The Gorge Magazine - Winter 2020-21 by The Gorge Magazine

WINTER 2020-21 thegorgemagazine.com

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Swim Season For a hearty few, the Columbia beckons even in winter

Sahale Lodge

Mt. Hood Meadows completes an expansion

Hood River Library

A community hub weathers the pandemic

Committed to our clients and the Gorge community since 2001.

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CONTENTS | WINTER 2020-21

FEATURE

BRIDGING A HEALTH CARE CREVASSE Community health workers connect the vulnerable with vital resources in good times and bad By Judy Bankman

Ben Mitchell

OUTSIDE 34 MORE THAN A POLAR PLUNGE

For one hearty group of athletes, winter is swim season

By Janet Cook

ARTS + CULTURE

BEST OF THE GORGE

10 PERSON OF INTEREST 14 VENTURES

38 HOW TO BE A LIBRARY DURING A PANDEMIC

18 WINE SPOTLIGHT

Hood River’s library remains a community hub

By Janet Cook

46 PARTAKE

WELLNESS 42 FINDING BALANCE

A Hood River doctor brings personal experience to hormone therapy treatment

By Janet Cook

38 4

OUR GORGE

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

50 YOUR GORGE

Kacie McMackin

HOME HOME HOME HOME

+ + ++

JEWELRY JEWELRY JEWELRY JEWELRY

SINCE 1994 SINCE SINCE 1994 1994 SINCE 1994

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

EDITOR’S NOTE

Carol@DonNunamaker.com RealEstateinTheGorge.com HoodRiverProperties.com

ODELL $725,000: Recently updated ranch style farmhouse with a view of Mt. Adams. Updates include flooring, kitchen countertops & appliances and deck. Total acreage is 10.44 acres of which approx 10 acres are in pear production. Close to Stave & Stone, a popular winery, easy access to Hwy 35 to get anywhere in the Gorge. That’s why it’s called Central Vale. RMLS 20439073

The forced family time in general was sweet. Formerly mundane activities now occupy a warm place in my heart: puzzles, endless games of Rummykub, family movie nights. I learned a little about astrology from my daughter. My son taught me to do a front flip on the trampoline. We bought patio furniture and spent a lot of time on it together. My 13-year-old and I had slumber parties on the patio furniture and on the trampoline. Neither involved great sleep but certainly great memories. Although at times it felt stifling, I know I’ll look back fondly on the long days spent under the same roof, sometimes not doing much, or with each other, just being in our little place on the earth together. I’m also grateful for this magazine’s continued presence. After our parent company dissolved unceremoniously at the end of March, we eventually found ourselves under the umbrella of the newly-formed Columbia Gorge News. Thanks to our advertisers and supporters who have stuck with us through this challenging year, this is the third issue we’ve put out since Covid began. They’re leaner than before, but we’re still here telling Gorge stories. One of those stories is about a program called Bridges to Health, which has long been helping people in need to access health and social services. When the pandemic hit, the organization and its network of community health workers were well-positioned to provide much-needed connections between people affected by Covid and vital services. Our feature on the organization and the important work it’s done this year, and every year, starts on page 22. Speaking of important work, the Hood River County Library has faced unique challenges this year, with its mission of serving the community at a time when it couldn’t allow patrons inside. Library director Rachael Fox and her team have done a commendable job innovating to provide services during these difficult times (page 38). Other stories in here include a look at some hearty athletes who swim the Columbia River in the winter (page 34) and a piece about the new lodge at Mt. Hood Meadows (page 14). This is also our annual Health & Wellness issue, so you’ll find several health-related stories as well as a special advertising section. As always, thanks for reading. We wish you a safe and healthy winter. — Janet Cook, Editor WINTER 2020-21 thegorgemagazine.com

HOOD RIVER $1,395,000: Lovely large custom home on 0.67 acre, 4742 sqft just along the edge of the Indian Creek Golf Course. Totally remodeled daylight ranch style home to a spectacular contemporary home. No spot untouched. Main level open concept kitchen, dining, living room, full ensuite BR, 2nd BR. Family room, 2 BRs, media room & wine cellar in lower level. RMLS 20154820

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s this long, strange year draws to a close, it looks like there might be light at the end of the tunnel. Still, all of the damage done, economic and otherwise, will have repercussions for a long time to come. But amid the loss and sorrow of 2020, I’ve found some things to be grateful for. The best is all the extra time I got with my two kids. As teenagers, it won’t be long before they fly away. These months with no sports, no extracurricular activities, little social life, and school happening within our own four walls — while disheartening in many ways, was also a gift.

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

PARKDALE $1,900,000: Stunning large log home on 41.71 acres with a spectacular view of Mt. Hood and the Upper Valley. Impressive architecture features: 3 levels, 5BRs, 4.5BAs, 4052 sqft & all BRs have a view of the mountain. Currently run as the popular Bigfoot Lodge. RMLS 20664508

Swim Season For a hearty few, the Columbia beckons even in winter

Sahale Lodge

Mt. Hood Meadows completes an expansion

Hood River Library

A community hub weathers the pandemic

About the Cover Hood River photographer Paloma Ayala took the cover photo of her husband Patrick Hiller and fellow swimmer Eivind Hagen splashing into the Columbia River at The Hook last December. The water temperature that day was 42 degrees. “Shooting in the winter is unique because not many people venture into the water this time of year, especially without a wetsuit,” Ayala said. “I love seeing how much they like to suffer and document their adventures, always trying to go one notch higher.” ayalapaloma.com Photo by Paloma Ayala

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WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

When you have read this issue please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. Together we can make a difference in preserving and conserving our resources.

WINTER 2020-21 EDITOR Janet Cook

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Renata Kosina

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jody Thompson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Judy Bankman, Don Campbell, Cate Hotchkiss, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Paloma Ayala

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

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Paloma Ayala, Renata Kosina, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Drew Torrente

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

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE 600 E. Port Marina Way, Suite B and C P.O. Box 390 Hood River, Oregon 97031 We appreciate your feedback. Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

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

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OUR GORGE I BEST OF THE GORGE

Courtesy of Visit Hood River

Shop Local

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Bald Eagles

Every winter, bald eagles put on a show at the mouth of the Klickitat River near Lyle, Wash. The eagles congregate here during January and February, with migrating eagles joining resident birds to feed on the winter steelhead run. For the best viewing, take a walk on the paved loop at Balfour-Klickitat Day Use Park. For a longer outing, head up the river on the Klickitat Trail. gorgefriends.org

This year, more than ever, it’s important (and safer) to shop locally. Stores and boutiques in Hood River and the other Gorge communities follow state guidelines limiting capacity and requiring masks, to keep in-store shopping safe. If you’d rather shop online, the Visit Hood River/Hood River County Chamber website also has put together an online Marketplace where it’s easy to find specific products as well as purchase gift cards for many local businesses, including retailers, restaurants, farms and more. visithoodriver.com

Winter Farmers Market

The Gorge Grown Winter Farmers Market takes place on the first and third Saturdays of the month, from December through April. To keep shopping safe and open-air, this year’s market will be under the Ferment Brewing Company tasting room in Hood River, on the ground-floor outdoor vestibule. Some vendors will only have their products available for preorder and pickup through the Gorge Grown online marketplace. gorgegrown.com

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WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Cate Hotchkiss

OUR GORGE I PERSON OF INTEREST

Connie Serra, M.D. A Hood River physician overcomes childhood trauma to serve those most in need story by CATE HOTCHKISS | photos by CATE HOTCHKISS and provided

Dr.

Connie Serra, M.D., lead physician at One Community Health in Hood River, fell in love with the outdoors and rural life on her grandparents’ farm in Leipsic, Ohio, the only place from which she conjures happy childhood memories. Throughout her youth, she spent entire summers there, along with her mom, younger sister, and multiple cousins, while her dad stayed home in Painesville, a small town just east of Cleveland. Serra recalls her grandma’s single strict edict: be back by dinnertime, thus allowing the band of kids to run free all day. They climbed peach and apple trees in the front yard; followed the quarter-mile cow path to the woods to chase wild pigs; played hide-and-seek in barns stacked with hay; and sang songs while strolling down endless country roads with Penny, the farm Collie. In the evenings, they devoured homemade, hand-cranked ice cream on the old farmhouse’s screened-in back porch, before collapsing into beds of cozy quilts and crisp, line-dried sheets. “When the lights flicked off, the bedroom turned so velvety black I couldn’t see my hand in front of my nose,” Serra recalls. “I would sink into the deepest, soundest sleep.” Conversely, her own household offered few of those comforts. “My parents physically fought all the time,” Serra said. “They often broke furniture and threw objects at each other, and sometimes my sister and I got caught in the crossfire.” When she was 11, Serra was struck in the forehead with a crystal ashtray hurled across the living room. No one called an ambulance or drove her to the ER. Instead, she covered the red, swollen goose egg with her strawberry-blonde hair, and, with a throbbing headache, attended school the next morning, never once complaining to anyone. Soon thereafter, Serra’s mom divorced her husband to escape the domestic violence, and moved with her daughters from the suburbs to a small apartment in a public housing complex. Her father seldom paid child support due to his gambling debts. To make ends meet, Serra’s mom worked two 10

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Dr. Connie Serra as a young child, inset, and today, as lead physician at One Community Health in Hood River.

minimum-wage jobs, both of which she eventually lost to her new coping mechanism: drinking. Eventually she entered rehab, leaving her now teenage daughters for a month to fend for themselves, often enduring intense bullying by kids at school. When she returned, she descended into a disabling depression. By age 15, Serra had assumed the role of family breadwinner, selling Avon door-to-door and surviving on boxes of mac and cheese. This period marks the advent of a work ethic and sense of self-reliance that would grow stronger and stronger over time.

