The Gorge Magazine - Fall 2016

FALL 2016 thegorgemagazine.com Cover_FL16.indd 1

JEWELRY BY CARI Partners in Design

THE WILD COLUMBIA To The River’s Source

DWELL IN THE GORGE Bringing the Outside In

8/24/16 8:55 AM

Ruddy_Duck_FL16.indd 2

8/24/16 8:56 AM

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!

CELLARS

OPENING SOON!

Taste of Village

DOWNTOWN TROUTDALE

Chinese RestauRant & Lounge

now available online

{ Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine }

Troutdale Vision Clinic

503.618.VINO (8466)

CalcagnoCellars.com

277 East Columbia River Hwy Appointments (503)-328-8455 www.meltmassageme.net

Eye exams, diagnosis and treatment Eyewear styling to fit your lifestyle Most insurance accepted

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

oRDeRs to go: (503) 666-7768 302 e. historic Columbia River hwy sun-thur, 11-10pm • Fri & sat, 11-10:30pm

gifts HomE dECoR EspREsso

ANTIQUES • DÉCOR • GIFTS

(503) 618-9394

celebratemehoameonline.com 319 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy

Troutdale_FL16.indd 3

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

(503) 328-6278

149 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy.

café • gifts • candy • souvenirs espresso • ice cream parlour

(503) 492-7912

289 E. COLUMBIA RIVER HWY

8/24/16 9:39 AM

CONTENTS : FEATURES

Sacred Salmon

With their Columbia Wild Salmon business, Doug Rigdon and Nick Allen help keep the tribal fishing culture alive while providing quality fish for the Hood River community and beyond

BY DON CAMPBELL

p.54

44 AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN The undulating fields of Wasco County have been home to five generations of the Kelly family, which began wheat ranching near The Dalles in the late 1800s

BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER 60 THE WILD COLUMBIA A photo essay by Peter Marbach

Stephen Datnoff 4

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Front_Section_FL16.indd 4

8/24/16 9:36 AM

Discover your adventure…experience ours!

BEST WESTERN PLUS HOOD RIVER INN

TRELLIS Fresh Flowers & Gifts

The perfect base for all the area offers on the Columbia River. River view guest rooms, dining at Riverside, Cebu Lounge, heated outdoor pool, spas, and sauna. Wine tasting passes and recreation packages.

We provide unique fresh cut flower arrangements delivered with a smile.

We are known for our exceptional service and attention to detail that we put into each arrangement. Give us a call for expert floral guidance!

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

509-493-4844 • trellisfreshflowers.net 165 E Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

MUGS COFFEE

DICKEY FARMS

Delicious, locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee, and fresh pastries.

For lunch try a savory panini or wrap with a fresh organic green salad. We also serve local wine and NW beer.

Dine inside or on our private patio.

Ask about our catering services.

Find specialty groceries and meat, local produce, gifts and cards, local arts and crafts, local wine selection, hard ice cream. We are also a garden center and feed, grain, pet supply store. Visit Angel’s Bakery inside for fresh pastries, pies, breads, cake.

509-281-3100 • mugsco.com 120 West Steuben St • Bingen

509-493-2636 • Find us on Facebook 806 West Steuben St • Bingen

NORTHWESTERN LAKE RIDING STABLES

FEAST MARKET & DELI

Northwestern Lake Riding Stables offers spectacular guided horseback rides! Our trails wander up and down hills, through creeks and streams, and offer stunning views of White Salmon and Mt. Hood.

Natural meats, artisan cheeses, charcuterie, local organic produce, fresh sustainable seafood, salads, deli platters, entrees, sandwiches, boxed lunches, gluten-free and vegetarian options, eco-friendly household products, wine, beer, serving beer on tap.

509-493-4965 • nwstables.com 1262 Little Buck Creek Rd. • White Salmon

509-637-6886 • feastmkt.com 320 E. Jewett Blvd • White Salmon

THE LYLE HOTEL

TETRAHEDRON WINES

The Lyle Hotel Restaurant & Bar is a historic railroad hotel newly renovated with nightly stays & dinner serving local beers, wines and cider in the heart of wine country.

The Columbia River Gorge has a new winery! Tetrahedron Wines is making its debut! Experience our fine wines from small lot production and winemakers regularly pouring at the tasting room. Stop on by and see what we have to offer!

509-365-5953 • thelylehotel.com 100 Seventh St • Lyle

509-774-8323 • tetrahedronwines.com 421 State Street (Hwy 14) • Lyle

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

MtAdamsChamber_FL16.indd 5

8/24/16 9:41 AM

our gorge 12

PERSON OF INTEREST

14

VENTURES

16

BEST OF THE GORGE

20

HOME + GARDEN

22

LOCAVORE

26

STYLE + DESIGN

30

EXPLORE

34

WINE SPOTLIGHT

76

PARTAKE

82

EPILOGUE

14

34

Maryhill Winery

CONTENTS : DEPARTMENTS

outside 66

HEAD FOR THE HILLS Columbia Hills Historical State Park offers a lake, trails, history and more

BY BEN MITCHELL

arts + culture Courtesy of Mosko Moto

70

30

TEACHABLE MOMENT Art for the Sky project seeks to impart a lasting environmental message

BY JANET COOK

wellness 72

CULTIVATING CHARACTER The Next Door’s mentoring programs aim to help at-risk youth

BY MADDIE TICKNOR

Ben Mitchell

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

66 6

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Front_Section_FL16.indd 6

8/24/16 9:36 AM

SINCE 1994

JEWELRY

+

HOME

305 OAK STREET • HOOD RIVER (541) 386-6188

Twiggs_FL16.indd 7

8/24/16 9:42 AM

Sponsored by Griffith Motors

EDITOR’S NOTE

I

love living in sight of the Columbia River. It’s one of the first things I look at every morning, and one of the last things I see at dusk. I love it in all its moods, in all weather, in all light. I love the paradox of the river: the impermanence of the water flowing steadily past, an ephemeral part of a river bed that has been here for millions of years, channeling through this Gorge in some form. It makes me feel both alive in the moment and strangely comforted knowing it will be here long after I’m not.

My love for the river has often made me wonder about its origins.

Where does this water flowing past come from? Hood River landscape photographer Peter Marbach pondered the same thing years ago as he sat along the shore of the Columbia River near Viento. Rather than simply contemplating it, he headed to Canada to find out for himself. He eventually discovered the Columbia’s headwaters bubbling up from a spring in remote British Columbia, an almost primordial landscape that he began documenting with his camera. Since then, he’s returned many times, in all seasons, to photograph the river’s headwaters and the stunning scenery surrounding the first few hundred miles of wild and free river. Marbach is compiling his years of documenting the Columbia River’s origins into an exhibit at the Hood River County Library in November. A photo essay by Marbach on the Columbia’s headwaters begins on page 60.

