• • • • •

Lines & Wrinkles Loose, Sagging Skin of the Face, Neck & Body Acne & Acne Scarring Brown Spots & Melasma Sun Damaged Skin Rosacea & Facial Redness Kybella for Double Chin Treatment

• • • • • • • •

Facial & Leg Veins Laser Hair Removal CoolSculpting Lip Enhancement Massage Waxing Mystic Spray Tan Dark Under Eye Circles

541-298-5066

301 Cherry Heights Road, 2nd Floor The Dalles, Oregon 97058 columbialaserskincenter.com

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Ortho

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

Explore alternative ways to provide healthy food, supplements and body care items for you and your family.

Optimal health through natural, medical solutions digestive complaints • hormone imbalances fatigue • anxiety/depression • frequent illness fertility • eczema • allergies • ADHD • nutrition weight flux • thyroid & autoimmune disorders

We accept most major insurance and WA state Medicaid.

(509) 808-6364 410 E Jewett Blvd, White Salmon mountainsagemedicine.com

1867 12th Street, Hood River • 541-386-1119

MCMC Surgical Clinic When you’re facing surgery, the people caring for you make all the difference. Our patients have access to a team of highly trained surgeons with more than 25 years of experience combined at MCMC, as well as state-of-the-art technology in the safest setting possible for surgical procedures.

Our medical team takes a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to patient care. In addition to meeting all of your general surgery needs, we also specialize in vein and breast care. Our breast patients benefit from our partnership with The Breast Center at MCMC — the only accredited breast center in the Gorge, as well as radiologists and surgeons specializing in breast care, and a plastic surgeon for on-site breast reconstructions.

surgical clinic 1810 E 19th Street The Dalles, OR 97058

541.296.6101 Paul Moon, M.D.

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Phillip Letourneau, M.D.

Caitlin McCarthy, M.D.

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Ortho Dalles 8.5x11_Layout 1 10/31/16 12:28 PM Page 1

New Hood River Waterfront Location (next to the Hampton Inn) — Summer of 2017!

General Orthopaedics Total knee, hip and shoulder replacement Foot & ankle surgery • Hand surgery Adult and pediatric fracture care

Sports Medicine Treatment of sports injuries for patients of all ages Knee surgery; ligament reconstruction & meniscus surgery Shoulder surgery; rotator cuff repair & shoulder stabilization surgery Arthroscopic joint preservation surgery • Hip arthroscopy

Physical Therapy Comprehensive physical therapy for orthopaedic conditions Sports injury prevention & rehabilitation Post-surgical rehabilitation

SPORTS MEDICINE AND ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY CURRENTLY LOCATED AT: THE DALLES — 551 Lone Pine Blvd., #302 | 541.506.6500 HOOD RIVER THERAPY — 2690 May Street | 541.386.2441 (Physical therapy services only)

For scheduling or other information, please call:

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MARK CULLEN, MD

JAMES REARDON, MD

Orthopaedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist Fellowship trained in Sports Medicine

Orthopaedic Surgeon & Physican Fellowship trained in Sports Medicine & Total Joint Reconstruction

11/21/16 10:01 AM

S P E C I A L

A D V E R T I S I N G

TAKING CARE OF OUR GORGE COMMUNITIES Skyline Hospital has a long history in the Gorge - caring for generations of families who live here year-round and seasonally.

We remain your community hospital and offer advanced medical technology and speciality care delivered with the personal touch you deserve.

Hospital Services

Specialty Clinics

• Inpatient Care • Transitional Care • Surgical Services • Digital Radiology • Physical Therapy • Full-Service Laboratory • 24/7 Emergency Services

• General Surgery • Cardiology • Neurology • Orthopedics • Pain Management • Podiatry

To learn more call 509-493-1101 or visit www.skylinehospital.com.

S E C T I O N

MCMC Dermatology Offering comprehensive dermatology services to patients of all ages. Now accepting new patients at Hood River Therapy.

Call 541.506.6930 to make an appointment.

NEW Hood River Waterfront Location — Summer 2017!

General dermatology PLUS specialty cosmetic procedures at our new location next to the Hampton Inn. v i S i T u S aT T H E f O l lO w i N g lO c aT i O N S :

MCMC Dermatology MCMC Dermatology at Hood River Therapy 1935 E. 19th St, Ste. #110 H

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2690 May St., Hood River

The Dalles

The most experienced Pediatric Oral Health Team in the Gorge

A Kidz Dental Zone For all your pediatric and adolescent oral health care

A

Kidz Dental Zone came to the Gorge in 1999 and we offer two convenient locations, one in Hood River and one in The Dalles. The clinics are specifically designed for children and create a positive, inviting and secure atmosphere. Pediatric dentistry is our specialty and the entire Oral Health Team reflects that purpose in specialty training and passion. Children and their health are what fuel Dr. Kyle House’s advocacy at local, state and national levels.

Dr. House and his staff are involved with our local community in many different ways, including partnerships with Head Start, WIC, and the health departments in both Washington and Oregon.

Their tooth fairy visits local schools and preschools to teach the importance of oral hygiene in a non-threatening environment.

Dr. J. Kyle House DDS, FAAPD Pediatric Dentist

419 State St., Suite 4, Hood River 541-387-8688

1938 E. 19th St., Suite 200, The Dalles 541-296-8901 www.akidzdentalzone.com

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Dr. Joe Kula

Dr. Katie Kula

Visit Dr. Joe, Dr. Katie, and the team at KULA CHIROPRACTIC Sports & Wellness Center— dedicated to providing the community of the Columbia River Gorge with services that help patients achieve and maintain their highest potential for health and wellness.

 chiropractic  soft tissue therapy  injury rehabilitation  sports performance  nutritional guidance  pregnancy  pediatrics

410 E. Jewett Blvd.

White Salmon, WA 98672 Phone: 509-493-4000 www.kulachiropractic.com

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S E C T I O N

Professional & Compassionate

Eye Care and Full Service Optical

About Rebecca Chown, OD FAAO

Indian Creek Family Eye Care is committed to providing professional and compassionate care to all ages and income levels while promoting visual excellence and preserving eye health.

