The Gorge Magazine - Winter 2023-24

WINTER 2023-24 thegorgemagazine.com

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

LIFE FLIGHT Cocktails With a Twist

Wilderton’s waterfront tasting room is all the buzz

Once Upon a Time

The Gorge Speakeasy wants to hear your story

Taking to the skies to save lives

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CONTENTS | WINTER 2023-24

Feature

LIVES, ONE FLIGHT AT A TIME 34 SAVING Life Flight nurse Eric Peterson has spent more than 25 years responding to emergencies by air

By Ruth Berkowitz

Michael Peterson

ARTS + CULTURE

Pickles Photography /Amy Eastman VandenBos

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OUR GORGE

44 THE GORGE SPEAKEASY A monthly event at The Ruins invites connection through storytelling

10 PERSON OF INTEREST

By Janet Cook

14 VENTURES

WELLNESS

20 LOCAVORE

18 BEST OF THE GORGE 24 IMBIBE

50 PEDAL POWER TO THE KIDS Safe Routes to School manager Megan Ramey is on a mission to help kids discover the joys of “walk and roll”

By Janet Cook

54 PARTAKE 58 YOUR GORGE

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50

Courtesy of Wilderton Courtesy of Megan Ramey

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EDITOR'S NOTE

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Megan Ramey is on a mission to make sure more kids get to be those kids. The first ever Safe Routes to School manager for the Hood River County School District, Ramey has spearheaded a coalition of local entities — including the school district, the City of Hood River, Anson’s Bike Buddies, the Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District and Columbia Area Transit — that has raised $11 million over the past two years to benefit infrastructure and programs that make it safer and easier for kids to walk and bike to school. Her efforts range from teaching bike safety programs in P.E. and giving free bikes to kids who need them to hosting walk- and bike-to-school events throughout the year. A Safe Routes demonstration project implemented during the fall near Hood River Middle School is likely to result in some permanent changes that incorporate safety lanes for biking and walking. You can read about Ramey’s efforts, and how she became a biking advocate, beginning on page 50. And when you’re out and about on our streets, keep an eye out for kiddos on bikes and give ‘em a wave and some extra space.

Encouraging car-free transportation is a win for everyone.

Another win we celebrate in this issue is The Gorge Speakeasy, a regular storytelling event at The Ruins in Hood River that has grown into a beloved monthly gathering. Started two years ago by White Salmon resident Angie Marie, the Speakeasy offers the stage to anybody with a story to tell. And as anyone who has attended will attest, the evening never fails to touch storytellers and audience alike, providing laughter, tears and connection to one another — something we can all use.

There are lots of other inspiring stories in this issue, including our feature on career flight nurse Eric Peterson (page 34); a piece on the new Wilderton distillery and tasting room on the Hood River Waterfront (page 24); and a story about White Salmon comedian and author Taylor Wolfe and her new memoir (page 10). Happy reading and have a wonderful winter in the Gorge!

— Janet Cook, Editor

WINTER 2023-24 thegorgemagazine.com

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When my kids were young, they walked and biked to school a lot. Apart from a couple of worrisome intersections, their commute was easy because we lived near both the elementary and middle schools they attended in Hood River. I loved walking and riding along with them when they were little, but over time, they wanted to go it alone — or with friends. I was a bus kid when I was growing up, forever envying my schoolmates who could walk or ride a bike from home, so I loved it that my kids got to be those kids.

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

LIFE FLIGHT Cocktails with a Twist

Wilderton’s waterfront tasting room is all the buzz

Once Upon a Time

Taking to the skies to save lives

About the Cover Photographer MICHAEL PETERSON took our cover photo of flight nurse Eric Peterson at the Life Flight Network’s base in Dallesport, Wash. Michael, a pilot who keeps his small plane at the same airport, has always been impressed with the organization’s “state-of-the-art, well-maintained, beautiful machines.” He was thrilled to get to know the crew while photographing our feature story. “They’re friendly, they’re professional, they’re the people you want coming to get you,” he said. michaelpetersonphotography.com

The Gorge Speakeasy wants to hear your story

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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 2023-24 EDITOR

Janet Cook

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Renata Kosina

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jody Thompson

ADVERTISING SALES Rachel Harrison, Kim Horton, Richard Joyce, Chelsea Marr

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Molly Allen, Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, Kacie McMackin

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Michael Peterson

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kacie McMackin, Michael Peterson

TO ADVERTISE IN THE GORGE MAGAZINE

please contact Jody Thompson jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @thegorgemagazine on Instagram

THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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

Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

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

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GORGE

Our

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Pickles Photography /Amy Eastman VandenBos

Dani Annala of Dani's Kitchen Shop with a selection of her custom decorated holiday cookies.

PERSON OF INTEREST 10 • VENTURES 14 • BEST OF GORGE 18 LOCAVORE 20 • IMBIBE 24 • YOUR GORGE 58

Michael Peterson

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OUR GORGE

person of interest

story and photos by KACIE MCMACKIN

Taylor Wolfe

the friendship,” she says. “I just wrote Har as Har. That’s who he was.”

Wolfe, at nearly nine months pregnant, her husband, Chris Hillis, and their then 2-year-old daughter, Birdie, moved to the Gorge last spring. Three weeks after they arrived, their second daughter Goldie was born, and just a week after that, pre-sales for Birdie & Harlow began. None of this was exactly planned.

They were living in Denver when Birdie was three months old and Wolfe began working on a collection of essays about motherhood.

But as Harlow was fading, she found it wasn’t the book that wanted to be written. “He died and I just stopped writing funny stuff… what if the book was about motherhood and loss and what led me there. I had to write about losing Har first.”

In her grief, Wolfe would slip into her room and write for hours at a time. “When Harlow died, the thing I needed to do was write,” she says, her three Taylor Swift-style bead bracelets around her wrist on full display. “Mama” says one. “Birdie” says another.

“H” says the third. “I was excited to write it in a cathartic way.”

The book is paradoxical — full of depth and also lots of humor. The level of heartfelt introspection on conception, miscarriage, life’s challenges and losses — all woven skillfully amongst humorous anecdotes — left me feeling like I was sitting across from a dear friend who was courageously sharing her story of the last decade of her life with me.

“Writing is where I’m a little bit darker,” she says. “It’s always been like that.”

COMEDIAN AND AUTHOR SERVES UP LAUGHS AND TEARS IN HER NEW MEMOIR “WAIT A SECOND. There was a time when you thought I’d actually sleep in a crate?” Those are the first words we hear from Harlow, a mischievous, loyal, sardonic character in Taylor Wolfe’s first book, Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn’t Want Kids (…Until I Did), released in September. Throughout this hilarious, heart-wrenching memoir, we get to know Harlow (and Wolfe) like intimate friends. At first, Harlow is young and playful, and a little naughty. Then, he’s doing all the things toddlers do (like eating a sandwich that was definitely not his off the ground at a Chicago park). Before you’re ready for it, he’s a sweet, graying companion in the twilight of his beautiful life. When it’s time to say goodbye to Harlow, you want to scream into the binding of the book, “But wait, I want more time with him!”

Harlow, just to be clear, is a dog. A Vizsla to be specific. He’s a rust-colored puppy with a white mark on his chest in the shape of the Playboy Bunny logo when we first meet him.

Wolfe’s book is not exactly a story about a dog’s life. Rather, it’s a memoir, told through the lens of her relationship to her best friend, Har. The decision to personify Har, to give him a voice, wasn’t really a “choice” at all, according to Wolfe. “People see past the dog and they see 10

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Taylor Wolfe’s memoir was released in September, just a few months after she and her family moved to White Salmon, where her second child, Goldie, was born.

If you follow Wolfe (@thedailytay) on Instagram, you know she can make you laugh.

She is, after all, a comedian who trained with Chicago’s lauded Second City comedy troupe and has a following of nearly half a million on Instagram alone.

When I came across her account, I spent a good hour scrolling back through her previous posts, laughing until my sides hurt. If you scroll back far enough, there’s a video that pops out. In the photo cover, she and her husband, Chris, stand holding cupcakes. It’s a gender reveal video in which they plan for Harlow to bite into a cupcake, thus revealing the pink cake within. But he simply mouths the entire cupcake and gulps it down whole.

The gobbled cupcake incident happened after Wolfe had endured some serious trials on her way to becoming a mother — something she didn’t know she wanted to be until she realized that Harlow had shown her the way. The book is packed full of funny scenes like this one — which manage to be hilarious even though they carry the tension of impending loss.

Wolfe finished writing the book when Birdie was six months old. Less than two years later, she was reading through the final manuscript on a flight from Denver to Portland on her way to her new life in the Gorge, accompanied by her mom and Birdie, and Goldie in her belly. In the weeks before Goldie’s birth, besides the monumental task of moving into their White Salmon home,

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Along with promoting her book, Wolfe and her family, including daughter Birdie and husband Chris, and their dogs Gunny and Vinny, have been settling into their new home in the Gorge.

she finished up the final edits. Wolfe tells me this as we sit at her dining table, in her home filled with natural light and the grunts of a teething baby being tended by Hillis as we talk. When I ask how they chose the Gorge, Wolfe pauses.