Cate Hotchkiss

Giving starts in the Gorge

Serra visits with a patient at a fall farmworkers clinic in the Hood River Valley. In addition to her busy practice, she helps train doctors in a rural residency program.

Six years later and still living at home, Serra worked as a bookkeeper by day and a waitress on the weekends, while taking a full load of evening classes at a community college. Her major: accounting, a choice based on a high school guidance counselor’s advice to pursue a “practical” business degree. But Serra felt depleted, burned out, uninspired. “I remember walking down the street one afternoon in my neighborhood wondering, ‘What kind of job could I do that would help make the world a better place? And that would fulfill me?’” she said. “Suddenly, I had a revelation which I could not let go of — I would become a doctor!” She confided her new career goals to her family physician at the public health clinic where she had been a patient for a decade. “He not only counseled me about enrolling in a pre-med curriculum, he offered me a position as an office assistant between semesters,” Serra said. Three years later and aided by tuition grants, she earned a biology degree from the University of Akron, while living rent-free at the home of a dear family friend. In the meantime, her mother’s mental health improved with the right medical treatment, and, step by step, so did her quality of life. In 1995, Serra graduated from Ohio State University School of Medicine where, over several summers, she gained clinical experience treating patients in remote, underserved areas, including an impoverished Native American reservation two hours east of Phoenix, Ariz. Next, she headed to Oregon and, through Oregon Health & Science University, completed a rural family medicine residency in Klamath Falls, where she practiced for several years. She also finished an obstetrics fellowship at OHSU. In Klamath Falls, she got engaged, and gave birth to her son, Luke, but decided, ultimately, not to marry Luke’s father. Instead, in 2001, now a single mom and full-time doctor, she moved with her baby boy to Hood River, where she joined One Community Health to practice the full scope of family medicine. The mission of OCH — to advance health and social justice for all members of its community — aligned with her own. Serra has a special place in her heart for migrant farmworkers, who comprise a significant portion of her patients. “In our country, we don’t treat this hard-working population with the dignity they deserve,” she said. “They grow and pick our food, till our soil, and yet, like so many other low-wage earners, they often can’t afford to pay for health care.” To help decrease these disparities, she has helped organize, with her close-knit OCH team, a farmworker outreach program in which physicians, nurses, and other staff members provide essential health and wellness services on-site at the orchards and in the packing houses.

The Gorge Community Foundation helps donors create charitable endowment funds to support the causes you care about and projects that inspire you. Since 2003, the Foundation has made over $2 million in grants. You can start an endowment fund now with a tax-deductible contribution or include the Gorge Community Foundation in your estate plans. Learn more at gorgecf.org or call 509-250-3525

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Cate Hotchkiss

In addition to her own busy practice, Serra serves as the associate program director for the Providence Hood River Family Medicine Residency Rural Training program, launched in 2013 by Dr. Bob Gobbo, M.D., also a family medicine physician at OCH. “Without Dr. Serra, our residency program would not exist,” said Gobbo, adding that she helped forge a bond between OCH and Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, and implemented the program’s on-the-ground medical training protocols.

“Plus, she inspires everyone around her to lead with compassion, kindness, humility, and an upbeat attitude,” he said. “You simply could not ask for a better role model for young doctors just out of medical school.” Serra was recently awarded “Faculty of the Year” by the latest cohort of residents she trained, which included Dr. Kate Kleaveland, M.D., who plans to join OCH as a full-time provider in January 2021. “Dr. Serra works tirelessly on behalf of patients and for the clinic,” Kleaveland said. “It seems as if no amount of adversity slows her down. Oftentimes, we provide care with little reimbursement, which is one reason why community health centers tend to be financially challenged. However, Dr. Serra never seems to get discouraged, and always arrives with a smile.” Serra does, of course, experience stress — especially now, serving on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, as she did in her girlhood, she finds solace in the outdoors — running, cycling, and skiing, usually alongside her equally-adventurous boyfriend of four years, Jeff Parker, a Hood River-based commercial airline pilot and single father of two. Serra also loves walking and snuggling with her 8-year-old Portuguese Water Dog, Juju, and spending time with Luke when he’s home from college. Recently, a Latina patient in her late teens revealed to Serra that she wanted to become a physician, but questioned her ability to do so. Serra instantly flashed back to age 21 when she changed course, and began to trust her own instincts. “I shared some of my background with this bright young woman, and told her, ‘If I can do it, you can, too,’” Serra said. It’s a message she hopes will encourage other young people, or those of any age, to follow their hearts, no matter the circumstances, or the time it takes to arrive, whenever, and wherever, that might be. Cate Hotchkiss is a freelance health and lifestyle writer who lives in Hood River with her family.

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WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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OUR GORGE I VENTURES

Sahale Rising An expansion at Mt. Hood Meadows ushers in a new era for the resort story and photos by BEN MITCHELL

ince its inaugural season, Mt. Hood Meadows, much like the Pacific Northwest, has continued to change and grow. Commencing operations in 1968 with a single rope tow, two double chairs, and a day lodge, over the course of the past 52 seasons the resort has expanded to feature a total of six high-speed quads, four double chairs, a conveyor, a quad, and a significantly larger day lodge. Visitation has also risen over the years, as the region’s population and interest in outdoor sports continues to grow, with the resort sometimes parking out on peak powder weekends.

Now, embarking on its 53rd season, Meadows has just completed its biggest capital project in nearly a generation: Sahale. The centerpiece of the project is the 23,500-square-foot Sahale Lodge, which serves as a skier and snowboarder services, dining, and meeting center and is directly connected to the existing South Lodge in the Meadows base area. The first level of the building is the new home of the Meadows Learning Center, which consists of the children and adult ski schools, as well as the Rental Center, where guests pick up boots, skis, and other equipment. The lodge’s second level features a spacious room for dining and meetings, a mezzanine known as “Raptor’s Roost,” with photos of several birds of prey found in the Meadows permit area, and three new restaurants: Wildflowers Cafe, which serves

The new Sahale Lodge offers breathtaking views of Mount Hood. The $15 million project, and existing space redesign, provides a 60 percent increase in seating at the resort. 14

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Cooper Spur Mountain Resort has been hosting Mt. Hood travelers and their families for generations. Nestled on the north side of Mt. Hood, you’ll be sure to fall in love with the charming tavern and rustic log cabins. Escape to the mountain and enjoy cozy accommodations just 40 minutes from Hood River.

The bullwheel above the entrance to the Bullwheel Bar once turned the Hood River Meadows lift. The bar, below, contains many upcycled components from former lifts.

hot and cold drinks, grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and snacks; Sahale Grill, which functions as a mini-cafeteria offering Asian, Italian, Mexican, and American cuisine; and the 21-and-older Bullwheel Bar, which serves craft cocktails and other alcoholic beverages, sandwiches, salads, and stone-fired pizzas. While the focal point of the Sahale project is the new building, it also entailed the construction of two acres of additional parking (approximately 250 spaces), not far from the lower-elevation Hood River Meadows parking lot, as well as the reutilization of the North Lodge for additional dining space. Also, with the Meadows Learning Center and the Rental Center moving over to Sahale, the two facilities are now more conveniently located near the resort’s beginner terrain served by the Buttercup chairlift. Dave Tragethon, vice president of sales and marketing at Mt. Hood Meadows, says Sahale, a Native American word that means, among other things, “to rise above,” will elevate the guest experience and help address space issues at the busy resort. “Sahale and the existing space redesign will increase lodge seating by 900 — a 60-percent increase over what Meadows previously offered,” he explains. “That addresses one of the main complaints guests have — finding seating for dining on busy days in overcrowded lodges.” Portland construction firm Bremik Construction broke ground in April 2019 on the $15 million project, which was partially funded by sales of a special, five-year pass called the “Sahale Gold Membership.” Limited to 1,250 passes, the Sahale Gold Membership sold out in three weeks. Tragethon

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

The windows in the lodge’s Waterfall Room, left, provide an expansive view across the deck toward the Daisy and Buttercup lifts. Above, former lift parts in the Bullwheel Bar.

