The Gorge Magazine - Winter 2018-19 by The Gorge Magazine

WINTER 2018-19 thegorgemagazine.com

LIVING AND EXPLORING IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE

Winter Running

Training for spring races means embracing the elements

A New Way of Healing Regenerative medicine offers options for pain patients

Visit Historic Downtown

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

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

Taste of Village

Fabulous Food ~ Martinis ~ Wine

Fabulous ~ Martinis Beer Food ~ Cocktails Chinese RestauRant & Lounge Fabulous Wine ~ Beer ~ Cocktails Food ~ Martinis ~ Wine Lunch~Brunch~Dinner

{ Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine }

Minors Welcome All Minors welcome~ all Hours hours Beer Cocktails Lunch~Brunch~Dinner Happy Hour 4pm-6pm

Lunch~Brunch~Dinner Minors Welcome All Hours www.Troutini.com ~ 503-912-1462 Minors welcome all hours Happy Hour 4pm-6pm Happy Hour 4pm-6pm

Downtown Troutdale on the Historic Columbia River Highway

971-292-2991 • MyQuiltingLoft.com Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm 253 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy. Troutdale, OR 97060

TrouTdale HisTorical socieTy

Downtown Troutdale on the Historic Columbia River Highway www.Troutini.com ~ 503-912-1462

Downtown Troutdale on the Historic Columbia River Highway

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

sun-thur, 11-10pm • Fri & sat, 11-10:30pm

Troutini.com 503-912-1462

gifts HomE dECoR EspREsso

Barn Exhibit Hall

King of Roads Exhibit

TROUTDALE’S PIZZA DESTINATION! Serving artisan pizza & a great selection of local craft beer, cider and wine in a friendly, relaxing environment.

Wed - Sat 10am-3pm Sunday 1pm - 3pm Admission: $5 (12+ years) 732 E Historic Columbia River Hwy Troutdale, OR 97060 troutdalehistory.org troutdalehistory@gmail.com 503-661-2164

Lindsey Rosencrans, OD

COMPREHENSIVE & URGENT EYECARE

(503) 618-9394

celebratemehoameonline.com 319 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

Glasses • Prescription Sunglasses Contact Lenses 503-489-5730 • find us on Facebook 275 Columbia River Highway

503-492-3897 • troutdalevision.com 226 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

CONTENTS : FEATURES

p.38

Heal Thyself

Regenerative medicine is helping doctors at Columbia Pain Management treat pain patients By Janet Cook

p.46

LOCALLY ENLIGHTENED Getting to know the Pacific Hermitage, White Salmonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forest monastery By David Hanson

Michael Peterson

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Visit Klickitat County Where The Sun Meets The Rain BEST WESTERN PLUS HOOD RIVER INN

Photo by Darlisa Black

MARYHILL WINERY

The perfect base for exploring the Columbia Gorge. River view guest rooms, dining at Riverside, Cebu Lounge, heated shoreline pool, spas, and sauna. Wine tasting passes, tours and recreation packages.

Wine Press Northwest’s “2015 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year”, 50+ award-winning wines, Tuscan-style terrace with views of Mt. Hood, Bocce, picnicking, live music every summer weekend from 1pm-5pm, tasting room, gift shop.

800-828-7873 • hoodriverinn.com 1108 E. Marina Way • Hood River

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

HUSUM RIVERSIDE BED AND BREAKFAST

FEAST MARKET

Family run B&B by the White Salmon River. Five queen-size rooms and a premier king suite. All have private entrances and baths. Our famous 5-star breakfast buffet is included. Available for weddings and events.

Serving sustainable meat & seafood, salads, sandwiches, local produce, espresso, kombucha, beer, wine, full bar. Now offering an expanded dinner menu in our new location with Mt. view patio seating.

509-281-1181 • GorgeRooms.com 866 Hwy 141 • Husum

509-637-6886 • feastmarket.org 151 E Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

STAMP THE EARTH LLC

MUGS COFFEE

Specializing in decorative stamped and stained concrete. Serving the Gorge. Book today for Winter! Design, installation & maintenance. Visit our online gallery for ideas. CCB: 210688 WA: STAMPEC88JCS

Delicious, locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee, and fresh pastries. For a lunch try a savory panini or wrap with a fresh organic green salad. Now serving Fire Roasted coffee at our new location for a limited time. Ask about our catering services.

RESTAURANT, MARKET & DELI

541-716-1094 • stamptheearth.com facebook.com/stamptheearth

509-281-3100 • mugsco.com 221 W Steuben St • Bingen

PATHFINDER REAL ESTATE SERVICES INC.

WIND MOUNTAIN RANCH Come and relax in one of our three cabins nestled in the woods just minutes from Dog Mountain and Wind Mountain trailhead. The perfect location for your next hike, fishing excursion or weekend getaway!

We hope you are enjoying your time in the Beautiful Columbia River Gorge! If you decide to stay, call Pathfinder Real Estate, we will help you find the perfect location. 509-774-0466 • pathfinder-re.com 1030 E Jewett Blvd • White Salmon Josh Duffus Photography

503-360-4707 WindMountainRanch.com 192 Erickson Rd • Stevenson

EXPLORE KLICKITAT COUNTY, WASHINGTON AND THE NORTH SHORE OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE! VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER: 1 Heritage Plaza, White Salmon, WA 98672 • 509-493-3630 • mtadamschamber.com

CONTENTS : DEPARTMENTS

our gorge 12 PERSON OF INTEREST 16 VENTURES 20 BEST OF THE GORGE 22 HOME + GARDEN 26 LOCAVORE 28 STYLE + DESIGN 30 EXPLORE 32 WINE SPOTLIGHT 60 PARTAKE 66 YOUR GORGE

Left, by Paloma Ayala and right, by Blaine + Bethany Photography

outside 50

COMING AROUND TO WINTER A marathon runner learns to embrace the elements By Cate Hotchkiss

arts + culture

54 BEATING THE WINTER BLUES Cultural events bring light to the season By Don Campbell

wellness 56

28 6

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Top, by Scott Thompson and bottom, by Katie Dessin

STAYING IN THE GAME MCMC trainers help reduce injuries in student athletes By Emily Fitzgerald

HOME ++ JEWELRY JEWELRY HOME

SINCE 1994 SINCE 1994

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

EDITOR’S NOTE

’ve been a runner all my life and I’ve always loved pounding the pavement, or the trail, in all four seasons, even winter. The cold and rain — even a little snow — brings a vividness to my runs. I’m more focused on my surroundings — sidestepping puddles, trying not to slip, anticipating the next car that might drench me as it passes. I feel strong after I finish a run in bad weather, like I met Mother Nature on her turf and kept pace with her for a few miles.

Carol@DonNunamaker.com RealEstateinTheGorge.com HoodRiverProperties.com

EASTSIDE $648,000: Solid custom one level/one owner ranch home on the Eastside. 3 BRs, 2 BAs, 2353 sqft, nicely manicured, landscaped & wooded 2.47 acres. Peek of Mt. Adams! Unique features: floor to ceiling rock fireplace, sunroom w/skylights, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, large garage/shop. RMLS 18571859

WESTSIDE $600,000: Rambling Rancher on 2.11 acres. Built in 1966 by sellers, remodeled/addition in 1983. Mt. Hood view w/peek of Mt. Adams from back. 3BRs, 2BAs, dining, kitchen, living – all original house have beautiful oak floors. Addition has sewing/ bedroom & giant workroom w/cold storage vault and storage/pantry. Nicely landscaped back & side yards, big deck. Paved driveway, RV shed, 2 car carport. RMLS 18460354

But I admit that during the Snowmageddon that was winter two years ago, she beat me handily. When the snow began to fall after Thanksgiving, running through white flakes instead of pouring rain proved novel. As December wore on and the inches piled up, I slowed my pace and shortened my stride and layered appropriately. In January, as inches turned to feet and an ice storm added its frozen layer on top, I lost my running mojo. Somewhere mid-month, I ordered an elliptical trainer so I could work out inside. Instead of heading out into the winter wonderland that had become the Gorge, I’d head to the basement for what my family called my “fake runs.” Alas, fake runs would never do for Gorge runner Cate Hotchkiss. As I was humbly ellipticizing in my basement, Cate was piling up real miles training for a spring marathon. Ironically, it was that winter when she learned to embrace the season, with everything it can throw at us. She details her story, and what it’s like to train through winter in the Gorge, beginning on page 50. As part of this health-themed issue, we dive into the topic of regenerative medicine on page 38. Two doctors at Columbia Pain Management have brought the cutting edge field to their practice, where the minimally-invasive treatments — which use your own stem cells and growth factors to heal injured tissue — are helping patients find relief from the chronic pain of certain orthopedic and degenerative conditions. With clinics in Hood River, The Dalles and Portland, the practice is one of only a handful offering regenerative medicine in the Northwest. We’re starting something new this issue on our back page called Your Gorge. It’s just what it seems: a photo taken by one of you. We know you’re as passionate about this place as we are. If you have an image of the Gorge that speaks to you, send it our way and it just may find its way into this space. Finally, during this season of reflection, we’d like to say thank you to our many advertisers and contributors. Our advertisers support us — we wouldn’t exist without them — and we encourage you to support them. As for our many writers and photographers, we appreciate you sharing your talent and passion for telling Gorge stories with us. Thank you, all, for being part of this community endeavor. Have a safe and joyous winter! —Janet Cook, Editor

ABOUT THE COVER HOOD RIVER $1,325,000: Stunning home with spectacular River & Bridge views! Everything you need is on the main level in this 3 bed/3.5, 4886 sq ft. custom home. Formal Granite entry, freshly refinished Maple floors, vaulted fir ceiling, new garage doors, 2 sided gas fireplace and security system. Master has 2 closets and ensuite bath. Bonus room upstairs could be bedroom. Lower level has bedroom with full bath, huge area family room + 2 large storage rooms. RMLS 18488196

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WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Paloma Ayala photographed marathon runner Cate Hotchkiss and endurance runner Mark Chamley, both of Hood River, on a snowy, late fall day near Mt. Hood Meadows. Both runners are training in what can be harsh Gorge winter weather for upcoming races: Cate for the Boston Marathon in April, and Mark for the Tarawera 102K in Rotorua, New Zealand in February. ayalapaloma.com

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 2018-19

e Go h t e r e h w

rge gets engaged

EDITOR

Janet Cook

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Renata Kosina

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jody Thompson

ADVERTISING SALES Jenna Hallett, Suzette Gehring and Chelsea Marr

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS L.M. Archer, Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, Peggy Dills Kelter, Viki Eierdam, Emily Fitzgerald, David Hanson, Cate Hotchkiss, Kacie McMackin

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Paloma Ayala

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

APLAND JEWELERS CUSTOM DESIGNS | RESPONSIBLY SOURCED GEMS | RECLAIMED GOLD & PLATINUM 541.386.3977 | 3RD & OAK ST., HOOD RIVER, OR | FACEBOOK.COM/APLANDJEWELERS BRIDAL RINGS ABOVE DESIGNED & CRAFTED BY KEN APLAND

Paloma Ayala, Darlisa Black, Katie Dessin, Mark Gibson, David Hanson, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Michael Peterson, Scott Thompson, Kelly Turso

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

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/thegorgemagazine

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We appreciate your feedback. Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com

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

413 Oak St. • Hood River • 541.308.0770 • Mon-Sat 10-6; Sun 11-5 THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

MENS • WOMENS • KIDS • BABY • CLOTHING • SHOES • GIFTS • TEXTILES

OUR GORGE person of interest p. 12 ventures p. 16 best of the gorge p. 20 home + garden p. 22 locavore p. 26 style + design p. 28 explore p. 30 wine spotlight p. 32

Ben Klebba of Phloem Studio in Stevenson, Wash., designs and builds timeless, contemporary furniture. p. 28

Kelly Turso

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : PERSON OF INTEREST

Mary Fassel

A hair designer helps make the chemo journey easier with custom halos

STORY BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER • PHOTOS BY KELLY TURSO

t’s an all too familiar scene — you pay a visit to your regular healthcare provider for a routine checkup. You feel good, no symptoms indicating anything is wrong. Before you know it, the doctor has referred you to a specialist, who performs myriad tests. If you’re fortunate, the results come back “benign.” But for many of us, the word that now describes us is “malignant.” More tests, and a plan is created. Surgery, radiation, chemo. You have cancer. Luckily, there are many angels who will accompany you on this journey: family, friends, nurses, massage therapists, and an angel who can make you a “halo” with your own hair, so that when it begins to fall out due to chemo treatments, you can still feel comfortable and confident. Mary Fassel has been a hair designer since 1978. She started making halos almost a decade ago, after her own journey with cancer that included a bilateral mastectomy, chemo, radiation and hormone

12 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

therapy. The commercially available halos were, in Fassel’s estimation, awful — synthetic hair applied to a hat using scratchy Velcro. When a client friend with long hair came to her salon for a haircut, Fassel asked if she could have the woman’s hair, as she was interested in learning how to make personalized, comfortable halos. In short, a halo is a soft band of cloth that fits comfortably around the client’s head. The client’s hair is cut and adhered to the cloth using special tools that Fassel and her equally creative husband, Peter Mackwell, have designed and refined over the years. When the hair is securely attached to the cloth, Fassel styles it to the client’s preferences. Halos fit comfortably under any kind of hat or scarf.

FIND YOUR O N E O F A K IND Mary Fassel creates halos for chemo patients in her salon and workshop at her home in Hood River, using clients’ hair to create comfortable headpieces to wear under hats or scarves. Fassel’s therapy dog, Piper, opposite bottom, is a comforting presence for clients.