“Um,” she turns to her husband, “so why did we move here again?” They both laugh.

“I was blown away, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was,” says Hillis.

“I was so tired, that distracted me,” Taylor says. But, she adds, “we loved all the people.”

When Birdie was a toddler, and with another baby on the way, the couple sold their home in Denver, thinking they would look for another one there. On a whim, Chris googled “outdoor towns for families.”

They came here for a visit, spent a weekend driving around, looked at one house, and went to Double Mountain Brewery’s anniversary party. They flew back home and made a pro/con list that included some practical items, and some less so.

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Despite the cons, and the threat/thrill of Bigfoot, they took the leap. The four of them, and their two Vizslas, Gunny and Vinny, are slowly emerging from the new-town, new-baby, new-book, new-book-tour haze, finding their way around and finding community. Just before the Sept. 19 release day of Birdie & Harlow, Wolfe sat down at Waucoma Bookstore and signed 2,500 copies — 2,200 of which were already spoken for from pre-orders.

Wolfe is already at work on her second book — which may be a collection of essays about motherhood. It’s sure to be something with depth, curiosity, and, of course, humor.

To learn more, go to thedailytay.com

CALL 541-645-3862 FOR DETAILS

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Kacie McMackin is an avid cook, writer and owner of Kings & Daughters Brewery. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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OUR GORGE

ventures

Star Bars

story by JANET COOK • photos courtesy of STAR BARS

HOOD RIVER ENTREPRENEUR MEREDITH MARTIN MAKES SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER BARS THAT NIX THE UBIQUITOUS PLASTIC BOTTLE MEREDITH MARTIN was between entrepreneurial stints a couple of years ago when she began noticing something as she looked around her house.

“All I saw was plastic,” she said. Plastic soap containers, plastic laundry detergent bottles, plastic containers for cleaning supplies. Her sister, who was getting a shower in her home remodeled, told her the tile installer wanted to make a shelf for soap in the path of the spray.

“My sister said, ‘But won’t the soap get wet?’ and he told her not to worry because nobody uses bar soap anymore.”

Everything, it seemed, was dispensed from plastic bottles.

Martin eyed the plastic bottles in her own shower, which included multiple shampoo and conditioner bottles as she was perpetually searching for the right one for her fine, breakable hair. She wondered why shampoo didn’t come in bar form. “I started researching it and it turns

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out, it does come in bar form,” she said. She found one of the few companies making it, bought some and liked it. She called the company and asked if they wanted a West Coast rep. They practically hung up on her.

“I thought, well, maybe I can learn how to make it myself,” she said.

Luckily, Martin has experience wading into uncharted territory and figuring things out as she goes. A serial entrepreneur, Martin has launched, operated and sold two businesses in the Gorge since she arrived here in 1995. The first one, Hood River Bagel Company, she started and ran for eight years before selling it. The latest iteration of the business, now called Freshies Bagels and Juice, still operates in the same location in downtown Hood River.

Martin then launched EverSummer Basil, growing basil in a greenhouse in The Dalles for distribution around the region. She was the main supplier of basil to the Pacific Northwest region of Whole Foods Market for much of the 13 years she owned the business before selling it in 2017.

Figuring out how to make shampoo bars was a challenge she was ready to take on. Not only did she want to create shampoo that would have no need for plastic, but she also sought a formula that would address her own hair woes.

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where the Gorge gets

engaged Meredith Martin, opposite bottom, makes four formulas of shampoo and conditioner created for different types of hair. Each one provides about 70 washes.

Last November, after two years of research and development, Martin launched Star Bars, a collection of shampoo and conditioner bars made of natural ingredients, packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes. Her line includes four different formulas of shampoo and conditioner: Protect (for dry, delicate or color-treated hair); Strength (for all hair types); Clarity (for extra cleansing/oily type hair); and Freedom (fragrance and color free).

Developing the shampoo and conditioner bars took Martin down a long, often bumpy road. “I don’t even want to call it trial and error,” Martin said, laughing. “It was just error and error.” She bought books, watched videos, ordered ingredients, and turned her home studio into a lab. Her first bar was a little gray log.

“I have a girlfriend with beautiful hair,” she said. “I asked her to be my tester.” When Martin got a bar that she felt worked well on her hair, she’d give it to her friend. It rarely passed muster. “I made one after another, trying different ingredients, different fragrances. I couldn’t get it right. Some of them were awful.

My whole house was covered in shampoo bars.”

Eventually, Martin’s bars started getting better and better. She gave them to other testers, who offered feedback on everything from how well a bar worked on different types of hair to whether the bars held their shape and consistency.

As she finessed her product, she sought help from the Small Business Development Center at Columbia Gorge Community College. “The counselors there know so much,”

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Silvia Flores

ventures

she said. “They listen to your idea and then offer help to get your business off the ground.” With its help, Martin got a grant to create a website. Her business counselor also offered advice on her packaging boxes and marketing techniques.

When Martin landed on the final ingredients for her shampoo and conditioner bars, she turned to her ace in the hole: her husband, Ron. A chemical and environmental engineer, he took the ingredients and fine-tuned precise formulas for each one. One way to make bars is by

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Using precise formulas that took two years to perfect, Martin combines and heats the ingredients for her shampoo and conditioner, then pours them into molds to cool. When finished, they’re packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes.

mixing ingredients and pressing them into a shape. But she wanted a pourable formula that she could solidify in molds. Ron created spreadsheets with the exact measurements of ingredients in each bar, which could then be used to speed up the manufacturing process and ensure quality control.

Along with creating a plastic-free product, Martin feels she has succeeded in making shampoo and conditioner that works well on all types of hair — including her own, detangling and smoothing while also making it stronger and less prone to breakage.

Her formulas contain all-natural ingredients, including botanical extracts as well as natural oils and butters that provide softness without weight. There are none of the harsh chemicals like silicones, phthalates, parabens and sulfates that come in many shampoos. Because the bars are solid instead of liquid, they contain no emulsifiers, thickeners or water.

Each shampoo bar provides about 70 washes, according to Martin, which is comparable to about two plastic bottles of shampoo.

Star Bars products are available on the website, but Martin is working hard to get them into retail stores, too. “The biggest challenge is getting people to try them,” she said. People don’t think of shampoo in a bar form, she added, and may consider it “a weird hippy product, good for camping and travel.” But Star Bars are made with some of the same ingredients found in quality bottled shampoo, minus the chemicals required to liquify it.

Martin recently landed placement for Star Bars in Rosauers Supermarkets, starting with its flagship store in Spokane. “If it goes well there, they’ll go in Hood River and Bozeman, Mont., and some others,” she said.

Martin is already thinking about expanding the line of Star Bars with more products like lotion and facial cleansers. But in the meantime, she’s busy pouring batches of shampoo and conditioner — she can make 100 per day — and packaging the bars in their compact boxes designed by a local artist.

With persistence and a little luck, more of those earth-friendly boxes will take their place alongside the ubiquitous plastic bottles on retailer’s shelves.

To learn more, go to star-bars.com

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OUR GORGE

best of Gorge

Sense of Place Lectures

1 Greg Koonce, Interfluve

The annual Sense of Place lecture series returns for its 14th year. Sponsored by the Mt. Adams Institute, the monthly presentations explore the natural, cultural and political history that has shaped the Gorge with presenters who offer their unique knowledge of this place. The lectures, hosted by Sarah Fox, take place at Hood River’s Columbia Center for the Arts and include: Mountaintop to Backyard — the Beauty of the Gorge’s Native Plants (Dec. 13); Salmon at a Crossroads (Jan. 17); Grow a Pear! (Feb. 21); A History of Wildfire in the Gorge (March 20); and Battle of the Bugs — How Insects Impact the Gorge (April 17). For information and tickets: mtadamsinstitute.org.

The Dalles Sip & Shop

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Get your holiday shopping done while supporting local businesses. Join more than 35 businesses in downtown The Dalles on Friday, Dec. 15, for “Sip & Shop.”

Retail shops and eateries will be open from 5-8 p.m. or later, serving treats, drinks and holiday cheer. Many businesses will host special pop-up vendors as well. For information, find downtownthedalles on Facebook and Instagram.

Courtesy of CGM

Columbia Gorge Museum

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While away some winter hours at the spectacular Columbia Gorge Museum in Stevenson. Formerly known as the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, the museum contains an eclectic array of collections and exhibits highlighting the geologic and cultural history of the Gorge.

Native American artifacts, including tools, baskets and a ceremonial dress fill a gallery highlighting the original inhabitants of the area, the Cascade Chinook. Other displays include a replica of an 1800s fishwheel and memorabilia from the early years of rail transportation through the Gorge. For hours and information about special events: columbiagorgemuseum.org.