Speaking of living in sight of the Columbia River, Tao Berman does all that and more, as you can see from our cover photo. Berman, a retired professional kayaker, will open his White Salmon home to the public in September as part of a tour of homes he’s put together to benefit kids in need in the community (page 20).

October 15 & 16

Writer Don Campbell sought out Doug Rigdon and Nick Allen, who run Wild Columbia Salmon, for yet another river-themed story (page 54). Rigdon and Allen work with more than two dozen Native American fishers who ply the Klickitat River and other fertile fishing grounds to catch salmon that is sold at the company’s fish stand in Hood River, and to local restaurants. The business provides premium fresh salmon to the community and also helps keep Native fishing traditions alive.

Other stories in this issue include a feature on the Kelly family of The Dalles, which has been wheat ranching in Wasco County since the late 1800s (page 44); a profile of Mosko Moto, a White Salmon company that has made its mark on the dual-sport adventure biking industry (page 14); and a story about Maryhill Winery, which is now the ninth largest winery in the state of Washington (page 34). Plus, there’s a lot more in here. Enjoy it all, and welcome to autumn in the Gorge.

FALL 2016 thegorgemagazine.com

—Janet Cook, Editor

FREE PARKING & ADMISSION

(541) 354-2865

www.hoodriverfair.org

JEWELRY BY CARI Partners in Design

THE WILD COLUMBIA To The River’s Source

DWELL IN THE GORGE Bringing the Outside In

ABOUT THE COVER Jock Bradley photographed our cover and inside story on Tao Berman’s 5,300-square-foot home on Strawberry Mountain in White Salmon. The home was designed

by Berman’s cousin, architect Dylan Johnson of Santa Barbara, Calif. Berman, a retired professional kayaker who has lived in White Salmon for more than a decade, shares the home with his partner, Jamie Carbone, and their two children. jockbradley.com

DIRECTIONS FROM I-84: CONTINUE ONHWY 35 FOR 8 MILES, TURN AT THE ODELL JUNCTION AND FOLLOW SIGNS TO THE FAIRGROUNDS.

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.

8

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Front_Section_FL16.indd 8

8/24/16 9:36 AM

FALL 2016 JANET COOK Editor

RENATA KOSINA Creative Director/Graphic Designer

MICKI CHAPMAN Advertising Director

JENNA HALLETT Account Executive

LIANA STEGALL Account Executive

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Don Campbell, Viki Eierdam, David Hanson, Peggy Dills Kelter, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell, Maddie Ticknor

COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Jock Bradley

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jock Bradley, Daniel Dancer, Stephen Datnoff, David Hanson, Shauna Intelisano, Renata Kosina, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Ben Mitchell

yes

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com

SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/thegorgemagazine instagram/thegorgemagazine pinterest/thegorgemagazine twitter.com/TheGorgeMagazin

THE GORGE MAGAZINE thegorgemagazine.com PO Box 390 • 419 State Street Hood River, Oregon 97031

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

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

©Apland Jewelers

Chocolate diamond with mokume gane

Created exClusively for you in the GorGe Ge

c u s tom d es i g n s ma d e i n our s t a te - of - th e - a r t s t u d i o

u s i n g r es p on s i b ly s our c ed gems a n d r ec la i med g old

(541) 386-3977

|

&

platin um

3rd & oak street, hood river, or

facebook.com/aplandJewelers

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Front_Section_FL16.indd 9

9

8/24/16 9:36 AM

Inspired Minds Inspire the World

At Insitu, mentoring the engineers and scientists of tomorrow is a passion, which is why we support a comprehensive portfolio of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives right here in The Gorge. From robotics tournaments to student tech tours, providing skill development opportunities to our local youth is a privilege we embrace. It’s one of the many ways we help to make life in The Gorge an inspiration to all.

Institu_FL16.indd 10

8/24/16 9:43 AM

OUR GORGE person of interest p. 12 ventures p. 14 best of the gorge p. 16 home + garden p. 20 locavore p. 22 style + design p. 26 explore p. 30 wine spotlight p. 34

Hood River jewelry designers Rory and Cari Streeter, who own Jewelry

by Cari, pose near Mount Hood. p. 26 Photo by Shauna Intelisano

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 11

11

8/24/16 10:06 AM

OUR GORGE : PERSON OF INTEREST

Nick Hardin

What’s past is prologue for this Hood River athlete and restaurateur

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVID HANSON

T

here’s just one photo on Nick Hardin’s office wall, the infamous black-and-white portrait of a sweaty, grimacing Johnny Cash flipping the bird at the camera. A single, wrinkled dollar bill is tucked into the frame. The office is actually a closet, but for now it’s headquarters for Hardin’s one-and-a-half-year-old kitchen and bar, Kickstand.

“On April 1st of last year I played a bad joke on myself,” Hardin says, laughing. “I took out all my savings and bought a coffee shop. That’s the first dollar we earned.”

Hardin is a kinetic presence at Kickstand, popping in and out of the kitchen to deliver burgers, Bloody Marys or house-made donuts. He chats up guests with a broad smile under the ever-present flat-brimmed baseball hat. Local patrons might know that Hardin is also a professional mountain biker.

If he’s not in the restaurant he’s likely climbing 6,000 feet on a training ride or competing in the Andes, Rockies, Alps or Hood River’s Post Canyon.

In just over a year, Hardin has transformed Kickstand from a quiet roasting house known for coffee and donuts into a full restaurant and craft cocktail lounge. He’s the quintessential Hood River entrepreneur/ athlete, but none of it started here. The fried chicken, muffuletta and pork belly that appear on the menu alongside the wild mushroom burger and pumpkin-habañero-glazed tempeh attest to roots laid down in Mississippi mud and a life story more closely linked to that Johnny Cash image than the West Coast extreme athlete we see today.

Hardin was raised by professional wrestlers in Memphis, TN. His dad, Larry Hardin, was better known as The Assassin, a gentle giant of a man clad in all black and topped in a luchador mask. He was a fictional villain in the semi-pro wrestling circuit of the ‘70s and ‘80s that included Jerry Lawler, Hulk Hogan and Sid Vicious. Jimmy Hart, the flamboyantly clad, massively mullet-haired “Mouth of the South” was Hardin’s occasional babysitter. Hardin never knew his mom so he grew up with The Assassin and a rag-tag group of larger-than-life characters.

At age four Hardin started riding BMX and by age nine he was winning national events. His dad finally eschewed the instability of a full-time pro wrestling career to become an electrician and carve

12

out a more suburban life for himself and his son.

Hardin eventually moved west to attend Southern Oregon University, but it didn’t stick and he was drawn back to Memphis.

