Falls Lodge
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Multnomah
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ARTS + CULTURE
Jana Shepherd
Multnomah Falls Co.
Courtesy of Trout Lake Hall
David Hanson
I FIRST VISITED MULTNOMAH FALLS as a college student in Portland in the 1980s. I grew up in Colorado where we have plenty of “big” when it comes to nature — big mountains, big plains, big canyons, big open spaces. But I’d never seen a waterfall like Multnomah Falls. I stood on the Benson Bridge and gawked. In the years that followed, I returned fairly often — the falls being a destination close to Portland with plenty of wow factor where I could take visiting friends and relatives. When I moved to Hood River a few years later, it remained on the must-see list for anyone I was looking to impress with breathtaking Northwest landscapes.
It’s no surprise that Multnomah Falls is the most visited attraction in Oregon. The lodge at the base of the falls might not get as much attention, but it’s equally worthy of some time spent in its majestic stone and timber interior — where every type of rock found in the Columbia River Gorge is represented. The lodge turns 100 this year, and while there are no formal activities planned to mark the occasion, fall is a perfect time to visit. There are fewer people vying for limited parking (the timed use permits required to park at the falls during the summer are no longer required after September 1) and the autumn foliage surrounding the lodge and falls puts on a show. You can read Molly Allen’s story about the lodge and its history starting on page 44.
Speaking of history, you'll find a piece about a historic-photo archive put together by Hood River resident Arthur Babitz and the History Museum of Hood River County, starting on page 34. Thanks to Babitz, the extensive collection of historic photos at the museum has not only been digitized, but turned into a crowd-sourcing project that has added fascinating context to thousands of historic photos from the area. Writer David Hanson delves into the Historic Hood River project, which can be found on the History Museum’s website.
This past summer saw some devastating wildfires in the Gorge, notably the Rowena Fire in June and the Burdoin Fire in July. For writer Don Campbell, who lives outside of Mosier, fire season brings with it an undercurrent of dread — not least because he’s had some close calls in the past. He’s learned to deal with it by taking proactive steps to make his home and property more fire-resistant, and offering support to others affected by wildfires. Even with the arrival of fall, Campbell knows fire season is far from over. You can read his story beginning on page 48.
You'll find lots of other stories in this issue, along with beautiful photos. Enjoy, and have a wonderful fall in the beautiful Columbia Gorge!
— Janet Cook, Editor
About the Cover
Photographer Kristar Burton of Portland took our cover image of Multnomah Falls Lodge on a moody November morning. He got there early, before visitors arrived. “Nobody was in front of the building, and I could stand at the edge of the road with no traffic,” he said. The trees were at their peak fall color and the cloud cover created perfect lighting. “It was really a matter of planning and circumstance,” he said. kristarphoto.com
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Michael Peterson
Furniture and art merge at Phloem Studio Showroom + Gallery in Hood River
Coralie Hews
Where the Mountains Meet the Music
RAY MULLIN CULTIVATES A SPACE FOR CONNECTION AND JOY AT THE TROUT LAKE HALL
VINCENT VAN GOGH SOLD ONE PAINTING IN HIS LIFETIME, and he gave the proceeds to charity. Why did he continue to paint?
Ray Mullin works sixty-hour weeks bringing national-caliber musicians to Trout Lake Hall in Trout Lake, Washington, while barely scratching out a living himself. Why does he continue to pour his heart and soul into his venue?
I sat down with Mullin in the historic hall, which since its founding 120 years ago has been a silent movie theater, a hand-set bowling alley, a dance hall, an airplane hangar, a dinner theater and an inn among other things. Since leasing the property five years ago, Mullin has turned it into a live music venue along with a bar, restaurant and general community space. A seasoned venue manager, Mullin consistently brings top-notch acts to the hall rivaling those one can find in Portland or Seattle. I wanted to know more about his quest to bring music into people’s lives, and how attracting cutting-edge acts balances with filling the seats.
“Art is a driver, it’s what pushes us forward,” Mullin says. “It’s an intangible requirement of life. It’s the physical expression of love and positive energy, of hate and frustration.” He looks around at the wood-paneled space with its classic Opry-like stage. “I don’t have creative talents. I make a canvas for other people to put their art on.”
story by RICHARD TILLINGHAST • photos courtesy of TROUT LAKE HALL
Ray Mullin and Tiara Gunstone have turned the Trout Lake Hall into a lively music venue and gathering space, with a full schedule of bands, musicians and community events.
Live entertainment is unique, Mullin says, because each show happens only once. “In this world we’re currently living in of mass-produced and instantly accessible, replicated entertainment, live music is real. You’re next to a human who’s breathing, having real reactions to what’s in front of them. It’s a eeting thing and it’s important for me to protect that.”
Art is a driver, he adds, then laughs. “And hunger is a driver too.”
Mullin began putting on punk rock shows for his friends when he was 15 years old, growing up in Portland. Several “illegal, underground punk rock clubs” followed, he says, “which were really fun, but also really crazy and dumb sometimes.” None of these ventures were nancially lucrative, but in escaping a broken home and, as he puts it, searching for his people, Mullin found his calling.
His path of discovery through art led to managing Satyricon, the legendary Portland punk club where Nirvana played some of their early shows and where Kurt Cobain reportedly met Courtney Love. Mullin witnessed strangers and friends connecting through shared experiences of music and creativity, opening them up to new ideas.
When Satyricon closed, Mullin became the general manager of Mississippi Studios,
and eventually opened a larger venue, Revolution Hall. Then the pandemic hit. Mullin had to lay off 200 people with whom he’d worked in the weeds for several years. By then, he was married with a new baby. He and his wife, Tiara Gunstone, began asking themselves what they wanted to do with their lives. Gunstone’s family had Trout Lake connections and on one of their visits, the couple discovered the old Trout Lake Inn.
“It needed a lot of love,” Mullin says. But the couple felt the
energy of the venerable old building and saw what they could bring to it. “From a business perspective, it’s probably the dumbest decision to open a music venue in a 700-person town that’s at the end of the road.”
Outdoor seating at the Trout Lake Hall offers views of the valley; the space is also used as a wedding and special event venue, left. Signs and old photographs depict past iterations of the venue, including as a dance hall, tavern and inn.
But that t his vision: the Trout Lake Hall would be a destination, a creative getaway for artists and audience alike. “Let’s build a place where it’s like a music festival every weekend but without all the bad parts — without 10,000 people and dusty porta-potties in a eld,” he says. Mullin wanted to provide a place where people could see national touring acts and “have this experience that’s unique but doesn’t cost $300 to get in the gate.” He began stretching the canvas, and the new Trout Lake Hall opened in 2022.
“National acts show up here, and there’s this glorious, big, beautiful mountain, and there’s clean water and fresh air, and there are people who want to dance and engage with their music, a place to stay and a home-cooked meal,” he says. “ ere’s an energy to this building.” Great musicians come back, he says, because “there’s more than money involved.”
Mullin books only acts that he loves and wants to share with people. His background enables him to write contracts that appeal to cutting-edge bands. “Trout Lake Hall won’t be their biggest nancial night of the tour,” he says, “but it will be one of the most memorable.”