We understand that our patients are also our friends, neighbors and family.

Dr. Rebecca Chown’s experience includes hospital based optometry, private practice and group practice. She is passionate about children’s vision and enjoys guest lecturing and conducting pediatric vision screenings. Dr. Chown enjoys the outdoors with her husband, her two children and Gryffin the dog.

Accepting New Patients Please contact our office to inquire about available appointments and preferred insurance providers.

We’re happy to assist in any way we can.

icfec.com • find us on Facebook

541-386-1700 1700 12th Street, Suite A Hood River, Oregon

AUSTIN HAYES, MD BOARD-CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON

Dr. Austin Hayes is excited to announce the opening of his new Columbia

Gorge plastic surgery office in Hood River. Surgical procedures are conveniently performed at The Columbia Gorge Surgery Center in The Dalles.

Dr. Hayes provides individualized cosmetic treatments for every patient, with an exceptional level of communication and personalized care.

Office appointments in Hood River. Outpatient surgeries performed in The Dalles.

CONFIDENCE. TRUST. EXPERTISE.

Offering Plastic Surgery of the Face, Breasts and Body.

• Eyelid Surgery • Breast Augmentation and Lift Helping you look the way you feel • Tummy Tuck as you conquer life’s adventures.

• Liposuction • Mommy Makeover and more Portland | Seattle | Hood River www.AustinHayesMD.com 503.297.9340

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S E C T I O N

How To

Healthy Living

10 HEALTHY ACTIVITIES TO DO WHEN IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

1. walk the dog 2. run up & down stairs 3. clean the house 4. do bodyweight exercises 5. ski, snowboard, snowshoe 6. go sledding 7. play hide & seek 8. go to the gym 9. start a winter garden 10. rearrange the furniture

ding s! d e Shr tation c Expe

Early interceptive orthodontics Affiliated with Providence of Hood River In-office general and oral sedation available Conveniently located in the Hood River Heights

1615 Woods Ct. Hood River, OR 97031 info@littleshreddersdental.com www.littleshreddersdental.com

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Habl Espa o ñol

Christopher A. Swisher

DDS — BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST

Specializing in a personal, caring, and holistic approach to the prevention and treatment of dental issues in children Call to make an appointment!

(541) 490-4993

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A D V E R T I S I N G

S E C T I O N

NORTHWEST PEDIATRICS &

ADOLESCENT MEDICINE SAFE PASSAGE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

SUPPORTING HEALTHY, ACTIVE KIDS: Pre-Birth through 21 years

URGENT CARE ON CALL 7 DAYS A WEEK UNTIL 10PM

The Gorge’s first independent pediatrics & adolescent medical office, with Dr. Rich Martin and team. We offer acute and preventive health services in a friendly and personalized manner to suit our patients’ needs. We strive to make it easier for parents to care for their children. We’ll soon welcome a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner to Hood River!

We are the only independent office which specializes in children and adolescents in the Columbia River Gorge, with an emphasis on individual attention.

NEW!

VIRTUAL VISITS

BEFORE SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS

We share in your joy, welcoming expectant parents for a free consultation before birth as well! Dr. Martin offers hospital care for children and adolescents at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital. Same day sick visits, virtual visits and on call urgent care can help busy families save time and avoid the E.R.

& PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY 810 13th St, Hood River, OR 97031 541-386-2300 • nwpediatrics.com

We love great ideas.

Even when they’re not our own. We put our resources behind helpful organizations, because we can. And our caregivers like to get involved, so they do. It’s about sharing common goals, and doing whatever we can to support them.

Providence.org

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OUTSIDE

From Hot Chocolate to Black Diamond Runs Former Olympic skiers and snowboarders offer advice for nurturing a love of snow sports in kids STORY BY RUTH BERKOWITZ • PHOTOS COURTESY OF FEATURED FAMILIES

O

lympic snowboarder Lisa Kosglow looks for snow fairies as she and her five-year-old daughter meander to the bottom of Buttercup ski run at Mt. Hood Meadows. Kosglow stops herself from instructing Emelia to bend her knees. “Instead, I let her lead the way,” says Kosglow, a member of the first women’s U.S. Snowboard Team to compete in the Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. She competed again in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Games.

Similarly, Olympic mogul skier Bronwen Hager (formerly Thomas) and her husband Garth Hager, a coach for the U.S. Ski Team, refrain from pushing their daughters to perfect their turns. “Our main goal is for them to like the sport of skiing,” says Bronwen, who grew up skiing on Mt. Baker in Washington and represented Canada in 1992 in Albertville, France, and again in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway.

“It’s all about making it fun,” says four-time Olympian AJ Kitt. If you feel challenged skiing with just one child, imagine hauling triplets to the hill. Kitt and his wife, Amy, have three 10-year-olds, all competitors on the Mt. Hood Meadows Race Team.

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Olympic snowboarder Lisa Kosglow, opposite top, on the slopes at Mt. Hood Meadows with her daughter, Emelia. Olympic skier AJ Kitt’s triplets Ava, Aksel and Ayden, opposite bottom, compete on the Mt. Hood Meadows Race Team. Lucy and Jena Hager, above, are the daughters of Garth (U.S. ski team coach) and Bronwen (Canadian Olympic mogul skier) Hager.

These Olympians, along with other world class skiers and snowboarders living in the Gorge, will be ripping it up on Mount Hood this winter — many with kids in tow. Their advice is gold.

GARTH AND BRONWEN HAGER

As soon his first daughter, Lucy, was born, Garth Hager frequented garage sales collecting skis. She’s a clean slate, he thought to himself, anxious to impart his knowledge. He chuckles remembering the day he and Bronwen took their petite two-year-old to Mt. Hood Meadows for the first time. “It took us four hours to get ready and we skied less than 30 minutes. It wasn’t worth it,” he said. They reevaluated their family ski goals.