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Reb & The Good News

Concerts at The Ruins

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The Ruins has a stellar concert line-up on tap for the winter.

Summer concerts at the Hood River venue, outside in the “ruins,” have become legendary, but the adjacent indoor space is perfect for our cold season. Shows include: Pigs on the Wing, a New Year’s Eve Party with special guest Louder Oceans (Dec. 31); Boot Juice (Jan. 20); Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters (Feb. 9); Floating Witch’s Head, with guests The West Goats (Feb. 16); Reb & The Good News (Feb. 23); and The Mother Hips (March 1). Info & tickets at theruins.org.

Above: Running Hare, necklace by Scott MacDonald

GIFTS THAT RESONATE WINTER 2023: If you’re in downtown Hood River searching for special holiday gifts, 301 Gallery is a must-see. Featuring everything from ceramics, glass, and metals to sculpture,

Ben Mitchell

Gorge to Mountain Express

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Ditch your car and head to the mountain for a day of skiing or snowboarding on the Gorge to Mountain Express. Buses run four times a day, seven days a week, between Hood River and Mt. Hood Meadows, with stops en route in Odell and Parkdale. Roundtrip tickets cost $5. Or purchase an annual $40 GOrge Pass for unlimited rides on all four transit services in the Gorge, including the Columbia Gorge Express to Portland. For information and schedules: ridecatbus.org.

painting, photography, and fine jewelry, 301 brings you the very best in regional art.

OPEN EVERY DAY

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301 Gallery

301 Oak Street Hood River, Oregon 301gallery.com 541-215-6681

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locavore

Dani Annala

OUR GORGE

story by MOLLY ALLEN • photos provided

The Icing on the Cookie DANI’S KITCHEN SHOP DELIVERS EDIBLE JOY ONE BATCH AT A TIME

DECORATED SUGAR COOKIES tend to be either the soft, melt-in-your-mouth kind or the too-hard, crunchy sort. Sometimes, they can be stunning at first glance, but the flavor and texture are lackluster.

The first time I tried a sugar cookie baked and hand decorated by Dani Annala of Dani’s Kitchen Shop in Hood River was at a media event for Travel Oregon. Annala’s mother, who owns and operates Sandoz Farms in The Dalles, enthusiastically handed me a beautiful cookie.

She wanted to proudly showcase her daughter’s product, and rightly so. It was easily the best decorated sugar cookie I’d ever had. Annala’s passion, expertise and creativity come through in every one of her custom cookies.

Annala grew up in the Columbia River Gorge and graduated from Hood River Valley High School. Her mother’s family has been in The Dalles growing cherries and raising cows and hogs since 1880. Her husband’s family has been in Hood River since 1909 growing pears and apples, and her husband still runs the family orchard today.

“I have a really strong connection and passion for food agriculture and knowing where your food comes from,” she says, noting that her professional training is based in agriculture.

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Annala previously worked for the Oregon State University Extension Service as a 4-H Youth Development Coordinator. She taught of lot of life skills and home economics, but often didn’t have the teaching facility she would have liked. That’s when she started dreaming about having her own teaching kitchen.

“I started the planning of Dani’s Kitchen in 2015,” Annala says. “The intention behind it was to have a teaching kitchen to host workshops and classes for the community.

I’ve always been a baker, and I love to experiment. I love the science behind baking.”

She looked around for commercial property with a kitchen, but wasn’t quite ready to dive in and ended up putting the project on the back burner. In 2019, Annala was working for Diamond Fruit as a Food Safety Manager and began decorating cookies as a means to decompress after work. “I’m a creative person,” she says. “I turned to decorating as a stress reliever. It was something that allowed me to quiet my mind and to focus.”

Friends started asking if they could buy cookies from Annala, and she began selling a few dozen here and there. “I thought it was a fun side project while working, so I relaunched with the foundation of selling custom sugar cookies,” she says. But it escalated quickly. She went from making and selling four dozen cookies a week to 30 dozen a week while still working full time.

In 2020, Annala’s former position with OSU became available and she went back to her old job. But once the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the dynamics of teaching changed, it wasn’t quite as fulfilling; she missed the feeling of connection.

Pickles Photography /Amy Eastman VandenBos

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Pickles Photography/Amy Eastman VandenBos (L&R)

Dani Annala , opposite, decorates a DIY holiday kit. With the help of her lead baker Mercedes Chijate, above, Annala decorates up to 1,000 cookies per week during the holidays. She hosts classes in her teaching kitchen, below.

Annala went on maternity leave shortly after and realized it was time to make a decision. “I was pretty much working full time doing cookies while on leave, but I knew I couldn’t work two full-time jobs,” she says. Initially, she decided she would scale back on cookies and focus on her job, but a Christmas gift from her husband changed everything.

“My husband made me a custom metal logo sign for Christmas, and that was my turning point where I said, ‘I’m going to make this happen,’” Annala says. She returned to work for a few more months, but also began looking for commercial property. She eventually found a space that would allow her to combine both sides of her business — a teaching kitchen and a place to fulfill custom sugar cookie orders.

She launched Dani’s Kitchen Shop in August 2022.

She hosts a variety of classes in the teaching kitchen ranging from cookie decorating to pie dough science, as well as classes that feature more savory items like party appetizers and pretzels. She also offers private classes for birthday parties and corporate events. Local food

Dani Annala

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Dani Annala

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Dani’s Kitchen Shop creates custom decorated sugar cookie sets for all occasions, and sells custom DIY kits.

Pickles Photography /Amy Eastman VandenBos

scientist Michelle McCafferty teaches classes alongside Annala, and other instructors are brought in on a regular basis.

But the bulk of Annala’s business is custom decorated sugar cookie sets. She creates designs for birthday parties, bridal showers, retirements, graduations, baby showers, employee appreciation gift boxes, holidays and more.

She even offers custom DIY kits. “There’s always something to celebrate,” she says. Annala

decorates 600 cookies every week, ramping up to 1,000 per week during the holiday season.

“One of my favorite things to decorate are western themed sets, or any time I can do an agricultural themed set, I get really excited for it,” she says. “But I’m also a big fan of Christmas cookies. I love the classic designs and fun colors.”

Most of Annala’s cookies are sold locally, but she ships orders, too. Her cookies can sometimes be found on day-of sales at retailers in the Gorge, but most of her sales come from custom orders through her website.

“A lot of my customers are very trusting of my creativity,” she says. “They might send a follow-up picture of something they like, but then they turn me loose. It’s an amazing place to be and I feel really fortunate to have that support.”

To learn more, go to daniskitchenshop.com Molly Allen is a food, beverage and travel writer who lives in Hood River.

Aubrie LeGault

MAKE YOUR EVENT AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER

cherrycitycatering.com 541-965-3426

cherrycitycatering@gmail.com Based in The Dalles and Serving THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE 22

Open Tuesday – Saturday, from 5pm

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

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www.atinroofbarn.com || photo courtesy of Rachel Lynn Photography photos courtesy of Ali Rae Photography

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OUR GORGE

imbibe

story by DON CAMPBELL • photos courtesy of WILDERTON

Spirits Run High at Wilderton THE NATION’S FIRST NON-ALCOHOLIC DISTILLERY AND TASTING ROOM ON THE WATERFRONT IS HOOD RIVER'S NEWEST GATHERING PLACE BRAD WHITING AND SETH O’MALLEY have brought something innovative, exciting and — dare we say it, delicious and oddly intoxicating — into the world by taking something away.

An odd, preternatural and alchemical confluence?

Pretty much. And it boggles the mind.

Owners and founders of Wilderton (pronounced will-derton, not wild-erton), and the proud entrepreneurial parents of a sparkling new distillery and tasting room down on Hood River’s bustling waterfront row, have crafted a brave new beverage choice that will suit many imbibers to a tea, perfectly steeped: deftly rendered non-alcoholic botanical spirits.

But before your befuddled amygdala makes its own self up by believing this is impossible, that it tastes like a cloying Shirley Temple, canned malt liquor-based imposter, or some other weak imitation of an actual cocktail, we challenge you put lips to glass.

From their Hood River headquarters, the duo designs, crafts and serves their liquids from the first non-alcoholic distillery and tasting room in the U.S. And in this world, it’s hard to be first at anything.

A CRAZY IDEA Brad Whiting, CEO of the two-year-old company, was the one with, as he puts it, “this crazy idea.” He found his way to Hood River like many soul searchers. He was after lifestyle. He 24

SETH O’MALLEY AND BRAD WHITING

moved to the Gorge in 1998, doing the usual — windsurfing and “living in a van down by the river, the whole program.”

After working in the windsurfing business and growing bored with it, he went back to

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The tasting room draws regulars and curious first-timers.

Opposite top, the distillery’s newest zero-proof spirit, Bittersweet Aperitivo, has garnered praise and awards, including “Best in Show” from the L.A. Spirits Awards.