Providing that experience for them and for the local crowd is what drives Mullin. He’s also embraced the local music scene, with songwriter nights and free ursday-night shows. e realities of business have made him cut down on the number of shows he has per week, but he’s proud of the way Trout Lake Hall has diversi ed in ways the community wants, with queer game night, art nights, kids’ shows and a healthy-food menu.
Mullin sees his market as spanning from Stevenson to e Dalles, roughly 75,000 people, which is tiny compared to Seattle or Portland. “ e draw is a challenge,” he says. “If half of those people come once a year, we can sustain.” He’s worked hard to build trust with the community, focusing on quality over quantity. His favorite compliment is when a ticket buyer says, “I’ve never heard of this band, but this is amazing!”
We talked about where the music world is heading.
“Music consumption is trending to legacy acts — old music,” he says. “I don’t know
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The intimate and rustic music venue features cozy wood paneling and a small Opry-like stage, providing musicians and the audience a unique live music experience.
that we’ll have another revolution, like the rock revolution of the sixties, the punk counter revolution of the seventies.” Mullin wonders if young people will make something distinctly new again. To him, the future lies in live performance — “that genuine engagement you get with humans in a room together who are having emotions and feelings together. ere will always be a basic human drive for having those experiences.”
Live artistic experiences, Mullin says, are “the antidote to a world continuing to go faster.”
“Be here, have an experience, because what we’re being fed by our algorithms is not an accurate representation of the world,” he adds. “Enjoy the vibrations of the music in the room you’re in.” He’d love to see more young people at Trout Lake Hall.
“Our perspectives on the world are being skewed by mega corporations that have a nancial bene t to us scrolling mindlessly,” he says. It’s bred division, he adds, and a lack of real, direct communication with one another. “We’re all scared of what we see on the internet being the reaction we get in person. But the reality is if you talk to someone with
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a di erent point of view, they’re not going to freak out and throw a brick through your window. ey’re going to say ‘Oh, I have empathy for you, I understand your perspective.’ en we can develop that.”
Mullin says that’s why a place like Trout Lake Hall is so important to him. “You can be out here partying and dancing with someone who has a totally di erent background than you, has a totally di erent political belief,” he says. “We all have love, emotion, ideas. We’re really a lot closer than we think. We all want to survive. We all want our families to thrive.”
Does he have the gas in his tank to keep this going?
“Emotionally, yeah,” he says, with a laugh. “While we’re here, while we can take care of this, I’m not going to compromise on the quality because that’s what I’m proud of.”
To learn more, go to troutlakehall.com
Richard Tillinghast is a musician and writer who lives in White Salmon.
A Curated Vision of Craft and Comfort
PHLOEM STUDIO CREATES AN IMMERSIVE SHOWROOM IN HOOD RIVER
THE WELLSPRING OF ART and creativity in downtown Hood River has expanded recently with the addition of the Phloem Studio Showroom + Gallery. Located on State Street, the space showcases the fine furniture of Gorge-based Phloem Studio as
well as a thoughtfully curated array of objects, art, textiles and books.
Benjamin Klebba has been crafting furniture for more than 22 years, first working for a master furniture maker in Chicago, then for a cabinetmaker in Portland before launching Phloem Studio in Portland in 2009. He moved his workshop to the Gorge in 2016 and has been sending his meticulously designed, handcrafted pieces out into the world from the shores of the Columbia River ever since.
story by JANET COOK • photos by GENEVIEVE PIERSON & CORALIE HEWS
Klebba has long envisioned having a showroom where people can experience his work in person. “We’ve wanted a place where people could come in and touch and sit and feel and understand the quality of the materials, and the quality of the craftsmanship,” said Klebba, who designs and builds the furniture with help from his dad, Ron Klebba. Using a variety of hardwoods — “phloem” refers to the vascular structure in plants that provides nutrients through photosynthesis — as well as leather and textiles, Klebba creates timeless pieces with an emphasis on quality, craft and graceful proportions.
His furniture has won multiple design awards, and Phloem Studio has been featured in Dwell magazine, e New York Times, e Wall Street Journal and Remodelista, among others.
When the State Street location became available, Klebba knew it would be a good place to showcase Phloem furniture. But the open, light- lled space invited more.
Enter Coralie Hews, Klebba’s wife and collaborator on creative pursuits. A long-time buyer for Spartan Shop, a Portland gallery featuring art and design collections and furniture, she also worked for an interior design group as a furniture buyer for large scale commercial projects.
“I feel like I have a unique perspective,” Hews said. “I’ve seen the design world from all sides — I know it from very small scale to very large scale.” Her years as a buyer created deep connections in the design world, and to artisans crafting unique, high-quality pieces. Creating a space where Phloem furniture could be seen “in context with other things,” as Klebba puts it, was a goal.
“Ben and I really like seeing furniture in an environment,” Hews added. “So, we wanted to complement and showcase Phloem’s pieces with an intentional designed space — with things we know are also of the same craft and quality, things that are going to last forever.”
e result is a showroom and gallery that feels both re ned and inviting — a space where you can slow down, settle in for a bit, ip through the collection of art and design books, listen to records spin on the turntable and occasionally get up from one of Klebba’s chairs to browse the collection of interesting objects ranging from candle holders and mirrors to tablecloths and glassware — then sit back down in another chair.
Touching the furniture and sitting in the chairs is not only allowed but encouraged.
“Having a piece of furniture made for you isn’t like buying a sweater,” Hews said. “You really need to think about what wood works in your home and what leather you like. You need to come see it, and maybe you need to sit in it three times, maybe you need to think about it for six months. at’s great. at’s important for us.” Furniture in the showroom
Benjamin Klebba and Coralie Hews, opposite, in their showroom and gallery in downtown Hood River. Klebba has been crafting fine furniture for more than 20 years. Above, handblown glassware designed by Hews in collaboration with Vitreluxe and made exclusively for Phloem Studio.
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is not generally sold; customers order from the Phloem collection, customizing pieces by selecting from various hardwoods, leather nishes and upholstery options.
“Typically, when someone comes in and they love a piece, say a co ee table, they’ll say, ‘Can I get it in white oak?’ and I say, ‘Yes, it’ll be 12 weeks,’” Klebba explained. “ en I go build it.”
Klebba’s own design process for a single piece often extends over many months, if not years. Recently, on a little-used shelf in his
Furniture in the showroom represents a selection from the Phloem collection. Buyers can customize their orders with various hardwood, leather and upholstery options. Gallery items are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces made by artisans and craftspeople based locally, regionally and beyond.
workshop, he came across some chair prototypes he’d designed several years ago. “We have all the jigs for them, all the patterns,” he said. “You forget about stu , or you let it sit for a while. I like sitting
on things — literally and metaphorically — to make sure I’m really into it, and it fits with what we’re doing or where we’re heading with our overall body of work.”
Like the Phloem furniture in the showroom, the collection of items that make up the gallery is thoughtfully curated to showcase artisans who are creating heirloom quality work. Klebba and Hews have leaned into the gallery vision with shows highlighting specific artisans and craftspeople. Over the summer, they curated a themed show entitled Bookends, featuring work from 18 artisans.