“You either go to business school or you go learn at a business,” Hardin says.

He went straight into the real-life grad school of Memphis’ Beale Street, a neon-lit, barbecue- and bourbon-fueled entertainment strip thumping and twanging with blues joints and country honkytonks. Local-legend restaurateur Johnny Robertson took Hardin under his wing and quickly handed him the reins to one of the busier establishments.

“We ran the Beale Street place like it was a transformer,” Hardin says. “In the morning we served breakfast, then soul food for lunch. By afternoon an acoustic band would play on the double-decker patio and we’d have the smoker going all day with ribs. At ten in the evening the dance-floor band started, then a DJ came on from two to five in the morning. It was a scene and I became engulfed in it.”

Over the years, Hardin stopped riding and gained 70 pounds.

“That world took the life of my mentor, Johnny,”

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 12

8/24/16 10:06 AM

Nick Hardin, opposite, at Kickstand and mountain biking in Post Canyon. Employee Dana Tickner, right, with a tray of fresh donuts.

Other Kickstand treats include a Bloody Mary, a Banh Mi and a latte.

DRAPER GIRLS COUNTRY FARM

You Pick, Country Farm Store & Petting ZOO Honey Crisp & Pink Pearl Apples Peaches & Pears Flowers & Nectarines

Located about 12 miles South of Hood River at 6200 HWY 35, Mt. Hood, OR 97041 (541) 490-8113

he says. “It was cancer that got him, but the lifestyle he led contributed. I’d been on that path for eight years and his death was a wake-up call. I was 28 years old and what I was doing no longer made me happy.”

Hardin didn’t hesitate. In 2008 he applied online and landed a job as manager of The Dalles Burgerville. He bought a house in Hood River, attracted by the town’s trails and adventurous attitude. To get back in shape, he rode the twentyfive miles to and from work each day for six months. He shed fifty pounds. With bike handling skills ingrained since childhood, he only needed the stamina and speed to step back into competitive racing, this time as an enduro rider on the Dirty Fingers team.

Which brings us to the beautiful symmetry of Hardin’s current situation, racing professionally and owning his own kitchen and bar (which happens to be next to the town’s iconic bike shop).

There’s symbiosis everywhere: not only does Hardin race for Dirty Fingers, but Kickstand and Dirty Fingers team up on fundraising events for local organizations. Hardin brings back new menu ideas from international bike race destina-

tions, like an Argentinian-inspired coffee-rub flank steak. The former coffee roaster, Ten Speed, remains on site in a new roasting room attached to the back of Kickstand.

“Johnny always said, ‘If you don’t roll the dice, you never know,’” Hardin says. “But most importantly, he always tried to bring the community into the restaurant. He’d say you might not see immediate returns, but if you invest in the community and in people, it’ll come back to you.”

Kickstand continues to evolve as the town catches on to its laid-back, local style and its rare ability to be so many things at once: coffee shop with a consistently good, subtly eclectic breakfast, lunch and dinner menu; an outpost for community events; and now one of the Gorge’s few craft cocktail lounges. Hardin and Kickstand exude a definitively Hood River vibe, but if you look close enough you might notice the bar’s curated rack of bourbon, Johnny Cash’s middle finger, and the twinkle of The Assassin in Nick’s eye.

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.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 13

13

8/24/16 10:06 AM

OUR GORGE : VENTURES

Carry-On Baggage

White Salmon’s Mosko Moto is changing dual-sport adventure biking with its innovative bag systems STORY BY DON CAMPBELL • PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOSKO MOTO

I

t was like a chapter out of a Paul Theroux novel. Pete Day, wracked from a high-stress design and manufacturing job in Eugene, Ore., bolted for Central America on his motorcycle to clear his head, take a breath, plot his next move. Alone, deep in a thick Honduran jungle some 40 miles from Nicaragua, in an area known for lawless narco trafficking, the unthinkable happened—he hit a ditch and catapulted over his handlebars, severely fracturing his tibia and fibula.

Terrifying as it was, it may have been the best thing ever to happen to him. In a short period before he left on his Mosquito Coast adventure, he’d begun plotting a career move with a Hood River backpack and bag designer, Andrew Bryden, who was also searching for greener pastures after nine years with the Gorge’s revered Dakine company. A mutual friend had brought them together.

Both rode a kind of motocross bike on steroids, in a dual-sport style known as adventure biking (or ADV ) that involves on-road and off-road riding often to isolated and remote places where you need to lug a ton of personal stuff.

In lengthy and spirited discussions, the pair discovered what they thought might be a need in a niche market known for being hard on gear. At Dakine, Andrew was on the cutting edge of innovating the latest and greatest outdoor equipment. Adventure biking, the British Columbia native says, “was 20 years behind.” The sport was growing but its equipment had not kept pace. Even though it represented a meager eight percent of the motorcycle market, it was enjoying 25-percent growth.

During Pete’s recovery back in the states, the duo began assembling prototypes, several of which hang on the walls of their funky 600-square-foot design space in White Salmon. Knowing the sport, and the market, they knew they had better ideas not only for moto bags but for how to take their product to market.

Pete’s bike had remained behind in Honduras, and was being housed on a military base where he had first been taken after the bike crash. Now recovered and with innovative prototypes sewn by Gorge sail maker Chip Hogan and featuring a completely new mounting system that local engineer Hein Vanswaay

14

helped dream up, Pete set out to recover his bike and ride it back to the U.S., all the while testing this new product from his fledgling Washington company that would henceforth be known as Mosko Moto, a name derived from the land where Pete and bike crash-landed, La Moskitia— often truncated to Mosko.

This reinvented bag performed magnificently.

Drawing on both of their design and manufacturing knowledge, and with Pete’s unquenchable desire to explore remote hinterlands on a bike as a way to test the gear (the pair tend to eschew lab tests in favor of overbuilding for the rigors of the sport), they sought a business loan, went into production, and quickly tapped a burgeoning market segment.

Andrew took advantage of manufacturing contacts in Vietnam, and later southern China.

They established a warehouse operation in Portland.

They sought and received a Small Business Administration loan. And bucking tradition, they ignored the retail market, preferring instead a directto-consumer distribution system online that not

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 14

8/24/16 10:06 AM

Spectacular views

Next to the Bridge of the Gods • Waterfall viewing, hiking, biking, sailing and more.

• Indoor pool and spa • Complimentary hot breakfast

Mosko Moto rider Phil Downer, opposite top, tests gear in Moab, Utah. The Mosko Moto crew, opposite inset, from left: Pete Day, Lee Williams, Tiffany Lynn, Nicole Crites and Andrew Bryden. Pete Day, above left, in Baja, Mexico. On the road in Eastern Oregon, top right, and in La Moskitia, on the border between Honduras and Nicaragua.