Portland State University and obtained an MBA in 2003. “I had no idea what I wanted to do,” he says, “but I knew I wanted to live in Hood River.” He landed at Hood River Distillers, long known as a value-priced purveyor of lower-shelf, well-brand liquors, just as HRD was expanding out of that realm into premium products, namely Pendleton whisky and Steve McCarthy’s Clear Creek Distillery, which Whiting calls the “epitome of craft,” both of which HRD purchased.

“I couldn’t have been any luckier to join at the time,” he offers, to be able to witness the explosive growth of Pendleton and being able to see brand building from the inside with a small team geared for success.

After applying his training in operations and procurement at HRD, Whiting in 2014 moved into running the Clear Creek operation, earning valuable experience working with bigger, more well-known brands. HRD

sold Pendleton in 2018, and, after 14 years with HRD, Whiting could have gone with it on a consulting basis, but opted instead to follow a hunch.

A U.K company called Seedlip had hit his radar. It had emerged as the first non-alcoholic spirit brand in the world. The company went into business in 2015 and, according to its website, “The pioneering movement of offering those not drinking alcohol a sophisticated, adult option has since become a segment all its own: the ever-growing no- and low-alcohol category.”

For Whiting, the seed was sown. “I love cocktails,” Whiting says, “I still love cocktails. But these guys had thought of this idea of taking an occasion that we’re all used to having a cocktail and moving beyond the idea that it has to be alcohol.”

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Whiting saw the potential of elevating non-alcoholic spirits in the U.S., reaching for a high level of craft in whatever products could be derived, and lifting it to the level of the cocktail, without any compromise in quality, complexity of flavor and palette, and pure enjoyment.

So sure was he of his idea, he began to shop it around to other distillers he’d known in his past life. Crickets and door slams were his reward. “They all looked at me like I had six heads,” he says. “They said, ‘Why are you talking to me? I make alcohol.’ No, you use this process of distillation to separate and concentrate. Their idea was that it was so much about making alcohol.”

Whiting clearly had other ideas.

A MEETING OF THE MINDS Whiting had met co-founder Seth O’Malley once via his tenure at HRD. He subsequently raised the notion of distilling botanical spirits with O’Malley, who instantly said, “Oh, that’s an interesting idea.”

And there is perhaps no better person on the planet to see the vision than O’Malley.

Wilderton's award-winning Earthen was one of the distillery's first non-alcoholic spirits, and is described as “smooth, sultry and spicy.” Opposite, jars filled with spices, herbs and botanicals in distiller Seth O’Malley’s lab.

The tea reference earlier in the story is apt. O’Malley leads his introduction with the fact that from an early age he was hugely into tea. From his hometown in Bend, he found an opportunity with Townshend Tea to learn tea, teach tea, understand the steepness and aromatics of herbals and botanicals, of blending and deriving flavors that heretofore might not exist.

Hanging around Townshend early on, he pestered ownership into giving him a job. “I was obsessed with going there, tasting through all of the hundred types of tea,” he says. “I was always into teas, and herbs and spices. It was there I got to explore all of that.”

He continued to work there during college. In that time, Townshend had started the ultimately successful Brew Dr. Kombucha company in Portland. After graduation, Townshend offered

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explorewhitesalmon.com

Tourism support provided by the City of White Salmon lodging tax funds.

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O’Malley the chance to go work for the brewer.

In that period there erupted an industry flap about the fact there might actually be alcohol in kombucha, and remediation efforts got underway in 2013 to dealcoholize the product, using a kind of vacuum still.

O’Malley was hired to commission the still, as a secondary step in the kombucha process, but also come up with ways to use that byproduct — alcohol — to produce craft spirits. “Being freshly graduated from college with a degree that didn’t necessarily guarantee you employment,” he says, “with a pretty eccentric skillset and interests, being handed the keys to a distillery with absolutely no credentials or experience, I took the opportunity!”

Having no idea what he was doing, he somehow figured it out. His interest in tea took some interesting turns in that he now held a profound interest in herbal spirits, herbs, spices and other botanicals, as well as the mystery of liqueurs, aquavit, chartreuse, Benedictine and other spirits.

He worked his way through old manuscripts and deconstructed oddly colored liqueurs and other arcane sources, but mostly he just started making stuff. “All of it sucked,” he says of his repeated prototypes, “but then I started to crack the code.”

Things can be mystical in the spirits world, and O’Malley experimented his way into a specialized and arcane understanding using disparate parts of his knowledge to create a set of craft spirits.

And then lost his job. But fortune struck again, as shortly before the termination, Whiting knocked on his door with the crazy notion to do non-alc botanical spirits.

it’s sweater weather!

708 Oak Street • Hood River, OR also in Bend • Seaside and now Vancouver Waterfront THE GORGE MAGAZINE I WINTER 2023-24

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BUT WHO’S GOING TO DRINK IT?

The citrusy Lustre rounds out Wilderton’s zero-proof spirits.

Cocktail recipe suggestions for each one are on the website.

Whiting calls him “the most interesting one in the business” and the one who proceeded to ideate and create all the liquids and help create the first-ever non-alcoholic distillery in the nation, creating something that has the look and feel of a spirit, but that is its own complex entity.

After 18 months of research and development, Wilderton was underway. But having a unique product, even one with tremendous potential, is no guarantee of success. It’s a mighty big chasm to cross, leaping from novel idea to an actual commercial enterprise. A fresh and innovative notion can drown in marketing and spreadsheets, supply chains and, god-forbid, trying to educate an unknowing and likely resistant potential clientele.

At least you’d think. But timing, luck and expertise are powerful forces in the right hands.

Wilderton found space on the waterfront in real estate that was slated for a Camp 1805 expansion that didn’t happen. The company designed and installed proprietary and blindingly gleaming metal tanks and apparatus. A lab in the back includes O’Malley’s shelves and jars full of raw spices, herbs and other botanicals sourced from a variety of places, a science-fiction-esque rotary evaporator to bench test distillation results, and, likely under lock and key, O’Malley’s myriad notebooks of recipes, experiments, concoctions and data.

It’s been a steep curve to arrive at the right mix of spirits (three distinct bottlings under the titles of the sprightly and fresh Lustre, the brooding and contemplative Earthen, and the aromatic and herbal Bittersweet Apertivo). With an onus on education, Wilderton is gaining acceptance from restaurants and lounges whose mixologists are now embracing the delicate derivations that rank right up there with the world’s vodkas, gins and whiskies. And with the right marketing and enthusiasm, the company is attracting an eager clientele looking for a postCovid, pro-health-and-wellness, sophisticated non-alc option to imbibing.

Given all that, can we now please forever banish the lazy tag of “mocktail”? A few sips of Wilderton will help bury it forever.

To learn more, go to wildertonfree.com Don Campbell is a writer and musician. He hides out at a secret fortress on a hilltop in Mosier and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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Now offering free delivery in greater Hood River! kingsanddaughters.com

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S P E C I A L

A D V E R T I S I N G

S E C T I O N

Health+ Wellness RESOURCE GUIDE TO THE GORGE

Living an active, healthy lifestyle comes naturally in the Columbia River Gorge. In fact, it’s the reason why many people gravitate here to begin with. We’re surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and seemingly endless opportunities for outdoor recreation and exercise, from heart-pumping adrenaline sports to quiet nature walks. Studies have shown that simply living amid green spaces lowers the risk of depression and anxiety, and we’ve got plenty of green spaces all around us.

Another important part of maintaining optimal health is taking care of your healthcare needs.

That, too, is easy to do thanks to top-notch healthcare providers in every field, as well as several highly-rated hospitals. From preventive to specialty care, you can find solutions to all of your healthcare needs right here in the Gorge. Here’s to a healthy and happy 2024!

Sorapop Udomsri/ stock.adobe.com

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BIG CARE FOR OUR LITTLEST OF PATIENTS Pediatrician Jennifer Morrison, M.D. discusses the importance of regular pediatric care to keep your child healthy and happy through every stage of growth and development.

SHMC Pediatrician Jennifer Morrison, M.D. is accepting new patients. 509-637-2810.

At SKYLINE HEALTH MEDICAL CLINIC – PEDIATRICS, we recognize children are not simply little adults but individuals with distinctive needs. Our team is dedicated to family-centered care, tending to the unique physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs of the children and families we serve.

Importance of Pediatric Care Childhood is marked by tremendous growth and development from birth to age 18. This makes regular pediatric care a vital part of keeping your child well and guiding your child’s development.

Well-baby care Pediatric care for your child starts as a newborn. Well-baby visits focus on keeping your baby healthy and providing guidance during those first few months. A pediatrician sees your baby after they leave the hospital and once or twice before they turn a month old.

These visits allow us to track your child’s growth and monitor developmental milestones. You can expect us to follow your child’s weight and check in to make sure breastfeeding or formula feeding is going well.