“The bookends are sculptural and beautiful, but they’re also functional,” Hews said. “And that’s a big tenet for Phloem Studio.” Hews has also pursued design collaborations with artisans, including a glassware collection inspired by a Dutch painting and created by Portland glass artist Lynn Read exclusively for Phloem Studio.
“We’ve been loving the collaborative process,” Hews said. “It’s fun to work with other folks and combine your talents.”
Ultimately, the Phloem Studio Showroom + Gallery is an organic melding of Hews and Klebba’s interests, tastes and creative talents. “I think Ben and I have a unique design point of view, where we’re drawing on a lot of different influences, but ultimately we’re rooted in comfort, functionality, beauty, joy, quality and high craft,” Hews said.
“If you want to have something made really fast in China that’s a furniture piece, cool,” Klebba said. “But that’s just a different thing
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than anything in here.” Phloem Studio furniture is “really dialed and meticulous,” he added. “ e artists, the people we’re carrying in here have been doing their work for a long time and are truly artisans in their craft, and we want to support those kinds of folks.”
Phloem Studio will launch two new tables this fall, as well as a re-design of a popular chair. Columbia Gorge photographer Genevieve Pierson’s work will be on display as the gallery’s featured artist. Beyond that, Klebba and Hews have lined out gallery shows and featured artisans through most of 2026 — all bringing unique, oneof-a-kind work to the Phloem Studio space to complement Klebba’s furniture.
Tableware items from the Phloem gallery collection include vases, ceramic dishware and candle holders. Hews also curates an array of fine textiles including blankets, towels, tablecloths and napkin sets. A selection of art and design books rounds out the collection.
Hews welcomes people to stop by for a visit and linger in the showroom.
“We want the space to feel intentional,” she said. “We want you to come in and experience all the light, all the textures, the tactile things that are made by real humans.”
To learn more, go to phloemstudiogallery.com
story by RUTH BERKOWITZ • photos provided
Signs Send a Message of Compassion
HOOD RIVER’S SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN DRAWS LESSONS FROM WWII INJUSTICE
WHEN GRACIELA DRIVES THROUGH THE STREETS OF HOOD RIVER and sees the yellow “Somos Immigrantes” signs posted in yards and on the windows of businesses, she smiles and feels hopeful. “I know that those homes and businesses are with us, that they love us. It makes me feel strong and secure, knowing that we are not alone,” said Graciela, who moved to the Pacific Northwest decades ago with her family to work in the orchards. She spoke on condition that her last name be withheld out of concerns for her safety.
Graciela is too afraid to put a Somos Immigrantes sign in front of her own home. Many of her Odell neighbors share her fears. "These are scary times. We are facing historical trauma in the community. There are a lot of people trapped in their own homes and afraid to go out for
fear that ICE will take them,” she said, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. “Children are suffering.” One of her neighbor’s teenage daughters has endured a sudden onset of health problems, possibly caused by stress. Graciela tells me about another neighborhood child who is traumatized by the possibility of ICE snatching his parents when they go to work, or even to the grocery store.
In March, Graciela shared some of these stories during a meeting with members of Hood River’s Riverside Community Church who were contemplating how to best use $300 remaining from a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
Pastor Vicky Stifter listened, and then recounted the story of a community in Billings, Montana, that used signs to combat hate. In December 1993, a six-year-old boy placed a menorah in his window to celebrate Hanukkah. One evening, someone threw a brick through the boy’s window.
e local newspaper printed a picture of a menorah with its nine candles, and in a very short time, more than 10,000 homes had displayed that picture in their windows to show solidarity with the Jewish community and to ght hate in their town.
e church group pondered how they could do something similar in Hood River and decided to use the leftover funds to make a few dozen signs reading, “I am an immigrant.” ey weren’t sure they could nd homes willing to display the signs, but that turned out not to be a problem.
“People wanted the opportunity to do something about the antiimmigrant feeling,” Stifter said. When the group ordered more due to demand, they changed the slogan to “Somos Immigrantes / We are immigrants.”
“ ese aren’t political signs,” the pastor explained. “ e signs give the people of Hood River a chance to show compassion, just like the people did in Billings, Montana. We need to treat people with dignity and respect due process. We need to ght hate.” She adds that this is also an opportunity to redeem a dark chapter in Hood River’s history during World War II. “At that time, Hood River was seen as one of the most hostile places for Japanese Americans,” she said.
When Maija Yasui, a historian whose Finnish family came to Hood River around the same time as her husband’s Japanese family, learned about the Somos Immigrantes project, she was all in. “It’s a way to stop history from repeating itself,” she said as we talk in her home lled with Japanese artifacts and news clippings. Her husband’s forebears, the Yasui family, had settled in the Hood River Valley in the early 1900s along with several hundred Japanese immigrants. Masuo Yasui and his brothers opened a store where Ground Co ee is currently located, and he was able to farm land and prosper despite discrimination and laws prohibiting Japanese people from owning property and businesses.
But after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, racism and hysteria against Japanese Americans took a dramatic turn. Businesses in downtown Hood River displayed signs reading, “Japs go home,” and some even sold “hunting licenses” to harm Japanese people.
On December 12 — just ve days after the attack — Masuo, a 33-year resident of Hood River, was imprisoned by the FBI under the Enemy Alien Act, the same one the U.S. government is now using to detain immigrants. Two months later, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, enabling the federal government to forcibly relocate people of Japanese descent to internment camps in Tule Lake, California, Minidoka, Idaho, and other remote areas. While the Japanese Americans from Hood River were away, some locals took advantage of their absence, vandalizing their properties and taking over their farms. Maija Yasui said the climate was so hostile that very few Japanese felt safe returning to Hood River.
Yet there were more than fty locals who called themselves the Hood River County League for Liberty and Justice. ey were ashamed and shocked by the racism and wanted to welcome the immigrants back. Yasui shared a letter the group wrote to the Japanese people living in the camps:
Dear Friends: We want you folks to know that there is a group of fair-minded people in the city and valley who have watched with growing resentment and concern the injustices to which you have been subjected the past few months. We were probably shocked as much as you were by the unreasonable prejudice and vicious actions of certain individuals, and we feel a sense of shame that anything like this could happen in America.
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Campaign volunteers Gail Lyons and Nancy Paul at the Hood River Farmers Market, above. Supporters in the Fourth of July parade, opposite top, and at a Memorial Day ceremony honoring immigrants at Idlewild Cemetery, opposite bottom.
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e letter, signed by Hazel V. Smith, Secretary, describes how the group had organized to help them resettle in Hood River. It provides contact information for anyone in need of assistance. Members of the organization also met the Japanese Americans at the train station when they returned from the camps.
Deanne McLaughlin, a volunteer organizer of the Somos Immigrantes campaign, feels that the kind spirit of Hazel Smith and
her group is representative of their campaign. “ ey were the welcoming committee, the supportive people,” she said. “In that way, we are like the League for Liberty and Justice.”
McLaughlin sees the Somos Immigrantes signs not only as an extension of that group, but also as a step in the opposite direction of racism.
Vicky Stifter of Riverside Church agrees. “Even though there is fear and division in our country, the signs show symbolically that our town welcomes immigrants,” she said. “We stand with you. We thrive together.”