“We needed to wait for them to be strong enough to ski on their own,” says Bronwen of their two daughters. Instead of lugging the girls and their gear to the ski area when they were small, the Hagers stayed home and helped their daughters don their rigid boots and trounce around the living room. Over the years, they learned to pick their days and take joy in the little steps, from getting on the chairlift solo to skiing a challenging run.

During his 15 years as a coach, Hager has noticed that the kids with the assertive parents are the ones who are more likely to quit. “When parents have more passion than their own children, then it’s a recipe for burnout,” he says. “The passion has to come from within.”

To build a love for the sport, the Hagers are creative on the hill. They play “ski leap-frog” where one person skis past the group, stops and becomes a gate for the next skier. Their daughters, now 9 and 12, study trail maps and ski every run until they hone in on their favorite run of the day, the one with lots of whoopdees.

For those parents with young racers, Garth cautions, “Specializing too young, too fast can be detrimental in terms of injuries and burnout.” He also urges families to refrain from being resultsdriven because there are so many other benefits to participating on a team.

Gear for the Gorge for 30 years!

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE • LOCAL STAFF NEW AND USED GEAR Cross-Country & Skate Skiing Alpine & Backcountry Skiing Snowboarding & Snowshoeing Kiteboarding & Windsurfing Stand-Up Paddleboarding Longboarding & Skateboarding Hiking & Camping Gear Rentals & Demos Apparel & Accessories

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 541-386-4644 • 2NDWIND-SPORTS.COM 202 State St. Downtown Hood River

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OUTSIDE

AJ KITT

AJ Kitt says he “got lucky” after graduating from Vermont’s Green Mountain Valley High School ski academy and landed a spot on the U.S. Ski Team. “In November 1987, I was a no-name and then in the course of a couple of months, I became the youngest member of the Olympic team.” Luck might have helped Kitt, but hard work mixed with passion and drive led to successes on the racecourse.

Kitt began skiing at age 2 when his parents, part-time ski instructors, took him four nights a week to Swain, a small New York resort about the size of Cooper Spur where he joined the junior ski racing program. “Every time I won a race, I wanted more,” he said. “It snowballed and I developed a desire to be faster. If I got second, I felt like I could have done better.”

When he was 6, Kitt’s family vacationed in Europe and he fondly remembers gazing up at the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland, and skiing

among the gingerbread villages in France and Italy. “It was an amazing ski trip that made me really love the sport,” Kitt says.

Although he hasn’t taken his family to Europe yet, Kitt’s job with Nastar brings the family to resorts all over the country. Last year, the Kitt kids competed in the Nastar Nationals in Steamboat Springs, Colo. It was exciting, Kitt says, but perhaps even more memorable was after the competition when the family had an opportunity to ski with Olympians Picabo Street, Daron Rahlves and Chad Fleischer. “We terrorized the mountain and my kids will never forget that day,” Kitt recalls.

Like Hager, Kitt couldn’t wait to take his triplets skiing. When they were 3, they did laps on Mt. Hood Meadows’ magic carpet. Then came Buttercup and Easy Rider. Kitt was strategic about their progression, keeping them on blue runs until ready to move on.

“I never burned out as a kid because my mom and dad never pressured me,” he says. “They allowed skiing to be my choice.” Similarly, Kitt wants to make sure he doesn’t impose his competitiveness on his children. “I have no desire to put pressure on my kids to follow ski racing. If they love it, then I will support them,” he says. Currently, all three enjoy racing, especially his son. “Aksel is dressed and out the door at 5:45 a.m. on race days,” Kitt says. “He likes to help set the course and work with the gear, especially waxing and tuning skis.”

Kitt encourages families with competitive skiers to venture to the mountain even on days when the weather is bad. “You don’t have to stay out there too long, maybe take two runs, grab some hot chocolate then go out again,” he says. “Going out in various conditions builds good skiers.”

LISA KOSGLOW AND JEFF GREENWOOD

Kosglow and her husband, Jeff Greenwood, also an Olympic snowboarder (Salt Lake City 2002) know their daughter loves to be home, especially on weekend mornings, wearing her pajamas and reading a book. Instead of rushing up for the first runs, the family often enjoys a leisurely morning and then around noon, after the crowds dissipate, they head to the ski area.

“We go up when it’s sunny and make sure to have a reward at the end of the day,” Greenwood says.

Kosglow adds, “We keep it fun and light and we always drink hot chocolate. It’s our routine, but I never bribe Emelia or threaten her with it.”

THE ANDREW’S EXPERIENCE

pizzeria • drafthouse theater arcade • frozen yogurt

It’s the pizza...25 years of authentic east coast thin crust pizza

Skylight Drafthouse Theater “Outstanding Luxury Theater” First run films, great beer selection, create a gourmet pizza = perfect night out.

Andrew Mcelderry and his family have been making pizza since 1991. To survive and grow, you must have a great product, everything they do is fresh and from scratch. This pizzeria loves pizza and, therefore, their pizza has to be and is the best. Bring some friends, have a slice of real east coast thin crust pizza, combine with a fresh salad, wings or a calzone.

14 inch pies • 18 inch pies

107 Oak Street, Hood River | AndrewsPizza.Com | 541-386-1448 ON-lINE ORDERINg | EAT IN | TAkE OuT | DElIvERy

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While competing on the U.S. Snowboard Team, Kosglow participated in a nutritional study monitoring calorie intake and heat loss. “I learned that I had to eat a minimum of 6,000 calories a day just to keep my body warm on the chairlift. And when I didn’t have enough food, I bonked. My daughter’s also that way,” says Kosglow, who brings snacks — usually trail mix with chocolate and nuts — when snowboarding with her daughter.

Kosglow started skiing at age 10, when her family moved from Wisconsin to Idaho. When she was 14, she demoed a Kemper snowboard and immediately fell in love with the sport. “Snowboarding was new and counterculture. I didn’t know if any girls snowboarded,” she says. “Once I started snowboarding, everything else fell away. My parents never pushed me. I was driven on my own and loved being on the mountain.” At the time, snowboarding was not yet an Olympic sport, so she couldn’t imagine the pinnacle she would reach.