noted that “without that support, we would not have to been able to take on both [the parking and lodge improvement] projects, and Sahale may not have been built.” Phase One ended ahead of schedule in November 2019 with the erection of the building’s steel framework, and work resumed in April of this year with Covid-19 safety precautions in place, finishing in late November in time for the start of the winter recreation season. Sahale was designed to give guests visiting Mt. Hood Meadows a sense of place, Tragethon explains, and “to bring the outside in.” Large, two-story

windows and a vaulted ceiling give a sense of openness, while also offering guests a good view of Mount Hood and the ski slopes. The building’s butterflystyle roof is designed to hold snowmelt, with the runoff subsequently channeled into a rain garden below, which filters the snowmelt before it’s released into nearby wetlands. Photos of wildflowers endemic to the resort’s permit area adorn the Wildflowers Cafe, and archival shots of lift construction and maintenance from the resort’s early days line the wall at the Bullwheel Bar — so named for the massive bullwheel perched above the bar’s entrance that once turned the Hood River Meadows lift. In fact, the Bullwheel Bar is a trove of upcycled lift parts: the wood finish is made out of milled timbers that came from the original Yellow lift terminal building (replaced by the Stadium lift in 2011), light fixtures are fashioned out of old sheaves, and the foot rest at the bar is made from what was once a haul rope. While the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing means that Sahale won’t have as much seating available this season as it will in subsequent seasons, the expansion couldn’t have come at a better time, as the 23,500 square feet of additional space will allow resort guests to spread out. The building is outfitted with a HEPA air filtration system that performs six air exchanges an hour, and the resort was especially busy in the offseason, forgoing its normal summer operations to work on putting numerous Covid-19-related plans and infrastructure together in preparation for the 2020-2021 season. Chiefly, the resort will require social distancing, masks for both guests and employees, and the purchase of lift tickets, rental equipment, and other products online in advance. With the construction of Sahale complete, Tragethon says the resort will be shifting its long-term focus to other projects, such as “improving our uplift capabilities, looking at additional downhill, uphill, and hiking terrain, and expanding our summer recreation, entertainment, education, and culinary events.” That being said, the top priority for Meadows right now is making sure the 2020-2021 season, which presents pandemic-related challenges for winter sports resorts all over the world, goes smoothly. “We are focused on having a safe and successful season this winter,” Tragethon says. “Wear a mask. Watch your distance. Wash your hands. Be patient, flexible, and kind.” For more information, including on the resort’s Covid-19 preparations, go to www.skihood.com.

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WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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

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Gorge wineries innovate during the pandemic story by DON CAMPBELL | photos provided

he toll of 2020 has been vicious and unrelenting. It has taken no prisoners and we are all battlescarred and tired. We have taken solace wherever we could find it — with simple pleasures, little victories, and even in the sweet sip of a favorite spirit. No less so with our region’s bounty of world-class wineries. While it has been difficult to recapture the joy of sitting in our favorite tasting rooms, soaking in the camaraderie and fellowship of our fellow wine tasters, sipping and learning, those establishments have tried with all their hearts to keep us in the nectar that unties tongues and warms our weary souls. We planned on and mapped out a story of how wineries are dealing with the pandemic as we head into winter, the creative methods to maintain bonds with wine clubs, patrons and tourists, and the ways to keep spirits up, helpers employed and customers safe. Then, in a pattern consistent and persistent with the way this year has gone, in mid-November, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced a two-week pause on social activities in light of an alarming spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations throughout several Oregon counties. She suggested that it could go on longer than that, depending on the next round of circumstances that befall us. Citing “sporadic community spread,” the governor imposed new restrictions on businesses and the ways we gather, especially in light of the holiday season. Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington followed soon after with similar — in some cases stricter — guidelines. Wineries, unfortunately, will feel the crush again, as those establishments are rolled in with restaurants and bars, once again bearing the weight of take-out and delivery service only, travel bans and self-quarantining imposed by governors of all three West Coast states, caps and limits on grocery stores, retail stores and more, and lower wholesale and distribution sales than ever. 18

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

George Benes Photography

Paloma Ayala

OUR GORGE I WINE SPOTLIGHT

Wine Emergencies, and More Creative Marketing

In a letter to Gov. Brown in November, coauthors Elin Miller of the Oregon Wine Council and Alex Sokol-Blosser of the Oregon Winegrowers Association, offered: “2020 has been one of the most challenging years to date for our industry. The economic devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with this year’s unprecedented wildfires right before harvest, has threatened our industry, which, prior to Covid, provided over 30,000 jobs and brought nearly $800 million annually in wine related tourism revenue to the state. Now, our wineries and wine growers are barely hanging on and doing everything they can to simply keep their doors open.” Let us traffic in hope and not despair. It may be a long, cold lonely winter, but here’s what several wineries had planned and may yet get to execute. The one nearly universal note that rang out: We live in a vibrant community that takes care of each other. Just know that wineries have got your back.

Absalom Bolton began farming the northeast edge of the Dufur Valley in 1850, and the land has stayed in the family since then. Lacey and Colter Bolton have now claimed the fifth-generation family farm as the home of 15 Mile Winery. Since 2013, they’ve been growing grapes and producing wine, including Pinot Noir, Merlot, Gewürztraminer, and Chenin Blanc, as well as Barbera and Syrah. “The biggest challenge this year was when all of our wholesale went away,” Lacey says. “Restaurants and other wholesale accounts were not purchasing, but our retail volume picked up considerably. We attribute that to the work we did banding together with one another.” Julie Wadsworth, manager of the winery’s tasting room in downtown The Dalles, put together some creative themed packages throughout the year, including for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Halloween. One of the Halloween kits, for example, included wine, charcuterie to go, and a “Boo” DIY Art Kit from The Workshop, a unique gifts store and specialty woodworking shop in The Dalles. The partnership was successful enough that they’ll continue to create holiday kits incorporating The Workshop products. “Julie, she’s our boots on the ground,” Lacey says. “She put in a lot of effort working on community businesses, finding ways for local businesses to band together and help each other. We found success in that.” Wadsworth notes the change in the winery business in general from one of being valuebased, where a “good deal” was the prize, to one of being more experiential. “Now people want a great experience,” she says, “where friends meet, and get a chance to meet the winemaker. The pandemic changed it again. When you can’t get out, it began to be a different kind of experience, of looking for something unique. We’re selling wine but also selling the winery and ourselves. These collaborations help us stand out and remain relevant.” ___

Courtesy of Hood Crest Winery

___

Wy’east Vineyards sells bottles from its stocked shelves, opposite top. 15 Mile Winery owner/winemaker Colter Bolton, opposite inset, and his team have been putting together packages with other businesses. Hood Crest Winery makes hand sanitizer as well as pizza for take-out, above.

The winery has begun curbside dinner service (in addition to the pizza and other delicacies they prepare and serve) that included for Thanksgiving a turducken dinner with wine. During the fall, Hood Crest promoted BYOB — bring your own blankets, but then planned to switch to blanket sales onsite — even for indoor seating (which was then allowed but capped for capacity) since cross-ventilation required them to open their doors. “Our spirits,” says Barr, who is also a noted singer, songwriter and popular performer, “are just about ready for sale, for hot toddies and hot buttered rum ready-to-go.”

Vineyards Est. 1984, 1998

Winery Est. 2002

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Tess Barr of Hood Crest Winery and Distillers in Hood River has been a little surprised by the local support in these viral times. “We’re still busy,” Barr says. “It’s nice to have the support from the community. You have to take care of your community. We’ve been donating a lot of sanitizer, disposable masks and things to the food bank. We’re doing that a lot right now, to reduce inventory. I’m very community oriented. It has to be about that, especially with the holidays.”

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

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current location on Cascade Avenue in Hood River to Oak Street. “We’ve had a tasting room downtown for 15 years,” says Sierra Wright, The Pines general manager and daughter of famed Gorge winemaker Lonnie Wright. “We wanted to be on Oak Street, but somehow skirted everywhere around it.” Covid had thrown some wrenches in the machine but the Wrights, although not really looking to move, found out about a space before it went on the market. “Besides being on Oak Street, where there’s more foot traffic, it provided us a way to get back to our business model, preCovid,” she says. That includes lots of live music, now on the back shelf with the new occupancy and safety restrictions. “The space is not huge, square footagewise,” Wright offers. “It’s about what we have now, but the layout is a big rectangle, offering more seating.” Pre-new pandemic restrictions capped wineries at 50 percent, with socially distanced seating. The new space will accommodate more guests, with more space for live music.

Paloma Ayala

The big news this season for The Pines 1852 Winery and Tasting Room is a move from its

The Pines 1852 owner/winemaker Lonnie Wright and his daughter, Sierra, general manager, left, are planning to move the winery’s Hood River tasting room to Oak Street this winter. Wy’east Vineyards general manager Keely Reed and her family outside the tasting room, right.