Fassel says her first attempts were awful. She used silicone caulk and the legs of men’s underwear. She remembers Mackwell saying, “It’s going to be uncomfortable walking through town knowing people have a piece of my underwear on their heads.” Though Fassel’s product has helped more than 300 clients cope with their hair loss, it is her process that really defines her. Clients who have not yet lost all their hair (most come primarily from the Portland area) arrive at the bucolic setting of her home and salon in Hood River and are welcomed by Fassel, two delightful donkeys and a gigantic, gentle therapy dog named Piper. Most clients come with a friend or family member. “We start out just talking,” Fassel says. “I always put my hands on people as soon as they sit down in the chair. I don’t pick up the scissors right away. Sometimes we sit and visit for an hour and a half. I’ll massage their scalp — it’s the last time for a while that they’re going to have their hair.” She may snap some photos and take measurements. As they talk, Fassel’s personal cancer story may slowly come out. When the client is comfortable, Fassel puts a cape on her (or him — she’s had two male clients) to prepare for cutting. “The cape is the defining moment,” Fassel says. “I put on the cape, and the tears start falling. And so I wait if I need to.” Piper, she says, often senses when someone needs a little extra loving. Fassel cuts the client’s hair short — down to a half- to a quarter-inch, reminding them that, before leaving her salon, she will have styled their remaining hair with a cute pixie cut. As she cuts their hair, she carefully arranges it on a wooden tray. Placement is important; hair that falls haphazardly on the floor can’t be used. Cutting completed and measurements recorded, the client and entourage leave Fassel’s salon for a few hours while she creates their unique halo. Before they go, Fassel often turns into a tour director, recommending fun activities and local places to explore while she does her work. When the halo is finished, Fassel has the client return for final fitting and styling of the finished halo. In only a day, Fassel has helped them become more prepared for the journey ahead. Though the process is usually similar, Fassel has had a few experiences that were uniquely different. Tara Peyralans, a local third grade teacher with thick, waist-length hair, learned two weeks before the autumn start of school that she would have to begin chemo after only a few days with her new students. She recalls thinking, “Okay, I’m going to go bald in a week to

chemistryjewelry.com

310 Oak Street, Downtown Hood River 541.386.7069 www.chemistryjewelry.com @chemistryjewelry

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : PERSON OF INTEREST two weeks. I have to figure out how I’m going to approach this with the kids.” Her solution? Invite her long-time friend, Mary Fassel, into her classroom as a visiting artist. Peyralans had her students make hand-sewn sketchbooks to prepare for Fassel’s visit. She remembers thinking, “I’m going to spend more time with my children in this process than with my family or friends. I needed to let my students know that things were going to change, I’m going to look different, and I’m looking to all of you to be a part of this.” In addition to talking with the students, Peyralans sent a letter home to parents. On the fourth day of school, Fassel arrived, visited with the students, and cut off their teacher’s hair. The kids documented the process. Peyralans shared, “I gave the kids an assignment. I said ‘Okay, you’ve got sketchbooks, you can sketch the process of me getting my hair cut, you can sketch a hairstyle, you can sketch a hat, you can design a wig’… I wanted them to be involved. They weren’t just watching, they had a job to do.” The kids asked Fassel lots of great questions as she worked. And throughout the months of chemo treatments, when Peyralans wasn’t wearing

Fassel and her husband have designed many of the tools she uses to create the halos, and she’s refined her process over the years to make it as easy as possible for her clients. Two resident donkeys add to her salon’s bucolic setting.

her halo, her students were encouraged to dress her head in other ways. They made paper hats and mined a box of donated crazy headgear. She says, “I wanted to have fun with this. Having Mary come into my room and cut my hair —what a gift. I’m so grateful. Look how Mary affected my kids.” No one’s cancer journey is ever totally over, but Fassel has moved from being cancer victim to cancer veteran. The change feels good. “It’s interesting being a nine-year veteran of a cancer treatment,” she says. “Early on, it was important for cancer to be a part of who I am. I would find ways to interject it. The further out I get the less compelled I am to do that.” For those who are in the midst of their cancer journey, an understanding hair artist can help make the road less rocky. For more information, go to AbbreviationsSalon.com Peggy Dills Kelter is an artist and writer who lives in Hood River. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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Catch the Holiday Spirit! Gorgeous Jewelry, Creative Custom Design and Local Handmade Fun

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14 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Cinnamon Bear Themed Cruises Christmas Ship Parade 503-224-3900 Holiday Parties PortlandSpirit.com Lunch, Brunch, Dinner Portland Spirit Cruises & Events Private Charters local family owned since 1994

OUR GORGE : VENTURES

Not Your Average Cup of Joe Blue Lava Coffee Roasters does business — and coffee — its own way STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY BEN MITCHELL

he roasting room at Blue Lava Coffee Roasters is small and nondescript. A two-pound roaster sits on a counter. Fifty-pound bags of coffee beans in various stages of use are lined in a row. Stacks of shiny one-pound coffee bags sit ready to fill on a shelf. The modesty of it all belies the passion of the work being done here and, hence, the quality of the coffee coming out of this small room at the back of Dan Peirce’s wood shop in Parkdale. Peirce, who along with business partner and childhood friend from upstate New York, Mike Dunn, founded Blue Lava last year, roasts about 150 to 200 pounds of coffee a month — a fraction of what even modest coffee roasters produce. But the Blue Lava business model also differs from other roasters; most of the coffee is sent to “subscribers” who have standing orders of two or four pounds per month. Peirce and Dunn do little marketing. Instead, they’re slowly building their business by word of mouth based on the quality of their coffee and the ethics of their business. “I’m not a marketer,” says Peirce. “You’re either going to love my coffee or not, and that’s okay.” He approaches it the way he does anything meant to be consumed. “You’re putting this stuff in your mouth. If you have a trusted friend who says, ‘You should try this,’ that’s what I want. I don’t want to do it with marketing gimmicks or Google.” Peirce has long been a maker of things — consumable and otherwise. After graduating from college with a degree in environmental studies with an emphasis in water quality, he was offered a job running a water treatment facility. Initially, it

16 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

seemed ideal. “But they wanted me to sit at a desk,” he says. “I just couldn’t do it.” During college, he’d begun home brewing, so he found a better fit for his talents at Moonlight Brewing in Santa Rosa, Calif., where he installed a wastewater treatment system and also apprenticed with owner/brewer Brian Hunt, who became a mentor not only in brewing but also in doing business ethically. Peirce went on to open his own brewery in Hawaii, but the rock star lifestyle took its toll and he eventually moved back to the Bay Area and went to work for Peet’s Coffee. He ran the quality control department and maintained all of the machines, where they roasted tens of thousands of pounds of coffee a day. Peet’s, founded in Berkeley in 1966, predated Seattle’s Starbucks by several years and was started solely as a roastery, where founder Alfred Peet hand-roasted in small batches. The company grew over the decades, but remained committed to quality, hands-on roasting. Even though Peirce wasn’t involved in roasting at Peet’s, he grew to revere the roasters and their meticulous attention to the process. He also revered the coffee. “The guys roasting there are the best, and they have the best coffee,” he says simply. During Peirce’s time at Peet’s, they were still roasting by hand while other large coffee roasters had gone to computers to regulate the process. Peirce spent seven years at Peet’s and loved it, but living in the Bay Area wore on him. A rock climber, he thought Bend, with its proximity to Smith Rock, might be a good place to land. But a friend who lived in the Hood River Valley — in Odell — encouraged him to visit. “I came and looked and said, ‘This is it,’” Pierce recalls. He and his wife have been here since 2006; their two kids, now 11 and 9, were born here.

Columbia Gorge Community College is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Dan Peirce roasts coffee two pounds at a time at Blue Lava Coffee Roasters’ headquarters in Parkdale. He hand roasts each batch, aiming to bring out the characteristics of the coffee’s origin and impart a deep roast style that he favors.

Start here Go anywhere

www.cgcc.edu

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

Explore...

THE GORGE

CLARK AND LEWIE’S

TRAVELERS REST SALOON and GRILL

HAPPY HOUR | WINE SPECIALS CATERING | SPECIAL EVENTS BREAKFAST | WATERFRONT DINING

509.219.0097

130 SW Cascade Ave Stevenson, WA 98648

Untitled-2 1

2/14/17

18 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Peirce roasts, cups and packages the coffee at Blue Lava, as well as sourcing the beans and shipping orders. His business partner, Mike Dunn, handles the business side of the company.

When he moved to Parkdale, Peirce launched Dog River Construction — another trade he’d long pursued on the side. But even as his business rumbled along through the recession, Peirce found himself searching for coffee like he used to get at Peet’s — and coming up short. The so-called “third wave” of coffee (Folgers and Maxwell House being the first, Starbucks the second) had roasters running not only from the corporate model but also from its trademark dark, bitter coffee. “Third wave roasters have tried to go as far in the other direction as possible,” Peirce says. “They’re toasting it, not roasting it.” Peirce knew there was an art to roasting coffee to bring out the characteristics of the beans and their origin. The doer in him itched to try his hand at it. A kindred coffee drinker, Dunn encouraged him to do it — as did his old Moonlight Brewing mentor Brian Hunt — so he got a two-pound roaster and remodeled his woodshop to house a small roastery. Peirce started roasting coffee and sending it to friends and family in a sort of co-op. The business 10:26grew AM organically; friends would recommend it to friends, who in turn placed orders and recommended it to their friends. “I had a base group of people, and those people sold it for me,” Peirce says. He and Dunn, whose job with Dell has him living abroad, soon decided to ramp up the business. Dunn handles the business side of things while Peirce does the heavy lifting of roasting and filling orders. Peirce sources his beans in 50-pound bags from the Coffee Shrub, a small wholesaler in Oakland, Calif. “They’re paying direct to the growers, so they work with smaller lots,” Peirce says. Using ethically sourced coffee aligns with Peirce’s commitment to supporting coffee farmers; Blue Lava also donates a portion of profits to Coffee Kids, an organization that works with coffee farmers to help create sustainable livelihoods for their families. “I’m trying to give people a chance to see what coffee tastes like from Uganda, from Ethiopia, from Columbia,” Peirce says. Because he roasts in small batches, he can tailor each one to the particular beans he’s roasting. “The Kenyan you’re going to get from me this month is going to be different from the Kenyan you get from me next month.” What Peirce is doing goes back to his roots at Peet’s. “It’s developing coffees for sweetness and body and mouth feel,” he says. “I want to bring out the characteristics of the coffee’s origins while balancing that with a deep roast style so the drinker has a beautiful cup of coffee.” With each hand-roasted batch, he makes split-second decisions at the end to achieve what he feels is the perfect roast. “It isn’t easy to find that balance and I think that is where my talent as a roaster lies. It’s easy to under roast and it’s easy to over roast. Good coffee, I feel, comes from taking chances and trusting your senses rather than just trusting computer profiles.” Peirce does most of his roasting on weekends, but also does a mid-week roast if needed. “If you go online and order tonight, I’ll roast it and send it out tomorrow,” he says. He packages every bag by hand. Freshness is the key to good coffee, and he recommends his customers drink their coffee within 10 days. “I’m roasting for coffee drinkers, not for baristas,” he says. “I’m particular about what I like and hope to find like-minded people, but I’m not a coffee snob.” He admits what he’s doing with Blue Lava is labor intensive. “But I don’t watch TV and I don’t drink beer,” he adds. “My kids go to bed and I come out and roast coffee.” He wouldn’t have it any other way. For more information, go to bluelavacoffeeroasters.com

photo by blaine franger

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Indoor Farmers Market

Bald Eagles

The mouth of the Klickitat River near Lyle, Wash., is one of the best places to view bald eagles anywhere in the region. Eagles congregate here to feed each winter, peaking in January and February when migrating eagles join resident birds to feed on the winter steelhead run. For optimal viewing, take a walk on the paved loop at Balfour-Klickitat Day Use Park, or head up the river on the Klickitat Trail. gorgefriends.org

Michael Peterson

Courtesy of Mt. Hood Meadows

The Gorge Grown Indoor Farmers Market kicks off Dec. 15 with a special market featuring food for the holidays at Wildwood (formerly Springhouse Cellar), 13 Railroad Street in Hood River. The market continues on the first and third Saturdays from January through April, 1 to 4 p.m., at the same location. gorgegrown.com

Bigstock.com

OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Mount Adams Backcountry

Escape the crowds on Mount Hood by heading north to Mount Adams. Three winter recreation areas are located within a few miles of Trout Lake: Pineside/Snow King, Atkisson and Flattop (used primarily by snowmobilers). Each sno-park provides access to miles of groomed and ungroomed trails. Stop at the Mount Adams Ranger Station in Trout Lake for maps and information. A Washington sno-park permit is required. parks.wa.gov

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Breakfast with Santa

Head to Mt. Hood Meadows Dec. 22 and 23 for a fireside breakfast with Santa. The Vertical restaurant will be transformed into the North Pole, and kids can tell Jolly olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; St. Nick what they want for Christmas. Breakfast will be available during two seatings, and everyone leaves with a North Pole Gift Bag. Sign up in advance to reserve your spot. skihood.com

Courtesy of Mt. Hood Railroad

Train to Christmas Town

Celebrate the season aboard the Mount Hood Railroad’s Train to Christmas Town, running through Dec. 27. As the train winds through the Hood River Valley, characters from the beloved children’s book make their way through the cars. There are cookies and hot cocoa, a special book reading, singing and entertainment on the way to the magical destination of Christmas Town, where Santa and his elves climb aboard to give each child a special gift. mthoodrr.com

Foodie February

The second annual Foodie February is a month-long celebration of the area’s vibrant dining scene. It’s no secret that Hood River has a talented pool of local chefs creating innovative menus and sourcing foods locally and regionally. Foodie February offers visitors and locals a chance to support local restaurants and discover some of the best food and menus in the region. Throughout the month, restaurants offer Foodie February specials and menus, and some area hotels even offer lodging discounts. hoodriver.org

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Andrew Mcelderry and his family have been making pizza since 1991. To survive and grow, you must have a great product, everything they do is fresh and from scratch. This pizzeria loves pizza and, therefore, their pizza has to be and is the best. Bring some friends, have a slice of real East Coast thin-crust pizza, combine with a fresh salad, wings or a calzone. 14 inch pies • 18 inch pies

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

Beyond the Ordinary An artist’s studio provides a vibrant space for learning and healing STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY KATIE DESSIN

hen Jeanne Dowd and her husband, Howard Cohen, bought their property on Hood River’s west side, they knew it would take vision to transform it into their dream. Fortunately, Dowd, a multi-media artist, has that in spades. The multi-phase project includes building a new house on the foundation where an old house once stood and creating an expansive garden. But the first phase of the project, which was recently completed, offers a preview of what’s to come as well as some insight into the curious, colorful world of Jeanne Dowd. “This was a machine shop,” Dowd says, sweeping her hand around the space where she and her husband are living while they build their house. The outside is still clad in weathered metal, offering no clues to the treasures inside. The previous property owner was a mechanic and the “barn” served as his shop. “The bathroom in here was like the worst gas station bathroom,” Dowd says. “But we could see the possibilities.”