Meanwhile, at about the same time, in the small town of Granby, Conn., Greenwood was saving money to buy his first snowboard. Once he started riding, Greenwood was hooked. He moved away from home for the last two years of high school to attend Carrabassett Valley Academy, the first ski academy to include snowboarding. His career took off from there. “Snowboarding was my ticket to see the world,” Greenwood says.

As for their daughter, Emelia currently prefers dance to skiing, which is fine with her parents. “I just want her to have a healthy appreciation and love for the outdoors,” Kosglow says.

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.

1909 Boutique Hotel Farm Fresh Breakfast Diverse Vacation Homes Pet Friendly Options 541-386-3845

OakStreetHotel.com

Plan Your Gorge Escape HOA

541-387-4080

GorgeRentals.com

Office: 541-387-6700 Cell: 541-490-0079

GorgeProperty.com Denise McCravey Broker/Owner OR & WA Lodging, Rentals and Real Estate in the Oak Street Hotel building

DOUGSHOODRIVER.COM

610 Oak Street Hood River, OR 97031

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ARTS + CULTURE

The Last Nutcracker Ballet students and teachers at Columbia Gorge Dance Academy stage the final act of a beloved community tradition

STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY MICHAEL PETERSON

T

here is a day every fall when ballet teacher Nancy Clement does something that has nothing to do with dance, and everything to do with a dance performance. Clement writes the names of some 350 dancers on separate notecards and spreads them out on her living room floor. Over the course of hours, often stretching across several days, she arranges and rearranges the cards, and then rearranges them some more. When she’s done there are three groups of cards, each a roster of the cast of one of the three performances of Scenes from The Nutcracker, which are staged each December in the auditorium at Hood River Middle School.

“I’m a visual person,” Clement says. “I have to do it that way.” It’s more complex than it appears.

The December performances of Scenes from The Nutcracker by ballet students at the Columbia Gorge Dance Academy are among the most beloved community events of the holiday season in the Gorge. As enrollment at the dance academy has grown over the years, the logistics involved in staging the three

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performances — in which all ballet students at the academy, ranging from age 4 to 18, take part — have become increasingly challenging.

The notecards laid out on Clement’s floor are a complex puzzle of dancers in special roles, siblings whom parents’ want in the same show, dancers who are unable to be in a certain show, dancers from classes that are so big they’re divided into two, and dancers from classes that are small and must perform in more than one show. It’s enough to bring on a headache. But Clement maintains her ever-cheerful demeanor, even as she admits that this is her least favorite part of it all.

This year, everything having to do with Scenes from The Nutcracker — even the hundreds of notecards on Clement’s living room floor — has taken on a bittersweet quality. After 19 years, Clement is bringing an end to the tradition.

“The decision to let go of Nutcracker has been a couple of years coming,” Clement says. In a way, it can be seen as the end of a trajectory that began more than two decades ago, in a vastly different landscape.

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THE BEGINNING

Clement moved to the Gorge in 1989 with her husband and two small children. She’d enjoyed a successful career as a professional ballerina with Ballet West in Salt Lake City, then taught ballet for several years in Aspen, Colo., where she started a ballet academy. After moving to the Gorge, she began teaching some classes at a small dance and fitness center that would later become the Columbia Gorge Dance Academy.

In Clement’s professional ballet days, she had danced in The Nutcracker with Ballet West.

So for fun, she began teaching one or two dances from the production to her classes every fall.

Always community-minded, Clement started taking her classes to some of the local senior centers and assisted living facilities before the holidays so they could perform the dances they’d learned from The Nutcracker for residents. Parents would show up to watch the informal per-

Ballet students at the Columbia Gorge Dance Academy perform in some of the most recent productions of Scenes from The Nutcracker, opposite and above. Ballet teacher Nancy Clement, opposite inset, brings the beloved community tradition to an end this year.

formances, too, and each year the crowd grew.

“One year at Down Manor, I looked around and there were so many parents and siblings there that the residents couldn’t even see,” Clement recalls. “That’s when I realized it was time to move to a theater.” That was 19 years ago.

The first theater performance of Scenes from The Nutcracker was at Hood River Valley High School’s Bowe Theater. The performance included several dances, and lasted about 30 minutes. (The high school’s choir rounded out the show by performing some holiday songs.) Even with a seating capacity of more than 400, “it was standing room only,” Clement recalls. The next year, the performance was staged at the Hood River Middle School auditorium — with a seating capacity of more than 1,100 — where it’s been ever since.

THE SHOW GOES ON

From the beginning, Clement was adamant about not charging admission. She hit on the idea of suggesting that for admission to the show, people bring canned food to donate to FISH Food Bank or a give a monetary donation to Providence Hospice of the Gorge. This tradition continues today. “I didn’t ever want it to be moneydriven,” Clement says.

Similarly, she never sought donations or sponsors for the show. A nominal “Nutcracker fee” has helped cover some expenses and, over time, enabled Clement to buy costumes. Most of them have lasted years with the help of volunteers who mend and augment them when necessary.

For the first few years, there was just one performance of Scenes from The Nutcracker.

CUTIE PIE kiddos

www.cutiepiekiddos.com

RE TAIL . RE SA LE . RE NTA L www.cutiepiekiddos.com 212 4th St. hood river

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ARTS + CULTURE

THE GORGE’S ONLY FULL-SERVICE BEAD, ROCK, AND MINERAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Gorgeous Jewelry, Creative Custom Design and Local Handmade Fun

(541) 387-4367 • www.sparklingcreationsonline.com 409 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River, Oregon

“As the students grew and advanced to different levels of ballet, we created more scenes,” Clement says. She choreographed some scenes exactly as she’d learned and performed them at Ballet West. Theresa Mason, another ballet teacher at the dance academy, choreographed others. Still others have been collaborations.

In 2001, there were enough dancers to stage two performances. Then in 2011, the ever-growing number of dancers made it necessary to add a third show. “By now, Theresa and I had three classes at many levels,” Clement says. With three shows, the logistics got significantly more challenging — from dress rehearsal schedules to the note cards on Clement’s living room floor. “The administrative layer got complicated,” she says.