When restrictions loosen up again, The Pines has several plans for the new space, including developing a courtyard area behind the tasting room with terraced seating. “A little oasis,” says Wright, “unless there’s three feet of snow.” If it all goes right and they get the space open, “It will create wonderful place people can go, and feel like we’re not in a pandemic.” The winery is also offering holiday sales, sip-and-stay packages with the Hood River Inn, and First Friday pourings in The Dalles. “We want to add to the festive spirit, with these collaborative efforts. It’s good for camaraderie and makes you recognize what a great community this is.” Commercially, this year has been tough on many local businesses. Luckily, wine is one of those things that can survive the rugged times. “My grandfather lived through the Depression,” Wright says. “The only two business that make it, he said, are beauty shops and booze. It’s what people will spend disposable income on. We still want to enjoy wine. It’s one of the little things that make people feel a sense of normalcy. We are so grateful for our wine club and local support and incredible staff. We’re in it together.” ___ Located up Highway 35 south of Hood River is the family-run Wy’East Vineyards and Tasting Room. The original vineyard was purchased in the ‘90s, and officially opened in 2003. “We’re just

Small craft winery, brewery and cidery Farm-to-table pizza Open Daily gratefulvineyards.com

farmers,” says general manager Keely Reed, offering a major understatement. “It’s non-stop and yearround.” Like many of its ilk, the winery has slogged through the pandemic but remained open — offering no pourings but selling to its wine club members and visitors, “So they could at least pick up wine club distributions and purchase extra bottles,” Reed says. “It was better than nothing.” The extra safety protocols involved in operating have led them to cut back in some areas, according to Reed. “It’s hard managing staff and following protocols and sanitizing single-use menus, sanitizing bathrooms between each customer. It’s a lot of extra stuff. Because of extra steps we had to scale back on other things. We used to do small charcuterie, and had to hire an extra person to work that. We had to do more in other places than we’ve ever done, and eliminate some things. It was a learning experience.” To get through the winter, they’re offering free local delivery of three or more bottles of wine and have teamed up with Columbia Gorge Confections to give away gourmet chocolate. “It’s a little gift on us,” Reed says. And for the desperate, they offer this: “Available for wine emergencies during the week if you give us a call or email.” Necessity and adversity are often the mother of creative solutions. Applaud and support the grape growers, winemakers and devoted staff who keep our glasses filled and our wine racks full. 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.

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

BRID IDG GING A HEALTH CARE CREVASSE

Community health workers connect the vulnerable with vital resources in good times and bad

By Judy Bankman After a spinal cord injury in 2014, Columbia Gorge resident Erin Smith (not her real name) was suffering from fatigue. Her home had become cluttered with mail and paperwork, which was out of character for her. Smith had heard about the Bridges to Health program through a friend who was a client, so she enrolled and was connected with community health worker, Lissette Rivera. “Lissette came over to my house and helped me get organized,” said Smith. “She let me know about my insurance flex fund. [My doctor recommended] pool therapy but I couldn’t afford it, so she helped to access those flex funds to get me into the pool, which helped me physically, tremendously.” Smith now shares the information she learned from Rivera with others in the community who might benefit.

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Rena George stock.adobe.com/Gary L. Quay

EMBODYING A CULTURE OF HEALTH The Columbia Gorge Region received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize in 2016, in large part because of its collaboration across sectors and its support and use of community health workers. Both of these are core to the Bridges to Health program. Housed within the Columbia Gorge Health Council, Bridges to Health has been connecting individuals and families to resources in Wasco and Hood River counties since 2017. Funded by PacificSource Community Solutions and the Columbia Gorge Health Council, Bridges to Health is a cross-sector program that works to improve access to resources, increase collaboration in and out of the health care system, and empower community members to improve their health. Columbia Gorge Health Council staff members serve as the program’s “HUB,” which provides oversight, quality improvement, training and program evaluation. Bridges to Health staff are community health workers employed by local organizations and agencies that contract with the Columbia Gorge Health Council. They meet weekly to learn from each other, discuss current resources, and to share client successes and challenges. Community health workers are frontline public health workers trained to provide outreach in their communities. They meet with people — usually in their own homes — to assess individual health and wellness needs and help connect clients with health care providers and vital social services. Community health workers “help translate people to systems and systems to people,” said Suzanne Cross, Bridges to Health program manager. Systems like health care and housing can be very complex. Community health workers help people navigate these systems and also “help advocate to those systems how to better serve individuals and families,” Cross said. While the Bridges to Health program focuses on health, it also works to improve “social determinants of health” — factors like housing and food access that affect clients’ overall health outcomes. This means community health workers help clients to access anything from an appointment with a primary care doctor to an affordable apartment or bus pass. Community health workers are trusted members of the community who also have lived experience that helps guide their work. “I can empathize with clients in some situations they’re in because I’ve been there,” said Rena George, a community health worker based at the Hood River County Health Department. “I’m showing them there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Community health worker Rena George, above middle, with two of her clients from Cascade Locks. George helped the women gain access to resources, which has allowed them to remain in their home and age in place.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

Courtesy of Bridges to Health

Ethan E. Rocke

BRIDGING A HEALTH CARE CREVASSE

Community health worker Blanca Flores, at right in photo on the left, with a client she helped connect to resources. At right is community health worker Cristina García Toche.

ADAPTING TO COVID-19 WITH COLLABORATION When Covid-19 hit in the spring, Bridges to Health began receiving referrals from local health departments for clients in isolation and quarantine who didn’t have an outside support system to help them stay safely isolated. Because of the program’s existing relationships with the Hood River County Health Department and North Central Public Health District, which serves Wasco, Gilliam and Sherman counties, it was a natural partnership. Bridges to Health adapted quickly to serve those individuals and families while continuing to work with clients having challenges accessing resources on their own.

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“We help [those in isolation] with groceries, or picking up a food box, or delivering medication, masks, hand sanitizer, thermometers — you name it, even activities for kids,” said Katy Williams, program coordinator for Bridges to Health. Community health workers also communicate regularly with health department staff to best support clients in isolation. As the community was just starting to adapt to Covid, the Gorge cherry harvest began. “In the beginning, a lot of farmworkers didn’t have the supplies or the information that they needed,” said Blanca Flores, a community health worker at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles. To address this issue, Bridges to Health community health workers at MCMC partnered with local orchards to provide outreach and education about Covid safety throughout local orchards. “If [farmworkers] were out picking, they’d [come down] from the ladders and they’d join around us, six feet apart, out in the open, and we’d just talk to them,” said Flores. “We had a lot of participation and engagement. We discovered a lot of these families were in need of food while we were out there. So we partnered up with the food bank and loaded our trucks with food boxes for these families.” Bridges to Health leadership soon realized that many clients in isolation, not only farmworkers, had unmet needs unrelated to Covid. Because of this, many clients receiving services during isolation continue to stay enrolled in the program after their isolation period. Cristina García, a community health worker based at Mid-Columbia Housing Authority, enjoys supporting her clients by instilling good food and financial habits in their lives, connecting them to resources they need the most, and motivating them to accomplish their goals. She has continued to work with an individual she initially supported through an isolation referral. Her client had just graduated from high school and was interested in pursuing higher education, but she has struggled with learning English and also needed assistance with health insurance. García recently helped her get health insurance, new prescription glasses, and access an online course in Spanish in her field of interest. Katrina Loikkanen, another community heath worker at Mid-Columbia Housing Authority, supported a client post-isolation with accessing housing and applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program’s flexibility, its highly capable staff, and its collaborative relationships with health departments, food banks, nonprofit organizations, and medical providers, have allowed Bridges to Health to adapt in order to support the community during this year of unforeseen challenges.

BRIDGES TO HEALTH PROGRAM GOALS • Increase collaboration of services in and out of healthcare • Improve access to services and resources by addressing disparities

Rena George

• Empower community members most in need to improve their overall health and well-being

Community health workers Rena George, left and Lissette Rivera pick up food from FISH Food Bank to deliver to clients in isolation or quarantine due to Covid-19.

“Being willing to do things together, across agencies, might take longer, but it’s absolutely worth it,” said Cross. “There’s so much joy and generally a better service and therefore outcome for our clients that comes out of learning how to collaborate.” For more information, go to cghealthcouncil.org.

Judy Bankman is an Oregon-based writer focusing on issues of public health, health equity, and sustainable food systems. Follow her on Twitter: @JudyBankman.

The program utilizes community health workers to meet clients where they’re most comfortable and empower them to prioritize the needs most important to them. The program targets people with two or more of the following needs/issues who are struggling with accessing resources on their own: Behavioral health, developmental screening, medical/dental referral, health insurance, medication, pregnancy, post-partum, family planning, tobacco cessation, education, food, immunization, employment, housing, transportation and social service referral. —Courtesy of Bridges to Health

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Health + Wellness RESOURCE GUIDE TO THE GORGE

What a year it’s been. The global coronavirus pandemic has touched everyone in some manner, and upended life in big and small ways. As we head into winter, there is both collective exhaustion from this months-long trek, as well as trepidation as the virus continues unabated. It’s reassuring to know that we have so many healthcare professionals in the Gorge dedicated to helping see us through these challenging times. All of them have had to greatly alter their routines and practices in order to simply do their work and keep us safe. We’re fortunate to have top-notch providers in every field, as well as several highly-rated hospitals, providing solutions to our healthcare needs every day right here in the Gorge. We salute our healthcare professionals for their commitment to the health and wellness of our communities.