After the first month, you should visit your pediatrician every two to three months until your child is two years old, and then schedule well-baby visits every six months. Well-baby visits are also great for raising concerns regarding your child’s growth and development.

Well-child care Pediatric care continues as your child grows. Well-child care is the core of keeping your child healthy and encompasses a variety of types of treatment to treat issues and prevent others from arising. Your child receives scheduled immunizations, as well as physicals and exams.

These visits are also a time to talk to your pediatrician about your child’s nutrition, milestones, learning, and social behaviors.

Treating sudden illness Of course, if your child is ill, your pediatrician should be your first stop and number one resource. Your provider is trained in treating the full range of illnesses that impact infants, children, and adolescents as they journey through the years.

As your child’s immune system is still developing, they’re susceptible to a range of childhood illnesses, including infections of the ears, nose, throat, and eyes.

Managing chronic illness Some children have chronic health conditions that need to be managed so your child can enjoy a good quality of life. Whether your child has Type 1 diabetes, ADHD, or epilepsy, your pediatrician collaborates with medical specialists when appropriate and works closely with you to ensure your child receives the best possible care.

High-quality pediatric care Pediatric care means more than treating your child when they’re sick. This is why the Skyline Health Medical Clinic team is committed to forming a partnership with families to create the best environment for your child’s health and well-being.

For all your pediatric needs, schedule an appointment with Dr. Morrison by calling 509-637-2810.

The practice of pediatrics differs from that of adults, as children are more than miniature versions of grown-up males and females. Pediatricians are trained in skilled assessment to focus on preventing, detecting, and managing various problems affecting children. As children are constantly changing, a pediatrician must consider growth and developmental issues not present in adult patients.

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HEALTHY CONNECTIONS

Healthy Connections Care Team (left to right): Arianna, Isa, Dr Jeff, Heather N, Heather B, Gabby Do you long for a health care team that sees and understands you, and makes time for your story? At Healthy Connections, relationships with our clients are our #1 value and priority. We limit our practice membership in order to give each client the time and caring attention necessary to restore and promote wellness.

Healthy Connections provides a unique medical service in the Columbia Gorge. Combining personalized medical expertise with deep-dive functional diagnostic & treatment tools, Jeff Horacek, M.D, IFMCP,

and Heather Bates, FNP-BC, help clients resolve their health issues, understand what is “too much” and “not enough”, and create new, lasting health habits for optimal longevity. Together, Dr Jeff and Heather Bates bring over 40 years of experience in primary care, with a strong passion for helping others heal and thrive.

Together with our lifestyle support team, our approach is based on: • Belief in our clients’ wisdom and motivation.

• Holistic care, focusing on mind, body and spirit.

• Appreciation of the complex interconnections of our body systems (our gut is connected to our brain which is connected to our hormones, etc.).

• A focus on optimal health – not just the absence of symptoms or dis-ease.

• A collaborative partnership with each client to take an active role in health restoration.

• A preference for natural, non-toxic therapies – harnessing the body’s ability to heal itself.

In order to provide you with the time, personalization and attention we value, HEALTHY CONNECTIONS operates with Hybrid Insur ance+Membership Model, billing most major insurance companies and including many non-covered support services with our membership fee.

We are currently accepting new clients for functional, primary care, and women’s health memberships. healthyconnectionshr.com 541-716-5786 1700 - 12th St Suite B, Hood River NEW ADDRESS!

“I’m 55, should I get one every year?”

“I’m 30, do I need one at all?”

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Mammogram screening can help find breast cancer early.

Your doctor can help you decide when and how often to get screened based on your personal and family history and other risk factors.

3-D mammography is available in our Diagnostic Imaging Department in Hood River.

Get breast health resources at

www.ProvidenceOregon.org/breastcancer

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S P E C I A L

A D V E R T I S I N G

S E C T I O N

INSIDEOUT-CHIROPRACTIC

Brain-Based Chiropractic Philosophy

At InsideOut-Chiropractic we practice what is known as a brainbased chiropractic and utilize one of or a combination of multiple chiropractic techniques based on what we determine to work best for you.

These techniques can support both adults and children experiencing physical pain, anxiety, depression, digestive problems, insomnia, poor concentration, dementia, PTSD, ADHD and more. Brain-based chiropractic is based on the research and science that the brain coordinates EVERY function in your entire body and does so via communication through the nervous system. Research has proven that over 90% of all chronic disease is due to the inability for the brain and nervous system to overcome the high levels of chronic stress so many of us experience daily (physical, chemical and emotional). This stress causes damage to parts

of the brain leading to the brain and nervous system’s inability to coordinate healing in the body. The good news is in most cases this damage can be reversed. The problem is most of us are stuck in a sick care model of “health” care. This model has nothing to do with health as it simply covers up symptoms with medication instead of actually caring for the cause of the symptoms. This is why we focus on the direct cause of over 90% of all disease, the brain and its ability to adapt to and recover from stress. We do this by first performing a brain-based assessment measuring brain function using our state-of-the-art NeuroInfiniti instrumentation which gives us objective measurements on how well your brain and nervous system deals with stress. We then construct a care plan, specific to you and your brain function, leading you to health and wellness. See how this approach can make a difference in your life and the life of your family- schedule a consultation today.

Dr. Doug Barnard

insideout-chiropractic.com 509-637-0969 410 Jewett Blvd., White Salmon

Don’t let flu and Covid get you down this winter!

Free and low-cost vaccines for the whole Gorge community To schedule call or text 541.386.6380 or schedule online by scanning the QR code onecommunityhealth.org

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SAVING LIVES

ONE FLIGHT AT A TIME

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Life Flight nurse ERIC PETERSON has spent more than 25 years responding to emergencies by air STORY BY RUTH BERKOWITZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL PETERSON

A Life Flight Network helicopter lifts off from the company’s base in Dallesport, Wash. Eric Peterson, above, has been a flight nurse with the nonprofit service since 1995, and helped build the base in 2008.

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SAVING LIVES, one flight at a time

I

t’s usually nighttime when the calls come in, but they can come at any time. When they do, Life Flight nurse Eric Peterson, along with a pilot and paramedic, grab their packs filled with medical equipment, don their night vision goggles attached to their helmets and board the aircraft at their base, located at Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in Dallesport, Wash.

Sometimes, their mission is to transport a patient from a rural hospital to a larger one with more specialized care. Other times, they

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Besides a helicopter, the Life Flight Network maintains a fixed-wing airplane at the base that’s used to respond to emergencies during inclement weather.

must land at the scene of an accident, be it on the side of a mountain or a remote stretch of highway. Weather permitting, they use their helicopter, called the rotor-wing. If that’s not possible, they fly their fixed-wing airplane.

A not-for-profit organization with 29 bases in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho, Life Flight Network is a medical transportation company that not only takes patients to hospitals via air and ground transport, but also has state-of-the-art equipment enabling critical care along the way. They transport more than 1,500 patients every month.

“Our job is to move people expeditiously and safely,” says Peterson, who has lived in Hood River since 1989.

As Peterson shows me around the Dallesport base, he describes responding to a call one autumn night on a remote section of Interstate 5. “We deal with catastrophe every day. That’s what I signed up for,” he says. On the night of the call, the highway was backed up for miles due to an accident. The sky was clear and safe for flying the rotor-wing.

Upon landing, so much is unknown, Peterson explains. But he could see multiple cars piled up as the paramedics at the scene ushered him to one rolled-over vehicle. Peterson’s trauma skills kicked into full gear. In medical emergencies, time is of the essence as minutes can mean life or death, and being able to transport a patient via aircraft often saves lives.

“The first thing I do is find the patient, ask him his name and look into his eyes,” Peterson says. In this situation, he needed to crawl through the passenger-side door. The driver was unconscious, and his ribs were crushed, so the team carefully removed the man from his car and Peterson performed a finger thoracostomy to facilitate breathing.

This immediately brought air to the patient’s lungs. Then the team “packaged him” on the stretcher. Within minutes, they rolled him into the helicopter and flew him to the nearest hospital.

Peterson’s tall 6-foot-2-inch frame and confidence bodes well in an emergency. It’s easy to imagine him arriving at a chaotic scene and being the one to calm the situation and control the action. He knows how to perform under pressure.

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SAVING LIVES, one flight at a time Eric Peterson, left, and Life Flight paramedic Trevor McDonald check their medical supplies.

He also knows that it’s not helpful to get emotionally involved with a patient. “I treat every patient like a family member,” he says. Yet his formula for maintaining emotional sanity is first to know that he did everything he could at the scene, and second, to not bring the tragedy home with him.

“I am seeing these patients on their worst day,” he says. “I can be there in the moment and do whatever is needed for critical care, and then the experts at the hospital take over.”