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With the help of Hood River’s Sustain Interiors, the shop has been transformed into what Dowd jokingly calls “The Museum of Jeanne.” It’s hard to define what the space is exactly — part art gallery, part design showroom, part living space, part art studio. But one thing’s for certain: it’s 100 percent Jeanne Dowd. “It was great finding Sustain,” she says. “I’m all about telling stories through my art, and they’re about telling the client’s story. It was a match made in heaven.” Dowd’s story is filled with twists and turns, and many bumps — some of them outright obstacles. But her resilience and perseverance in the face of

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Artist Jeanne Dowd, opposite inset, has created a studio where her multi-media art can be displayed. She eventually wants the studio to be a space where she can help others heal through art — a theme in her own life.

adversity is a constant theme, and it shines through in her art as well as in her friendly, unguarded demeanor. Dowd had no formal training and had been only dabbling in art — working with clay — when she was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain, on her pituitary gland. By the end of treatment, she had lost a lot of motor skills. She dove into art as a way to teach herself to do things again. “Art became a tool that helped me reconnect pathways in my brain,” she says. She worked with clay for some time before moving on to three-dimensional sculptural beadwork. Then there was art quilting, and metal, and sculpture, and jewelry, and painting. “It was always about creating new pathways in the brain, so once I mastered one thing, I wanted to try something else,” she says. Her work, in whatever the medium, has always been colorful and tactile. “I’ve always been into texture,” she says. Unlike many artists, she encourages people to touch her artwork — whether it’s a sculpture or a beaded doll or a canvas painting. “I think it’s important to engage all your senses,” she adds. Likewise, there’s always been a progression in her work, not only within a specific medium but in her journey from one medium to another. Over her 25 years as an artist, Dowd has encountered even more health challenges along the way, among them melanoma and, more recently, a detached retina, which left her temporarily totally blind and then permanently blind in one eye. “I really had to process what that meant,” Dowd says. “How was I going to do art going forward?” In typical Dowd style, she considered what the next progression for her might be. “I’ve always wanted to move into teaching, but I’ve never had the space,” she says. The barn, which was originally going to be the last phase of their project, became the initial focus. Once she and Cohen move into their house, the studio will become a space where she can teach, focusing particularly on helping others find healing through art.

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

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OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

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Interior designer Samantha Struck helped create Dowd’s studio, even finding an eclectic bathroom vanity sourced from Indonesia, above left. She encouraged Dowd to bring her diverse artwork into the space. The artist even stenciled the sliding bathroom door, below.

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24 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

“I want this to be a place where people can be inspired and nurtured,” she says. “These medical situations in my life, I wouldn’t be doing art if it wasn’t for them. Art saved my life.” She wants to help others tell their stories as part of their own healing journey. “It’s about taking adversity and navigating through it and coming out the other side,” she adds. The spacious studio filled with Dowd’s colorful and eclectic art — along with some of her favorite works collected from other artists — should provide the perfect place for that. Sustain Interior’s lead designer Samantha Struck, of Strucksured Interiors, was at the forefront of helping Dowd realize her vision. “I’ve always approached design as, it’s not about my style, it should be about the homeowner’s style,” says Struck, who encouraged Dowd to bring as much of her art into the studio as possible, creating a visually busy milieu that nonetheless seems perfect in the space — and is very much who Dowd is. “Vibrant color is my resting place,” Dowd says, laughing. “White is not.” Struck supplemented Dowd’s work with additional eclectic pieces, including a painted bathroom vanity imported from Indonesia. Dowd even added her own work to permanent fixtures, including creating detailed stenciling on both sides of the sliding bathroom door. For Struck and the team at Sustain, it’s been a dream job. “Designers rarely get to work with someone willing to take risks,” she says. For Jeanne Dowd, taking risks and pushing boundaries has gotten her through some tough times. “I’m always asking, ‘What if?’” she says. “It’s all about seeing beyond the ordinary. When life gives you life, persevere. That’s what keeps you moving forward.” For more information, go to jeannedowd.com, sustaininteriors.com and strucksured.com.

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OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

Good for What Ails You A small Gorge company aims to spread good health through bone broth STORY BY RUTH BERKOWITZ • PHOTOS BY PALOMA AYALA

eth Kandell ladles me a warm mug of beef broth on a rainy, late-fall morning. I inhale the steam and sip slowly, feeling instantly relieved, even slightly stronger, as if good health is flowing into my body. I have made my own broth at home with remnants from a roasted chicken dinner, but mine often tastes oily. Kandell, who produces gallons of bone broth weekly and sells it locally through her company, Simply Fine Gourmet, has perfected her recipe to taste smooth and earthy.

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A step up from Grandma’s hefty pot simmering on the back of the stove, organic bone broth is making a comeback. The rise of “broth-ers” is partly attributed to the Paleo, or caveman, diet and the trend to eat whole foods. Think chicken soup, the liquid gold that’s long been thought of as a cure for the common cold. Kandell first learned about the benefits of broth when she met a cancer patient who claimed that bone broth had cured her. Intrigued, Kandell, who suffered from leaky gut issues, began making her own broth, starting with a standard recipe from the cooking website Epicurious. After a few months of sipping broth throughout the day, Kandell healed her gut and noticed that her hair and nails were thicker and her gums ceased to have deep pockets. When Kandell moved from Los Angeles to her dream home in Stevenson, Wash., a few years ago, she spent time perfecting her broth. Both broth and stock include bones and meat, but stock has a higher proportion of bones to meat and simmers for only a few hours as opposed to the 12 to 24 hours required to make gelatinous, nutrient-rich broth. Kandell thoroughly tests each ingredient and continually tweaks her recipes, both for taste and nutrition. At first, she used whole chicken carcasses, but now prefers chicken necks and feet because these parts produce more gelatin and collagen, a protein essential for bones, muscles, tendons, skin and nails. Her beef bone broth comes from cows that are grass fed their entire lives and never given antibiotics or GMO feed. Adding acid to the pot, like vinegar, wine or tomato paste, helps extract the nutrients from the bones. Kandell discovered that using dense celery root instead of the stalks is both more flavorful and more nutritious. The earthy flavor of the beverage derives from dried Maitake mushrooms. In her pursuit of making the highest quality product possible, Kandell also uses a special Kangen water filter that adds more alkaline to the water, making it higher in magnesium and calcium. To seal the flavors of the broth and reduce the cooking time, Kandell places all of her ingredients in a commercial pressure cooker and instant pots.

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ORGANICS • PRODUCE DELI & BAKERY • MEAT & SEAFOOD WINE & BEER • FLORAL Beth Kandell started making bone broth to boost her own health. She perfected her recipe, and now sells it through her company, Simply Fine Gourmet.

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Ruth Berkowitz is lawyer, mediator and writer. She lives with her family in Hood River and Portland and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

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One of Kandell’s subscription customers, Erika Wilson, co-owner of Columbia Laser Skin Center in The Dalles, suffered from ovarian cancer. She turned to bone broth to help sustain her through chemotherapy and now, cancer-free, Wilson continues to drink broth, especially when she fasts intermittently during the week, something some cancer survivors do to help prevent relapse. Wilson has also tried to make her own broth, but prefers Kandell’s broth for its taste and organic ingredients. Even babies love it, Kandell tells me. “Do you know they are born with leaky gut so their bodies can process breast milk?” she says. She also makes a special broth for dogs, one without leeks and onions, which are poisonous for dogs and damage their red blood cells. Even four-time Olympian and 2017 New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan is a proponent of bone broth. In her book, Run Fast, Eat Slow, she provides a recipe for “Long Run Mineral Broth,” touting its benefits for every ailment under the sun. She urges the reader, “If you make just one recipe in this book, let it be this one. ( You’d be missing out on many memorable dishes, but at least we could sleep at night knowing you were sipping on incredibly healing nourishment!).” After spending a morning with Kandell, I am convinced that drinking or cooking with bone broth could help me get through the winter free of colds and flu — and maybe prevent other ailments as well. Kandell’s operation is currently small, with about 125 quarts a week being sold locally at a number of stores, including Rosauers, The Farm Stand and Chuck’s Produce in Vancouver. You can also order her broth and soup online through her website. To make your own broth, take a look at the comprehensive book, Nourishing Broth, by Sally Fallon Morell, a Maryland farmer and proponent of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which aims to restore nutrient-dense foods to the human diet. For more information, go to simplyfinegourmet.com.

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

Furniture for the Ages Phloem Studio’s handmade, modernist furniture is built to last a lifetime — and beyond STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY KELLY TURSO

visit to Phloem Studio is inevitably a loud experience. Even as founder and designer Ben Klebba stops work to give a tour of his large woodshop in Stevenson, Wash., power tools operated by Phloem employees continue to thrum. And no wonder. Phloem’s furniture — beautifully crafted modern-yet-timeless pieces made to order in a variety of hardwoods — is in demand. Klebba recently delivered stools to New York and North Carolina, chairs to Portland, and a desk to California. Not long ago he built 40 chairs for San Francisco-based digital storage company Dropbox. Other commercial clients include Nike, HBO and AirBnB. Several of Klebba’s chairs have won prestigious design awards and he’s been written up in publications ranging from Dwell magazine to The New York Times. But despite the upward trajectory of Phloem Studio, Klebba remains grounded. Perhaps it’s his Midwestern roots that help keep him focused on what he loves: building beautiful furniture. He grew up in Michigan, near the shores of Lake Huron. His dad, Ron, was a woodworker who built their family home, much of the furniture inside it and even the sailboats they sailed on Lake Huron.

Lisa Warninger

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Mikola Accuardi

Klebba appreciated his father’s work but wasn’t interested in emulating it. “I wasn’t so into it when I was a kid,” he says, chuckling. After graduating from college with a communications degree, Klebba moved to Chicago and wound up apprenticing part time for a luthier crafting acoustic guitars. He found he liked it and went on to get a job working for a master furniture maker. After seven years in Chicago, Klebba was ready to move west. The Pacific Northwest had long been a camping and backpacking destination for him, so Portland was an easy pick. He got a job working for a cabinetmaker, but was laid off in 2008 when the recession hit. Klebba had an idea where he wanted to go with his own furniture design, and his unplanned unemployment served as the impetus for striking out on his own. “It was do or die,” Klebba says. “I realized, I have to figure this out right now.” Klebba launched Phloem Studio in 2009. The word “phloem” refers to the vascular structure in plants that provides nutrients through photosyn-

Ben Klebba’s furniture designs have won awards, and a growing client list, practically since he launched Phloem Studio nearly a decade ago. Klebba’s dad, Ron, above, works with him.

thesis. “I wanted something that noted that we’re making most of our work out of a living renewable resource: wood,” Klebba says. “While I think it’s important to use renewable resources, I also think it’s important to think about the lifespan of a really well-designed product or piece of furniture. Our pieces will last beyond the original owner’s lifetime.” A year after starting Phloem, Klebba introduced his Nadine Lounge chair at the ShowPDX design competition. It won a runner-up prize and turned heads in the local design world. A couple of years later, his Laura Desk found its way on to some design blogs, which garnered Klebba attention beyond Portland, and his first trip to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City in 2013 furthered his reputation and generated a list of clients outside of the Northwest. He introduced what would become one of his most well-known pieces, the Harbor Chair, in 2014. The chair, made with a seat of woven rope — a nod to his childhood sailing days on Lake Huron — “caught a lot of press and traction,” says Klebba. A subsequent chair he designed for high-end furniture maker Thos. Moser — the Portland Chair — won some national awards and is still being produced by the company. “It’s just been a steady progression, both creatively and with success,” Klebba says. Three years ago, Klebba moved his studio from Portland to Stevenson, where his sprawling woodshop looks out on the Columbia River. Skyrocketing rent prices in Portland instigated the move, but Klebba loves the slower pace in the Gorge. “I really like having the shop here,” he says. “It’s a little more relaxed.” Another perk: his parents live in the Gorge eight months out of the year and his dad works with Klebba during that time, bringing his lifetime of woodworking experience to Phloem. The two often collaborate on new designs, which can be a months-long (or more) process. A prototype for a new chair, for example, is built, then sat in over the

course of months as small tweaks and refinements are made. “We do a lot of sitting,” says Klebba, who works hard to ensure that his chairs are beautiful and functional, but also comfortable. “I feel like we’re more relaxed and intentional about it than we used to be,” he adds. “We can kind of marinate on it for a while.” Phloem has a whole menu of furniture to choose from — including tables, desks, dressers and cabinets, and even a bed — but it’s chairs that Klebba favors. “I really like designing chairs,” he says. “A chair has more style and attitude to it. In a chair, you get more of a voice than you do in a dresser.” After nearly a decade running Phloem Studio, Klebba is in a groove with his current work while continually striving to create new designs. “You always want to keep pushing it and evolving,” he says. “I just try to keep busy and design pieces that are true to my vision and form and proportion and that will hopefully resonate with people enough that they want to bring them into their homes and workplaces.” For more information, go to phloemstudio.com.