Clement began thinking about the end game for Nutcracker. When she and her husband bought a house in Baja two years ago, where for years they’ve spent time in the winter, it seemed like it was time to usher in the final act. At last year’s Scenes from The Nutcracker, Clement told audiences — who audibly gasped at the news — that this year would be the production’s last. “It’s very bittersweet,” she says. “But it’s just time.”

Everything about this year’s Scenes from The Nutcracker has taken on the sheen of a beloved tradition being carried out for the last time. Auditions for solo parts were a little more nerve-wracking, rehearsals approached with a bit more verve. For the last several years, the auditorium has often been standing-room only for all three performances, so Clement decided she better sell tickets this year — for the first time ever — in anticipation of large crowds. (Family members of dancers were allowed to buy tickets before they went on sale to the general public.) In keeping with Clement’s desire for the performance to be a fundraiser, any extra money from tickets

a d o cumentary film

FOR OVER 19 YEARS THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF HOOD RIVER’S MOST BELOVED TRADITIONS For more information visit www.TheLastNutcracker.com

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Nancy Clement, working with one of her classes at the dance studio above, had a successful career as a professional ballerina with Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s been teaching ballet for more than 30 years.

goes to FISH Food Bank and Hospice of the Gorge, the usual recipients.

A film is even being made of the final Nutcracker, and the weeks leading up to the last performances, by local photographer and filmmaker Michael Peterson. “So many lives have been touched by this,” says Peterson, whose 9-year-old daughter has been a ballet student at the dance academy for five years.

He was in the audience last year when Clement made her announcement, and as he sat in the packed auditorium — amid the more than 1,100 other parents and community members stunned by the news — he immediately felt that the story of how this came to be should be told.

Peterson has dubbed his film, The Last Nutcracker: A Documentary Film, and spent countless hours throughout the fall filming rehearsals and interviews with dancers, parents and, of course, Clement.

Post-production work will continue for months, and he hopes to have the film finished late next year. But, Peterson says, it’s not really about the actual last Nutcracker performances. “It’s really about how many people have been touched by this,” he says. He hopes the film also serves as a sort of gift to Clement. “It will be a wonderful record of what the Nutcracker has been and what it’s meant to people,” he says.

Clement knows that the final Nutcracker will be emotional for many students and parents — some of whom have had multiple children involved in the performances over the course of many years. “We’re going to have a no-tears policy,” she jokes. But Clement is happy for the tradition to “end on a good note.”

Although she hopes to spend a little more time in Baja with her husband, Clement has no plans to give up teaching ballet. “I love what I do,” she says. Maybe, she adds, she’ll return to the roots of Scenes from The Nutcracker.

“I can still see teaching some of the dances to a few classes,” she says, with that sparkle in her blue eyes, “and taking kids around to the senior centers.”

For more information on Michael Peterson’s film, go to thelastnutcracker.com.

Peter Marbach PHOTOGRAPHY

New Exhibit

THE COLUMBIA FROM SOURCE TO SEA

Celebrating the beauty and culture of the river and the hope for the return of pacific salmon to the headwaters.

Solo exhibit January 13 – April 1 Oregon Historical Society 1200 SW Park Ave Portland, OR

For more information contact marbachphoto@gorge.net • 541-490-2254

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WELLNESS

It’s All in the Juice

Winter is a perfect time to reap the health benefits of juicing STORY BY CATE HOTCHKISS • PHOTOS BY SILVIA FLORES

W

e tend to think of juicing as a warm weather thing, often overlooked as the days grow colder and darker. But it’s during winter when we may reap the benefits of bright, fresh juices the most, according to Dalene and Eric Stasak, who recently bought Remedy Juice Café in downtown Hood River.

“We’re often eating fewer fresh foods like salads in the winter,” Dalene says. “Juicing is a great way to get lots of nutrients in quickly and boost your immune system. In one juice, you get several pounds of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.”

You also get a color wheel of rich plant pigments, from yellow-orange to blue-violet, which are well known for their healing properties, especially when combined.

Remedy processes juice two ways: juicing and blending. Juicing extracts juice from raw fruits and vegetables, leaving behind most of the fibrous pulp. Blending pulverizes fruits and veggies into a smoothie.

As for juicing, the roots are Remedy’s rock 64

stars. Beets, carrots, ginger, and turmeric, along with a bit of apple and lemon, make up one of the café’s most popular concoctions, the Pranic Pulse. Like Remedy’s other juices, the Pranic is served in a wide-mouth Mason jar, which evokes a sense of comfort and shows off the drink’s glinting crimson color. “It’s both earthy and energizing at the same time,” Eric says.

In fact, the Pranic is one of the reasons Jacquie Barone visits Remedy five times a week. Four years ago, Barone, a Hood River designer and developer who is currently renovating the historic Union Building in downtown Hood River with her husband Pasquale, was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow. After undergoing chemotherapy, she adopted

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a mostly vegetarian, raw food diet and has noticed that the more she sticks to it, the better her blood cell counts tend to be.

Yet, even with her garden, she says it’s challenging to eat enough raw veggies, so she supplements with raw juices, especially beetroot juice, which contains betalains, a group of powerful cancer-fighting anti-oxidants.

“Fresh juices have had such a positive effect on my health that I actually write ‘Remedy’ on my daily list before I leave the house to run errands,” Barone says. “Leukemia causes me to be Dalene and Eric Stasak, opposite, recently bought Remedy Juice Café in downtown Hood River, and have brought their own style to the juice bar and eatery. Juices, like the popular Pranic Pulse, are served in wide-mouth Mason jars.

quite tired mid-day so I also think these juices help give me a boost to get through the rest of the day.”