According to McLaughlin, the church has given out more than 2,000 yard signs. Businesses are also embracing the campaign, with Pine Street Bakery and Solstice Pizza being among the rst to place a sign in their windows.
e campaign has gone beyond the organizers’ expectations. Over the summer, they were given a large billboard in e Dalles to display the Somos Immigrantes message. e group recently made Somos Immigrantes ags for people to attach to their vehicles. And every Saturday morning at the Hood River Farmers Market, when McLaughlin passes out signs and explains the campaign, people are supportive, she says. She has given signs to visitors from all over the country, including Colorado, Virginia and Arizona. When people ask her if this is a national campaign, she tells them “not yet” and o ers the digital artwork in hopes they might start their own campaign.
Upcoming plans include the December 3 Speakeasy at e Ruins, where participants will share their immigrant stories on stage.
To order a sign, contact Riverside Church at o ice@riversideucc.com or call 541-386-1412.
Ruth Berkowitz, a mediator and writer living in Hood River, is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
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FIND JOY IN THE journey
CLYZM Wines
NEXT-GEN WINEMAKER AUSTIN CULVER’S VENTURE
BLENDS A LOVE OF WINE AND COMMUNITY
ON THE WINDSWEPT SLOPES OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, a new generation of winemakers is bringing fresh dimensions to the region’s wine identity — led in part by emerging voices like Austin Culver of CLYZM Wines. For Culver, winemaking isn’t about chasing market trends or building flashy brands. It’s about intention, education and deep-rooted connection.
Raised on a family vineyard in Paso Robles, California, Austin developed a love for viticulture. After earning a degree in biochemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder, he returned to wine with renewed purpose, working harvests across California, Oregon’s Willamette Valley and New Zealand — each experience sharpening his skills and shaping his hands-on, experimental style.
Now based in the Columbia River Gorge, Austin is building something different: a vineyard-first, transparent approach to wine that values sustainability and community over
commerce. By choosing to work small, local and intentionally, he invites consumers to do the same, to drink with purpose and help shape a more thoughtful, future-focused wine culture.
Jim Moss, owner of Brightlight Vineyard, where Culver sources some of his grapes, describes the Columbia Gorge AVA as a region where diversity is everything — both in climate and in winemaking style. “It’s like Burgundy, but on steroids,” Moss says, referencing the patchwork of microclimates that give the Gorge its unique edge. Since planting his vineyard by hand in 2015, Moss has embraced an experimental approach, cultivating both classic and obscure varietals with minimal intervention. His partnership with Austin over the past three vintages reflects a shared philosophy — let the site lead, and the wine will follow.
I sat down with Austin to talk about his path to winemaking, what makes the Gorge so exciting for young vintners, and how wine can be a tool for deeper connection.
Share a quote or insight that encapsulates your approach to winemaking.
Harness the chaos while also giving it room to breathe. Like holding a wounded baby bird, or throwing a lively party without letting it get out of hand, it’s a game of being balanced and connected while also feeling confident, allowing nature to take the reins.
story & photos by JANA SHEPHERD
Austin Culver, above left, with Jim Moss at Brightlight Vineyard in The Dalles, where Culver sources grapes.
What does sustainability look like to you — in the vineyard, and in the cellar?
Sustainability looks like doing the best you can with the resources at your disposal. In a universe where matter can neither be
created nor destroyed, does any of it actually matter? On a physical level likely no, it’s a net-zero game. It’s all meaningless. But by striving toward best sustainability practices, we breathe meaning into the empty void. In a capitalist driven society where input directly ows to output, it is hard to nd equilibrium. You can only try to do your best by the vines and the ecosystem.
Jim Moss inspects grapes in his vineyard in The Dalles, where he grows multiple varietals with minimal intervention. He’s partnered with CLYZM Wines for the past three vintages.
What practices, if any, set you apart from conventional winemakers?
I wouldn’t say we are reinventing the wheel on any singular front. It’s the scope of applied techniques that is non-conventional. We try our best not to adhere to dogma, and push experimentation whenever possible. As a result, our wines can be anything from clean and classic to raw and untamed. Harnessed chaos, so to speak.
Describe your winemaking style in a few words.
Jokingly, I say postmodern minimalist — and it is not altogether inaccurate. Postmodern in wine refers to the acceptance of scienti c methods and application of it in ways that accepts and accentuates the ‘art’ component of winemaking. Minimalist, or minimal intervention, basically means taking a step back and realizing that wine needs to do its thing and not be tethered to formulaic structure. Like allowing a teenager to buy a motorcycle and hit the desert with their homies for a seven-day bender.
How does the Gorge’s climate and terroir show up in your wine?
e Gorge has some cool stu going on. Between the microclimates and soils, we have something truly unique. A great example of one of our terroir-driven wines is the Sangiovese I made from Windhorse Vineyard. You can taste the volcanic dirt and feel the high elevation acidity that creates that warm climate opulence.
How does farming here di er from better known regions like Napa Valley and the Willamette Valley?
e farming in the Gorge is a bit of a mixed bag due to our diverse microclimates. A lot of the small farmers I work with do everything they can to crop a quality product with minimal intervention, but it’s a hard game. Between vintage variation, wild res and labor costs, a lot of producers opt for fruit out in Yakima Valley. I would like to encourage all my fellow producers to shop and support our local growers.
Is there a grape or site you’re particularly passionate about exploring in the future?
All of it intrigues me. I think that the Gorge can tackle just about anything. In particular, I am really curious to see if Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese could have a great home here. ere’s Old World precedent in the form of similar regions having those two varietals showcased successfully.
What’s been your biggest challenge yet?
Growing pains. Finding consistency in the winemaking and with the growers. I envy those with established OG facilities and long-term vineyard contracts. We really seek to streamline and simplify in the next couple of years.
Winemaker Austin Culver on a visit to Brightlight Vineyard with his dog, Rolo.
What does success mean to you, beyond bottles sold?
Acceptance and encouragement from peers regarding the wine quality. It’s nice when a consumer enjoys the wine, but when an industry professional likes the wine, it’s very validating to the craft.
How do you connect with other winemakers or farmers in the Gorge?
Just by going out and hanging with them. Bring a bottle — that’s the way in. The industry out here is still old school in a lot of ways, which I love. You don’t
Austin Culver, right, at the CLYZM Wines tasting room in White Salmon, which features an airy interior and patio seating.
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What’s your long-term vision for your brand? e region?
I’d like CLYZM to be synonymous with Gorge wine. An integral feature whenever it’s discussed. For the region, I’d very much like to see a sustainable long-term cohesiveness of e ort and collaboration.
How can consumers support sustainable, small-production winemakers like yourself?
Drink and shop with intent. ink about where you are spending your money and why. e age of the enlightened consumer is hopefully nigh. We all need to think a little bit more about who and what we are supporting with our consumption. What wine are you most excited about sharing and why?
Oh man, that’s a tough one. ere’s some cool stu coming down the pipes. If you want to try what I’m most excited about you’ll have to come on by. As my old boss used to say, “Best vintage yet!”
Visit the CLYZM Wines tasting room in downtown White Salmon at 121 W. Jewett Blvd. To learn more, go to clyzmwines.com.
Two Locations
A vintage Royal typewriter at the tasting room invites notes and reviews from visitors.
Jana Shepherd is a writer who lives in White Salmon. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
General Tips for Visiting Gorge Wine Country
(Courtesy of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association)
Consider hiring a designated driver.