Recently completed Gorge home using Andersen windows and doors

CASCADE BUILDING COMPONENTS is celebrating its 20th year with an updated logo, name and website. Studio cbc is a window and door showroom dealer for over twelve manufacturers, providing windows and doors to builders and homeowners throughout the Columbia River Gorge. Visit our extensive window and door showroom in Bingen, WA.

STUDIO CBC SHOWROOM M-F 8-5 509-637-2678 • studiocbc.com • 312 Depot St., Bingen, WA

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : EXPLORE

Carson Hot Springs

Mineral water from the Wind River promotes wellness and relaxation at this historic spa and resort STORY BY VIKI EIERDAM • PHOTOS BY SCOTT THOMPSON AND COURTESY OF CARSON HOT SPRINGS

ettling into an ample claw foot tub, immersed in hot mineral water, evokes a state of bliss. Surrounded by a privacy curtain, the mind is left to wander — or completely shut off — while a weary body receives the health benefits of water pumped straight from Wind River as it has been since the early 1920s. Carson Hot Springs Resort offers a full service property with overnight accommodations, an 18-hole golf course and on-site dining, but its focus is squarely on the healing properties of the historic hot springs discovered in 1876 by Isadore St. Martin. Over the years, the waters have provided respite and solace for countless visitors who espouse the attributes of mineral water, just like St. Martin’s wife, Margaret, who endured life-long discomfort from neuralgia. In order to share the hot springs experience with other travelers, St. Martin constructed a hotel, which opened in 1901. Careful to respect its historic significance, Carson Hot Springs balances the past with the present via rustic elegance. “We still have some original bathtubs and our traditional ‘bath and wrap’ is the same process that was used when the bathhouses were added in 1923,” said Lana Morat, front desk manager.

Courtesy of Carson Hot Springs

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Mineral water has long been touted for its multiple healing properties. The make-up of mineral springs varies from source to source. At Carson Hot Springs, guests enjoy a formula of potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate and phosphate. Each mineral performs a function or set of functions for the body, from helping to maintain proper fluid balance to blood pressure regulation to aiding immune system health. Proponents of mineral water bathing explain that as the body soaks in mineral-rich water, the skin absorbs vital substances, detoxifying the system and encouraging faster recovery from injury. Marfa Scheratski, general manager at Carson Hot Springs, is particularly passionate about the healing properties of the water. “I encourage guests to notice how well they sleep after soaking in the mineral water,” she said. “It’s very de-stressing. It’s great for internal deep bruising, the skin, it promotes melatonin for better sleep, and it’s good for arthritis (and) good for joints.” She went on to say that, compounded with the spa’s contrast water therapy, visitors experience faster recovery from soft tissue and joint injuries. Contrast therapy is also known as hot/cold

Carson Hot Springs is known for its soaking tubs, opposite, where spa-goers can steep in hot mineral water piped directly from the nearby Wind River. The spa and resort dates to the early 1900s, opposite bottom. A therapy pool, above left, can hold up to 40 people. The spa offers a full range of services, including massage.

immersion therapy and consists of alternating between the hot water in Carson’s public mineral therapy pool and the cold water of its plunge pool. The therapy pool can hold up to 40 people at a time and is complimentary for overnight guests and available in hourly increments for a fee to daily visitors. Carson Hot Springs has built its reputation on its bath and wrap combination. A tradition passed down from the St. Martin family to the subsequent owners, the Hegewald family, and the two companies that have owned Carson since then, this thoroughly relaxing experience begins with a 25-minute soak in a luxurious claw foot tub followed by a 25-minute body wrap in cotton and wool linens. The wrap serves to absorb fluids and toxins that the body will naturally want to rid itself of after the mineral bath. At a budget-friendly $30 for the combination, the bath and wrap have drawn loyal followers, some of whom have been coming to Carson for decades, including descendants of both the St. Martin and Hegewald families, according to Morat. It is for these loyal customers that the Tuesday special of $25 for a bath and wrap was created, as well as the frequent bather card — soak four times and receive the fifth one free, soak nine times and receive the tenth one free. Additionally, the mineral therapy pool is available for $8 per hour all day on Thursdays. “We still want to reward customers that come here on a regular basis to maintain their health and wellness with weekly visits,” Scheratski said. “We’re trying to encourage everyone to take better care of themselves.” Morat has been with Carson Hot Springs for 18 years. She says she’s seen an uptick in younger clientele in recent years. She mused that the focus on wellness has encouraged people to put more emphasis on preventive health measures as opposed to treating injuries and accumulated wear and tear on the body. Both Scheratski and Morat give a nod to European cultures that have held bathhouses in high regard for centuries due to their healing and stress-reducing properties. Morat even has a personal testimony regarding the attributes of mineral water. Her grandmother suffered from polio as a child and became bed bound in her later years. She would come and soak in a private tub and that seemed to be the only thing that gave her relief from chronic pain. Beyond soaks and wraps, Carson Hot Springs offers European facials, a menu of massages, facial waxing and a dry sauna with shower facilities for rinsing off afterwards. While the bathhouse operates on a first come, first served basis, all other spa services require reservations. For travelers seeking a low key getaway, Carson Hot Springs has guest rooms with private hot tubs located on the balcony and those tubs are filled with mineral water and drained after each guest stay. Keep in mind that Carson

is not a glitzy resort but a place that emphasizes relaxation, unplugging, and connecting with the beauty of its surroundings. As such, many of its 69 rooms have no televisions or wall adornments and internet service is spotty. With a focus on wellness decades before it was a catch phrase, Carson Hot Springs has de-stressing and unplugging dialed in at a pocket-friendly price amidst a setting that couldn’t be more ideal for promoting relaxation. For more information, go to carsonhotspringsresort.com. Viki Eierdam is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

Sparkling Wines

Gorge wineries offer an enticing array of bubbly selections STORY BY L. M. ARCHER • PHOTOS COURTESY OF WINERIES

VIENTO WINES

Award-winning winemaker Rich Cushman of Viento Wines has been making sparkling wine since 1992. A Hood River native, Cushman established a successful wine career in the Willamette Valley before returning to his Columbia Gorge roots in 2007. In addition to Viento, Cushman produces wine for five other Gorge labels: Mt. Hood Winery,

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Stave & Stone, Flume, The Gorge White House and Alan Busacca’s Heart Catcher Wines. The prolific winemaker also spearheads a few small-batch sparkling programs, including his own méthode champenoise and méthode ancestrale wines. “We just started one for Mt. Hood Winery,” Cushman says, “and a pét nat for Stave & Stone will be the first one out of the box next February [2019].” For his own méthode ancestrale (wines fermented once in bottle) Cushman uses no sulphur dioxide, and disgorges à la volée (by hand) to mitigate overflow and murkiness so prevalent in pét nats. I’ve been making sparkling wine for awhile,” explains Cushman, “and I know that if a pét nat isn’t perfectly brilliant, it gushes. You can lose a third of the bottle opening it.” He also eschews dosage for his méthode ancestrale sparklers, preferring moderately acidic base wines like Pinot Gris, sourced from his son, to achieve balance. For the 2018 vintage, Cushman plans to rack his sparkling wines prior to bottling, in an effort to alleviate disgorging altogether. He’s also using Chardonnay from the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. “This year we’ll have about 600 bottles of Chardonnay pét nat,” says Cushman. “Washington grapes ripen a little bit more slowly than Hood River due to elevation, so they are well-suited to bubbly. I’m very happy to work in a bi-state appellation.” Courtesy of Viento Wines

hile the Columbia Gorge doesn’t name its winds as do some Old World wine regions, winds nonetheless define it. Here, breezes careen, cascade, and collide in kinetic intensity, banshees of brute force unwilling to sit quietly and mind manners across the area’s craggy landscape. So, too, the region’s unruly array of wines. Turns out this cantankerous, cool climate proves perfect for crafting compelling sparkling wines. We’ve put together a lineup of six top Columbia Gorge boutique bubble makers worth toasting this holiday season.

• NV Cuvée Diamante Columbia Gorge Sparkling Wine, Méthode Champenoise, $30 • NV Cuvée Diamante Rosé Columbia Gorge Sparkling Wine Méthode Champenoise, $30

• 2017 Pinot Gris Columbia Gorge Sparkling Wine Méthode Ancestrale, $24 VIENTO WINES: 301 Country Club Road, Hood River, OR 97031, vientowines.com

HOOD CREST WINERY

Windsurfing, not wine, initially lured Patrik and Tess Barr of Hood Crest Winery to Hood River from Washington State. The couple first started coming to the area in 1988 for wind sports, finally settling in the Gorge permanently in 2003. Their other ‘hobby’ — making traditional méthode champenoise sparkling apple wine — led them to purchase a blackberry-tangled lot on Orchard Road near Hood River, where they planted grapes. Over time, the hobby grew into a successful winery. As a result, Barr acquired and cleared more land adjacent the vineyard, hewing trees and extracting cobblestones for use fashioning an impressive tasting room with wood-fire pizza oven, spectacular views, and a venue for Tess — an accomplished blues musician, as well as the winemaker — and her band to play for guests.

“It’s so rewarding to see what we’ve done with what we have here,” says Barr. “We bought just one lot, tried to see if grapes would grow, with no intention of having a tasting room and producing much. I had no idea that we’d be able to make unbelievable wine.” Winner of a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Awards for its 2013 Cabernet, Hood Crest Winery also harbors a sweet spot for sparkling. Currently, the winery offers three different sparkling wines: a lambruscostyle sparkling red, made from Pinot Noir, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec called Bulles Rouge; a sparkling white wine; and a sparkling rosé called Craklin Rose. But it’s the latest bubbles project called Patrik Barr Full Circle that excites Barr most, a traditional méthode champenoise blend just harvested from their estate-grown Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. “Full Circle kind of tells a story,” says Barr. “It’s a family story, about realizing the Gorge and its possibilities. There’s been much more interest in sparkling, let alone the whole cider thing — we were way ahead of the curve on that. The key to our success is that we always make sure we start with great grapes.” • Hood Crest Winery Bulles Rouges, Columbia Valley, $28 • Hood Crest Winery Sparkling White Wine, Columbia Gorge, $24 • Hood Crest Winery Craklin Rose, Columbia Gorge, $26 HOOD CREST WINERY: 1900 Orchard Road, Hood River, OR 97031, hoodcrestwinery.com

DISCOVER THE AMAZING WINES

AND STUNNING BEAUTY OF

LYLE, WASHINGTON

THE NEXT GENERATION OF WASHINGTON WINE can be found in the heart of the incredible Columbia Gorge. Four amazing wineries only 75 breathtaking minutes east of Portland.

For individual winery info: WINERIES OF LYLE.COM

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT CERULEAN WINE

Spotted:Stills

Cerulean Wine owners Jeff and Tammy Miller, who founded their winery in 2008, source their 2010 Sparkling Wine, a blend of 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Pinot Noir, from their own organically certified vineyard, Acadia Vineyards. The Millers fret about perfection from start to finish for their fizz. “In the Champagne region, it is required to remain on the lees in the bottle for at least 15 months,” says Tammy Miller. “For Cerulean, we kept the wine in bottle for 6 years.” As for hand-riddling, “This process can take up to 10 weeks,” Miller says. “The process to make sparkling wine can be extremely lengthy if you use the méthode champenoise, so you have to be patient, and you have to be obsessed!” Cerulean Wines offers its sparkling wine at the winery’s two hip, art-focused tasting rooms, one in downtown Hood River, and the other in Portland’s Pearl District.

• Cerulean Wine 2010 Sparkling Brut, Acadia Vineyards, $75 CERULEAN WINE: 304 Oak Street, Hood River, OR 97032, ceruleanwine.com

THE PINES 1852

The Pines 1852 winery owner Lonnie Wright blames his daughter Sierra for their popular sparkling wine program. Wright, a highly successful vineyard manager who moved from eastern Washington to the Gorge in 1981, first started in the area helping to restore an old vineyard in The Dalles called The Pines,

Silvia Flores

a site planted to Zinfandel back in the 1890s. Eventually Wright purchased the historic vineyard, founding The Pines 1852 winery in 2001. Wright’s daughter, Sierra, returned home from college in 2005 to help establish their first tasting room in Hood River. In 2009, she finally convinced her father to produce sparkling wine. It’s been a hit ever since. They sourced the fruit for the 2009, 2010, and 2012 vintages from the cooler Hood River area, later switching to warmer sites near The Dalles in 2016. • The Pines 1852 2012 Brut Rosé, Columbia Gorge, $40 THE PINES 1852: 202 Cascade Ave., Suite B, Hood River, OR 97031, thepinesvineyard.com

ANALEMMA WINES

Award winning wines, friendly staff, bocce courts, picnic and pet friendly. Come see us! Corporate Outings, Rehearsal Dinners, Retirement Parties, Weddings and Other Special Events

welcoming tasting room & patio 5.5 scenic miles south of hood river on hwy 35

Elements Studios

34 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

541.386.1277 / wyeastvineyards.com Open Daily 11-5 or so

Analemma Wines winemaker Steven Thompson and partner Kris Fade arrived in Mosier from Walla Walla, Wash., in 2010 to lease and manage Atavus Vineyard, a 50-year-old site above White Salmon. During that first vintage, as they grappled with a late harvest, the couple learned the vineyard contained the Mariafeld clone of Pinot Noir from Switzerland, a grape particularly suited to cold climates. They also discovered that making sparkling wine was the original vision of the vineyard’s founder, Charles Henderson. The vineyard’s message was clear — they needed to make sparkling wine. “We thought, “Okay, we’re hands-off here,” recounts Thompson. “This is what we’re doing.” The couple’s mindful approach allows them to listen to what the vineyard needs, rather than imposing their will upon it. “I believe this element of listening and respecting the variables we walked into,” Thompson says, “helped create the

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

WINE TASTING LOVERS CHOOSE FROM 26 AWARD-WINNING WINES 4200 Post Canyon Drive, Hood River

OPEN year round • Daily 11am big, bold reds • limited-edition reserves Barrel Tastings • library tastings

Atavus Blanc de Noirs into what it is today — perhaps the only single varietal, single vineyard and single vintage sparkling wines made using the méthode champenoise process in the United States.”