Thank you healthcare workers!

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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DON’T LET A SPORTS INJURY SLOW YOU DOWN

MCMC Offers Top-Notch Care for Local Athletes of All Ages

he Gorge is an ideal location for sports enthusiasts to challenge themselves with windsurfing, mountain bike riding or hiking to hidden waterfalls. But whether you’re a thrill-seeker, school athlete or casual weekend competitor, there may come a time when you need to see a sports medicine specialist. Fortunately, Mid-Columbia Medical Center offers the most comprehensive and dedicated sports medicine program in the Gorge. With offices in The Dalles and Hood River, MCMC Sports Medicine and Orthopedics offers an experienced team of physicians, certified athletic trainers and physical therapists, all focused on helping patients who have experienced sports, bone or muscle-related injuries. Among the services provided are: • General sports injury management and prevention. • Arthroscopic surgery. • Total joint replacement. • Surgery for ligaments and tendons. • Fracture treatment. • Physical rehabilitation, including aquatic therapy. “Our sports medicine team is focused on helping patients recover mobility, restore function to muscles, relieve pain, and limit or prevent physical disabilities,” said Brian Scrivens, D.O. “Our goal is to not only help athletes recover safely and efficiently, but also help them understand what it will take to return to the activity they love and prevent injury or re-injury in the future. In this way our sports medicine program is another example of the hospital’s commitment to empower people to become active partners in their own health care.”

Dr. Scrivens knows sports medicine well, having served as associate team doctor for the Buffalo Sabres (NHL), Buffalo Bills (NFL) and Buffalo State University (NCAA). Here in the Columbia River Gorge he can be found on the sidelines of local sporting events, working closely with area youth athletes and the MCMC sports medicine athletic training team. He is also a sports enthusiast himself who enjoys cycling, skiing and hiking in addition to spending Dr. Brian Scrivens, D.O. time with his family enjoying the beautiful Gorge lifestyle. Dr. Scrivens is joined at MCMC Sports Medicine and Orthopedics by Doug Beaman, M.D., and James Reardon, M.D., who together head a team of certified physician assistants and other highly trained medical professionals, all of whom are well-known for their compassionate care and medical proficiency. Further information may be obtained at mcmc.net.

MID-COLUMBIA MEDICAL CENTER 541-506-6500 • mcmc.net

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

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SIMPLE WAYS TO STAY GROUNDED DURING STRESSFUL TIMES

Skyline Health Medical Clinic Counselor Kristoffer Lindstrom, MSW, LICSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Washington & Oregon At Skyline Health Medical Clinic, we understand taking care of the mind and body is essential to achieving better health and stronger individuals. You can trust our friendly, committed staff to be your partner in health, working diligently to provide the highest quality of care at every stage of life!

he events of this year have been increasingly volatile and stressful for nearly everyone. They include a pandemic, isolation, unemployment, and shifts to virtual work and school. During these challenging times, stressors such as anxiety, worry, sadness and depression may be magnified. Given all 2020 has thrown at us, it is

important to be mindful of caring for yourself and others. At Skyline Health Medical Clinic, Behavioral Health Counselor Kristoffer Lindstom suggests developing and engaging in a regular routine. A routine can create hope – giving you something to look forward to. When considering this option, think in terms of keeping it simple, realistic and achievable. An additional strategy to ease stress/anxiety is to practice exercises to ground yourself. These can include: Mini Mindfulness Exercise: First, pause what you are doing. Take a few deep breaths. Observe three sights, three sounds and three sensations. This can help bring you back to the present moment and proceed with your day. Practice Gratitude: Notice three things to be grateful for each day. Practicing gratitude can help build resilience during difficult times. They can be big things, small things and everything in between. By cultivating present moment awareness through mindfulness, you may experience a decrease in stress, which allows for balancing your life more effectively. It is important to remember when you are experiencing stressful situations, be kind to yourself and reach out for support. Taking action helps ward off depression and finding support in other people can help keep things in perspective. If you find yourself needing to speak with a professional, call Skyline Health Medical Clinic at 509-637-2810. We are here to help.

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WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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ALLERGIES IN THE GORGE: NOT JUST A SEASONAL PROBLEM

Mendy S. Maccabee, MD | Board Certified ENT & Allergy Care FACS, FAAOA

he allergy season in the Columbia River Gorge can be a real challenge for many people. The Gorge is unique in that we are in a wind-dominated corridor; we get allergens/ pollens from the east and west, depending on the prevailing wind, as well as our local allergens. Some plant pollens do have predominant seasons, but it is common for patients to be allergic to different things in multiple seasons. Wintertime allergens are frequently mold and dust mites. Tree pollen allergies dominate spring. In summer, grass pollens prevail and can be particularly problematic and long-lasting. This is also the time of year when stinging insect allergies cause problems that can be life-threatening for the sensitive allergic patient. Fall takes us into the weed season. Patients with animal allergies (including household pets) suffer all year around. Common allergy symptoms include: fatigue due to poor sleep, stuffy or runny nose, drainage in the back of your throat, cough, difficulty controlling asthma and/or eczema, itchy eyes, and sometimes rash or anaphylaxis.

In addition to COMPREHENSIVE ALLERGY TESTING & TREATMENT, we provide specialty ENT care for:

Sinus Disease Asthma Ear Infections Meniere’s Disease Ear Wax Vertigo Earaches Tinnitus Hearing Loss

Hoarseness Tonsils & Adenoids Sore Throat Hyperthyroidism Salivary Gland Disease Thyroid Disease/Goiter LPRD/GERD Parathyroid Disease Pediatric ENT Health

There are several measures you can take in your home if you are allergic. If you have wintertime symptoms, you should invest in dust mite covers for your mattress and pillows. You will want to minimize “clutter” in your sleeping area. If you were thinking about getting rid of carpet in your bedroom, you can add one more reason to your list. You can also add an air filter to your sleeping space. If you have animal allergies, you don’t need to get rid of your pets but if you can keep them out of your sleeping space and the area you spend the most time each day, you can minimize exposure. If you have forced air heat, you will want to make sure you change the filters annually. Allergen vacuum bags are also a good idea and are inexpensive and easy to find (Ace hardware, Home Depot etc.). When allergies become problematic enough that they prevent you from pursuing normal activities such as exercise, outdoor recreation, enjoying public gatherings or eating out, it is time to seek medical counseling. Allergy testing and specific treatment based on the results of these tests can drastically improve quality of life and sleep for most allergic patients, and be life saving for those who suffer from anaphylactic level reactions. MendyMaccabeeENT.com 541-436-3880 514 State St., Hood River

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HEALTHY CONNECTIONS Jefferey Horacek, MD Internal and Functional Medicine Physician Heather Nielsen Horacek, LPC, CHWC Counselor/Health Coach, Practice Administrator

• 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.

P R E PA R E D N E S S T I P S

o you long for a health care provider that sees and understands you, and makes time for your story? At Healthy Connections, the 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 internal medicine expertise with deep-dive

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functional medicine diagnostic and evaluation tools, Jeff Horacek, M.D., helps his clients resolve their health issues, understand what is “too much” and “not enough” in their life that might be helping or harming them, and create new, lasting health habits for optimal longevity. Dr. Horacek brings to his practice 25 years of experience as a primary care physician, with a compassionate heart, a detective’s mind, and a strong passion for helping others heal and thrive. Together with his wife, Heather, a mental health counselor, mindfulness teacher and wellness coach, their team approach is based on the following:

HEALTHY CONNECTIONS provides both functional medicine consultations as well as Direct Primary Care memberships. We are currently accepting new clients and would love to speak with you about your health and wellness goals and desires.

healthyconnectionshr.com 541-716-5786 33 Nichols Parkway, Suite 300, Hood River

P R E PA R E D N E S S T I P S

GET READY

GORGE What’s in your Go-Kit? FAMILY EMERGENCY PLANS • Opt-in to Hood River County Citizen Alerts EMERGENCY SUPPLIES FAMILY EMERGENCY PLANS • Thinksupplies. about your family plans – an out • Build a Go-Kit of emergency • Opt-in to Hood River County Citizen Alerts Start with your camping or travel box • Think about your family of state contact you all ofcall to check in;plans – an out • Stock up – 3 days to 3 weeks state contact you all call to check in; • Use the Go-Kit checklist here:meeting places; how safe meeting places; how you would safe you would https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit reconnect if separated. • Have a Go-Kit in yourreconnect car year ‘round if separated.• Practice it – talk through as a family • Expect power outages and find alternatives • Practice it – talk through as a family