Ask questions of tasting room sta . Gorge residents are proud to live here and serve local wines, and love to share wine knowledge with others. Ask sta where to have dinner, or where to stay, hike and play.
Don’t be afraid to use the dump buckets It is not a sign that you don’t care for a wine, and no one will be o ended if you spit out a wine or dump what is left in your glass. On the contrary, most wine sta appreciate that it may be necessary to not swallow every wine in order to maintain your wine tasting pleasure and maintain your palate.
Try a mid-week excursion. Often tasters who visit on a weekday nd the tasting rooms more intimate and the experience more oneon-one.
Refrain from wearing heavily scented items, such as perfumes and lotions. Even lipstick can a ect your wine tasting experience. Allow the day to be lled with the aromas of wine!
Explore varietals unfamiliar to you. Often these can be a delightful surprise.
HAVE FUN. Don’t take it too seriously. After all, wine is about enjoyment on your personal level. Drink what you like and enjoy with others.
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CROWD-SOURCING HISTORY one photo at a time
One man’s quest helps to bring Hood River’s past into focus
One day in the early 2010s a man brought a shoebox full of 2,500 negatives to the History Museum of Hood River County. e man’s grandfather, Alva Day, a Paci c Power manager and hobby photographer, had shot the images between 1916 and 1955. Day used an autographic camera that allowed him to write the time and date onto each photograph. ere were lots of photos showing power lines and infrastructure, but plenty of others, too: construction of a tunnel on Highway 14, climbers on Mount Hood, a 1941 wild re at Dee Mill, his wife in a oral dress astride a motorcycle.
On the morning of May 13, 1942, Day took his camera to the Hood River train depot and documented the forced removal of Japanese residents to internment camps. Four hours later, he made a self-portrait in his o ce, looking directly into his camera, the time and date stamped to the left.
We know this speci c history because the History Museum and Arthur Babitz have invested in an extensive photo archive and a mission to gather historical information from Gorge residents. Each day since 2011, Babitz has posted a single historic photo to the museum’s website with a caption, often in the form of a personalized note from Babitz explaining what he sees in the image and pondering any lingering questions it elicits, such as wondering what Alva Day is thinking in his self-portrait on such a somber day.
With over 3,700 images and tens of thousands of comments, the website is an expansive, personal, quirky, sometimes introspective and heavy dive into more than a century of Gorge life. e history unspools backwards, narrated by Babitz and a wide range of commenters. With his meticulous, relentlessly curious approach, Babitz has created a sort of quasi-encyclopedic Facebook time-machine without the algorithms.
Babitz grew up in Manhattan where his dad ran a commercial photo printing studio, the smell of photo chemicals accompanying him home from work. At age 6, Babitz got a Brownie camera. After taking pictures at the outdoor aquarium, he recalls the thrill of seeing the white bodies of seals against the dark sky on the negatives. By grade school he could distinguish good images from bad by reading negatives.
Historical photos Courtesy of History Museum of Hood River County
Story & photos by David Hanson
Arthur Babitz in the “photo cave” at the History Museum of Hood River County with a panoramic print of Hood River High School from 1917-18.
He moved to Hood River in the late 1980s and became mayor in 2008. In 2010, a Hood River Valley High School student asked him, as mayor, for some background on a batch of 1890s photos she was sourcing for a school project. Babitz loved the images, and when he learned that the museum did not have a digital collection of historic photos, he wrote and was awarded a grant from Google to hire an archivist to begin that process.
With the archive being built, Babitz’s fascination turned to the stories in the images, most of which were unknown, since many collections were gifted to the museum by a photographer’s descendant.
The Hood River train depot on May 13, 1942, as Japanese American residents were forcibly moved to internment camps, left.Above, a glass negative from a collection.
“I love zooming in to a photograph and trying to unpack the details,” Babitz says, “like re ections in the window, a calendar hanging on the wall, what they are wearing. I have little tricks like counting the crossbars on telephone poles along Oak Street because I noticed that each year there would be more wires as the town grew. So that was one way to get at dates. But I wanted to get some texture to add to the dry facts.”
So he started the website in 2011, initially linking with the Hood River Weather site, which had a loyal local following. He decided to post one image per day, hoping to crowd-source the history of these images by asking locals to comment with details or even vague memories. He’s learned to be skeptical of the often non-contemporaneous notes written on the backs of prints, and he’s developed a catalogue of clues to help decipher the images. e Alva Day shots, with their clearly inscribed dates, o ered an early framework for placing images in time. But the open comments section has a way of revealing facts that are often veri ed by multiple commenters, some of whom even share complementary photos or links to sources.
“After all these years,” Babitz says, “I’m still not very good at guessing which images will attract notice and which ones will get a collective yawn. So I mix it up and watch what happens.”
A pattern of commenter names emerges after reading through a handful of posts. ey seem to be having conversations at times, like they’re in the same room looking at an old slide show. Not only are the images from a bygone era, but the genial nature of the social media interactions also feels like something dusted o from an attic trunk. e tone ranges from friendly — octogenarian trash-
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talking between grads of Wy’East and Hood River high schools — to weighty, as with Homer Yasui’s comments identifying Japanese locals waiting in line, alongside Yasui himself, in the train photo. It took almost a century for the images to be gathered into a formal collection, but there has remained enough of a living tether to ood the historical space that Babitz opened.
“ e rst couple of years,” Babitz says, “there are all these regular commenters, and a lot of them are dead now. So in a way, this was successful in that we have their stories, even though they’re gone, which is sad. But that’s kind of what history is about.”
e nal photo in the Alva Day collection has the cryptic eeriness that old images and hindsight can conjure: it’s a picture of a grave with Day’s name and his wife’s name. ere’s a date for his wife and a blank for his name. He died a couple of months later in a car accident in eastern Oregon.
e following is a narrowly curated sample of some of the images and the historical context that grew out of their posts on the museum website.
THE ROAD TRIP COLLECTION
Babitz found a collection of photos from 1921 from a four-person road trip along the newly constructed state highway system. e photographer shot it on glass plates and left behind twenty images.
POST CANYON-KINGSLEY MOUNTAIN BIKE GUY
Babitz loves this image from 1910 because it shows a typical logging camp cart en route to the Kingsley Reservoir area. But atop the supplies is a bike, indicating that people have been mountain biking above Post Canyon for more than a century.
CRATER ROCK
is is perhaps the rst photo of the recently formed Crater Rock cinder cone on Mount Hood. Photographer T.K. Sawyer owned a studio in town in the 1910s and would have carried a large camera and tripod to this spot a few hundred feet below the summit.
From left to right: 1. Shaniko Garage from the Road Trip collection (1921) 2. Post Canyon-Kingsley mountain bike guy (1910) 3. Crater Rock cinder cone on Mount Hood with Mt. Je erson in the distance (1910s)
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THE SERIES OF STORE INTERIORS
Based on the similar styles and format of these late 19th Century shop photos, Babitz theorizes that at some point in the 1890s, a photographer came to town and made pictures of the businesses and sold them the to the owners.