While each ingredient in the Pranic has its own impressive nutrient profile, the medicinal properties of turmeric are especially noteworthy. Mounting research shows that curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. “Turmeric is one of my favorite spices in the world,” says Katherine Walker, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at Hood to Coast Healthcare in Hood River. “I recommend people use it in place of ibuprofen for joint pain or bloating of the body in general. It also helps keep us warm during the cold months by raising our core body temperature.” Further, studies show that turmeric improves brain health and boosts mood. For a potent dose of it — perhaps for a lift during the Gorge’s winter inversion — try Remedy’s one-ounce ginger-turmeric-lemon shot.

HEALTH care so CLOSE and PERSONAL, it’s like you haven’t left HOME.

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General Surgery • Orthopedics Cardiology • Neurology • Podiatry Pain Management (509) 493-1101 • skylinehospital.com

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Protect your feet from the elements

Ingrown Nails • Wound Care • Heel / Arch Pain Athletic / Running Injuries • Fungal Toenails • Warts Bunions • Hammertoes • Flat Feet • Arthritis Broken Bones • Custom Orthotics • Laser Therapy

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Board Certified, American Board of Podiatric Medicine

541.386.1006 • mthoodpodiatry.com 1700 12th Street, Suite B • Hood River

Relax&Recreate IN SCENIC HOOD RIVER ASK ABOUT WINTER SKI PACKAGES Just minutes to outdoor fun, shopping, dining, breweries, world-class wine tasting complementary hot breakfast indoor pool & spa high-speed wireless internet in-room microwave & refrigerator fitness room & guest laundry CONVENIENTLY LOCATED OFF I-84 2625 Cascade Avenue • Hood River, OR (541) 308-1000 www.comfortsuiteshoodriver.com

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Along with nearly two dozen specialty juices and smoothies made with organic and locally-sourced ingredients, Remedy has a lunch menu featuring vegan, gluten-free and paleo-based cuisine. It also offers five-day cleanses.

Walker also advises her patients to consume lots of fresh leafy greens — some of the best plants for pulling micronutrients from the soil — to help boost immunity and energy during winter. An easy way to do that is to make green smoothies, a growing trend. Remedy blends kale, chard and spinach with ingredients such as avocado, almond butter and handcrafted nut milks. Sugar-conscious customers like Stephanie Adams, who owns Flow Yoga in Hood River, find these drinks especially appealing. “I have been diagnosed as reactive hypoglycemic, so I can’t drink a lot of the traditionally sweet juice offerings, but I love Remedy’s low-glycemic smoothie options,” Adams says. “The juice masters at Remedy modify them for me so they are virtually sugar-free.”

COMMUNITY CLEANSES

Low-glycemic, vegetable-based juices and smoothies are at the heart of Remedy’s monthly community cleanses, which are formulated with expertise from a dietitian to promote detoxification, according to Dalene. She cites a number of reasons why people cleanse: to jumpstart a diet, promote healing, and reboot after a season of overindulgence.

“Cleansing helps you rethink the foods you are addicted to, what you can do without, and how certain foods make you feel,” Dalene says. “Every time I do a cleanse, it reminds me, ‘Oh, I am in control.

The food doesn’t have to control me.’ Eventually, you create an appetite for foods that nourish you.”

Remedy’s five-day cleanse consists of two 20-ounce juices, one 20-ounce smoothie, and a one-ounce elixir such as a ginger-lemon shot, which customers pick up each morning. People can exclusively sip the drinks or do a “gentle cleanse” by also eating foods such as organic nuts, seeds, or legumes, Dalene explains.

Ruth Maletz, R.N., C.N.C., a nurse and nutritional consultant who owns Daniel’s Health and Nutrition in Hood River, says to get optimal results from a cleanse, you should clean up your diet for about a week beforehand by eliminating or cutting back on alcohol, sugar, processed foods, wheat, dairy and caffeine. “I tend to have clients who are just ready to jump in,” Maletz says. “During a cleanse, you’re activating different liver pathways to actually pull toxins out of the body. When you flood your body with things you’ve been storing, you might feel like you have the flu or something. If that happens, I tell people to back off a little.”

If a juice cleanse sounds intimidating, Remedy offers support. “People can use our Facebook page to share how the cleanse is going for them and encourage one another,” Dalene says. Remedy also offers vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-based cuisine. For more information, visit remedyjuice-cafe.com.

Based in Hood River, Cate Hotchkiss writes about health and wellness for national and regional magazines. She blogs at gorgegirlruns.com.

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HOOD TO COAST

HEALTHCARE Hood River • Portland • Oregon Coast

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Rebecca Chown, OD FAAO 541-386-1700 // www.icfec.com // find us on Facebook 1700 12th Street, Suite A // Hood River, Oregon

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OUR GORGE : PARTAKE

Bourbon Chocolate Banana Pound Cake RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY KACIE MCMACKIN

For this recipe, I started off using the basic pound cake recipe in the Cook’s Illustrated New Best Recipes cookbook, then came the banana, the chocolate … the bourbon. The result is something that is, at its core, a pound cake. It’s heavy in the way that pound cakes are, with a dense, spongy base. It’s vanilla-y, with a hint of banana and sharp layers of bourbon-laced chocolate swirled throughout. It’s not too sweet, not too banana-y, not too chocolaty… it’s not too anything. It’s pretty much just right, in my book anyway.

Directions: With water in a small double boiler (or pot of water and metal mixing bowl) simmering, mix together the chocolate chips, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and corn syrup until melted; combine. Turn the heat off (alcohol is flammable!) before mixing in the bourbon. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 325˚F. Grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

In your stand mixer, beat the butter for a couple minutes, until it’s shiny and smooth. Then add in the sugar and whip on high until it resembles frosting, about five minutes.

While the butter and sugar cream, whisk together your eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and bourbon. Reduce the mixer to medium low speed and slowly drizzle the egg mixture in, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Once the egg mixture is incorporated, add the banana. Finally, add the salt and, a halfcup at a time, add in the flour. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a spatula, gently fold the batter together to make sure everything is incorporated. Now you can assemble your cake.