Bring this ad in for a 2 for 1 tasting offer

• Analemma 2013 Atavus Vineyard Blanc de Noirs, Columbia Gorge, $59 ANALEMMA WINES: 1120 State Road, Mosier, OR 97040, analemmawines.com

Winter Gorge

cathedralridgewinery.com / 541.386.2882

HWoo C rest inery

Courtesy of Analemma Wines

It’s all about the Reds, Whites & the Blues. Come try our Sparling Trio

SYNCLINE WINERY

Chosen as Seattle Magazine’s 2018 Winemaker of the Year, James Mantone of Syncline Winery in Lyle, Wash., is known for his eclectic bubbles selections, which include Grüner Veltliner Brut, Blanc de Blancs, and Blanc de Noir. “The Grüner Veltliner focus is on freshness, and country alpine-style bubbles,” says Mantone. “The Blanc de Noir is focused on elegance and richness. Blanc de Blancs focuses on lemony characteristics, with some autolytic character.” Mantone and wife Poppie moved Lauren Cullen from the Willamette Valley in 2000 to start their own winery. He sources his sparkling wine fruit from the Underwood Mountain area, and above White Salmon, areas he finds yield fruits with higher acidity, lower ripeness, and greater maturity. “People don’t realize that these areas of the Gorge are significantly cooler than the Willamette Valley, with much cooler nights, ” explains Mantone. “Gorge sparkling wines in general are grown specifically for sparkling, not blocks of underperforming fruit … Our wines are vineyard expressive and Gorge characteristic wines with loads of personality and fun.” • Syncline 2016 Grüner Veltliner Brut ‘Scintillation,’ $40

1 1 - 6 Fr i - M o n u n t i l 1 2 / 2 3 t h e n c l o s e d u n t i l 2 / 8

1900 Orchard Road Hood River, OR 541-716-0140 w w w.hoodcrestwiner y.com

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SYNCLINE WINERY: 111 Balch Road, Lyle, Wash., 98635, synclinewine.com

L. M. Archer is a wine writer, critic, judge and curator. She writes about wine at lmarcher.com.

s p e c i a l

a d v e r t i s i n g

s e c t i o n

Discover Beautiful HOOD RIVER : OREGON

mark etpl ace ho od ri ver

APLAND JEWELERS Designers, goldsmiths, and craftsmen, we make and repair in our state-of-theart workshop. Ken Apland brings 38 years of experience as a goldsmith and gemologist, so whether you need to have old jewelry redesigned, an heirloom restored, or an entirely new design made we can create it using reclaimed metals and responsibly sourced gems.

HOOD RIVER COFFEE ROASTERS Hood River Coffee Roasters sells coffee to the public! Yes, the same flavorful and fresh coffees that we offer to fine restaurants, grocery stores, espresso bars and business offices is available to you, too. We are proud to be the Gorge’s premier roaster since 1990. Open MonThu, 9am-5pm and Fri, 9am-3pm.

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

1310 Tucker Rd • 541-386-3908 hoodrivercoffeeroasters.com

KNOT ANOTHER HAT

HOOD RIVER JEWELERS

Got wool? At Knot Another Hat, you won’t just find beautiful yarns to knit or crochet, but also an amazing selection of one-of-a-kind hand knit garments and accessories for sale. Adults hats, scarves, shawls, hats for babies and children, women’s sweaters – all out of natural fibers like merino wool, alpaca, cotton, silk, even bison and angora! Stop by and see (and feel) for yourself today!

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

11 Third Street, #103 • 541-308-0002 knotanotherhat.com

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

STORY BY JANET COOK : PHOTOS BY MICHAEL PETERSON

HEAL THYSELF REGENERATIVE MEDICINE IS HELPING DOCTORS AT COLUMBIA PAIN MANAGEMENT TREAT PAIN PATIENTS

Dr.

Trey Rigert peers through wire-rimmed glasses over a blue face mask at a screen projecting an image of his patient’s neck. His lead-shield smock is decorated with pictures of sports equipment — tennis rackets, baseball mitts, basketballs, hockey sticks. Blue scrubs hang loosely on his narrow frame. He wears rubber Crocs with no socks. Rigert chats with his patient and his assistant, Ale Verdin, as Corey Hart sings “Sunglasses at Night” through speakers wired into the surgical suite at Columbia Pain Management. If it all seems laid back for a medical procedure, a quick survey of the equipment in the room paints a different picture. Two huge flat screens hang on opposite walls, projecting enlarged MRI images. A fluoroscopy machine with a giant arcing arm shows X-ray images in real time, allowing Rigert to see exactly what he’s doing inside his patient’s neck. The surgical table his patient lies on is made of carbon fiber. All of this complex — and hugely expensive — equipment helps Rigert and his partner, Dr. David Russo, perform a variety of procedures in what’s known as regenerative medicine, a relatively new field in which the body’s natural repair mechanisms are used for healing. “It’s an approach to treatment using your body’s own healing factors to facilitate tissue repair,” Russo said. Treatments involve using a patient’s own blood, platelet and bone marrow products to heal injured or diseased tissue. “We limit it to orthopedic conditions,” Russo added. “It’s exciting because it fills a gap. We have this aging of America, with a lot of people wanting to be as active as possible. Many orthopedic issues are not surgically adaptable. This is a step between orthopedic surgery and conservative care — it’s an intermediate alternative.”

Dr. Trey Rigert, left, and his partner, Dr. David Russo, have been practicing regenerative medicine for five years. THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

HEAL THYSELF

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Dr. Trey Rigert, with his assistant, Ale Verdin, performs a regenerative medicine procedure on a patient at Columbia Pain Management in Hood River. With the help of real-time guided imaging, Rigert injects platelet lysate derived from the patient’s own blood into the cervical joints, ligaments and nerve roots to relieve chronic neck pain.

Rigert, who graduated from medical school in 1989 and did his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Irvine, started doing interventional pain treatment about 20 years ago — mostly steroid-based therapies. “That’s what was available at the time,” he said. When he moved to Hood River in 2004, pain management was evolving and he wanted to continue working with pain patients. “There wasn’t any work here, and I wanted to live here,” he said. So Rigert started Columbia Pain Management, working out of a closetsized office he leased from Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital. There was no medical practice in the area solely dedicated to treating pain, which, according to the National Institutes of Health, is the most common reason people seek medical care. Pain affects more Americans than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined, and chronic pain — reported by more than 1

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

in 10 people — is the most common cause of long-term disability. As Rigert’s practice grew, he took on more staff and eventually built a state-of-the-art clinic in the Hood River Heights. Russo joined the practice in 2007. After earning his medical and graduate degrees in public health and clinical research and education from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, he did his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., followed by a fellowship in pain management at Oregon Health & Science University. Rigert and Russo are physiatrists, medical doctors who specialize in treating injuries to the muscles, bones, ligaments and nervous system. “It’s an eclectic mix of sports medicine, pain management and rehabilitation,” Russo said. They offer a variety of non-operative musculoskeletal and orthopedic treatments, ranging from steroid injections to therapeutic nerve blocks to spinal cord stimulation. For the past five years, they’ve also provided cutting edge treatments in regenerative medicine — one of the most exciting advancements happening in their field, as much of its current application is in orthopedics. Russo was first exposed to regenerative medicine during his training at Mayo, which was early to pursue the discipline and remains on the cutting edge of the field. “I was very intrigued by it, and I followed the field as it was evolving,” he said. Russo also kept tabs on one of the pioneers in regenerative medicine, Dr. Christopher Centeno, who was the first in the U.S. to use stem cells to treat orthopedic conditions. Centeno founded his Colorado-based company, Regenexx, more than a decade ago on the basis of several procedures using plateletrich plasma and stem cells to treat orthopedic and degenerative conditions.

Regenexx came up with its own lab procedures and tracked patient outcomes. To make his procedures more widely available, Centeno began building a network of physicians around the country and abroad trained in the Regenexx protocol. “I was keeping an eye on him and what he was doing,” Russo said. “When I felt like the technology had gotten to a place where it was feasible to do it in a smaller community, I proposed bringing it to our practice.” Columbia Pain Management became a Regenexx affiliate in 2013. At the time, it was one of only two clinics on the West Coast offering regenerative medicine (the other was in San Francisco). There are now several more; nationwide, about 30 clinics are part of the Regenexx network, which Rigert and Russo chose in part because of its long-standing registry tracking results and its strict training and lab processing protocols. “It helped us have legitimacy when we started,” Rigert said. “And the fact that they continue to innovate is really important to us.” The most common regenerative medicine treatment done at Columbia Pain Management is platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP). Platelets are blood cells that help form clots and stop bleeding when you get a cut, and are rich in growth factors that help heal damaged tissue and bone. The PRP therapy takes a patient’s blood (collected through a blood draw at the clinic) and processes it in the onsite lab to separate the platelet rich plasma from other cells. The concentrated plasma is then injected directly into the injured area to promote healing. Stem cell therapy involves taking a small amount of a patient’s bone marrow (done at the clinic through a draw from the back of the hip), which is rich in mesenchymal stem cells — “adult” stem cells responsible for healing damaged tissues. The bone marrow is processed, along with a sample of the patient’s blood, and the two components are then injected directly into the damaged area.

MUSCULOSKELETAL SPECIALISTS • REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

Offering the nation’s most advanced stem cell and platelet procedures for common joint injuries & degenerative conditions

541-386-9500 • 1010 10TH ST HOOD RIVER, OR 97031 3601 KLINDT DR SUITE 200 THE DALLES OR 97058 6542 SE LAKE RD SUITE 100 MILWAUKIE OR 97222

Convenient care, weekend hours Walk-ins welcome Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 541-387-1300

Providence Family Medicine Clinic 1151 May St. #201 Hood River, OR 97031

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

HEAL THYSELF

CONTINUED

Regenerative medicine helped, from left, triathlete Jessica Russo, who had injections in her knees and sacroiliac joint; Paul Thompson, a bass guitar player who had spinal injections for neck pain; and Karen Bureker, an avid tennis player who had an injection in her Achilles tendon.

In general, PRP therapy is more commonly used for treating soft tissue problems involving ligaments and tendons, as well as mild arthritis. Stem cell therapy is recommended for more severe arthritis or injury. “PRP is like giving construction workers an espresso shot,” Russo said. “Stem cell therapy is like bringing more construction workers to the site.” Local family physician Janet Sloblom suffered from back pain related to her sacroiliac (SI) joint for nearly 15 years. “I’d been dealing with it ever since my first pregnancy,” she said. She tried physical therapy, acupuncture and massage but nothing helped. Two years ago, she sought help from Columbia Pain Management and ended up getting a PRP injection in her SI joint. “It was a slam dunk,” she said — so much so that she had a second PRP procedure this year for a related problem with chronic inflammatory tendon pain. The effect took longer, but it, too, has helped her pain. “Patients usually begin to notice improvement in two to three weeks,” Russo said. “It takes a little more time than traditional pain management procedures because the goal is to facilitate tissue healing and that takes time.” Depending on the severity of the injury and the health status of the patient, a second treatment is sometimes warranted. That’s what happened with Paul Thompson. The Hood River real estate agent was referred to Columbia Pain Management by his physical therapist after long-term neck pain got worse last spring. Years of woodworking, guitar playing and sitting at a computer had taken a toll and the chronic pain was affecting many aspects of his life — including his sleep. Russo recommended a platelet lysate injection, a step beyond a PRP where platelets are further concentrated during processing to make them safe for spinal injections. Thompson felt better within weeks after the initial treatment, but his pain later began to return. Russo told him a second round would likely help, and it did. Thompson remains relatively pain-free. In the few years Rigert and Russo have been practicing regenerative medicine, they’ve seen the field morph from being largely unheard of to what Rigert calls “the wild west.” “Lots of people are advertising and offering different procedures,” Rigert said. But he and Russo caution against the proliferation of inexperienced and downright unqualified practitioners performing treatments with inadequate equipment. 42

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Chiropractic Your Full Body Care Clinic Health Care That Comes With Heart Since 1986, One Community Health has won the hearts of many people throughout the Columbia River Gorge. With us, patients thrive through an integrated approach to medical, dental and behavioral health.

We serve all people in Hood River, Wasco, Klickitat and Skamania Counties.What’s more, wellness is convenient, thanks to our regional outreach programs and multiple locations in Hood River and The Dalles. Experience the difference with whole-person health care. It’s rooted in gratitude and shaped by our compassion for patients and the community at large.

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Auto Related Injuries Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Rotator Cuff / Shoulder Pain Plantar Facsciitis / Foot Pain Knee Pain / Ankle Sprains Toe Pain & Numbness Heel Pain Neuropathies Neck Pain / Headaches Elbow Pain & Sports Injuries Lower Back Pain

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Home Health Services at Klickitat Valley Health

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

HEAL THYSELF

CONTINUED

Holiday Inn

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Paul Thompson had two sets of platelet lysate injections to alleviate his chronic neck pain. Depending on the severity of injury and their health status, patients with tendon and ligament injuries can expect months to years of pain relief from one to two sets of injections.