Store 1: Paris Fair, now Romul’s West and Lucy’s Informal Flowers
Store 2: JE Hanna Cheap Cash Store, now Doug’s Sports
Store 3: George Crowell General Store, now Lucky Little’s Boutique
Store 4: Kent and Garrabrant Cigars, now Waucoma Bookstore
Store 5: Paris Fair
Store 6: Paris Fair
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HOMECOMING QUEEN
An image from 1950s photographer Alan Winans of the homecoming queen in front of what Babitz believes to be the Wy’East High School marching band. In the course of the comments, the young woman is identified by her old friend Charlott as Darlene Millikan. We learn from Charlott, who has since passed away, that Millikan eventually moved to New Orleans and that her father drove the Pine Grove school bus for a time.
BOYS PLAYING BASEBALL
Boys posing during a baseball game on the last day of school at Odell School, 1921. Ruth Shafer was the teacher and a hobby photographer.
To learn more, go to hoodriverhistorymuseum.org
David Hanson is a writer, photographer and video producer based in Hood River. Find his editorial/commercial work at ModocStories.com and weddings at CascadiaStudios.com.
Multnomah Falls Lodge Centennial
AN OREGON TREASURE MARKS 100 YEARS OF HISTORY AND HOSPITALITY
MULTNOMAH FALLS IS THE MOST VISITED ATTRACTION IN OREGON. With the waterfall plunging 620 feet, it’s a sight to see in any season, whether you’re visiting for the rst time or you’re a Gorge local who loves to try to beat your fastest time hiking to the top. But no stop at Multnomah Falls is complete without a visit to Multnomah Falls Lodge. Whether you’re settling in for a meal, grabbing a latte or an ice cream cone, picking up a souvenir or simply using the bathroom before getting back on I-84, the lodge has been o ering all of those opportunities and more for 100 years.
A CENTURY-OLD SPACE FOR THE PUBLIC
“Originally, the lodge was donated with the purpose of it being used as it’s still being used today, as a day lodge and a place for people to rest,” says Jill Willis, vice president of Multnomah Falls Co. “Back then, I-84 wasn’t here, so getting to the falls from Portland was a full day trip.”
Multnomah Falls Lodge was constructed in 1925. According to a Forest Service spokesperson for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the lodge was built for $40,000 and designed by Portland architect A.E. Doyle.Everything from locally sourced eldstone and Douglas r to cedar shingles was incorporated into the design, with the goal of it blending into the surrounding landscape. In 1939, the Forest Service took over ownership of the lodge and it remains that way today. Multnomah Falls Co. has held the permit to operate the lodge as its concessionaire since 1962, keeping it open 363 days a year (it’s closed on anksgiving and Christmas). “We are stewards of the lodge,” Willis says. “It’s been here since 1925 and is going to be here long after we’re gone. We’re part of the story to keep it fully accessible to the public.”
According to Willis, the original plans for the lodge included a restaurant, gift shop and snack bar, which is exactly what Multnomah Falls Co. still o ers.
Multnomah Falls Lodge is a social space and a gathering place for many, whether you’re coming for a special occasion, a holiday brunch, fueling up before or after a hike or making a brief stop on the way to or from Portland. “It’s a special place to come to celebrate and we love to be a part of that,” says Willis.
story by MOLLY ALLEN • photos ovided
Multnomah Falls Co.
Multnomah Falls Co.
Multnomah Falls Lodge was a popular day-trip destination when it opened in 1925, opposite top. The historic lodge remains much the same today, left. Opposite bottom, an atrium was added in 1985.
a glass ceiling, along with access to weather-dependent patio seating. e Trail Bar was renovated in 2020 to expose some of the building’s original stonework, with a bar top constructed from a 100-year-old slab of wood. Find bar seating here, along with a few cozy spots tucked next to a secondary gas replace. Choose your favorite room to sit down in for a meal, whether visiting for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Up the stone steps, or the elevator, on the second oor are two dining rooms and the Trail Bar. e Great Room houses seating amongst vaulted ceilings and historic artwork that has been on the walls since the lodge opened. e room’s main highlight? e stone wood-burning replace, which is roaring from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. all winter, along with most of fall and some spring and summer mornings. Next to this room is the atrium, or Falls Room, which was added in 1985. is o ers a view of the falls and surrounding mossy trees from expansive oor-to-ceiling windows and
“We serve Paci c Northwest casual cuisine,” Willis says. “You can be dressed up for a special event or dressed in hiking clothes, and that’s the vibe we want. All are welcome.” Find everything on the menu from the popular super-cheesy Wagyu Trail Burger and Northwest Salmon to Hazelnut Crusted French Toast with Oregon marionberries and lemon curd alongside hash browns stu ed with cheddar, sour cream and diced green onions.
Outside at the seasonal snack bar, you’ll nd an array of treats, both hot and cold. Warm up with co ee and a giant chocolate chip cookie or grab a swirled ice cream cone on a warm day. “ e ice cream cone is iconic — it’s the number one seller,” Willis says. “We also have an in-house baker, who makes everything for our espresso cart.”
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
While no large public celebration has been planned for the 100th birthday in 2025, the lodge has teamed up with local businesses to commemorate the
ART IN HOOD RIVER
Multnomah Falls Co.
ARTS + CULTURE
milestone. under Island Brewing Company has crafted a light, crisp Centennial Lager with a can design featuring an illustration of the lodge. Wood Family Spirits based in e Dalles has bottled a small batch 100th anniversary bourbon. Both are available at the lodge and from each beverage producer.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
e lodge has seen changes over the past 100 years — some planned and others in response to Mother Nature. During the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, which spread over 48,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge, embers came within several hundred feet of the lodge, causing signi cant smoke damage. anks to the diligent work of re ghters, the lodge was saved, but it did close for more than three months afterward to clean and restore the walls, ceilings, woodwork and paintings. In 1996, an ice dam in Multnomah Creek caused ooding, leading to a renovation of the visitor’s center and gift shop. While the lodge continues to be meticulously maintained to preserve its history, it will see a few improvements in the coming ve to seven years. anks to funding through the Great American Outdoor Act, the lodge’s power will be upgraded, with a generator installed on the property to kick in during chilly winter storm days that typically knock out power. In addition to HVAC renovations, the lodge’s public downstairs restrooms — which are used by millions of visitors each year — will be fully renovated. e visitor’s center, which is sta ed by Forest Service rangers and volunteers from Friends of Multnomah Falls, is also being renovated, with modernized interactive systems put in place for interpretive experiences.
The lodge features a bar and restaurant with two dining rooms that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine. A snack bar outside is open seasonally.
But overall, Multnomah Falls Lodge has fared well over the past century. “She’s in really good shape. When I look around, it’s hard to believe she’s 100,” Willis says. “We take great honor in being part of the lodge’s story. I love that the lodge has continued to be a priority for the Forest Service, and I’m excited for the future here.”
To learn more, go to multnomahfallslodge.com Molly Allen is a food, beverage and travel writer who lives in Hood River. She’s a frequent contributor
LINDA STEIDER
Multnomah Falls Co.
Molly Allen
Hand-built biplane by Wally Olson
Fire Season is Here to Stay
A PERSONAL STORY OF PREPARATION, COMMUNITY AND RESILIENCE
Not today.