735 Wanapa St. • Cascade Locks, OR 97014

www.bwcolumbiariverinn.com

1-800-595-7108

Columbia River Inn only keeps costs down for riders, but actually improves the quality of the gear.

“It’s a designer’s dream,” says Andrew. Rather than try and compete selling the same old bags at a lower price than their competition, they eliminate a costly step in the traditional model. In a world full of cost-margin-retail markup—which increases the cost to the consumer every step of the way, to the point where the buyer is paying between four and five times the original factory cost—they can sell Mosko Moto gear for as little as two times the factory cost.

“We can sell our product at basically the same price but with outrageously more value,” says Pete. And that means they can “feature it up,” with better materials, better hardware, more insight and innovation.

Perhaps more importantly, though, is their insistence on transparency and interaction with their customers. They have their own blog thread at a popular ADV website, ADVRider.com, where they not only reveal their upcoming designs to the public, but solicit their consumers’ input and feedback every step of the way, which might seem blasphemous in a normal business model.

But they’ve learned that customer demand grows as these vested consumers wait to see the new designs in which they’ve had a hand.

“Our bags are on all continents,” says Andrew.

“Riders have an intimate relationship with their luggage. They live with it all day and then drag it

to their room or campsite. You rely on it. You have to keep all your gear dry and protected, and keep it on the bike. We’re not magicians, we just use common sense.”

In just a short time, Mosko Moto has gone from a new-idea upstart to successful start-up.

Motorcycle giant BMW caught wind of the company and placed a significant order for BMW-branded Mosko product, a move that neither partner anticipated. With some 15 products available currently, they are soon adding an ADV apparel line (again, with plenty of customer input on design). The company has grown to six with the two co-founders, engineer Lee Williams, and the customer-service team of Tiffany Lynn, Nicole Crites and Ashley Meyhre. They remain small, innovative, nimble and flexible—a solid position to avoid the pitfalls of becoming a too-large company. It’s constant evolution fueled by a passion for the sport.

Integrated into the Mosko Moto logo is the agile Basilisk lizard, the one you’ve seen that walks, or rather sprints, across water. Also known as the Jesus Christ lizard, it perfectly represents Mosko, not for the divinity of a water walk, but for the good old-fashioned business drive of putting one foot in front of the other as fast as you can, with a few moments of sheer terror along the way.

For more information, go to moskomoto.com.

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

Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated.

Making History Come Alive…

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

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 15

15

8/24/16 10:07 AM

Paloma Ayala

OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Columbia Gorge Marathon

1

The Columbia Gorge Marathon & Half Marathon, which has earned a reputation as one of the most scenic running events in the country, takes place Oct. 23. The marathon course follows the Historic Columbia River Highway from the Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead to Rowena Crest and back, finishing at the Hood River Event Site. The half marathon starts and ends at the Event Site, also following the old highway to a turnaround near Mosier. You can also participate in the half marathon as a two-person team. Several areas along the course are open to spectators. columbiagorgemarathon.com

Gorge Kids Triathlon

2

The Gorge Kids Triathlon returns to Hood River Waterfront Park on Sept. 18.

The event is a fun and safe entry-level triathlon open to all elementary aged kids.

Three separate start waves accommodate kids of all skill levels: beginning, intermediate and advanced. The swim portion is inside the designated swim park, and non-swimmers can run or walk through shallow water along the shore. The bike and run courses are within the park area, and are closed to traffic. The event is a fundraiser for Hood River County elementary schools; all proceeds go to enhance physical education programs and promote health and fitness. gorgekidstri.com

16

Cars and Art at Maryhill

3

The annual Car is King + Maryhill Arts Festival takes place Oct. 1-2 at Maryhill Museum.

The event’s highlight, the Concours de Maryhill car show, features autos from 1945 and earlier this year, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Historic Columbia River Highway. The Maryhill Arts Festival runs concurrently, featuring artists from around the Northwest. Other events during the weekend include Veggie Car Races for kids; the Maryhill Loops Hill Climb, featuring vintage sports cars racing up the Historic Maryhill Loops Road; and a chance to drive the Maryhill Loops road, which is open to automobiles only twice a year. maryhillmuseum.org.

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 16

8/24/16 10:07 AM

Fruit & Craft Fair

Shelly Peterson

4

The Gorge Fruit & Craft Fair takes place Oct. 15-16 at the Hood River County Fairgrounds. The annual event features arts and crafts, gourmet food products, fresh fruit and produce, wine, flowers and more—all grown or crafted in the four counties of the Columbia Gorge (Hood River, Wasco, Skamania and Klickitat).

A highlight of the fair is the Odell Garden Club’s annual autumn flower show and sale. Parking and admission are free. hoodriverfair.org

Pumpkin Patch at The Farm Place

5

Packer Orchards Bakery and Farm Place, which recently bought the former Rasmussen Farms, will once again open the beloved Hood River Valley pumpkin patch and corn maze during the month of October. The Farm Place has been revamped, and the sales barn is stocked with Packer Orchards favorites—including cookies, pies, jams and preserves—as well as fresh apples and pears. Stock up on pumpkins in the U-pick patch, find your way through the corn maze, try your hand at pumpkin bowling and take a self-guided farm tour. Open daily from 9 to 5 during October. packerorchardsandbakery.com

Festival of the Arts

6

The West Columbia Gorge Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Fall Festival of the Arts, with events taking place in Troutdale and Cascade Locks Sept. 30 through Oct. 2.

The main event takes place Saturday at Troutdale’s Glenn Otto Park on the shores of the Sandy River, featuring art exhibits, live music, wine tasting and food vendors. A “quick draw” event has 20 artists completing a work in 90 minutes in front of a crowd of onlookers. The completed works will be offered at a live auction in the evening. The three-day event also includes an art walk, silent auction and studio tours. fallfestivalofthearts.com maryhill_ad_gorge_725x23125.qxp_Layout 1 7/21/16 11:06 AM Page 1

Open Daily: 10 am to 5 pm March 15 - November 15

35 Maryhill Museum Dr., Goldendale, WA 98620

Discover

Maryhill

509-773-3733 • maryhillmuseum.org

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 17

17

8/29/16 2:29 PM

OUR GORGE : BEST OF THE GORGE

Sense of Place

8

The annual Sense of Place Lecture Series, sponsored by Gorge Owned, is in its seventh year and continues to deliver interesting, meaningful lectures that explore the human and natural history of the Columbia Gorge. This year’s lectures are: Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice (Oct. 19); The Paradox of the Cascades Tribes (Nov. 16); and Crag Rats— Eight Decades of Mountain Rescue from Mount Hood to the Columbia River (Dec. 14). Lectures take place at the Columbia Center for the Arts and are by donation. Doors open at 6:30, with the program starting at 7 p.m. gorgeowned.org