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WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

“There’s a lot of quackery with regenerative medicine,” Russo said. In an editorial published last year in the Portland Business Journal, Russo warned against unqualified practitioners promoting treatments based on unfounded or patently false claims. He also took aim at the growing number of clinics marketing their practice through seminars, using the “same techniques proven effective in selling timeshares.” The Regenexx affiliation allows Rigert and Russo to provide not only rigorous procedures and protocols with a proven track record, but the surgical suite where their treatments are done is one of only a few in Oregon accredited by the Institute for Medical Quality, a nationally-recognized organization dedicated to patient safety and improving quality care. Along with state-of-the-art imaging equipment, the suite is equipped with everything necessary to manage any life-threatening emergencies, said Russo. “This is one of the main differentiators between a bona-fide medical interventional orthopedic pain practice and ‘fly-by-night’ practices,” he said. Its accreditation and processing methods also make the clinic one of the few on the West Coast where patients can get regenerative spinal injections. “This requires a higher level of training and resources than just simple joint injections,” he added. With the help of the Regenexx registry as well as a thorough initial exam and imaging, Rigert and Russo are able to tell patients whether regenerative medicine is a good fit for them and their situation. “People who have arthritis in more than one joint tend to do less well — your stem cells probably aren’t as good,” Rigert said. “If you have one bad joint, chances are this will work well.” Rigert and Russo have treated a wide range of people and conditions with regenerative medicine over the past five years, from teenagers to high-level athletes to patients in their 70s. Russo’s wife, Jessica, was feeling the effects of training for a triathlon in middle-age. She had two rounds of PRP injections in her knees and one in her SI joint. Her knees were a little slower to respond, but now are “basically pain-free,” she said. “My lower back and SI joint area improved right away. I can sustain 80- to 100-mile-long bike rides with barely a twinge.” Russo is enthusiastic about regenerative medicine and its future. “It allows pain specialists to move out of a palliative care paradigm and into a curative treatment paradigm,” he said — working to cure underlying problems rather than just treating symptoms. “As we understand more about how the body naturally heals itself, we can intervene earlier and earlier in the disease process to prevent more severe permanent changes from occurring.” Russo even sees orthopedics and regenerative medicine working in tandem. “I see a day where surgeons will implant specially manufactured tissue scaffolds and then regenerative medicine specialists will inject the scaffolds with cellular products or other growth factors to jump start tissue repair and direct rehabilitation,” he said. It may seem futuristic, but the basis for Russo’s vision is already happening every day at Columbia Pain Management. Columbia Pain Management has clinics in Hood River, The Dalles and Portland. For more information, go to columbiapain.org.

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

From left to right: Ajahn Suddhiko, Ajahn Kassapo and Ajahn Sudanto

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

locally enlightened STORY AND PHOTOS BY

david hanson

GETTING TO KNOW THE PACIFIC HERMITAGE, WHITE SALMON’S FOREST MONASTERY

little over a mile north of downtown White Salmon, set into the maple-and-fir shrouded quiet of Jewett Creek valley, live three Buddhist monks. A main house is visible from the biking and hiking trails that follow the creek uphill. A tiny house sits beside the main house and two tinier houses hide amongst the mossy rocks and maples just downstream. If you look closely enough in the afternoon, you might see a monk walking in a slow meditation, back and forth on a narrow, 20-yard-long boardwalk. Or you might see a monk with a chainsaw clearing downed trees for firewood. You can walk up to the door, knock and meet them. This is the Pacific Hermitage, a forest monastery with deepening ties to the White Salmon community. Ajahn Sudanto, a 51-year-old Portland native who founded the hermitage in 2007 with the support and prompting of Portland Friends of the Dhamma lay Buddhist community, believes they’ve found the ideal place for a forest monastery. Sudanto (Ajahn means “teacher” and is a common title for monks), is a soft-spoken, affable man with an occasionally wry disposition that, for me, at least, dispelled any preconceived notions of a lofty enlightenment seeker. It was raining when I first met Sudanto at the hermitage. We sat in the small home’s modern, immaculate kitchen. A French press, coffee jar, tea kettle and tea bags lined a corner, the only signs of inhabitance. Across the hallway a small, sparse room flooded in natural light held a handful of pillows for meditation and a few framed images of spiritual leaders. A small altar sat at the front of the room. Earlier in the day, as is their custom, the monks had walked into town, collecting alms (prepared food) from White Salmon locals. They had returned to the hermitage, shared their one meal of the day (eaten some time between

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

locally enlightened CONTINUED

dawn and noon), then retreated to their studies or chores. As I sat with Sudanto in mid-afternoon, the other two monks were in their tiny houses among the moss-covered rocks, no doubt hearing the drip of the rain from the maple leaves. “We’re not off in some secret location,” Sudanto tells me. “That’s one thing I like about this property. We’re right at the head of the trails here and we’re close enough to walk into White Salmon or have people come visit us. We rely on a symbiotic relationship with town. If the monks provide no service and are of no spiritual value to the community, then they have no resources to fall back on. It’s all based on free will.” Sudanto grew up in a Catholic family in Portland and Vancouver, Wash. He discovered meditation and yoga at the University of Oregon and, seeking a deeper understanding of those practices, traveled to Southeast Asia. Eventually, Sudanto met a westerner who had become an ordained monk in that country. “Up until that point,” says Sudanto, “I had never understood that there were opportunities for someone like me to ordain and live as a monk. I could see that I’d enjoy doing that for a while and it’s not a lifelong commitment. But I wasn’t getting very far in my practice just traveling on my own, so I went to Thailand to explore being a monk. I ended up ordaining and spending six years there as a monk in a monastery.” In many parts of Southeast Asia, monks inhabit 48

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a revered place in society. Most villages have a monastery that acts as the community hub, hosting events, ceremonies, meditations. Monks act as spiritual guides, counselors, and their monasteries were often the first schools. They adhere to a strict monastic tradition that prohibits working, growing, storing or preparing food, and having or spending money, all with the intention of freeing the monks to rigorously pursue their studies and teachings. In Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma, India and other traditional Buddhist countries, supporting the local monks is an honor. In America, with our traditional religions being centralized into houses of worship, not to mention the uncommon notions of not working or handling food or money, it’s a bit trickier. “In Thailand,” Sudanto says, “the monks provided me the space to study deeply in the forest monastery. Nothing like that existed in the U.S. at the time. In 1998 I joined a friend in Redwood Valley, Calif., and we started the Abhayagiri monastery where people, who might not be able to travel to Thailand as I had, could study and be ordained as a monk.” Sudanto’s family remains in the Portland area so over the course of visits, he’d met Portland Friends of the Dhamma. In 2007 the group brought Sudanto and another monk up to a temporary camp outside Mosier, hoping to explore the possibility of a small forest monastery in the Gorge. “It was like a trial balloon,” says Sudanto. “We wanted to see if the community in Portland was ready to support the monks full time and it worked.” In 2010 they gathered the seed money to move full-time onto leased property in Snowden and in 2011 the community bought the land and house that is now the Pacific Hermitage. Sudanto has been the senior monk since then, creating the quiet space for two other monks to study and deepen their practice, much like he’d been able to do in the Thailand monasteries. “There are so few monks and philosophers in the world these days,” Sudanto says. “The few people engaged in those things are absent from our conception of what makes up a community. That’s not the case in India and Thailand. We try to be adaptive and flexible but also conservative in terms of holding to our monastic discipline and practice. It’s like transplanting some rare orchid from the jungles of Thailand and seeing if it can survive and adapt and become an indigenous variant that beautifies the forest of the Northwest.” For more information, go to pacifichermitage.org. David Hanson is a writer, photographer and video producer based in Hood River. Find his editorial and commercial work at ModocStories.com and weddings at CascadiaStudios.com.

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SKAMANIA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 167 NW Second Avenue, Stevenson, WA 98648 • 800-989-9178 • skamania.org

OUTSIDE

Coming Around to Winter A marathon runner learns to

embrace the elements

used to dread winter the way a child fears the dark. It’s not that I wished it away; I just wanted to lighten things up. And then one day it started to snow. And snow. And snow. Until, like the orchards around us, I felt as if I were wearing it. That was the Gorge winter of 2016-17 — sometimes called the snowpocalypse — and when, ironically, my sense of doom began to lift. As I do most winters, I was training for a spring race, this time a marathon, my seventh. My husband, Robert, suggested, and not for the first time, that I take up a snow sport instead, and join him and our two children at Mt. Hood Meadows. But I remembered my one and only ski lesson after moving to Oregon from Memphis, Tenn., and how, on my first run, I collapsed onto my butt, skis still pointed downhill, and accelerated like a runaway bobsled toward all those kids congregated on the bunny hill until Robert screamed, “Cate, roll!” I tumbled and missed them by a mere few feet. The snow culture, I decided, wasn’t for me. Furthermore, signing up to run 26.2 miles in the spring forces me to brave the cold and the wet when I’d much rather hibernate — which, I’ve

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

STORY BY CATE HOTCHKISS • PHOTOS BY PALOMA AYALA

learned, is a lousy idea if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression. Running, while not a cure, tends nonetheless to mitigate my worst symptoms: insomnia and hopelessness. Thankfully, my friend Mark Chamley, a longtime endurance runner who works at Shortt Supply in Hood River, set me up that season with the right gear. We also trained together once a week. He, too, was preparing for an early May race, a 100K or 62-miler. Having completed more than 100 ultramarathons over 34 years, he’s a terrific resource. I’d run through some harsh Gorge weather in the past, but never day after day, nor on ice.

Cate Hotchkiss, inset, a marathon runner, and her friend, Mark Chamley, top, an ultra runner, have trained together through all seasons in the Gorge. Ice cleats that fit over their running shoes, below, have come in handy on many occasions during their winter runs.

“Strap these on, Cate,” Chamley said, before an early-morning run in mid-December along the Hood River waterfront. “They’ll prevent you from doing the splits or falling on your ass.” He handed me a pair of ice cleats — studded rubber tread that wrapped snugly around my shoes. At first, I ran tentatively, baby-stepping, but soon trusted the carbide spikes to bite into the treacherous terrain, and eventually I could, sort of, maintain a natural stride. On soft snow, we ran in trail shoes with lugged soles and without traction aids, primarily on plowed roads, and avoided those knee-deep trails. Our go-to clothing included long-sleeved merino-wool shirts, water-resistant jackets, gloves, wool beanies, and either tights or shorts with long socks, depending on the temperature. After a few slushy runs on which my feet froze, I clipped short gaiters to my shoes. By Jan. 2, storms had dumped nearly 45 inches of snow on Hood River, and already my legs felt gelatinous, not a good sign so early in a training cycle. My pace was, as we’d say in the South, slower than cold molasses, and I worried that I was holding Chamley back. But he assured me that it was tough for him, too, and suggested I stop checking my watch all the time. Plus, I’d developed a nagging pain around one of my right ankle joints, and booked an appointment with Dr. Sissel Holloway, an ultrarunner and sports chiropractor at Hood River Chiropractic and Wellness who had just moved to Hood River from Portland. She explained that our biomechanics, or the ways in which we move, tend to change when we run on new surfaces, or even switch shoes. While my body was adjusting to running on snow, I’d developed what she called an “irregular compensation pattern,” or, as I understood it, landing on my foot weirdly. After a couple of treatments, and a series of home exercises she prescribed, my ankle felt normal again. On Tuesday morning, Jan. 10, after an additional two feet of snow fell over several days, and before a predicted storm dropped yet another 10 inches, I headed out my front door, temps in the teens, for a rolling eight-miler through the valley. Feeling drained at the halfway point and now with wind slapping my face, I slogged back home, focusing on my foot placement, as two cross-country skiers glided by me, smiled, and waved. Maybe, I thought, my husband was right — that my contrary, goingagainst-the-flow tenacity was counterproductive. A part of me wanted to call it quits, and just duck in the winery up the road. Then, with a half-mile to go, a bright orange object flashed in my peripheral vision. No, it wasn’t the sun, but rather a cylindrical dog toy

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OUTSIDE

Cate Hotchkiss

Hotchkiss credits her neighbor’s Labrador retriever, Izzy, above left, with helping her find the joy in winter. She’s learned to embrace the elements — even when training for a spring marathon.

flying through the air. Fetching it was a Labrador retriever, just a half-shade darker than the snow, bulldozing through drifts deeper than she and hurling her body around like a seal. I stopped and stood still, laughing at the blast she was having, and I wanted to join her. After a few minutes, I cut through the field, and introduced myself. The pup’s name was Izzy, her owner’s, Andrew Kirschbaum. Miss Izzy gazed up at me with her sweet brown eyes, and dropped her frozen toy at my feet. I flung the thing as far as I could, whipped out my iPhone, and snapped a few photos of her prancing back to me. In that moment, I couldn’t have known that the snapshot, which would become my screensaver, would mark a shift toward adapting to winter in Oregon, finally, after having lived in Hood River for more than four years, and in Portland for a decade. Perhaps it was Izzy’s ebullient spirit. Or, that a canvas of white had replaced inversion-gray, the Gorge’s usual January backdrop. Or, that with the help of friends, I was moving outside my comfort zone. Or, that the lattes with whipped cream that I slurped at Kickstand after nearly every run were so damn delicious, and have since become ritual. Whatever the reasons, my winter gloom lurked for only a short while before dissipating like fog under rays of sun. Soon after, I rented snowshoes and trekking poles, and my husband and I headed up to Bennett Pass Road near Mt. Hood Meadows, where we trekked five miles through pine-laden air with a close-up view of Mount Hood against a patch of bright blue. Step by step, a sense of tranquility flowed through me, and by the end of the hike, I was hooked, and eventually, purchased my own snowshoes. By mid-February, the snowfall reached triple digits in the Hood, and appeared as though it would never melt. But several weeks later, Chamley and I were shedding layers and back running on muddy trails and wet roads. In May, I completed my marathon, and Chamley, his 100K; both of us with slower-than-normal times, though that hardly mattered, grateful as we were to finish healthy and uninjured. Since then, I’ve qualified to run the Boston Marathon, April 15, 2019. Training starts in mid-December. I’ve pulled down, and with only a little trepidation, the plastic bin from the top shelf of my closet, where, for most of the year, the winter gear resides, while my kids have prepped their skis. I recently asked my 13-year-old son, John, “What’s your favorite season and why?” He said, “Winter, because it’s so fun and cozy.” It’s a point of view I’m beginning to embrace, even wholeheartedly, and without equivocation, the way a child sees the light. Cate Hotchkiss is a freelance health and lifestyle writer who lives in Hood River with her family. 52