First scoop in a layer of batter, followed by a layer of chocolate, then another layer of batter, a layer of chocolate, a layer of batter, another of chocolate, and, finally, the rest of the batter. It’s okay if you have chocolate left over, I usually do and it’s perfect on ice cream. Then, using a spoon, make three lines (the long way) down the top of the cake: one on the left, one center, and one on the right. Then take a sharp knife or skewer and, starting in on corner, work your way down the pan, swirling the chocolate into the batter.

Pop the cake into the oven, on the center rack, for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cook, in the pan, for about 10 minutes before removing it. Let it rest another 10 minutes before serving it. It’s great warm, at room temperature, and my favorite thing about pound cake is that it is a totally acceptable breakfast item.

Ingredients.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar • 3 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks, at room temperature • 1/2 cup mashed banana = 1 very large (or two smaller) overripe banana • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract • 2 tsp bourbon or whiskey (plus more for the chocolate sauce) • 1/2 tsp fine salt • 2 cups cake flour, sifted For the chocolate sauce: • 2/3 cup chocolate chips • 1/4 cup heavy cream • 2 Tbsp corn syrup • 2 Tbsp bourbon or whisky

Pair with…

Domaine Pouillon French Press Syrah 2013 • AniChe Atticus 2014 • Wy’East Reed’s Red Blend 68

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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

THE ANDREW’S EXPERIENCE 541-386-1448 • AndrewsPizza.com 107 Oak Street • Hood River

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

APPLE VALLEY BBQ

BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY

Pizzeria • drafthouse theater • arcade • frozen yogurt It’s the pizza -25 years of authentic east coast thin crust pizza

• 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

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

On-line ordering • Eat in • Take out • Delivery

Open: Wed-Sun at 11am to 8pm. Closed: Mon & Tues.

BENEVENTI’S PIZZA

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

BRODER ØST

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

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

541-436-3444 • brodereast.com 102 Oak St. Suite 100 • 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

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.

Offering Nordic inspired breakfast and lunch to the gorge. Something new and exciting for the whole family to enjoy. Come try traditional recipes such as aebleskiver (danish pancakes), swedish meatballs, norwegian lefse (potato crepes) and lots more!

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

#broderost

CASA EL MIRADOR

CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR 541-386-5710 • celilorestaurant.com 16 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

541-705-3590 • clocktowerales.com 311 Union Street • Downtown The Dalles

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 new Happy Hour menu from 4-7pm, Mon-Fri. Full service bar, take-out menu, gift certificates and catering services. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

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.

Located in historic downtown The Dalles. Clock Tower Ales is the family friendly place to be! Extensive outdoor seating on our deck, live music on the weekends, upscale pub style lunches, chef inspired dinners, handcrafted cocktails, local wines, and over 30 craft beers on tap! Enjoy a bit of history, sit back and relax, it’s always a good time at the tower!

2016 Oregon Wine A-List Award Recipient

Open Daily: 11am-close

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

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BRIDGESIDE

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

We look forward to serving you!

CLOCK TOWER ALES

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EAT + DRINK

CROOKED TREE TAVERN & GRILL

CRUSH CIDER CAFÉ

DOG RIVER COFFEE

541-352-6692 • cooperspur.com 10755 Cooper Spur Road • Mt Hood/Parkdale

800-447-1539 • Facebook: Crush Cider Café 1020 D Wasco Street • Hood River

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

Home cooking takes on a broader significance at the Crooked Tree Tavern & Grill. Draw a 30-mile circle around our cozy community bar and restaurant, and chances are your meal is sourced from a combination of the outstanding local farms, ranches, wineries and breweries that are part of the Hood River Valley’s culinary renaissance.

Hood River’s 1st Cider Bar with 20 taps of local and regional ciders. Experience the incredible diversity of ciders from the Pacific NW. Fill up your growler or take home a bottle from a selection of over 40 regional ciders. Light menu served. Kids welcome.

Please call or check Facebook for hours.

Named one of ‘America’s top 10 coffeehouses’ by USA Today Full service espresso bar featuring Stumptown coffee Breakfast burritos, pastries and more Caffeinating your adventures since 2004 Open: Mon-Fri, 6am-6pm & Sat-Sun, 7am-6pm

everybodysbrewing.com White Salmon, WA

DOPPIO COFFEE

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

FULL SAIL BREW PUB

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

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

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

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 dog-friendly. Open daily at 7 am.

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.

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.

GROUND ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE

INDIAN CREEK GOLF COURSE & DIVOTS CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT

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.

Open Tues-Sun: 11:30am to closing

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

Located in the heart of the Hood River Valley just minutes from downtown. Breathtaking views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams from our covered patio. Full service bar and fabulous northwest cuisine at a reasonable price.

Your everyday vacation spot! Open to the public.

Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner. Happy Hour 3-6pm.

KICKSTAND COFFEE & KITCHEN 541-436-0016 • kickstandcoffee.net 1235 State Street • Hood River

KickStand uses seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and a blend of foreign and domestic cooking styles to create unique world flavors. In addition to our breakfast menu, we make our own donuts, fresh daily! House-roasted Ten Speed Coffee and a variety of pastries. Lunch and dinner menus offer healthy salads, burgers, sandwiches and a variety of entrees. Beer, wine & cocktails. Open daily 7am.

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EAT + DRINK

MCMENAMINS EDGEFIELD

OVINO MARKET & DELICATESSEN 541-436-0505 • ovinomarket.com 1209 13th Street • Hood River Heights

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

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.

We offer house-made sandwiches, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheeses, charcuterie and other gourmet items.

We also have craft beers on tap, wine & hard cider made in our shop. In the summer we fire up our BBQ to serve classic bratwurst & homemade sauerkraut and other menu items at our Beer Garden, which is catered by our rustic outdoor trailer bar.

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.

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

Ales, wines and spirits are crafted onsite.

REMEDY CAFÉ

Open Daily: 11:30am-9pm

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

541-387-2583 • Find us on Facebook 207 Cascade Avenue • Downtown Hood River

RIVER CITY SALOON

RIVERSIDE & CEBU LOUNGE

Recharge at Remedy Café with organic and nourishing breakfast or lunch bowls, burritos, curry, smoothies, juices, hot drinks or in-between meal treats. Vegan and paleo options, created from scratch from the best quality organic and local ingredients. Kombucha on tap. Locally roasted, organic espresso. Open Mon-Sat 7am-5pm.