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

OUTSIDE

More Than a Polar Plunge For one hearty group of athletes, winter is swim season story by JANET COOK | photos by PALOMA AYALA

t’s a frigid Sunday morning in November — 37 degrees in Hood River, to be exact — and Patrick Hiller and Eivind Hagen stand near a rock-strewn beach along the Columbia River discussing the water temperature. The USGS website shows the temperature to be 52.8 degrees. But when Hagen drops his thermometer into the water by the shore, it reads 49 degrees. “When the air temperature is this cold,” Hagen says, “you can get an artificially low temperature reading in the shallow water along the shore.” A little farther out in the river, he concludes, the 52.8-degree reading is probably accurate. Why does it even matter, you ask, on a morning in a season when most people are bundled in puffy coats? It matters because Hiller and Hagen are about to go swimming. Hiller pulls on a light wetsuit made for open water swimming. Hagen prefers to swim only in his lycra swim shorts. The two pull on swim caps and attach safety buoys to nylon belts cinched around their waists. The fluorescent yellow buoys help make the swimmers visible in the river. As they prepare, Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield, who has come from The Dalles and wears a wetsuit over thermal pants, launches her kayak. She’s the safety paddler, accompanying the swimmers in case they need help. And then, because it’s not exactly dawdle-onthe-beach weather, Hiller and Hagen run splashing through the shallow water. They dive in and they’re off, each falling into a steady front stroke, their bright buoys bobbing. Hiller and Hagen are part of a hearty group of “winter swimmers,” made up loosely of members 34

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of the Columbia Gorge Tri Club, the Columbia Gorge Master’s Swim Team, and a handful of people from the Portland-Vancouver area who have their own year-round swimming groups and sometimes join the Gorge swimmers to mix things up. Open water swims on the Columbia River are held every Sunday from spring through fall. Hiller began extending the swims later into the fall and starting them earlier in the spring several years ago. “I want to do at least one a month in the winter,” he says. Hagen and a few other regulars are eager to oblige. Before starting today’s swim, Hiller pointed to the Washington shore and explained that, based on the speed of the current (deduced by experience and information from the USGS website), they pick a landmark to aim for before they set out. Their destination is the red buoy marking the south side of the shipping channel, just east of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. They aim for a point east of there because the current will push them downriver. No matter how many swimmers there are, the plan is always the same: meet at the buoy. “We hang out at the buoy and

Eivind Hagen, above and opposite top, swims with a Go-Pro camera in tow to record his cold-water adventures. Patrick Hiller, opposite bottom, checks his watch to determine time, distance and pace of a winter swim.

wait for everyone,” Hiller says. When all are accounted for, they begin the swim back to the beach. By the time Hiller and Hagen get to the red channel marker, the only thing visible from shore is their fluorescent buoys. Pepin-Wakefield can just be seen in her kayak nearby. As they swim back toward shore, the current at first pushes them closer to the bridge, but its effects lessen the closer in they get. Hagen changes up his strokes, doing butterfly for a couple of minutes. He’s the stronger swimmer, according to Hiller, and he swims around for a couple of minutes waiting for Hiller to catch up. Then, they emerge together from the frigid water, exchanging high-fives and smiling as much as their numb faces will allow. Hagen checks his watch. The swim took them 38 and a half minutes.

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Patrick Hiller and Eivind Hagen, left and right above, are regulars for winter swims on the Columbia. Warming up afterward, at right, is part of the challenge.

Then begins the process of warming up. Hiller unzips his wetsuit and pulls the top down as he heads to his van to change into warm clothes. Hagen is soon standing at the back of his car in a shallow tub of lukewarm water. They both begin shaking, which, Hiller explains, after emerging in a down coat and gripping a flask of hot tea, will last for the next 15-20 minutes. “When you swim in cold water, your blood goes to your core,” he says. It’s the body’s way of protecting vital organs. Afterward, as blood begins to circulate outward again, the warm blood mixes with colder blood and causes an overall drop in body temperature. It’s known as the “afterdrop,” and causes

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sometimes violent shaking. It can also make swimmers, especially less experienced ones, feel faint and nauseous. Hiller and Hagen clearly relish this — all of it. For Hiller, it’s something he’s worked up to gradually. Soon after he moved to Hood River a decade ago from Florida, he heard about the Tri Club on Temira’s morning recreation report on the radio. “I didn’t know how to swim or ride a bike,” he says. But he was intrigued enough to meet up with the group. He fell for the challenge and the camaraderie, and kept going back. Hiller competed in his first triathlon in 2011 and was hooked. In 2017, he did his first extreme triathlon, which features the race distances of the famed Ironman: a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26-mile run. To train for the Alaskaman Extreme Triathlon and its swim in Resurrection Bay — with its already-cold water made more frigid by glacial runoff — Hiller began pushing his practice swims in the Columbia into the colder months. His second extreme triathlon was in Sweden, where he arrived at the start by the edge of a lake in dark, windy conditions, and was unfazed. “I said, ‘Ah, this looks familiar. I can do this,’” he recalls. His winter Columbia River swims had prepared him well. For Hagen, winter swimming is new. “I’ve been swimming my whole life,” he says. “Just not outside.” He swims with four different groups in the Portland-Vancouver area, and frequently joins Hiller and the Gorge swimmers. Last year, some of his fellow swimmers talked about the winter swims they’d done and he was intrigued — mostly because he didn’t think they actually did it. It turns out they did. He joined them and is now a regular. Although Hagen is one of the strongest swimmers in the Gorge group, he defers to Hiller and other locals when it comes to conditions on the Columbia, which can vary greatly with wind, swell and current. And they both say safety is the number one priority of the group. “No one goes out there to do anything heroic or thrill-seeking,” Hiller says. Even for experienced swimmers, he adds, “it’s important to go with how you’re feeling and not try to be invincible.” Hiller was supposed to head to South America to compete in the Patagonia Man Xtreme Triathlon in December, but it was canceled due to the pandemic. So he and Hagen and the handful of other regular winter swimmers will continue to ply the ever-colder waters of the Columbia. “If you do this in the morning, you’ve gone through this pretty extreme ordeal,” Hagen says. “You’re pretty calm for the rest of the day. If someone cuts you off in traffic, it doesn’t matter.” Hiller agrees. “Everything says you should be miserable,” he adds. “But somehow, you’re happy. It keeps us going back.”

Photo by Peter Marbach

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How To Be a Library During a Pandemic Hood River’s library remains a community hub story by JANET COOK | photos provided

espite the fact that it’s not actually “open” in the normal sense of the word, the Hood River County Library is a busy place. There’s curbside service for checking out books. There’s virtual children’s story time and virtual homework help for teens. There’s streaming movies and a bilingual conversation group. There’s Zoom book clubs and Zoom writing workshops. And speaking of Zoom, the library has a series of Zoom tutorials in case you’re not already up on this indispensable technology of 2020. All of this amounts to one big workaround for a place that, at its core, is a communal gathering spot. The library, in other words, is exactly the kind of place that cannot function according to plan during a global pandemic.

Courtesy of Hood River County Library District

Janet Cook

ARTS + CULTURE

“Our mission is to serve and enrich our community by providing access to the power of information and imagination,” said Rachael Fox, library director. That access has always revolved around welcoming people into its buildings. Indeed, public libraries are one of the only places people can go and linger for as long as they want without any expectation of buying something. When the library shut down on March 14, Fox initially though it would be a temporary closure. But reality quickly set in and she and her staff went to work to figure out how to be a library during a pandemic.

Empty of patrons, the library still bustles with online activities and curbside services, located inside the main entry, inset. Free books ready for distribution through the school district, far left. 38

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The library’s website underwent an upgrade after the March closure in order to provide more online services to the community. The site offers multiple programs and activities for kids, teens and adults.

“We have spent the past two decades moving from a quiet study space that primarily loaned books to a bustling hub of our community,” Fox said. “We became a collaborative social space and technology center. We have connected people to information, the world, and to each other. Above all, our library has been a refuge during times of crisis.” Covid-19 does not allow for the library to be a physical refuge, but Fox wants to ensure it continues to be a source of connection and access for people. Fox had been planning an upgrade to the library website before the pandemic hit. When the library had to close, she knew the website would take on new importance. “It sped up our plans,” she said. “We realized the website was now going to be the face of the library.” Fox and her staff quickly implemented some digital services, including Children’s Storytime on the library’s Facebook page, and Kanopy, a streaming video platform that offers free films and documentaries to anyone with a library card. “As we learned more about the virus, we realized we could offer curbside services,” Fox said. The Oregon Health Authority offered guidance with regard to how long the virus lasts on surfaces and materials. At the end of May, following OHA guidance, the Hood River County Library began allowing patrons to check out items online and pick them up outside the library — including at its branches in Parkdale and Cascade Locks — during designated times. After items were returned, they would be quarantined for four days before being made available again. The OHA has since updated its guidance, and the quarantine time is now two days, according to Fox. Along with books, patrons can check out items from the Library of Things, which Fox and her staff have been adding to over the last few months. It includes items as diverse as food preservation equipment, board games, tools, a telescope, and even a karaoke machine. The library, long a place where people could come and access computers and free Wi-Fi, now offers laptops for checkout. The Wi-Fi has been expanded to cover the grounds surrounding the library; people can even sit in their cars and access it. Wi-Fi hotspots are also part of the Library of Things. Patrons can check out up to 50 books and other items at once. They can also hold up to 25 items, an increase from nine before the shut-down. “We’re also not charging fines for late materials during our closure,” Fox said.