Summer’s first dragon-breath smoke whiff chokes your nose and waters your eyes. For those of us who make our home here in the Gorge, that telltale trace quickly ties up your stomach in a knot of anxiety and alarm. I look west, from where the winds almost always come, to the top of the Microwave Tower Hill near Hood River. The wind, always the wind. Not today, I implore almost daily. Not today.
We’re barely cresting the apex of summer. But thus far, we’ve watched suspicious sparks ignite the Rowena area between Mosier and The Dalles on a June 11 afternoon, causing extensive structural damage, wiping out many while sparing others as it leap-frogged among some 130 residents’ properties, incinerating 61 of their buildings, and consuming pets and livestock, as it quickly devours 3,600 acres.
Then on July 18, around 3:30 p.m. — almost exactly a year since last summer’s Microwave Tower Fire — we catch a bird’s eye view of a spot-fire ignition just east of Bingen, Washington. From our vantage across the Columbia River just west of Mosier proper, the Burdoin Fire, as it came to be known, roared first uphill in a tight draw, moving faster than I’ve ever seen fire move, before aggressively charging east. Over the next week-plus it torches over 10,000 acres, destroys 19 primary and 30 secondary structures, and damages some 90 others as it marches northeast toward Centerville.
I love summer. Hate fire season. For us here, and in other Oregon and Washington areas prone to our brand of natural disaster, as winter fades and spring wildflowers blossom, so does our fear. This brief window into the impending summer equinox preludes what we’ve come to know as the season of dread. For us it means the fervid work begins, if we’re diligent, to prepare and protect our land from the sparks we know will fly.
A FUTURE BASED ON HISTORY
It doesn’t help that this year, fire, weather and forest pundits predict it will be just as bad or worse than last year. The summer of 2024 was a terrifying one. By Sept. 23, nearly 2 million acres had burned in Oregon, breaking the state record previously set in 2020, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. Some 76 wildfires of a thousand acres or more ravaged the state all summer long and well into fall, resulting in significant structural damage or casualties.
story & photos by DON CAMPBELL
According to Portland TV station KATU, “There were 1,003 fires on ODF-protected lands in 2024, as of Oct. 28. These fires led to 314,181 acres — or 491 square miles — of scorched land. The longest-running wildfire of the season was the Lone Rock Fire, which burned for more than two months,” consuming some 137,222 acres.
Other major fires included Durkee (294,265 acres), Battle Mountain Complex (183,026), Falls (151,680), Cow Valley (133,490), Service (23,890), Larch Creek (18,286) and Little Valley (17, 901 acres), among many.
facility designed especially for them.
This summer’s Burdoin Fire seen from the author’s home west of Mosier, opposite top. Last year’s Microwave Tower Fire burned to the edge of his home, opposite bottom, but ultimately it was spared, as was his neighbor’s home, above.
WELLNESS
In Washington in 2024, 1,800 infernos charred 300,000 acres across the state’s federal, state, tribal and privately owned lands. e state’s largest, the Retreat Fire near Yakima, consumed 45,000 acres.
Con agrations close to home here in the Gorge included the Oak Canyon Fire, Microwave Tower, Larch Creek, Conroy Road — all in Oregon — and across the Columbia in Washington count the Bighorn Fire in Klickitat County at over 51,000 acres, and Williams Mine in Skamania County at 13,000 acres.
My wife Lee and I were here in 2009 for our rst Microwave Tower Fire, suspiciously started on a knob overlooking the Columbia River on Hood River’s east side. It screamed east toward our house on the Hood River County/Wasco County line, eventually burning some 1,200 acres. We ultimately lost a metal-clad barn, apparently the rst structure to succumb to re in that burn.
Other nearby wild res have ravaged the area variously over many years. We’re no stranger. We watch, we wait, we deal with the low-level anxiety that grips us. But starkly, as the early season prognosticators warn us, going forward it is likely to settle in as a permanent situation.
PRACTICAL MATTERS
For us this prep season has been di erent. We attend two public re forums, one o ered by energy giant Paci c Power that features
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR WILDFIRES
Details
various agency representatives, and one by our humble Mosier Fire Department that also o ers a broad range of recommendations and practical info.
In 2024, we lost not only a landscape wall dangerously close to our house, but our critical wellhead pumphouse some 500 feet below us. at prompted research on not only how to rebuild a more re-resistant lower shed but also how to electrify it when Paci c Power shuts down the lines during a blaze. We added generators and switch kits to both the lower and upper pump houses, assuring us water during outage blackouts.
Looking south from the author’s property during last summer’s Microwave Tower Fire. His main well-head pump house, located nearby, was destroyed by the fire.
After doing early spring research, we also determined that our water pressure was not what it could or should be. We investigated and subsequently bought a new upper pump system that utilizes new technology that more than doubles our pressure. The sprinklers we also strategically arrayed feel the benefits with more powerful and effective spray.
Armed with chainsaws, weed eaters and various clippers and machetes, we’ve limbed and trimmed our oak-tree grove around the house, cleaned up the floor debris of old fallen branches, and whacked the hell out of the weeds and grasses — hopefully creating a deeper fuel-free area around the house that extends out to 100 feet in spots.
We rebuild the decorative formerly cedar landscape wall on what was left of the concrete wall foundation with Corten steel, hopefully able enough to withstand wildfire-level heat (a material we also used for the lower pumphouse). Wood ignites at 570 degrees, says the U.S.
BE PREPARED
TALK TO YOUR LOCAL FORESTRY AGENCY OR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC WILDFIRE RISK WHERE YOU LIVE.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firewise USA® program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action. Visit www.firewise.org to download a toolkit and watch videos.
Geologic Survey. Wild res in extreme situations can hit 2,200 degrees. In the 2009 re, the aluminum pole barn we lost became molten, rendering works of art and artifact that, once cooled, we managed to salvage. Aluminum melts at 1,200-plus degrees.
THE NOSE KNOWS
As July turned to August, we and our neighbors simultaneously sni ed smoke once again, faint at rst. Phones lit up, emails were sent, checks to the Watch Duty app — which nearly everyone we know has downloaded — signi cantly increased. Quick calls with reliable sources pinpointed the cause: two small wild res north of the Columbia River above White Salmon, brought on by prevailing winds.
e previous week we had spent time helping organize a bene t to raise funds for our Rowena neighbors a ected by their re. It is proven, and tremendously heartwarming, that disasters such as these bring communities closer together. at is certainly true here in the Gorge. A more giving and supportive region you will not nd.
It is a pleasant and necessary distraction. is time of year, we try and stay busy. It helps pass the time. Like checking air quality frequently. And watching for the telltale signs of smoke and re. As well, we sign up for power-company and county alerts. We scan Watch Duty and social media. We call each other to check in and commiserate. And perhaps there’s even a glass of wine or two deployed to calm a jangled nerve.
But one small whi , that enormous red ag, brings it all back to our new reality. Bug-out bags packed? Check. Dog located? Check. Important papers, keepsakes and necessities pre-organized and ready to pack if there’s time? Check. Generators, water and hoses at the ready? Check.
But how long — ultimately — will we really have? Will we try and snu out a hellbent, scorched-earth-seeking wild re not taking no for an answer? Or will we evaporate the hell out of here in a butt-saving go-now level 3 evacuation and hope for the best?