River City Saloon, an iconic Hood River fixture, is back under new ownership. Our entire menu is served until midnight along with 16 taps, a full bar, and live music most nights.

Enjoy a comfortable atmosphere with seven big-screen TVs, darts, pool, and ping pong. Open: Mon-Fri, 4pm-2:30am; Sat & Sun, noon-2:30am; family friendly every night until 9pm.

Diners seek out newly remodeled Riverside for some of the best food and views in the Gorge, and Cebu for great bar food and drinks. Fresh menus change seasonally—plus an award-winning wine list. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Dine-in or take out. Order ahead online or call us!

Join us for $5 Happy Hour plates Monday-Friday

RIVERTAP PUB & RESTAURANT

SOLSTICE WOOD FIRE PIZZA 541-436-0800 • solsticewoodfirecafe.com 501 Portway Avenue • Hood River Waterfront

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

Showcasing delicious local foods, hand crafted beers, wines and spirits of the Columbia River Basin in a relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff, family dining, and the best garden patio in The Dalles!

Inventive, thin-crust pizzas, seasonally inspired entrees, & sublime s’mores. Creative cocktails, craft beers, wine, & ciders on tap. Family dining & kids play area.

Vegan & gluten-free options.

Enjoy Happy Hour daily, 3pm-6pm and

Heated patio & waterfront views across from the park

“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

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

Live Music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

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PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

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

Cebu Lounge Happy Hours: Mon-Fri 4-6pm

STONEHEDGE GARDENS

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EAT + DRINK

SUSHI OKALANI

TAD’S CHICKEN ‘N DUMPLINS 503-666-5337 • tadschicdump.com 1325 East Historic Columbia River Hwy • Troutdale

509-281-3075 • tarwatertavern.com 130 E Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

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.

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.

This town hasn’t seen a bar like this! Tarwater Tavern is a intimate cocktail bar in the heart of White Salmon.

We serve local and regional beer, wine, cider and SPIRITS. Our cocktails and small bits are hand crafted with fresh quality ingredients. Check our online calendar for live performances and events. See ya there!

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO

WALKING MAN BREWING

YOUR PARTAKE LISTING HERE

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

WMB began impacting the Northwest craft beer scene in late 2000. Garnering medals in some of the top beer competitions in the world, it has become a destination for beer enthusiasts and gorge travelers. Enjoy our dog-friendly beer garden or cozy up with a pint and a bite in the brewpub. Voted Ratebeer’s Best Brewpub in Washington. WINTER HOURS: Wed-Sun, 12-9 p.m.

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

971-231-4599 • thunderislandbrewing.com 515 NW Portage Road • Cascade Locks

509-427-5520 • walkingmanbeer.com 240 SW 1st Street • Stevenson

TARWATER TAVERN

Contact Micki Chapman for more information: 541-380-0971 • mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com 541-399-6333 • thegorgemagazine.com The Gorge is a mecca for great food and drink: restaurants, cafés, wineries, breweries, food carts & more.

Help visitors and locals decide where to dine and drink.

They’ll see your ad in print and in the online digital edition of the magazine…for one affordable price!

RESERVE A PARTAKE LISTING SPACE TODAY

A local resource guide for the discerning foodie.

Reviews, recipes & more: gorgeinthegorge.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2016-17

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OUR GORGE : EPILOGUE

Hood River Hospital, circa 1958. (Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River.)

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B U Y, S E L L , R E N T, I N V E S T All your real estate services under one roof!

Experience the synergy of Windermere Real Estate & Windermere Property Management Columbia River Gorge LLC. A collaborative team of industry professionals, a full support staff and a focused ownership and management team. Buying, selling, renting, investing, all your real estate services under one roof!

Kim Salvesen-Pauly Owner PB, CRB, ABRM, Licensed in OR/WA

(541) 386-3029 kimsalvesen.withwre.com kimsalvesen@windermere.com

reaL eState

ProPerty ManageMent

Windermere/Glenn Taylor Real Estate

Columbia River Gorge, LLC

windermere.com

HOOD RIVER (541) 386-3444

504 Cascade & 315 Oak Street

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BINGEN (509) 493-4666 106 W Steuben

541-386-RENT

STEVENSON (509) 427-2777

220 SW Second Street

THE DALLES (541) 298-4451 122 E 2nd Street

11/21/16 7:46 AM

We’ve got Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner covered!

Egg River Cafe

&

“BREAKFAST of CHAMPIONS” New York Times, 2014

Mesquitery Steakhouse

The only steakhouse in the Gorge... a locals favorite since 1988

{ Open Daily 6am-2pm } Breakfast & Lunch

{ Open 4:30pm-9pm } RESTAURANT { Open 4:30pm-11pm } THE SHED BAR

Extensive Breakfast

We grill everything over

& Lunch Menus

100% Mesquite Wood

Organic Eggs • Omelets

Steaks, Ribeyes, Prime Rib

Pancakes • Waffles

Ribs, Poultry

Crepes • Skillets

Seafood, Pastas

Organic Coffee

Great Side Dishes

Espressos & Lattes

Homemade Desserts

Soups • Salads

Beer & Wine Selection

Sandwiches • Hamburgers

Cocktails

Family Friendly

Summer Patio Adjoining The Shed Bar

Easy Parking

(541) 386-1127 1313 Oak Street, Hood River eggrivercafe.com

10% OFF

YOUR TOTAL BILL with this coupon

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Not valid on holidays or with any other offer.

Expires 3/06/17

541-386-1127

(541) 386-2002 • (541) 387-4002 1219 12th St., Hood River thebestinhoodriver.com

10% OFF

YOUR TOTAL BILL with this coupon

Not valid Fridays, holidays or with any other offer.

Expires 3/06/17

541-386-2002

11/21/16 7:48 AM