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THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

ARTS + CULTURE

Beating the Winter Blues Cultural events bring light to the season

STORY BY DON CAMPBELL

h, winter. It seems poetic — until you find yourself smack dab in the middle of it. Snow falling is fun the first few days. Kind of a pain a few feet later. Freezing rain? Not so much, even for a minute. And let’s not talk about the endless, mind-numbing gloom, with skies that seem to grow dark starting after lunch, with a sun that only seems to rise well after noon — if at all. And don’t get us started on low-slung clouds and torrential rains. The medical profession aptly calls this malady we all feel this time of year SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder, a certifiable affliction that, according to the Mayo Clinic, is “a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. If you’re like most people with SAD, your symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.” We could go deep into the reasons: whacked-out circadian rhythms, serotonin and melatonin levels playing whipping post with your mood and sleep patterns, and the absolute lack of anything resembling brighter days ahead. Treatment, according to that august clinic, can include light therapy, medications and psychotherapy. We like our prescription better: If Mom Nature isn’t going to provide the light this time of year, bring it on with some arts and entertainment! COLUMBIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS (CCA) THEATER

A year-round bright spot in the Gorge is the CCA in downtown Hood River, which offers its Children’s Theatre program, the Seniors & the Arts program, National Theatre Live broadcasts, monthly gallery exhibitions, and more. (columbiaarts.org) To get you through the dismal season, CCA lights up December with A Charlie Brown Christmas, a live-action send-up of the original 1965 animated classic. For those feeling overwhelmed and bedraggled by the commercialism of the season, this stage play will provide some major uplift, including presenting us with the iconic Charlie Brown Christmas tree and the true meaning of the season. Shows run Dec. 8-16. 54

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Can’t get to London this winter, but still crave exceptional theater? January and February offer two different National Theater Live presentations: Julie, on Jan. 20, and The Madness of George III on Feb. 17. The Royal National Theatre’s arts initiative broadcasts live performances of their productions via satellite to theaters and arts centers around the globe. Julie is written by Polly Stenham, based on the 1888 August Strinberg classic, Miss Julie, and debate rages on about how Stenham’s version measures up. The new take, set in modern-day London, stays true to the fatal love affair between a mistress and a servant, and stars Vanessa Kirby and Eric Kofi Abrefa. The Madness of George III stars award-winning actors Mark Gatiss in the title role.

CCA GALLERY

Finding awe in the visual arts can brighten even the darkest day of winter. The CCA Gallery takes pride in curating local and regional artists. The gallery hosts a different themed exhibition each month. January’s open-call showing is entitled Reflections, and appropriately brings “light to a dark winter month,” according to the CCA, with the artists using “literal reflections (mirrors, glass, etc.) or metaphorical reflections to express themselves in their art.” February brings National Identity, an invitational showing of artists who’ve illustrated “their emotional and intellectual responses to their sense of National Identity,” drawing variously on country of birth, the ancestral past, or their own ideas of personal identity. SENSE OF PLACE LECTURE SERIES

The member-supported Gorge Owned (GO!), with its focus on locally owned, community-focused and sustainable businesses, sponsors the educational and entertaining Sense of Place lecture series at CCA, featuring a variety of presenters. (gorgeowned.org) It kicks off Dec. 19 with Crisis on the Columbia: Native-White Alliances and Opposition to The Dalles Dam, presented by author and historian Katy Barber. Barber will focus on Flora Thompson, her husband Chief Tommy Thompson, and activist/educator Martha McKeown, and the important cross-cultural alliance and friendship they formed. The Feb. 13 presentation is Schemes, Dreams and Teams: A Century Long Saga to Protect the Columbia Gorge. Kevin Gorman, the dynamic executive director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge will “dive into history, conflict and how technology might help all of us keep the Columbia Gorge wild and beautiful for generations to come.” COLUMBIA GORGE ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION

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

300 East Port Marina Drive • Hood River hoodriverhistorymuseum.org • 541-386-6772 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter OPEN: Monday-Saturday, 11am-4pm

Michael Peterson

Under the direction and baton of Mark Steighner, the non-profit CGOA is the musically rich umbrella group for the Sinfonietta Orchestra, Voci Choir, Gorge Jazz Collective, Stages Repertory Theatre, The Hood River String Quartet, and the Gorge Youth Chorus. (gorgeorchestra.org) The association bounds into the holiday season on Dec. 14 (7:30 p.m.) and Dec. 16 (at 2 p.m.) with Down Home Christmas with the June Bug Boys, which also features CGOA’s Sinfonietta Orchestra and the Voci Choir, all at the Hood River Middle School. In the new year, enjoy An Afternoon of Chamber Music, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. The show features select members of the Sinfonietta Orchestra performing at the Hood River Valley Christian Church. Swing’s the thing on Jan. 25 and 27 for Salute the Duke, a tribute to Duke Ellington, featuring the Gorge Jazz Collective, a swinging big band. The show will be held at the stunningly beautiful and acoustically pleasing Wy’east Performing Arts Center in Odell. As we slide into February, catch Brahms with Kathy Apland, featuring the Sinfonietta Orchestra, Feb. 15 and 17, also at the Wy’east Performing Arts Center. Apland plays oboe, English horn and piano with the Sinfonietta. CGOA closes out February with a performance on Feb. 23, with the Voci Choir playing host to community choirs from around the Gorge at the Wy’east Performing Arts Center. Hopefully we’ll be on the backside of winter by March, when the CGOA Stages Repertory Theatre opens the smash musical hit, Mama Mia! at the Wy’east Performing Arts Center, with a run of performances from March 8-10, 14-17, and 22-23.

Making History Come Alive…

BIG BRITCHES PRODUCTIONS

One of the Gorge’s newest theater companies, Big Britches Productions, offers up the always hilarious The Odd Couple — and as they bill it “the female version … with extra estrogen!” — beginning Feb. 8, and running for three consecutive weekends at the Bingen Theater, in Bingen, Wash. The company was founded by CGOA alums Bruce Ludwig and Julie Hatfield. (bigbritches.org) Don Campbell is a writer and musician. He lives in Mosier and Portland and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine. THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

WELLNESS

Staying in the Game MCMC trainers help reduce injuries in student athletes STORY BY EMILY FITZGERALD • PHOTOS BY MARK GIBSON

ll it takes for an athlete to lose their chance to play is one severe injury. A hard impact or a bad landing can cause an athlete to miss valuable game-time, end their athletic career altogether or, in some cases, have life-long repercussions. For student athletes in particular, a bad sports injury can negatively impact their academics and their futures beyond graduation. The Mid-Columbia Medical Center Sports Medicine program strives to mitigate that, working with an expanding roster of middle and high schools in the Gorge to help reduce injuries among student athletes and ensure that injured athletes receive timely and adequate care. “We want to make sure kids transition back to school sports as safely as possible,” said program director Nick Dills. The program, which started six years ago with one part-time athletic trainer, now has four full-time trainers working at nine schools in the Gorge. It provides services to The Dalles, South Wasco and Lyle high schools; Horizon Christian, Dufur and Sherman County schools; and The Dalles Middle School. This year, Columbia High School in White Salmon was added to the list. Trainers also travel to multischool jamborees, according to Dills. Athletic trainers serve as the link between MCMC and the school athletic programs, working with student athletes, standing on the sidelines of games in case of injury, and teaching proper workout technique, strength and conditioning to students to help prevent injury in the first place. MCMC physical therapists and representatives of both pediatric and family medicine meet regularly with the program’s four trainers to ensure that students get timely care. Each trainer spends most of their time at their respective “home-schools,” Dills said, and service surrounding schools as needed. John Barresse, an athletic trainer who works primarily at The Dalles High School and The Dalles Middle School, said that he respects students’ desire to play through injury and tries to keep kids in the game whenever possible, but keeps a close eye on the risk/reward ratio of doing so. 56

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

“Someone with a very mild ankle sprain that’s only slightly swollen but who has great strength, great balance — that’s a kid that you can brace up, tape up, and get back in the game,” Barresse said. “But the kid who has an extremely swollen ankle, has no strength, no ability to balance … those are the ones you definitely need to make sure you safeguard because they’re at a huge risk for making their injury much worse.”

Meet our new optometrist, Dr. Audrey Lukey

WELCOME DR. LUKEY Indian Creek Family Eye Care welcomes Audrey Lukey, O.D., to our practice. Dr. Lukey received her Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree from Illinois College of Optometry and holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Augustana College. She speaks basic Spanish and is experienced with the latest in vision technology. Athletic trainer John Barresse, who works with high school and middle school athletes in The Dalles, is one of four trainers working at Gorge schools as part of MCMC’s sports medicine program.

Barresse grew up in White Salmon. He went to college at Eastern Oregon University, graduating with a degree in physical education and health with an emphasis in athletic training. He went on to earn a master’s degree in human physiology from the University of Oregon, then spent 10 years working in Bend as an athletic trainer and orthopedic technician for a large orthopedic group. “I’ve gotten to see a lot of things in my career,” he said. “That’s definitely helped me improve as an athletic trainer.” Barresse moved to The Dalles four years ago when MCMC offered him his current job. “(This program is) different from anything else I’ve been involved in,” he said. “It’s absolutely phenomenal.” One of his favorite aspects of the program is its Concussion Task Force, a joint effort between high schools and MCMC focused on concussion treatment. “No concussion is ever treated the same” as another, Barresse said. Eighty percent of concussions, he said, have their symptoms resolve in two to three weeks. The task force is primarily concerned with the 20 percent that don’t. The program requires all freshmen and junior athletes to undergo baseline Immediate PostConcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), an online 25-minute cognitive test that measures memory, attention, learning and reaction speed. One of multiple measures used in “return to participation” protocols, the baseline tests help trainers identify concussions and determine when a concussed student is well enough to return to school and sports. The test is retaken whenever there is a suspected concussion; MCMC funds the cost of the tests for every school they cover.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAM & CONTACT LENSES • DIABETIC EYE CARE • TREATMENT OF EYE DISEASES • EMERGENCY SERVICES SURGICAL CO-MANAGEMENT DR. LUKEY IS NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

Please call to schedule your appointment today

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Dr. Rebecca Chown, OD FAAO Dr. Audrey Lukey, OD www.icfec.com 1700 12th Street, Suite A, Hood River

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

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WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Coaches also receive annual concussion management and identification, a requirement of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA). The task force also provides “return to activity” training to help student athletes with concussions to work their way back up to full participation in their sport and help guide them through homework and classroom activities, so they don’t fall behind while recovering. In 2017, MCMC saw a 25 percent decrease in noncontact injuries that would require medical referral, such as ankle fractures and ACL tears, compared with the year before. Of 27 documented injuries, only 16 resulted in referrals, MCMC reported. Athletic performance has improved as well: for the first season in program history, The Dalles High School’s wrestling team accomplished more than 70 percent of its wins by pin as opposed to decision. “Teams are rebounding and numbers are going up,” Barresse works with student athletes on proper workout technique, strengthening and conditioning Dills said. His goal is to see preventable injury rates confor injury prevention. tinue to drop and performance improvements continue to rise on the field. Dills said the biggest impact of the program is the sheer volume of kids that benefit from it, not just in terms of injury prevention and recovery, but student engagement as well. “The kids are having fun with it,” he said. “It’s a fun, kind of awesome vibe that I’ve seen.” Emily Fitzgerald is a writer who lives in Mosier.

Nichols Landing Gorge Mag 8.75x11.25 NOV2019.qxp_Layout 1 11/6/18 4:15 PM Page 1

MCMC Specialty Clinics Now Accepting New Patients! MCMC OUTPATIENT THERAPY AT NICHOLS LANDING, formerly hood river therapy, has relocated to Nichols landing. our rehabilitation programs are specially designed by our experienced physical, occupational and speech therapists and tailored to fit your needs. our newly constructed space offers a large performance gym, with upgraded exercise equipment, overlooking the beautiful hood river waterfront. Call 541.386.2441 to make an appointment.

GORGE UROLOGY has relocated to Nichols landing

from its previous hood river location. For the past 33 years, gorge Urology has provided patient-centered, personalized care for men and women with medical conditions affecting the urinary tract and reproductive systems. the entire urology team continues to provide the highest quality urology care for the gorge community. Call 541.386.6988 to make an appointment.

MCMC PODIATRY for foot and ankle care. dr. kathryn Jenewein, our experienced podiatrist, has devoted her career to helping people get back on their feet after illness or injury. dr. Jenewein completed her podiatric residency at legacy health system and kaiser Permanente in Portland. For the past year sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been helping gorge residents manage and recover from arthritis, bunions, ingrown toenails, ligament and tendon disorders, and other health conditions. Call 541.308.1015 to make an appointment. Nichols Landing overlooks the Columbia River and is right off of I-84 (exit 63) next to the Hampton Inn in Hood River.

MCMC ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE

offering comprehensive orthopedic care, sports injury treatment and prevention. whether you want to recover from injury, improve your athletic performance or lift your grandchildren without pain, our team of certified athletic trainers, physical therapists and physicians are here for you every step of the way. Call 541.308.1015 to make an appointment.