I don’t honestly know. We’ve done what we can. Our luck so far this re season has held. Knock on wood, say a little prayer, exhort the weather gods and maybe even blow a kiss to Mother Nature herself.
But for now, not today.
Don Campbell is a writer and musician. He hides out at a secret fortress on a hilltop in Mosier and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
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Tartines WITH
RICOTTA, MICRO-GREENS & LIMONCELLO VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients
• 4 slices of your favorite French or sourdough bread
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• a couple of pinches of fresh thyme
• micro-greens
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. limoncello
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• flake salt
This simple tartine recipe spans the leap from summer into fall, before nature begins to fold in on itself. The classic combination of lemon and ricotta are elevated by the little zip from the limoncello and the brightness of the flake salt.
Directions
Drizzle the slices of bread with olive oil and pop them under the broiler until they are golden.
In a small bowl, whisk together the limoncello and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper
In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, lemon zest, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Smear the bread with the ricotta mixture, top with micro-greens and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with a bit of Maldon salt.
PARTAKE I COOK WITH US
Recipe & photos by KACIE MCMACKIN
Kacie McMackin is an avid cook, writer, and owner of Kings & Daughters Brewery. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY
509-427-3412
• backwoodsbrewingcompany.com 1162 Wind River Hwy • Carson
Backwoods Brewing is family owned and located in Carson, WA. Established in 2012, we o er delicious beers, hand-made pizzas, outdoor seating, and welcome all ages. Now featuring brunch on the weekends!
Open daily: 11:30am-9pm
DOPPIO COFFEE
541-386-3000 • doppiohoodriver.com
310 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River
Relax on our beautiful patio in the heart of Hood River. Enjoy a hand crafted, in-house roasted espresso drink. Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini sandwiches, fresh salads, smoothies and fresh baked pastries and goodies. Gluten free options available. Free Wi-Fi and our patio is dog friendly.
GROUND ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE
541-386-4442 • groundhoodriver.com
12 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River
Get your daily fuel for your Gorge sports and activities here!
A long time locals favorite coffee house and eatery, Ground features fresh in-house roasted coffee, house made pastries and cookies with lots of gluten free options. We make our soups from scratch every day and source mostly local and organic ingredients. Nitro cold brew on tap.
BETTER TOGETHER MOBILE TAP TRUCK
bettertogethertaptruck@gmail.com bettertogethertaptruck.com
Dakota and Greg Wilkins serve the Gorge bringing the bar to you with 6 beverage taps on a classic GMC pickup. They are ready to serve your favorite beverage at your event!
Reserving now for 2026
EL PUERTO DE ANGELES III
541-308-0005
1306 12th Street • Hood River, on the Heights
We are open and happy to serve you. Authentic Jalisco Cuisine. We provide a safe dining experience. Enjoy good food and good times. Offering daily lunch and dinner specials, served all day. Happy Hour Mon-Fri. Outdoor dining available (weather permitting).
Open Daily 10am-9pm Dine-In or Takeout
THE LITTLE SEVEN SEVEN RANCH HIGHLAND BEEF
509-767-7130 • L77Ranch.com • Lyle, WA
Grass-Fed Highland Beef from our ranch to your home. Known for flavor and tenderness, Highland Beef is higher in protein and iron, lower in fat and cholesterol than conventional beef. The L77 Ranch Shop stocks a full variety of USDA packaged steaks, roasts, ground beef and more. Email for a Local Price List. By appointment only.
BRIDGESIDE
541-374-8477 • bridgesidedining.com
Exit 44 off I-84, Cascade Locks
Stunning views next to the Bridge of the Gods – Bridgeside serves tasty char-broiled burgers plus an extensive menu of breakfast items, sandwiches, chowders, baskets, salads & desserts. Dine-in or takeout. Serving breakfast and lunch with friendly service.
Gift shop • Special event room & terrace
EVERYBODY’S BREWING
509.637.2774 • everybodysbrewing.com
177 E. Jewett Boulevard • Downtown White Salmon
Experience the heart of the Columbia River Gorge! We o er handcrafted beers, diverse dishes, and a welcoming atmosphere. Join us for live music, community events, and a taste of the Pacific Northwest. Cheers to beer for everybody!
Open 7 days a week, 11:30 to close!
PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS
541-321-0490 • pfriembeer.com
707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront
pFriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Europe, but unmistakably true to our homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world. We’ll let you decide. Open Daily | 11am-9pm
RIVERSIDE
RESTAURANT & BAR
541-386-4410
• riversidehoodriver.com
Exit 64 off I-84 • Waterfront Hood River
Welcome to Riverside, where you’ll find the best food, drinks and views in the Gorge. Dine indoors or outdoors on the waterfront with fresh menus changing seasonally, a wine list with the area’s best selections, and 14 taps with all your favorite local breweries. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with the freshest ingredients grown and harvested by thoughtful, intentional local growers.
SUSHI OKALANI
541-386-7423 • sushiokalani@gorge.net
109 First Street • Downtown Hood River
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 Mon-Sat at 5pm, closing hours change seasonally.
THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO.
971-231-4599 • thunderislandbrewing.com
601 NW Wa Na Pa Street • Cascade Locks
A popular brewery and taproom situated in the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Known for its award-winning craft beer and delicious food offerings, which visitors can enjoy while taking in the breathtaking views of the river and mountains. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the patio. A unique experience for beer lovers and nature enthusiasts.
Please visit website for current hours.
YOUR PARTAKE LISTING HERE
Contact Jody Thompson for more information: 425-308-9582 • jthompson@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
Artist Bill Sturman draws on nature for inspiration when creating his work, and his love of aspen trees can be seen in this watercolor painting. He’s traveled extensively throughout the western U.S. and takes lots of photos of aspen groves where they proliferate, particularly at higher elevations — which he then studies when he paints. “Aspens turn from green to yellow, and then frequently to a rust color,” he said. “I’m really drawn to aspens. When the light hits them, it’s really easy to create a three-dimensional effect.”
the artist
BILL STURMAN taught science to community college students for more than 30 years before retiring in 2000. While a college student at Berkeley, he began creating sculptures out of clay when he needed a break from studying. He eventually worked with wood, soapstone and alabaster, making sculptures entirely using hand tools at his off-grid home near Parkdale, where he’s lived for 45 years. About 20 years ago, he took a watercolor class and was hooked. “I was just enthralled with it,” he said. He loves working with transparent watercolor pigments, not only for the ethereal colors they produce but also the unexpected textures. He creates close-ups of nature as well as atmospheric portraits of Northwest landscapes, and has recently been working on abstract compositions. Sturman was instrumental in starting Columbia Center for the Arts, and is a founding member of 301 Gallery in Hood River where his work can be found. 301gallery.com
Cyndee is a NW native and has called Hood River home for over 20 years. Licensed in OR & WA, Cyndee is a top producer in The Gorge.
THINKING OF LISTING? READY TO BUY?
Cyndee can help you achieve your Real Estate goals – ask her clients!
“Cyndee was incredible to work with. She’s very knowledgeable of the market, extremely easy to communicate with, and was patient in helping us find what we were looking for. I would absolutely use her again and recommend her to anyone looking to buy in Hood River.”
– Jacob S.