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Peterson has served nearly 30 years as a nurse. He found his calling while working as a park ranger near Boulder, Colo. When a search and rescue crew arrived by helicopter to respond to a situation at the campground where he was stationed, Peterson recognized that the medical team was out in the wilderness just as he was, but they were getting paid much better. “I was starving, and they were not, so I knew it was time to find a different job,” he says. He hatched a plan to attend nursing school, get experience and then apply to be a nurse in the wilderness.

He moved to Hood River and attended Mt. Hood Community College to become a registered nurse, then earned his bachelor's degree in nursing from Oregon Health & Science University. While gaining experience as a trauma nurse at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, Peterson sometimes met the Life Flight team landing its helicopter.

Watching them sparked his desire to be a Life Flight nurse.

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SAVING LIVES, one flight at a time

He applied three different times and was finally hired in 1995. In those early days, the company had only one helicopter which they kept at the hospital. “That didn’t really make sense as we needed to be closer to the people we serve,” he explains.

Eventually, Life Flight began opening bases in rural communities around the Northwest. In 2008, Peterson helped build the company’s fourth rural base in Dallesport. Mechanically skilled, he worked with a team to string internet lines, monitor the construction crew and meet with community leaders and local hospitals to ensure the success of their base. Today the Dallesport base is busy because it has two air assets, the helicopter and the fixed-wing plane.

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The Dallesport Life Flight crew includes, from left to right, Trevor McDonald, Eric Peterson, Dustin Morantes, Justin Peterson, Richard Wheeler and Natalia Metvayeva.

“So much has changed for the better and made my job safer,” says Peterson. In the early days, their office had a hefty manual detailing critical-care policies and procedures. “We would memorize the book and all of the protocols,” he says. Out in the field, he had to make decisions alone. Thanks to modern technology and digital tools, today he can consult medical apps on his phone to assist with treatment, and he can use the satellite phone to call Life Flight’s medical director and other professional resources. Immediate access to information not only makes his job easier but also removes some of the stress.

Peterson works 24-hour shifts. Each nurse and paramedic has a small room at the base with a cot and a desk. There’s a kitchen too, stocked with coffee as well as his coveted pop tarts that help fuel him during the long shifts.

Sometimes he can take a short nap between calls. In rare situations, when calls are nonstop or extremely stressful, the team might decide to take a one- to four-hour time-out.

This seldom happens, Peterson says, but it does on occasion when they have back-to-back calls or encounter a situation that hits a little too close to home, such as helping to save a child the same age as a crew member’s kid.

When that occurs, they can call for a timeout and, because their base response area overlaps with others, including Hermiston and Pendleton, another nearby team can respond to their calls.

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SAVING LIVES, one flight at a time

Helicopter pilot Dustin Morantes, above, prepares for a flight. At right, Morantes, Eric Peterson and Trevor McDonald on the base landing pad. Medical crews work 24-hour shifts while pilots’ shifts are limited to 12 hours.

We walk into the training room equipped with computers and mannequins used for practicing medical procedures and running through scenarios. “We train so much that care becomes automatic,” Peterson says.

In the room, there is also a small refrigerator containing a portable blood monitoring system filled with units of Type O blood, which they transport with them on calls in a special insulated

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bio-cooler designed for the military. Peterson remembers the days when they had to carry units of blood kept cold with ice in an Igloo cooler. This advancement not only saves the time and effort of preparing the cooler, but also ensures the quality of the blood.

Another important safety advancement is the night vision goggles which make flying in the Gorge significantly safer. If the weather looks iffy, the Life Flight crew follows the rule, “three to go, one to say no.” If any one of them — paramedic, nurse or pilot doesn’t want to fly because it feels unsafe, they don’t go. In the winter, during storms and dicey weather, the fixed-winged plane is used more often than the helicopter, according to Peterson.

On his days off, Peterson loves to wing foil on the river during the summer and ski on Mount Hood during the winter. Sometimes he can hear the blades of the rotor-wing whirring in the sky above. When that happens, he takes a deep breath, looks up and wishes his team a safe journey.

The LIFE FLIGHT AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE may be covered in part by insurance, but residents of the Gorge and other rural communities can opt to become a member of the Life Flight Network for $75 per year. The membership provides peace of mind and eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for medically necessary transport.

To learn more, go to lifeflight.org.

Ruth Berkowitz is a mediator and writer living in Hood River.

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ARTS + CULTURE

story by JANET COOK • photos courtesy of ANGIE MARIE

The Gorge Speakeasy A MONTHLY EVENT AT THE RUINS INVITES CONNECTION THROUGH STORYTELLING NEARLY FOUR YEARS ON, most of us can agree that the pandemic was awful on many levels. No need to rehash. But it also gave rise to creative ventures that may not have otherwise come about. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a record 4.4 million new business applications were filed in 2020, only to be surpassed with 5.4 million in 2021.

The Gorge Speakeasy isn’t a small business per se, it’s more of a community endeavor launched by White Salmon resident Angie Marie. But it, too, was a pandemic baby.

The winter of 2020, those before days when we were all cheerily going about our business, found Marie living at Camp Arrowhead, a Girl Scouts camp near Home Valley, Wash. A Massachusetts native, she’d landed there after a stint in Utah working as an adaptive recreation guide. Missing lusher landscapes, she headed to the Northwest in 2017 and was hired as the Outdoor Program Specialist for the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

“When the pandemic hit, living there was great but also lonely,” she said. By fall, knowing she didn’t want to “go into a pandemic winter up there,” Marie moved to White Salmon. She and some friends, seeking connection, began gathering on one of their patios.

“We called it Patio Fridays,” Marie says. “We’d come together, get takeout and swap business ideas.” Someone had the idea for a storytelling night, based on a regular gathering some friends were having. “They would get together in their basement and share stories,” Marie said.

“We thought it would be cool to add a little structure to it.” But with the pandemic still raging, the idea was put on the back burner. Marie pursued her work as a blogger, writer, social media strategist and professional speaker.

But the idea for a storytelling event still simmered, and Marie began revisiting it in the fall of 2021. One night, in a flurry of entrepreneurial creativity, she designed a slew of marketing 44

materials and began researching potential locations. Over the next few days, she contacted several venues. She got lots of positive feedback, but most of them had logistical hurdles — until she called The Ruins in Hood River.

“They immediately said, ‘Hell yes,’” Marie recalls.

The Gorge Speakeasy launched its first storytelling night at The Ruins on Nov. 2, 2021. “We thought if 10 people showed up, it would be a success,” Marie says. “We were flying by the seat of our pants.” Instead, 65 people came to The Ruins that evening. Now, crowds consistently number over a hundred,

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The indoor space at The Ruins, above, set up for the monthly Gorge Speakeasy. The storytelling event was founded by White Salmon resident Angie Marie, opposite inset. Opposite top, Colin Robinson takes the stage to tell a story.

often topping 130. On one occasion, Marie had to put a “full” sign on the door after 170 people crowded into the venue.

The event’s format has remained essentially the same. Anyone can sign up ahead of time for one of six spots; two are left open for walkins. Stories must be true and told in the first-person.

A few storytelling guidelines have been fine-tuned over time. “It needs to be a story with a beginning, a middle and an end,” Marie says.

It can’t be a rant, she adds, and if it involves a personal trauma, “you have to have processed it.” Speakers have 8 to 10 minutes to tell their story.

Early on, Marie started including a theme for each event to help guide people’s stories. Past themes include Family, Slippery Slopes, Possessions, Taboo, Fear, Secrets, and Tradeoffs, to name a few.

Anyone who isn’t quite ready to share a story onstage can jot down an anonymous short story or musing that Marie calls “scoops.” She reads the 30-second mini-stories to the audience between storytellers.

The Gorge Speakeasy is held the first Wednesday of every month from September through May, with a hiatus during the summer. It’s free, but donations are suggested, with proceeds going to a selected nonprofit in the Gorge.

“We started off by just identifying the nonprofits we liked,” she said, adding that her Patio Fridays crew of friends has been her “sounding board” since the beginning and continues to help make the event happen every month. The Speakeasy has now donated thousands of dollars to area nonprofits, ranging from the FISH Food Bank and the Hood River Warming Shelter to Friends of the White Salmon River and Adopt-a-Dog. In the early months of the Speakeasy, Marie often “incentivized” speakers to fill the spots. (Free drink tickets to the no-host bar at The Ruins got a few would-be storytellers onto the stage.) But now there’s almost always a waiting list. A few regulars sign up frequently, but there are always first-time storytellers each month. Marie attributes it to an innate need to connect.

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ARTS + CULTURE Storyteller Jeni Stembridge onstage during a Speakeasy event. There are spots for eight storytellers per night, and stories can last 8-10 minutes.

“Storytelling is the oldest form of human connection,” she says.

“It tells us what’s important in life, and it allows other people to see themselves in you, which creates even deeper connection.” Despite the vulnerability of public speaking, it satisfies a human craving for under-

standing and empathy. “There’s an inherent chance you take stepping onstage. You want people to like you, but you also want to share your own truth, which may not be everybody’s truth. People who are willing to take that risk may do so because they know what they have to share is important to understanding life and each other.”