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

Along with the website upgrade, Fox and her staff have worked to expand the library’s digital programming. In addition to story time and Kanopy, there are programs for teens, including homework help, game nights and trivia challenges. There are also virtual book clubs for adults as well as a bilingual conversation series, where people can “meet” and converse in English and Spanish. Fox has worked to expand outreach during the library’s closure. Through a partnership with the Hood River County School District, free books are distributed every other month via the district’s meal-delivery bus or at the free meal sites at elementary schools. “We want to help get books into the hands of kids who might not be able to get them easily,” she said. The library has also donated books to The Next Door, Inc., to be distributed to Little Free Libraries located around the county. Outreach projects have received assistance from two of the library’s vital supporting organizations, the Friends of the Hood River County Library and the Hood River County Library Foundation. The foundation has provided financial support for the free books, and Friends of the Library supported the creation of nearly 2,000 family activity kits that were given away in the spring. The kits contained everything needed to do a craft. “We got so much positive feedback from that,” Fox said. “We’re planning to do another activity kit in December.” Along with developing and maintaining programming while the library is physically closed to the public, Fox is making preparations for when they’re able to welcome patrons back, whenever that may be. Those include making changes to the HVAC system, removing furniture to make physical

Both images courtesy of Hood River County Library District

Children’s librarian Jana Hannigan sorts through donations of books and Legos from the community, left. Bilingual outreach librarian Yeli Boots, right.

distancing easier, and installing Plexiglas barriers. Fox is always looking for different, creative ways to serve the community. “Not being able to be the vibrant community center that the library usually is has been really difficult,” she said. “That’s what makes this library so special is its community space.” For now, Fox and her staff will continue to make the library as accessible as possible. “We are rising to this new challenge,” she said. “We have an essential role to play during this time of community need. Although our service model has temporarily changed, our mission remains the same.” For more information, go to hoodriverlibrary.org.

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HOOD RIVER COUNTY READS The annual Hood River County Reads program will kick off once again in March. Hosted each year by the Friends of the Library, the event was postponed last spring due to the pandemic. The program will pick up with the novel chosen for last year’s event, The Highest Tide, by Jim Lynch. The library will distribute hundreds of free copies of the book to community members interested in participating. The program will include several virtual events, including a presentation by the author. hoodriverlibrary.org

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The area’s premier lifestyle publication THANK YOU to our advertisers, who have stuck with us through this challenging year. And to our readers, thank you for perusing our pages. We encourage everyone to shop locally this winter. The businesses in our Gorge communities depend on our support to continue doing what they do best: providing the goods and services we enjoy and rely on. KEEP IT LOCAL! It’s more important now than ever before. –The Gorge Magazine team

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

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

WELLNESS

Finding Balance A Hood River doctor brings personal experience to hormone therapy treatment story by JANET COOK | photos by RENATA KOSINA and MICHAEL PETERSON

few years ago, Dr. Shelley Smith, a Hood River physician, was on a fairly standard journey toward menopause. To treat pesky symptoms, she was taking a birth control pill with hormones, commonly prescribed to make things like irregular periods, hot flashes and night sweats more manageable. Then, during a routine mammogram, doctors discovered a small breast lump. Fortunately, it was caught early. As part of her treatment, however, she had to immediately and permanently go off the pill. “That caused me to go into rapid menopause,” Smith said. “It triggered a lot of sleeplessness.” She often would get only two or three hours of sleep a night. Over time, she developed hip pain and extremely dry eyes, as well as decreased motivation to exercise. “I also just felt cognitively slower,” she added. “I couldn’t think as clearly and rapidly as I once could.”

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She slogged on for nearly two years with worsening symptoms, all of them common during menopause as hormone levels drop. As a doctor with a busy schedule, the lack of sleep and the feeling that she had to push herself to keep going at her regular pace, both mentally and physically, felt frustrating and increasingly unsustainable. She went back to her medical school training and revisited what she’d learned about endocrinology — particularly the role of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone and what happens when they decline during menopause. “They all impact pain and overall health,” she said. She began to research hormone replacement therapy (HRT), long used to treat symptoms of menopause. After gaining popularity in the 1990s, HRT lost favor after the Women’s Health Initiative — a large-scale study of common diseases in post-menopausal women — halted part of the study early after findings showed the risks of HRT outweighed its benefits. Subsequently, flaws in the study came to light and the HRT pendulum has now come to land

MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE & PAIN SPECIALISTS

Vertebral Compression Fracture Spinal stenosis Spinal nerve pain Dr. Shelley Smith, opposite, found a solution to her menopause symptoms with bio-identical hormone therapy. She now treats patients at Columbia Pain Management with the therapy, which is done with pellets inserted beneath the skin that deliver hormones slowly over time.

somewhere in the middle: hormone replacement can have great benefits and little downside for many women, and for others with certain risk factors, it’s not recommended. Through a physician in Portland, Smith learned about one of the newer hormone therapies, bio-identical hormone therapy in the form of pellets. Bio-identical hormones, derived from plants, are chemically identical to those made by the human body. They can come in creams, pills and injections. Pellets, a newer form of delivery, are about the size of a Tic Tac candy. A single pellet is inserted beneath the skin — usually in the upper gluteal muscle — and the hormones are slowly released over time. The pellet eventually dissolves and a new pellet is inserted after three to four months. Smith, with debilitating menopause symptoms and low risk for complications, decided to try it. The first thing she noticed — within a couple of days — was that the perpetual dryness in her eyes nearly vanished. Within a couple of weeks, she was sleeping soundly through the night. As the weeks went by, she noticed her energy level increasing. Along with it came motivation to exercise — aided by the diminished pain in her hip. And the brain fog that she’d experienced faded. “My brain felt clear and I could think again,” she said. Miracle drug? “No,” she said, adding that the pellets simply balanced her hormones. She has now been on BHRT for three years. “What happened was a dream come true,” she said. “I don’t ever want to go off it.” Smith was so impressed with the results of her own BHRT that she approached her partners at Hood River’s Columbia Pain Management clinic about bringing it to their practice. Dr. David Russo, a pain management specialist who has been with the clinic for 13 years, was initially skeptical. But then he realized that BHRT would dovetail with the clinic’s treatment for vertebral fractures, called kyphoplasty. “As females age and hormone balance changes, they can suffer a diminishing of bone density,” Russo said. The decreased estrogen levels that accompany menopause is one of the strongest risk factors for developing osteoporosis — which, along with being painful, causes bones to break more easily, particularly those in the spine. “These spinal fractures are extremely painful and can often result in patients being put on bed rest, which is not without risks of secondary complications,” Russo said. Surgery for vertebral compression fractures was once a major operation done in a hospital setting. Now, the fractures can be treated with kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that can be done in a doctor’s office.

and Arthritis

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

Dr. David Russo, left, a pain management specialist, treats osteoporosis-related spinal fractures, which can often be caused by hormone deficiencies. He hopes the clinic’s hormone therapy can help prevent some of those fractures.

Michael Peterson

The procedure is known as vertebral augmentation. “We glue the fracture from the inside out,” Russo said. Using X-ray guidance, a pin is inserted into the fractured vertebra where a specially-designed instrument is used to create small spaces within the vertebra. A bone “glue” or cement is then inserted into the spaces, where it hardens, immobilizing the fracture and reinforcing the bone. “It’s one of these procedures in medicine where the patient comes in and is in extreme pain, can’t sleep at night, is physically and emotionally exhausted, is maybe using pain medication with all the side effects from those,” Russo said. The procedure, done with local anesthesia, takes about 30 to 40 minutes. “They get off the table and are pain-free,” he said. “It’s a transformative experience for people.” As much as he’s a proponent for kyphoplasty, Russo also is an advocate of treatment modalities that “reduce incidents of chronic pain syndromes,” as he puts it. “As a group, we thought, it’s great we can treat the compression fractures, but what if we were able to treat the underlying cause, osteoporosis.” Russo said there’s been increasing recognition in the field of pain management that having optimal hormone

levels reduces the incidence of orthopedic conditions and chronic pain syndromes. “On the one hand, it seems a little weird that you might go to a pain clinic to get this,” he said. “But on the other hand, what brings people into the clinic is a pain complaint. Lo and behold, in some cases what’s driving it is not a pain problem but a hormone deficiency.” Patients who are candidates for BHRT at Columbia Pain Management first undergo a thorough screening and health history to ensure there are no risk factors for hormone therapy. Then Smith orders an extensive blood workup. The results are used to customize the hormone pellets, which are made at a pharmacy. The procedure for inserting them takes less than 20 minutes under local anesthesia. The pellet releases low doses of hormones directly into the bloodstream, delivering a consistent amount over time, similar to what the body does naturally, Smith explains. After about six weeks, Smith orders another round of blood work to see where hormone levels are. Results are used to make small adjustments, if needed, for the next pellet. Although the majority of her patients are women, Smith treats men with BHRT, too. Whereas hormone levels drop precipitously for women at menopause, men also experience a more gradual age-related decrease in testosterone called andropause. For Smith, being able to offer the treatment at her clinic makes sense. “It complements what we do with pain treatment, but it’s more than that,” she said. “People are living longer. As women we’re going to live maybe a third of our lifespan without these hormones.” Replacing and balancing them in a low-impact way is about quality of life, she adds. It’s something she knows well from personal experience. “It took me two years to find a solution,” she said. “Now I can’t imagine my life without these pellets.” For more information, go to columbiapain.org.