Music Festival of the Gorge

7

The second annual Music Festival of the Gorge takes place at Hood River Waterfront Park Amphitheater on Sept. 17 from 1 to 10 p.m. This free, family friendly community concert celebrates local music, with donations going to support school-based arts and music education in Hood River Valley schools through the Matt Klee Scholarship Foundation. The lineup includes five local bands, with concert headliner The Quick & Easy Boys taking the stage at 8 p.m. The event includes kids art activities and local food carts. Facebook/music festival of the gorge

Hops Fest

Fill Your Pantry

9

10

The second annual “Fill Your Pantry” farmers’ market will take place at the Rockford Grange (4250 Barrett Drive, Hood River) on Nov. 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. The special market provides a way for Gorge residents to stock up for winter with storable food products grown by local farmers. Locallyproduced staples available for purchase in bulk include potatoes, onions, garlic, root crops, winter squash, grains, beans, cornmeal, meat, honey, cheese, dried herbs and teas, preserves, pickles and more. The event includes food storage and preservation demonstrations, kids activities and live music.

Hood River County Chamber of Commerce

On Sept. 24, downtown Hood River will once again become the epicenter of fresh-hop beers with the return of Hood River Hops Fest. Now in its 13th year, this one-day festival features one of the largest fresh-hop beer selections in the nation, showcasing more than 60 varieties from three-dozen Pacific Northwest breweries. There will also be a small selection of local hop ciders. The event includes food vendors, arts and crafts booths, live music and a children’s play area. Hops Fest is open to all ages from noon to 5 p.m., and adults 21 and over from 5 to 8 p.m. hoodriver.org

18

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 18

8/24/16 10:07 AM

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

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

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

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

reaL eState

ProPerty ManageMent

Windermere/Glenn Taylor Real Estate

Columbia River Gorge, LLC

windermere.com

HOOD RIVER (541) 386-3444

504 Cascade & 315 Oak Street

Windemere_FL16.indd 19

BINGEN (509) 493-4666 106 W Steuben

541-386-RENT

STEVENSON (509) 427-2777

220 SW Second Street

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

8/24/16 10:10 AM

OUR GORGE : HOME + GARDEN

Rooms With a View

The highlight of a White Salmon home tour to benefit kids is retired pro kayaker Tao Berman’s dream home STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY JOCK BRADLEY

T

ao Berman is channeling his promotional skills into raising money for kids in the White Salmon community. The retired extreme kayaker, who has lived in White Salmon for more than a decade, has organized a tour of five homes in the White Salmon area, with the showpiece being his newly finished home and separate guesthouse on Strawberry Mountain. All proceeds from the tour will go to a fund to help kids in need in a variety of ways.

“There’s such a disparity between kids who have a hard time coming up with things like school clothes, and those who have a lot,” Berman said. He and his partner, Jamie Carbone, as well as Todd McCauley, principal of Whitson Elementary School in White Salmon, will determine how the money is spent. “Our objective is to have a lot of flexibility with regard to how we choose to help underprivileged children in our community,” he said. Along with raising funds, Berman said he wanted to showcase “some of the amazing architecture and views” in the White Salmon area.

20

At home on Strawberry Mountain Berman had long eyed the lot at the top of Strawberry Mountain above White Salmon. When it became available a few years ago, he bought it and brought in his cousin, architect Dylan Johnson of Santa Barbara, Calif., to design the home.

“When I bought the lot, I felt a responsibility to build something commensurate with it,” Berman said. Johnson was clearly up to the task.

The 5,300-square-foot home is heavy on concrete and steel—two of Berman’s favorite architectural elements. According to him, one-and-ahalf million pounds of concrete were poured into the structure. Floor-to-ceiling windows facing west, south and east bring in jaw-dropping views of the Gorge, the Hood River Valley and Mount Hood.

To add warmth to all the concrete and steel, the cabinets and floors are done in caramelized bamboo. Berman and Carbone have two children, ages 3 and 5, and Berman incorporated fun elements into the home with them in mind—including a fort overlooking the living room with a ladder accessing it from one of the kids’ bedrooms. The first floor of the two-story home was

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 20

8/24/16 10:07 AM

designed to morph as the children grow from a tricycle-riding zone to a teenager hangout. “I wanted to make it so my kids want to hang out here with their friends,” Berman said.

The home’s garage—“the most important room in the house,” according to Berman—is a showcase for the spoils that 15 years as a professional athlete earned him, including a lineup of Ducati and BMW motorcycles, and BMW and MINI Cooper sports cars. The garage door is made of glass. “I love my toys,” Berman said.

“I want to be able to come home and see them.”

A separate guesthouse perched on the hillside below the home is built on 18-foot piers. “I wanted it to have a tree house feel,” Berman said.

It, too, takes in the expansive views.

With a litany of records to his name—including more than 50 first descents as well as the world record for a waterfall descent on 98-foot Johnston Falls in Alberta, Canada—Berman is content to have his kayaking days behind him. “I accomplished everything I wanted to,” he said. These days, he’s happy to showcase the Gorge in other ways.

“My goal is to turn this home tour into an annual event,” he said.

Tao Berman’s home atop Strawberry Mountain in White Salmon features sweeping views of the Gorge. The home’s exterior is constructed primarily of concrete and steel. Carmelized bamboo flooring and cabinetry add warmth to the sleek, modern interior.

The Gorge Home Tour is Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. To register, call 425-985-9410, or send a check for $25 to The Gorge Home Tour, c/o Tao Berman, P.O. Box 620, White Salmon, WA 98672.

Include your e-mail address and phone number to receive directions for the tour.

Residential and Commercial Design + Build Renewable Energy Systems Weatherization + Home Performance

541.386.7283 www.greenhome-construction.com 1824 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR CCB#182083 • WA#GREENHC917JM

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 21

21

8/24/16 10:07 AM

OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

Compliments to the Chefs

Hood River’s Fresh Start Culinary Arts Program trains people seeking careers in food service STORY BY PEGGY DILLS KELTER • PHOTOS BY BEN MITCHELL

H

ear the words “church breakfast” and for most of us, images of casserole dishes, dry Danish pastries and lukewarm coffee come to mind. But at Riverside Community Church in downtown Hood River on any Friday or Saturday morning, young knife-wielding chefs in professional attire prepare and serve delicious gourmet breakfast treats such as huevos rancheros, grilled garlic scapes and beignets.

Welcome to Fresh Start, a culinary arts training program that is redefining not only breakfast, but also the very notion of a church’s role in the community. Fresh Start is the brainchild of Riverside’s pastor, Vicky Stifter, retired chef and restaurateur Kathy Watson, and a committee of dedicated volunteers.