Ash Wylder of White Salmon, a memoir-writing coach, is a frequent storyteller at the Speakeasy, having first stepped onto the stage there to share a poignant story about her grandmother with Alzheimer’s. “As someone who has lived here on and off since childhood, I am trapped by the things that many of us are trapped by: the fear of the vulnerability of being known and the desire to be known deeper,” she says. She’s gone on to bigger storytelling stages and events but feels like she “cut her teeth” at the Speakeasy.

“The mix between novice and experienced storytellers gives the Gorge Speakeasy its charm,” she says. “Storytelling is a human craft. At the Gorge Speakeasy, we get to be human together. It’s just that simple.”

The Speakeasy has been transformative for Samantha Parson of Hood River. In December 2021, having recently celebrated one year of sobriety following a decade of alcoholism, she went to the secondever Speakeasy intending simply to listen to others. But when a speaker spot opened after a storyteller didn’t show up, she felt an “unexplainable

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ARTS + CULTURE deep urge inside of me to sign up to share,” she says. The theme that night was Endings, and she felt that her sobriety story fit. After encouragement from other storytellers, she conquered her fear and found herself onstage “stumbling over my words, but sharing my story,” she recalls.

“I got such a positive response that I signed up to speak again, and prepared a writing in advance that made the room both laugh and weep,” she says. “That story ended up being my first-ever published piece of writing.” She last performed at the Speakeasy in the spring, and soon afterward applied to go back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree, which her addiction had interrupted. “Performing and sharing gave me the confidence that I could succeed. Now, I’m pursuing my dreams of writing and performing and using my story to hopefully help others in this world. Had I never followed that strange urge inside of me to share that December evening, who knows if I would have had the confidence to continue pursuing my dreams.”

As it enters its third year, the Gorge Speakeasy has already led to a couple of spin-offs, including a podcast Marie calls “speakeasyadjacent” that she launched with Jeni Stembridge, one of the Patio Fridays crew, called For the Love Of: Conversations that explore the trade-offs we make in order to pursue our passions.

A kids storytelling program is set to launch in early 2024, with a mission to enhance empathy, connection and self-expression in youth through the art and play of storytelling.

In the meantime, the Gorge Speakeasy continues its monthly run.

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Angie Marie, a writer, blogger, social media strategist and professional speaker in her own right, likes the vulnerability and connection storytelling brings about.

Although it’s grown and often attracts people from as far away as Portland and Goldendale, the intention is to keep it “homegrown and local,” Marie says. “It’s just a great way of strengthening and celebrating our supportive Gorge community.”

Her advice to potential storytellers is simple. “Storytellers don’t have to be perfect,” she says. “I want messy.”

To learn more, go to itsangiemarie.com, or follow @gorgespeakeasy on Instagram.

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WELLNESS

story by JANET COOK • photos courtesy of MEGAN RAMEY

Pedal Power to the Kids SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL MANAGER MEGAN RAMEY IN ON A MISSION TO HELP KIDS DISCOVER THE JOYS OF “WALK AND ROLL” MEGAN RAMEY doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk. Or, more accurately, bikes the bike. You’ve probably seen her tooling around Hood River on her e-cargo bike, her main mode of transportation. Her job as the first ever Safe Routes to School manager for the Hood River County School District fits her perfectly.

“I’m really passionate about kids walking, rolling and biking to school,” she said. Along with being fun, she added, it gives them a sense of independence and self-confidence.

Well into the second half of a two-year grant that funds her position, she’s already checked off an impressive array of goals on her long to-do list.

It all started with a plea from May Street Elementary School principal Kelly Beard in October 2020. With students distance learning from home, teachers were anxious to see the kids in person. He contacted Ramey, whose daughter was a student there. “He said, ‘We miss the kids so much, we want you to organize a bike parade,’” she recalled.

Ramey rallied some other parents, set up two “bike trains” from different locations, and wound up with more than 100 kids pedaling past cheering teachers and staff standing outside the school — many in tears at seeing the kids in person for the first time in months.

The next March, with kids back in school, Beard reached out to Ramey again. This time, he was concerned about vehicle congestion during pick-up and drop-off. “The signs were 50

pointing to bus ridership plummeting in favor of parents driving their kids to school,” Ramey said. The hope was that a bike train would help alleviate congestion and simultaneously “create joy” for kids on the way to school.

“That was the moment everything galvanized around Safe Routes to School,” said Ramey, referring to a national initiative that is implemented in varying degrees at the local level all over the country. “Prior to the bike train, Hood River was stuck in a chicken-egg scenario.” Few children were biking or walking to school because parents felt it was unsafe, she said, so there was little impetus for investing in safe infrastructure because few kids were utilizing it. “The bike train broke the cycle by broadcasting a rolling infomercial featuring happy kids riding on poor infrastructure. Parents could see the future they wanted,” and city officials could see the “joy and opportunity to create a city centered around childhood mobility,” Ramey said.

Shortly after, Ramey won a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation to grow the bike train and offer bike-riding education as part of P.E. That was the beginning of what is now a running tally of more than $11 million in grants over the past two years for programs, initiatives and projects related to Safe Routes to School.

Ramey first discovered the utility of a bicycle, beyond simply the thrill of riding it, as a kindergartener in northern Wisconsin.

She missed the school bus one day and her babysitter told her to figure out how to get to Megan Ramey leads a bike bus to May Street Elementary School, top. Below, Westside Elementary School fifth graders at a bike safety rodeo.

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MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE & PAIN SPECIALISTS

Vertebral Compression Fracture Spinal stenosis Spinal nerve pain and Arthritis As Safe Routes to School manager, Megan Ramey has implemented multiple “walk and roll” events throughout the year at area schools, encouraging students to bike and walk. The Safe Routes coalition has won $11 million in grants in the past two years for infrastructure and programs to benefit safe walking and biking for children.

school. Ramey thought for a minute, then remembered her bike in the garage. She hopped on and away she went. “I felt so empowered,” she said. “It’s the idea that bikes can be a tool for kids to solve problems.”

Years later, living in Atlanta and accustomed to getting around by car, she had an accident that totaled her vehicle. Her only option was to start riding her bike, and it changed her whole experience of living there. “I felt so much more connected to the community,” she said. “I felt like I belonged in the city for the first time.”

She later returned to Madison, Wis., for graduate school and felt right at home in the famously bike-friendly city. After getting married, she and her husband, Kyle, moved to Boston, which, with virtually no bike trails or lanes, was anything but bike friendly. After their daughter was born, Ramey’s husband rigged a bike trailer to hold the car seat and Ramey began riding everywhere anyway. “She would sleep, and I would get my exercise,” she said, adding that it helped lift the fog of post-partum depression. “That’s how I really got to know all the neighborhoods of Boston.”

It was there that Ramey began advocating for car-free transportation. She joined the Boston Bike Committee to push for protected bike lanes and became interested in behavior change around transportation. “It’s the hardest behavior to change, but it can have a profound effect on your well-being,” she said. “The happiness factor when someone walks or bikes anywhere is what I wanted to spread.”

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After eight years in Boston, the Rameys sought a more outdoor- and bike-friendly town.

A visit to Hood River with their foldable bikes was all it took, and they moved here in 2016.

Ramey’s initial ODOT grant in 2021 funded “safety rodeos” for kindergartners and fifth graders at two elementary schools, teaching them how to ride bikes as well as rules of the road and bicycle etiquette.

Around the same time, the City of Hood River won a Safe Routes to School planning grant to create a packet of recommendations meant to guide the Safe Routes transportation network.

“Out of that document we came up with 40 infrastructure recommendations for improvement,” Ramey said. “That is now my bible. We have this roadmap of how to prioritize it for kids.”

Ramey’s work as Safe Routes to School manager includes four areas of focus: education, communications, equity and infrastructure. “They all build on each other,” she said. Her myriad accomplishments so far include expanding the safety rodeos to all elementary and middle schools; increasing outreach and compiling feedback regarding barriers to riding and walking to school; and giving away bikes to kids who need them (more than 130 of them in the past year alone), to name just a few.

One of the most visible projects Ramey spearheaded was the Safe Routes demonstration project near the middle school. Temporary biking and walking lanes were installed on streets leading to the school from August through October. A stop sign was also installed at the intersection of 18th and May streets, a change that became permanent.

Feedback from the project was overwhelmingly positive, according to Ramey. “We’ll present at city council in early 2024 with the findings,” she said, with the goal of implementing a permanent infrastructure solution based on the demonstration.

Another infrastructure project on tap is the completion of the final segment of the Indian Creek Trail between the Heights and the high school. A grant awarded this fall to Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation will go to purchase the last necessary right of way and cover trail construction costs. The grant recognized the Safe Routes project as a key transportation network for students to walk and bike to the high school.