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

MCMC Celilo - Gorge Mag - Full page Oct2020.qxp_Layout 1 10/28/20 12:27 PM Page 1

Trusted Cancer Care Close to Home A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing; but you should know that cancer is, in many cases, very treatable. At MCMC’s Celilo Cancer Center, our medical professionals are equipped and ready to help you fight this cancer from every angle—mind, body and spirit— providing you and your family with resources to manage the physical, mental and emotional aspects of cancer treatment. Celilo Cancer Center has earned the highest-possible rating from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. WE OFFER: • Comprehensive cancer care and services. • A multi-specialty team approach to treatment. • Clinical trials information. • Integrative therapies. • Access to cancer-related information, education and support. • And, most importantly, quality cancer care close to home. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. We accept Medicare and many insurance plans.

CELILO CANCER CENTER

When it comes to cancer, no one knows who or when it will strike next. Please join the Mid-Columbia Health Foundation’s fundraising efforts to acquire a new, state-of-the-art linear accelerator that will deliver external beam radiation treatments to patients who would benefit from such treatment. For more information on how you can help assure that the Gorge continues to be home to the best in cancer care, please contact us at mchf@mcmc.net.

1800 E. 19th Street, The Dalles | 541. 296.7585 | mcmc.net

PARTAKE I COOK WITH US

Cottage Pie Recipe and photos by KACIE MCMACKIN

This autumn, I made my first ever shepherd’s pie, but upon sharing the recipe with my British best friend, Jo, she promptly informed me that what I had made was not a shepherd’s pie, but a cottage pie. She went on to explain in great detail what the difference is, and while I found it fascinating (and hilarious), what’s important for you to know is that this is a delicious, comforting cottage pie that I hope — like our family — you will return to again and again in these chilly months. Ingredients FILLING: • 1 lb. ground beef • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped • 10 cremini mushrooms, stems removed, roughly chopped • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste • 1 bay leaf • 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary • 1 tsp. each dried oregano and thyme • pinch of nutmeg • 1/2 cup each red wine and beef broth • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce • olive oil • unsalted butter TOPPING: • 5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into even size pieces • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan • 2 sticks unsalted butter • 3 Tbsp. seedy mustard • 1/2 cup sour cream • 1 tsp. each minced fresh rosemary and thyme 46

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Directions Place the potatoes in a very large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain and allow to cool (it will make your potatoes fluffier). In the large pot, melt the butter. Add the potatoes back in, mash them with the butter, salt, parmesan, sour cream, seedy mustard, rosemary and thyme. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large pan, add a bit of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant. Set aside in a large bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. each of butter and olive oil to the pan, sauté the mushrooms until light brown. Set aside in the large bowl. In the same pan, sauté the beef (season with salt and pepper) until brown. Drain. Add the onions/garlic/mushrooms back to the pan. Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, rosemary, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and beef broth. Cook until the liquid is reduced and slightly thickened. Transfer all the beef/veggie mixture to a large skillet or casserole dish, top with the mashed potatoes, fleck with butter and flake salt, and bake until heated through and the top is golden. Finish with fresh Italian parsley and, if you like, gravy. TIP: the mashed potatoes are great on their own, too!

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21

PARTAKE I EAT & DRINK

BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY

BRODER ØST

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

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

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.

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

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

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

#broderost

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

CASA EL MIRADOR FAMILY MEXICAN RESTAURANT 541-298-7388 • casaelmirador.com 1424 West 2nd Street • The Dalles

Quality Mexican food prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients. Warm, friendly service and a lively atmosphere. Indulge in generous portions of flavorful sizzling fajitas, fish tacos, savory enchilada dishes and daily specials. Drink specials & Happy Hour menu from 4-7pm, Mon-Fri. Full service bar, take-out menu, gift certificates and catering services. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

We look forward to serving you!

CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR

CROOKED TREE TAVERN & GRILL

Celebrating its 15th year, 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.

A scratch-made Northwest kitchen hidden up in the woods at the historic Cooper Spur Mountain Resort. Sourcing local and bringing freshness to the table, from the handmade burgers with house baked buns to the hand-cut steaks. Open for lunch & dinner 7 days a week with daily specials. Happy Hour Monday thru Friday 3-6pm.

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

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

Open Tuesday-Sunday at 5pm

DOPPIO COFFEE

EL PUERTO DE ANGELES III

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

Relax on our beautiful patio in the heart of Hood River. Enjoy a hand crafted, in-house roasted espresso drink. Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini sandwiches, fresh salads, smoothies and fresh baked pastries and goodies. Gluten free options available. Free Wi-Fi and our patio is dog friendly. Our tables are spaced apart and disinfected after each guest.

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

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

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

BRIDGESIDE

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

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

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

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

Open daily and take-out available.

PARTAKE I EAT & DRINK

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

A Gorge favorite for over 41 years. Warm up with our fresh, delicious, authentic Chinese cuisine. Open Tuesday-Sunday, closed Mondays Dine-in/Takeout Visit us on Facebook for hours & information updates

THE LITTLE SEVEN SEVEN RANCH HIGHLAND BEEF 509-767-7130 • L77Ranch.com Grass-Fed Highland beef from our ranch to your home. Email to discuss beef preferences and we will assemble a $250 or $500 semi-custom box for contactless pick-up. Boxes include steaks, roasts and ground beef. Or: Visit us at our Lyle ranch shop to shop in a safe, open space. Ranch pick-up for boxes: by appointment, daily Ranch shop: by appointment, Saturday and Sunday

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

541-321-0490 • pfriembeer.com 707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront pFriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Europe, but unmistakably true to our homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world. We’ll let you decide. Open Daily 12-7pm | Dine-in & Food-to-Go

541-386-1606 • pietrosrestaurants.com 107 2nd Street • Hood River

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

REMEDY CAFÉ

RIVERSIDE & CEBU LOUNGE

Pietro’s is proud to serve the same famous original thin pizza crust and pizza sauce that has made us a Northwest favorite over the years. We use only the freshest and finest cheese and toppings. Proud to be locally owned and operated with four locations: Hood River, Milwaukie, Beaverton and Salem. Dine in, take out, online or delivery.

Organic juice, smoothies, bowls, burritos & salads. House-made almond and coconut milks. Vegan and paleo options. Best quality organic and local ingredients. Organic espresso. Order Online - RemedyCafeHoodRiver.com

Diners seek out Riverside for some of the best food, drinks and views in the Gorge. Now offering distanced dining indoors and in multiple outdoor areas on the waterfront. Fresh menus change seasonally – plus an award-winning wine list and dozens of beer on tap.

Open Daily 11am-10pm

Dine-In, Takeout and Curbside Options. Kids Corner. WiFi. “Where Healthy Food and Your Cravings Meet!”

Serving Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner daily.

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

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!

Enjoy the heated & covered outdoor patio this winter!

RESERVE A PARTAKE LISTING SPACE TODAY

PIETRO’S PIZZA

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

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

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE II WINTER 2020-21 49

OUR GORGE I YOUR GORGE

On January 18, 2020, Drew Torrente and a friend hiked to Tamanawas Falls in the Mt. Hood National Forest not long after a storm dropped fresh snow on the mountain. “We’d been eying the weather and had a feeling that was the peak night of the snow,” said Torrente, who’d been planning a winter night shoot at the beloved falls for some time. When they got the falls after the four mile hike in, there was more than a foot of fresh snow. Torrente set up some lights and pulled back so the trees above appeared in the frame.

The Photographer DREW TORRENTE lives in Corbett, where he moved 20 years ago to work on an organic vegetable farm. He is now a consultant to area landowners, providing forestry work, caretaking and land use planning. He began carrying a camera around years ago to capture the stunning views of the Gorge and the surrounding forests and mountains. “I always have my camera in my backpack, and it’s become an increasingly bigger component of my life,” he said. His work allows him the flexibility to take advantage of conditions when they present themselves. “Being at the doorstep of the Gorge and Mount Hood has worked into this obsession,” he said. drewtorrente.com.

WINTER 2020-21 II THE GORGE MAGAZINE

NORTHWEST EXPERTS

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541.716.0701 350 brokers in 15 offices serving Oregon and SW Washington

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