On its web page the program is described as “an intensive 12-week program geared for unemployed and underemployed Gorge youth and adults, that sets them on the path to family wage jobs in commercial food endeavors such as restaurants, hospitals and schools.”

The idea for Fresh Start began several years ago, when the parishioners were asked, “What if this church became a front porch rather than a set of beautiful closed doors?” They brainstormed ways to become more community oriented, eventually deciding on Fresh Start, a program modeled after a 20-year-old program in Seattle called “Farestart.”

The church community had the vision, but they had to find the money to remodel their small kitchen into a commercial facility where young chefs could learn the trade. Watson knew it would be an expensive undertaking—she’d had a long career in the restaurant business. Generous parishioners Elaine and Scott Johnson came forward, ultimately donating $80,000 to the project.

“The church is right downtown, it’s right IN the community,” Elaine Johnson explains. “We were already involved in the church. Then Scott got sick. Before he passed away I asked him what he wanted us to do. He said he’d leave that up to me … If Scott had lived we would have spent all that money trying to keep him healthy.” By early spring of this year, with additional funds from other generous donors, the program was up and running.

22

Chef Rainbow Trosper and Kathy Watson are the program’s administrators. Chef Matt Patterson is the main instructor, though Trosper and Watson are frequently in the kitchen as well. Students attend the program free of charge, but must commit to attending 40 hours a week over the threemonth course. Much of that work involves catering— preparing, delivering, and serving meals in venues

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 22

8/24/16 10:07 AM

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

Oregon A-List Award Regional Spotlight Recipient

Chef trainer Matt Patterson and student Samantha Snyder, opposite, on the line cooking breakfast at the Fresh Start kitchen. Student Casey Fuller, top, takes an order. Breakfast items on the menu at the Fresh Start kitchen include beignets and Eggs Benedict, above.

541-386-5710 celilorestaurant.com

throughout the Gorge. They serve elegant dinners at such picturesque locations as Mountain View Orchards in Parkdale, and cook for the local Lions and Rotary clubs. Fresh Start also does contract food prep for other businesses—including preparing apples for a local pie company and making pastries for Klickitat Valley Hospital in Goldendale. “All of these things are learning experiences for our students,” Watson says.

Those learning experiences in the program have translated into employment for the first graduates. Greg Johnston started working in Full Sail Brewing Company’s kitchen as a dishwasher when he was 16. Now 19 and a recent graduate of Fresh Start, he’s moved up to being a line cook.

Unlike many of the students who find it impossible to work elsewhere while going through the intensive program, Johnston says, “My boss at Full Sail was super understanding of my wanting to up my culinary experience. He worked

around my schedule and matched my days off from school. I managed to do a full-time job and do full time at Fresh Start.” Though he had previous restaurant experience before attending Fresh Start, Johnston says, “You could go in knowing almost nothing and come out a pretty decent chef.”

Graduate Dixie Whittington, 24, a life-long Parkdale resident, had lots of experience working as a waitress, but says her only experience cooking was “burning water” at home. She says her knife skills weren’t any good until the eighth or ninth week of the program. Now, post-Fresh Start, she’s employed by Solstice Wood Fire Café in Hood River, where she preps all the locally sourced salad ingredients for the restaurant’s popular fresh fare. She laughs when describing her learning curve. “We didn’t even know what ‘julienne’ was until Matt got out the little measure,” she says. “You have to drop your cut vegetable through the hole—it’s like playing the

Open Daily LUNCH 11:30-3 DINNER 5pm-close

16 Oak Street Hood River, OR

michael peterson

Full service catering Weddings • Private parties

Call Heather Sullivan

503-781-3749

catering@celilorestaurant.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 23

23

8/24/16 10:07 AM

OUR GORGE : LOCAVORE

Whittington speaks passionately about Fresh Start, crediting the program with changing her life. Even after completing the program, she says, she still feels its support. “You know people are pushing for you,” she says, “even when you’re not there.”

To support Fresh Start, a not-for-profit organization, or to learn how to enroll in the program or attend any of its events (including cooking classes for home cooks), go to freshstartculinaryarts.org.

Breakfast is served in the Pioneer Room at the Riverside Community Church from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Peggy Dills Kelter is an artist and writer. She lives in Hood River and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

two-year-old’s game of lining up things into a box with different size holes.”

The staff at Fresh Start appreciates Whittington as much as she appreciates them. “Kathy likes to refer to me as Radar,” Whittington says, “because when we go out to other catering events, if she needs something, I can find it really quick— even if it’s a kitchen I’ve never seen before.”

Johnston and Whittington both have big dreams. Johnston wants to travel, and Whittington would like to open her own bakery some day.

Both are happy that Fresh Start graduates now receive certificates of completion from Columbia Gorge Community College. The certificates will likely help them find employment should they leave the area.

Students Samantha Snyder, top left, and Casey Fuller work in the Fresh Start kitchen, where they make and serve breakfast every Friday and Saturday morning. A breakfast fruit plate is ready to be served.

THE ANDREW’S EXPERIENCE

pizzeria • drafthouse theater arcade • frozen yogurt

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

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

Andrew Mcelderry and his family have been making pizza since 1991.

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

14 inch pies • 18 inch pies

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

24

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 24

8/24/16 10:07 AM

Celebrating

fresh local food

Look for our FALL

issue late September A publication by the Hood River News highlighting the growing array of producers and the flourishing “LOCAL FOOD FIRST” movement in the Gorge.

Available at select businesses and these newspapers: Hood River News, 419 State St., Hood River The Dalles Chronicle, 315 Federal St., The Dalles

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 25

25

8/24/16 10:07 AM

OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

Designing a Charmed Life

Cari and Rory Streeter’s jewelry brings lasting beauty to life’s milestones STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS BY SHAUNA INTELISANO

C

ari and Rory Streeter are the sort of couple who can finish one another’s sentences. They often help each other find the perfect word to describe something, and seem able to communicate entire sentences with a single, meaningful look. This symbiosis extends even—or maybe especially—to their thriving jewelry business, Jewelry by Cari, which the couple has built from scratch over the past 14 years.

“We work as a team,” Cari says. “Rory has his defined roles and I have mine, but there’s so much back-and-forth. Every single design is both of us.”

The Streeters met in Rory’s native New Zealand where Cari, from California, had traveled after college to spend a few months snowboarding. When Cari returned home, Rory came with her and they settled in San Luis Obispo, on California’s central coast. Cari had always been “crafty,” she says—she loved doing arts and crafts projects of all sorts. In college, she’d taken a ceramics class and discovered that she could use the ceramics studio whenever she wanted. “I was in there all the time,” she recalls.