Ramey has proposed a “greenway network vision” to create a web of transportation routes throughout the county. “I’m just as motivated to help the rural students as I am those in my own back yard — in fact, more so because they have fewer options. Most live more than two miles from school, and they have nowhere to safely ride their bikes.”

Her position is funded through September 2024, but she’s confident the district can get a grant to extend it for another two years.

“I want more people in the Gorge to know that this is a program that’s actively helping kids in our community,” she said. “I like to think I’m building a kid-centric world, one child at a time.”

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The quality healthcare you know and trust, now with an even brighter future For more than a century, the Columbia Gorge community has turned to us for the healthcare services you need. Now, by joining the Adventist Health family, we are building upon this legacy and expanding our ability to care for our community for decades to come. As Adventist Health Columbia Gorge, we have the expertise and resources of a large healthcare system to support us as we offer more healthcare choices for you, our friends and neighbors. Together, we’re investing in a healthy, hopefilled future for each person who calls our area home.

Learn more about our bright future and commitment to providing quality care to the Columbia Gorge at AdventistHealthColumbiaGorge.org

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PARTAKE I COOK WITH US

FISH and CHIPS

When we lived in England, we loved going out for fish and chips. But since we’ve been back in Hood River, we’ve had to learn to make them ourselves. These delicious, crispy, beer-battered fish and “chips” are worth the effort, as is the side of homemade tartar sauce. These fish and chips could be served at the coziest gastropub in London. This recipe serves 8 so feel free to adjust!

TARTAR SAUCE

FISH

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 1/2 cup corn starch

• 2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and roughly

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

chopped

• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt

• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

• 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

• juice from 1/2 lemon

• 1 Tbsp. paprika

• 1 heaping Tbsp. each: minced dill

• 2 tsp. garlic powder

and Italian parsley

• 16-ounce lager or other beer

• 1 clove garlic, finely grated

• 3 large filets cod or halibut, dried

• 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle

with a paper towel and cut into

• pinch of kosher salt

3- to 4-inch sections

• freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups neutral oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and place in the fridge to set and meld flavors while preparing the fish and chips.

DIRECTIONS Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack on top.

CHIPS

Combine all the dry ingredients.

Reserve 1 cup of the flour mixture.

Recipe and photos by KACIE MCMACKIN

INGREDIENTS • 2 lbs. new potatoes • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil • kosher salt • freshly ground black pepper • Maldon or flake salt DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper on a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Roast, tossing occasionally, until deeply golden and crisp. Finish with flake salt.

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Slowly whisk the beer into the remaining flour mixture to create a batter.

Heat the oil in a large skillet until 350ºF. Dredge the fish first in the flour mixture, then in the batter. Allow excess to drip off before gently lowering into the frying oil. Fry the fish until deeply golden, flipping halfway through, about 4 minutes per side. Don’t crowd the pan.

Carefully remove the fish from the pan and set it on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven on warm if you’re making a lot, or let cool at room temperature while you finish the rest.

Serve the fish and chips with the tartar sauce and malt vinegar immediately.

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Kacie McMackin is an avid cook, writer, and owner of Kings & Daughters Brewery. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE I WINTER 2023-24

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PARTAKE I EAT & DRINK

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

bettertogethertaptruck@gmail.com bettertogethertaptruck.com

BRIDGESIDE

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

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 baverage at your event!

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.

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

Reserving now for 2024

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

BRODER ØST

CASA EL MIRADOR FAMILY MEXICAN RESTAURANT

CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR

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

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

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

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

Celebrating over 18 years, Celilo began with a desire to honor the bounty of the Northwest. Our ever-changing menu reflects the seasonal highlights of the region’s growers and foragers. We offer the most innovative in fresh, local cuisine as well as an award-winning wine list, full bar, small plate menu, and happy hour.

#broderost

Quality Mexican food prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients. Warm, friendly service and a lively atmosphere. Indulge in generous portions of flavorful sizzling fajitas, fish tacos, savory enchilada dishes and daily specials.

Drink specials & Happy Hour menu from 3-6pm, Mon-Fri. Full service bar, take-out menu, gift certificates and catering services. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

DOPPIO COFFEE

EL PUERTO DE ANGELES III

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

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

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

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

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

Everybody’s Brewing sits perfectly nestled on the cliffs of White Salmon, WA, overlooking the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. With award-winning beers, a diverse food menu, and views of Mt. Hood, you’ll quickly discover why Everybody’s is a Gorge favorite.

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

Visit Website for Updated Hours | Indoor/Outdoor Dining and Takeout (Order Online or Call)

We look forward to serving you!

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

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BETTER TOGETHER MOBILE TAP TRUCK

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

Open Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm

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

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PARTAKE I EAT & DRINK

GRACE SU’S CHINA GORGE RESTAURANT & TIGER LOUNGE 541-386-5331 • chinagorge.com 2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River

GROUND ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE 541-386-4442 • groundhoodriver.com 12 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River

THE LITTLE SEVEN SEVEN RANCH HIGHLAND BEEF 509-767-7130 • L77Ranch.com

Open Tuesdays through Sundays for takeout & dine-in service, closed Mondays.

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.

Grass-Fed Highland Beef from our ranch to your home.

Known for flavor and tenderness, Highland Beef is higher in protein and iron than conventional beef, lower in fat and cholesterol. The L77 Ranch Shop is tucked into the woods of Lyle, WA. The impressive Highland Cattle can be viewed as you travel through the ranch. Email for a Local Price List.

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

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

SOLSTICE HOOD RIVER

541-436-0800 • solsticehoodriver.com 501 Portway Ave • 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.

A destination dining experience that unites friends, families, & community with a love of wood-fired pizza, shareable appetizers, and gluten friendly offerings. Inspired by the Gorge & seasonal harvests from our neighboring farms, our food & beverage menus are chef-driven & handcrafted.

Open Daily | 11am-9pm

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

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO.

YOUR PARTAKE LISTING HERE

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

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

A 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.

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!

Please visit website for current hours.

RESERVE A PARTAKE LISTING SPACE TODAY

A Gorge favorite known for authentic flavor and friendly service. Proudly serving Hunan and Szechuan cuisine since 1978. From our family to yours, we’re honored to have you at our table!

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

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

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

By appointment only.

Walk-ins welcome! Reservations for in-house dining & takeout at our cafe/pizza truck available on our site!

Contact Jody Thompson for more information: 425-308-9582 • jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com 541-399-6333 • thegorgemagazine.com

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OUR GORGE

your Gorge

Robert Meyers was driving from The Dalles to Hood River one afternoon last December when he stopped at one of his favorite places to take photographs, Mayer State Park. “It was late in the day, just before sunset,” he said. “The light looked interesting and there was no wind.” Although he has a couple of cameras dedicated to his amateur photography pursuits, on that day he pulled out his iPhone to capture the scene. “Sometimes, by the time I get my tripod out and set it up, I’ve lost the shot. I use my iPhone for fleeting images.”

Meyers was particularly struck by the colors that day. “I love the wintertime blue,” he said. “Some people don’t like the winters here, but I think they’re great. The light can be outstanding with the low-angle sun reflecting off the water.”

the photographer

ROBERT MEYERS of Hood River works for the Bonneville Power Administration as operator of the Big Eddy Substation, just above The Dalles Dam. “I’m really fortunate to have a wonderful commute every day,” he said. His passion for photography began in his twenties, and grew when he and his wife, artist Cathleen Rehfeld, moved to the Gorge in the 1990s. “I started trying to take landscape photographs that Cathleen can paint from,” he said. “The variety of landscapes here in the Gorge is unmatched for photography. Every season is different, too, which keeps it interesting.” @robertfmeyers on Instagram.

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@gorgegreenery gorgegreenery.com

13 Oak Street, Hood River 541-436-4647

Your Local, Sustainable Cannabis Shop Welcome to Gorge Greenery - your carefully curated, All Things Cannabis destination, where our friendly, expert staff will guide you to experience the best bud in the Columbia River Gorge.

Explore our small batch selection & the great outdoors with local product that will enhance your adventures.

25% Off Locals Every Wednesday

20% Off Veterans, Medical & Tribal ID

Discover the VIP Loyalty Program

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

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Home sweet home.

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 - just ask her clients!

HHHHH

Cyndee was amazing! She was on the job for several months before our property even listed. She took initiative to investigate issues involving county regulations and deed/ title issues. As out-of-state sellers, Cyndee helped us clean and prepare the property for sale using her incredible local network. She advised on local market trends and sales strategies for maximum returns.

So grateful! — Thelma H.

HHHHH

Cyndee is a hard worker and a down to earth, kind, respectful and collaborative professional.

I liked how she works with her team to maximize what she contributed to the process.

Highly recommended!

— Green Tara LLC

Cyndee Kurahara BROKER, OR/WA

541-490-1396 cyndee@copperwest.com IG: cyndee_kurahara

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