MCMC DERMATOLOGY has relocated its hood river clinic to Nichols landing. our dermatologist, dr. melinda riter, completed her internal medicine internship at stanford University before relocating to Portland for a dermatology residency at ohsU. today she is dedicated to gorge patients, diagnosing and treating skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, skin cancer and more. If you are concerned about a new skin condition, call 541.308.1020 to make an appointment. MCMC CARDIOLOGY delivers compassionate heart care. cardiology patients can expect open, honest communication with specialists who work alongside patients to educate them about their condition and treatment options. currently offering echocardiograms (echos) and treadmill stress tests. Call 541.308.1025 to make an appointment.

NL at

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OUR GORGE : PARTAKE

French Lentil Salad RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY KACIE McMACKIN

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Puy lentils  • 2 cups chopped red onion

This vegetarian lentil salad is made with Puy lentils, also called French lentils. Puy lentils are grown in the Le Puy region of France. They are smaller and firmer than most lentils, and hold their shape and texture when cooked. I first made this salad a few years ago, and now it’s part of our monthly rotation. It’s vinegary and earthy, salty and sharp, and it’s wonderful served with a slice of sourdough bread that’s been doused with olive oil. The leftovers are great too, and are a regular workday lunch for our family. It’s best served at room temperature.

• 2 cups peeled and chopped carrot  • 2 cups chopped celery  • 1 bay leaf  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • Toasted walnuts, chopped  • Italian flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped • Feta, crumbled  • Kosher salt  • Flake salt (optional) • Freshly ground black pepper

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Directions:

Bring 6-8 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the bay leaf and lentils, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils are al dente — about 15-20 minutes. You want them to have a little bite, like well-cooked pasta, so be careful not to overcook them. Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. While whisking pour in the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the lentils and add them, still hot, to the bowl with dressing. Discard the bay leaf. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery until softened, but not browned. Transfer directly into the bowl with the dressing and lentils. Stir to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature. Serve with a sprinkling of feta, parsley, and toasted walnuts. Finish with a little flake salt and fresh pepper. Yields 8 cups of salad (5-6 servings).

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

EAT + DRINK

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

541-386-1880 • bettesplace.com 416 Oak Street • Hood River

Pizzeria • drafthouse theater • arcade • frozen yogurt It’s the pizza -over 25 years of authentic East Coast thin-crust pizza

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.

The “Friendliest Restaurant in Town” and a Hood River landmark since 1975. From French toast and omelets to specialty burgers and homemade soups, we’ve got you covered. Satisfy your sweet tooth with our legendary cinnamon rolls or prize-winning pies. We also offer special menus for children. Take-out menus available.

541-386-1448 • AndrewsPizza.com 107 Oak Street • Hood River

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

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

BRIAN’S POURHOUSE

BRIDGESIDE

Open Daily 5:30am to 3pm

BRODER ØST

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

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

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

Located in the heart of historic downtown Hood River, we blend nature’s finest ingredients with impeccably friendly service to offer an unforgettable dining experience.

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

Reserve our outdoor patio for private parties, groups, and rehearsal dinners. Call us for catering at your location, too!

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.

BETTE’S PLACE

THE ANDREW’S EXPERIENCE

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR

We look forward to serving you!

CLOCK TOWER ALES

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

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

Celilo began with a desire to honor the bounty of this region and a commitment to a healthy and sustainable future. Our ever-changing menu reflects the seasonal highlights of the region’s growers and foragers. We offer the most innovative in fresh, local cuisine as well as an award-winning wine list, full bar, small plate menu, and happy hour daily from 5-6pm.

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

Dinner daily from 5pm • Lunch Fri-Sun 11:30-3pm

Open Daily: 11am-close

EAT + DRINK

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

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

DOG RIVER COFFEE

EL PUERTO DE ANGELES III

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.

Named one of ‘America’s top 10 coffeehouses’ by USA Today

Authentic Jalisco Cuisine. We provide a great dining experience and freshly prepared platters delivered to your table with Mexican hospitality by our friendly staff. Enjoy good food, good folks and good times. Offering daily lunch and dinner specials served all day. Happy Hour Mon-Fri 2-5pm. Enjoy our outdoor patio (open weather permitting).

CROOKED TREE TAVERN & GRILL

Full service espresso bar featuring Stumptown coffee Breakfast burritos, pastries and more Caffeinating your adventures since 2004 Open: Mon-Fri, 6am-6pm & Sat-Sun, 7am-6pm

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

Sun-Thu 10am-9pm, Fri & Sat 10am-10pm

Photos by Michael Peterson

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

FULL SAIL BREW PUB

GRACE SU’S CHINA GORGE RESTAURANT & TIGER LOUNGE

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

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

See for yourself why Everybody’s Brewing is a locals’ favorite for the past 10 years! We brew 15 different styles of beer plus seasonal selections onsite. The menu is filled with affordable food choices made with high-quality local ingredients. The atmosphere is warm and family-friendly with a beautiful view of Mt. Hood. Live acoustic music most Friday evenings. Open 11:30am to close 7 days a week.

If there is one thing a brewer loves more than great beer– it’s great food and great beer! Our northwest-inspired menu complements our award-winning brews and features seasonal, local ingredients. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery or just soak up the view. Open daily at 11am serving lunch and dinner. Free guided brewery tours. Check our website for the current schedule.

While visiting the Gorge…take a trip to China. Great Szechuan-Hunan taste. No airfare. Free Parking. Very happy family.

GROUND ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE

INDIAN CREEK GOLF COURSE & DIVOTS CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT

IXTAPA FAMILY MEXICAN RESTAURANT

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

Get your daily fuel for your Gorge sports and activities here! A long time locals favorite coffee house and eatery, Ground features fresh in-house roasted coffee, house made pastries and cookies with lots of gluten free options. We make our soups from scratch every day and source mostly local and organic ingredients. Nitro cold brew on tap.

541-386-5331 • chinagorge.com 2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River (Located off I-84 and the base of Hwy 35)

Great plates for more than 40 years.

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

810 Cherry Heights • The Dalles 2920 W. Cascade Avenue Suite 104 • Hood River

Located in the heart of the Hood River Valley just minutes from downtown. Breathtaking views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams from our covered patio. Full service bar and fabulous northwest cuisine at a reasonable price. Your everyday vacation spot! Open to the public.

Authentic, fresh, Mexican food and full bar. Proudly serving the Gorge for over 18 years! Daily lunch and dinner specials. Mexican specialties including fresh seafood and vegetarian entries. Take out and catering available.

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

Open daily.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

EAT + DRINK

KICKSTAND COFFEE & KITCHEN

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

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

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

Locally sourced ingredients. Unique world flavors. Full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Donuts made fresh daily. House-roasted coffee. Healthy salads, burgers and entrees. Beer, wine & house - infused cocktails at “The Handlebar”.

With fall comes the fall harvest. The Black Rabbit Restaurant kitchen uses seasonal ingredients from Edgefield’s own gardens, grown using organic methods – herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers that flourish throughout the property’s 74 acres. Stop by for a fresh taste.

Open daily 7am-10pm. Outdoor patio. Fire pit. SMORES. Kid-friendly.

Ales, wines and spirits are crafted onsite.

pFriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Belgium, but unmistakably true to our homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world. We’ll let you decide.

PIETRO’S PIZZA

Open Daily: 11:30am-9pm

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

541-716-4020 • remedyjuice-cafe.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.

Recharge at Remedy Café with organic and satisfying breakfast or lunch bowls, burritos, curry, smoothies, juices, or hot drinks. Vegan and paleo options, created from scratch from the best quality organic and local ingredients. Kombucha on tap. Locally roasted, organic espresso. Free WiFi. Open Mon-Fri 7am-5pm Sat & Sun 8am-5pm. Dine-in or take out. Order ahead online or call us!

Diners seek out newly remodeled Riverside for some of the best food and views in the Gorge, and Cebu for great bar food and drinks. Fresh menus change seasonally—plus an award-winning wine list. Enjoy indoors, on the deck, or in our popular Cebu Lounge.

Open Daily 11am-10pm

gorge in the gorge

A local guide to the best food, drinks, farms, and markets! gorgeinthegorge.com

McMENAMINS EDGEFIELD

541-436-0016 • kickstandcoffee.net 1235 State Street • Hood River

WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

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

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

EAT + DRINK

Visit our

Tasting Room RIVERTAP PUB & RESTAURANT

SOLSTICE WOOD FIRE PIZZA

Happy Hour daily, 3-6pm

One of a kind specialty pizzas, housemade fresh pastas, seasonal small plates & salads, & sublime s’mores. Inspired cocktails, craft beers, wine, & ciders on tap. Family dining & kids play area. Vegan & gluten-free options.

541-296-7870 • rivertap.com 701 East 2nd Street • Downtown The Dalles (I-84, Exit 85) Late Night Happy Hour Friday & Saturday, 10-close Live Music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday We Cater

541-436-0800 • solsticewoodfirecafe.com 501 Portway Avenue • Hood River Waterfront

Heated patio seating & riverfront views! Wood-fired & Gorge-inspired!

TASTE SHOP ENJOY! OPEN DAILY 12 - 6 304 Oak St., Suite 3, Hood River, OR TastingRoomHRD@hrdspirits.com 541-716-5276 2018 Hood River Distillers, Inc. Hood River, Oregon USA, www.hrdspirits.com Stay in control.®

STONEHEDGE GARDENS

SUSHI OKALANI

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

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

“The best outdoor dining in the Gorge.” –NW Best Places We are a favorite among locals and visitors. Our cuisine is a classic, European blend that utilizes fresh, local ingredients and pairs well with our select wines. Our gardens are the perfect setting for weddings. Full-service catering available. “Romantic setting and the best meal I had in town.” –The Los Angeles Times

Come find us in the basement of the Yasui Building, the local’s favorite spot for fresh fish, Pan-Asian Cuisine, and a rockin’ atmosphere! Lots of rotating specials, creative rolls, and a large sake selection means you’re always trying something new! Private rooms are available for groups up to 20 people. Take-out menu available online. Open for dinner nightly at 5:00, closing hours change seasonally.

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

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

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

Thunder Island Brewing Co is an adventure-based brewery that is handcrafting creative and innovative beers in the Pacific Northwest since 2013. Thunder Island Brewing makes crushable beers inspired by a love of outdoor adventures, with a nod to local history and with a respect for all that the scenic Columbia River Gorge has to offer.

jthompson@thegorgemagazine.com 425-308-9582 For more information, contact Janet Cook jcook@thegorgemagazine.com or 541-399-6333

SUBSCRIBE $19.99 FOR ONE YEAR $29.99 FOR TWO YEARS (4 issues per year mailed to your home)

Order online at thegorgemagazine.com or call 541-399-6333

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : WINTER 2018-19

OUR GORGE : YOUR GORGE

Darlisa Black was on her way to take pictures of something entirely different on a cold, wintry morning in Trout Lake, Wash., when she came around a corner and stopped to take in this view. “I jumped out and started taking photos,” she said. “We had one of those inversions with the beautiful fog. The light was just exquisite.” Along with the beautiful winter scene, the image, to Black, also represents home and family, and “years of hard work to get that space created just right.”

THE ARTIST DARLISA BLACK grew up in Husum, Wash. After graduating from Columbia High School in White Salmon, she traveled and spent 15 years living in Port Townsend, Wash. She returned to the Gorge to take care of her mother, who passed away in 2003, leaving Black depressed. “Early one morning, a while after my mom passed, I was trying to get to work, head hanging down, just driving, when all of a sudden I heard her voice in the seat next to me,” Black recalled. “She said, ‘Oh look at that sunrise!’” Her mother was always pointing those things out to her in life, Black said. “I looked up and saw it. It was the most magnificent sunrise. And I almost missed it.” Not long after, she got her first digital camera and began hiking into the wilderness around Mount Adams to take photos. “All of my photography stemmed from me needing to be in nature for my therapy, my healing,” she said. She began posting her photography online and discovered, through the feedback she got, that it helped other people, too. “So I kept going,” she said. For more about Darlisa Black and her photography, go to starlisa.smugmug.com.

66 WINTER 2018-19 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

CUSTOM ARCHITECTURAL STEEL

Architectural Steel components are an important structural and aesthetic element of any project. Too often, the details are left to be figured out in the field. With over 20 years of experience designing and building structures, we offer more than just fabrication and welding. Let us help you, your architect, engineer, or builder pre-plan every detail using professional, detailed 2d and 3d CAD drawings. CNC plasma cutting equipment and fixturing tables ensure accuracy, consistency, efficiency, and reliable layouts. Architectural steel is our specialty, let us help you perfect your building process. Fast – Efficient – Accurate – Quick Quotes Stock and Custom Architectural Steel Connections . . . also ask about custom CNC Plasma cutting and Furniture/Desks

PO BOX 34 | GLENWOOD, WA 98619 | 509.364.0034 | WWW.GOAT-ROCK.COM

We’ve got BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER covered!

Egg River Cafe “BREAKFAST of CHAMPIONS”

New York Times, 2014

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

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

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

Extensive Breakfast

We grill everything over

& Lunch Menus

100% Mesquite Wood

Organic Eggs • Omelets

Steaks, Ribeyes, Prime Rib

Pancakes • Waffles

Ribs, Poultry

Crepes • Skillets

Seafood, Pastas

Organic Coffee

Great Side Dishes

Espressos & Lattes

Homemade Desserts

Soups • Salads

Beer & Wine Selection

Sandwiches • Hamburgers

Cocktails

Family Friendly

Summer Patio

Easy Parking

Adjoining The Shed Bar

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

10% OFF

YOUR TOTAL BILL with this coupon

Not valid on holidays or with any other offer. Expires 03/08/2019

541-386-1127

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

10% OFF

YOUR TOTAL BILL with this coupon

Not valid Fridays, holidays or with any other offer. Expires 03/08/2019

541-386-2002