By the time she and Rory settled down, she was into making jewelry. “It started as a hobby,” she says. “I was making beaded stuff. I was constantly begging friends to let me make them things.” Designing and creating jewelry drew Cari in more than any other project had. It also brought out an innate determination and a willingness to put herself out there.

Not long after she officially launched Jewelry by Cari, she sent a necklace to the company that was in charge of putting together gift bags for the Grammy Awards. Eventually she got a phone call informing her that her necklace had made the cut. It wound up being given out to 250 Grammy nominees and celebrities.

“When that happened, we got more serious about it,” Cari says. She was still mostly using beads and gemstones in her work—the Grammy gift bag necklace had been made with a Peruvian opal—but about that time, a clay-like medium became available, which could be sculpted and fired in a kiln, resulting in one-of-a-kind precious metal jewelry pieces.

26

Cari dove in headfirst, and Rory followed.

“When Cari started doing that,” he says, “I got really interested.” He had been helping Cari all along with the jewelry, but the ability to sculpt pieces brought it to a whole new level. He trained as a metalsmith and learned the art of hand stamping and setting jewels. The couple began working mostly with the clay, creating collections of unique silver and gold charms that could be personalized.

The Streeters worked hard to get their jewelry in stores and galleries all over the country, traveling to host trunk shows and attend fine jewelry markets. Somewhere in there, they decided to make

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 26

8/24/16 10:07 AM

Rory and Cari Streeter, opposite, pose at a trunk show for their jewelry, Jewelry by Cari, at Silverado Gallery in Hood River. Rory personalizes jewelry on the spot with hand stamping tools, above, while Cari shows off their new collection.

a lifestyle change and ultimately went on a 5,000-mile road trip (which may have involved some snowboarding) to find a new home base. Hood River, with its small town vibe, proximity to Mount Hood and easy access to Portland, ended up being the place and they settled here in 2005.

In 2009, Jewelry by Cari got another boost when a movie studio production staffer spotted one of its charm necklaces at a store in Studio City, Calif. The personalized charm necklace ended up being worn by actress Megan Fox in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Demand for the necklace—and other pieces from Jewelry by Cari—followed. The company even got a plug in Entertainment Weekly.

For the next few years, Cari and Rory focused on their charms and related designs, creating new collections and adding pieces to their line. Last year, after Cari attended a gemstone show in Arizona, the couple began creating pieces that were quite different from what they’d been doing. “We kind of went on this whole tangent with these gems,” Cari says. “The pieces were beautiful, but it didn’t really flow with what we were known for. It was almost like we were having an identity crisis.”

For the Streeters, pivotal events have defined their business, and another of those events happened last winter while the couple was attending a trunk show in Eugene: their entire collection went missing. They filed a police report, but nothing ever turned up. “We had all of the designs of course, but we didn’t physically have any jewelry that was finished,” Cari says.

After the initial shock wore off, Cari and Rory sat down to rebuild their line and had an epiphany. “We’d been headed in this direction with the gems,” Cari says. “We were trying to make it work, but it wasn’t quite working.” Losing their collection “felt, in a weird way, freeing,” she says. The couple realized that what they were known for— what so many people loved—was their charms.

PARTS + LABOUR women’s clothing jewelry accessories

311 Oak Street • Hood River {541}387.2787 THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 27

27

8/24/16 10:07 AM

OUR GORGE : STYLE + DESIGN

Rory Streeter sets small diamonds into a charm. A display of Jewelry by Cari necklaces, right.

“The creativity just started flowing,” Cari says. “We got really focused on making some nice new charms and our new collection feels like the next level for us.”

Rory puts it succinctly: “It’s not very often in life that you get to push the re-set button,” he says. The Streeters held a launch party for their new collection at Silverado Jewelry Gallery in Hood River in July where it was very well received. After an end-of-summer trip to New Zealand with their two daughters (ages 4 and 8) to visit family, they had more trunk shows on the docket regionally and on the East Coast to showcase their new collection.

When both Cari and Rory are able to attend a trunk show together, Rory

brings his customized stamping table where he personalizes the charms and sets small diamonds on the spot. When an order comes from a store, or from the Jewelry by Cari website (or, as sometimes happens, a phone call), pieces are personalized and turned around in two weeks or less.

Along with creating their work and the personal relationships they form with store owners, it’s the personalizing of their charms that the couple finds most rewarding.

“Many of our stores and direct customers have been buying from us for over 10 years,” Cari says. “We have known of their life milestones along the way.” Their charms are used to commemorate weddings, graduations, marathons, travel, friendship and other meaningful events, as well as to represent family relationships and to signify individuals. Often, customers will add to their collection of personalized charms over the years as life events happen. Cari and Rory often hear the stories that go along with the charms— from heartbreaking tales of loss to inspirational stories of love.

“I love the openness and connection our jewelry brings between us and other people,” Cari says.

She and Rory find inspiration in that, as well by hearing from customers “about how much they cherish the jewelry we made,” Cari says.

“It’s so rewarding,” she adds, “to create something that brings so much joy for other people.”

For more information, go to jewelrybycari.com.

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

Gorgeous Jewelry, Creative Custom Design and Local Handmade Fun

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

28

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 28

8/24/16 10:07 AM

2016

A collaborative project from Arts in Education of the Gorge, Gorge Grown and Celilo Restaurant

10 Years of Bringing Art to Life

Harvesting our Stories

poTENtial

COLUMBIA CENTER for the ARTS

Film:

SEPTEMBER 24

30 Years of TV Animation with Joe Ansolabehere & Paul Germain

Music:

NOVEMBER 6

Portland Piano International Rising Star Pianist & Composer CHEN Yihan

Comedy:

NOVEMBER 12

Geezerpalooza!

A Musical Comedy

CAST presents David Hanson

Casablanca & The Maltese Falcon October 7-22

The common thread of agriculture unites the counties in the Gorge.

Agriculture is more than the primary economic driver in our communities.

Farms and orchards spread out over our land like a patchwork quilt, each with a unique history of the families who first planted the crops decades ago, and the families who have traveled thousands of miles to harvest the crops that sustain us today.

Ironically, some of the very families that work the orchards and fields experience food insecurity. In the counties of the Columbia Gorge, 225,000 tons of fruit is harvested annually. Yet in this land of abundance, one in three people worry about where their next meal is coming from, while one in five actually miss meals.

To bring attention to the issue of food insecurity and to preserve and share the stories of agriculture, a collaborative project between Arts in Education of the Gorge, Gorge Grown Food Network and Celilo Restaurant has paired five visual artists with farmers from Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Jefferson, Wheeler and Gilliam counties. The artists began visiting the farms during the summer, meeting with the farmers and learning about the land, crops and relationships that are cultivated there. Artists asked probing questions about farming practices, farm history, food systems and food insecurity that have helped them create a work of art inspired by the farm.

The project culminates in an art show, dinner and conversation about food security led by a facilitator from Oregon Humanities at First Friday in downtown Hood River on Oct. 7. One section of the street will become the centerpiece of the event. Several farm tables will be placed together in the middle of the street, beautifully set for “Dinner on Oak Street,� creating an installation of actual dinner guests, eating dinner prepared by Chef Ben Stenn of Celilo Restaurant.The food for the dinner will come from the farmers who have participated in the project, and the dinner guests will be people who are actively involved in agriculture and food security in the community.

The five works of art will be on display. In addition, documentary filmmaker David Hanson is making a film of the project, which will be screened at the Hood River County Library in November. (The project is funded by an ArtPlace America grant received by Libraries of Eastern Oregon.)

COLUMBIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS 215 Cascade Avenue Hood River, Oregon 97031 (541) 387-8877 | columbiaarts.org

Tickets available online, at Waucoma Bookstore, & in the Gallery.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 29

29

8/24/16 10:07 AM

OUR GORGE : EXPLORE

Mt. Hood Tiny House Village Try small living on for size with this inspired getaway

STORY BY VIKI EIERDAM • PHOTOS COURTESY OF TUMBLEWEED TINY HOUSE COMPANY

in size from 175 to 261 square feet—smaller than some bathrooms in the average 2,500-square-foot American home. Each efficient structure is equipped with all the modern conveniences of a typical foundation home—including full kitchens and bathrooms, heat, a/c and internet access— with far less space to clean and maintain. Each house has its own personality, with an appropriate name to go with it.

Atticus is a stoic, masculine home measuring 178 square feet with room for one in the downstairs bedroom and another two in the sleeping loft. The long galley kitchen has everything guests could want including a coffee maker, cook top, fridge/freezer and utensils. Stainless steel, light wood paneling and dark cabinet accents reaffirm the certainty and confidence of Atticus.

At 261 square feet, Lincoln packs a punch with space-saving design elements and room for family or friends traveling together. Five sleep comfortably between the downstairs queen bed and upstairs

A

lthough the tiny house movement has been around for at least two decades ( Jay Shafer, founder of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, was living in his original 89-square-foot house back in 1997), it’s a trend that seems to be gaining steam. The biggest challenge may be trying on a tiny home for size to see if the lifestyle is right for you.

For the minimalist at heart or just the traveler looking for something a bit different, Mt. Hood Village RV Resort in Welches recently introduced its Tiny House Village within the park. This village of five tiny houses opened in May and it’s already proven a popular lodging option. Houses range 30

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 30

8/24/16 11:37 AM

sleeping loft equipped with one queen and one double. Luggage can be kept in a storage loft to allow more legroom at the corner love seat or bar stools.

Fido is also welcome to stay overnight in Lincoln.

Instantly my favorite for her cheery yellow exterior with bright red trim, Savannah’s interior gives way to feminine charm that does not disappoint.

An airy corner kitchen welcomes guests who are then invited to sleep under her flower-accented bedding after enjoying a cup of tea on the couch, a viewing of Gone With the Wind on the flat screen or some s’mores fireside.

Another ample tiny house, Scarlett has room to stretch out inside her 233 square feet. Two queen-sized beds at opposite sleeping lofts and a single

The Tiny House Village includes a shared fire pit and individual grills, opposite. Far left is the Savannah, middle, and the Lincoln, bottom. Above is the Atticus, left, and the Savannah, right.

“Green Home helped us achieve our goal to be sustainable and also showed us how choosing solar would be the right dollars and cents decision.”

— Peter Belmont

541.948.1280 www.greenhome-designbuild.com 1824 Cascade Ave., Hood River, OR SOLAR

CCB#182083 WA#GREENHC917JM

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 31

31

8/24/16 11:37 AM

THE GORGE GREEN CROSS

Hood River’s Premier Recreational and Medical Dispensary

Superior Quality • Fair Pricing Knowledgeable, Friendly Staff

Open Everyday 11am to 7pm to Anyone 21 and Over

541-490-5441 602 Oak Street, Hood River www.TheGorgeGreenCross.com TheGorgeGreenCross@gmail.com N W

Mike’s Ice Cream

5th St.

Brian’s Pourhouse

6th St.

7th St.

E S

Oak St. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of reach of children.

32

The Scarlett, above, is one of the larger houses, at 233 square feet. Two sleeping lofts at opposite sides of the house each have a queen bed. A single bed on the main floor makes space to sleep five.

on the main floor make room for five. The long couch, drop-down kitchen table and hidden storage drawers within the staircase are signs of the attention to detail in this farmhouse charmer.

Zoe is immediately soothing in soft blue hues that carry from outside in. The fun color accents show up on side tables, bar stools, window dressings and throw pillows. The uniquely shaped corner settee and chandelier prove that small spaces can easily be personalized.

Creating its own neighborhood within the Mt. Hood Village resort, all five tiny houses share a common space complete with Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, individual barbeques and picnic tables.

Guests of the Tiny House Village can also take advantage of the resort’s indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center and walking paths located inside the park or take a break from cooking and enjoy the on-site Dragonfly Café.

As an environmentally conscious outdoor business, Equity Lifestyle Properties (which owns Mt. Hood RV Resort) sought to partner with another company that shared its vision. Tumbleweed has been leading the way in tiny home construction since 1999 and earned the distinction of Green Certification through TRA Green (a company that monitors the environment impact of RVs, modular and manufactured homes) in 2015. Tumbleweed custom-built the five houses for the resort.

Can’t get enough of Tiny House vacationing? Caravan, located in Portland, opened in the summer of 2013 and is what owners Kol Peterson and Deb Delman describe as the first tiny house hotel in the world. With six tiny houses ranging in size from 120 to 170 square feet (one of them is fully wheelchair accessible and there are also a couple of pet-friendly abodes), there’s more charm, architectural detailing and slick storage spaces per square inch than you can shake a folding table at.

The inviting courtyard boasts a fire pit, cozy seating and even a complimentary s’mores box filled with vegan marshmallows, organic graham crackers, and Fair Trade dark and milk chocolate bars. Modern conveniences like air conditioning, heating, wireless internet, a flush toilet, hot shower and kitchen stocked with utensils, a microwave, stove-top burner and refrigerator prove living small doesn’t have to mean roughing it. Special touches such as organic coffee, teas and olive oil, agave, salt and pepper, high quality bedding, linens, handmade quilts and toiletries ensure each guest is snug as a bug.

For more information, go to mthoodtinyhouse.com and tinyhousehotel.com Viki Eierdam is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 32

8/24/16 11:37 AM

Carol@DonNunamaker.com RealEstateinTheGorge.com HoodRiverProperties.com

The Zoe, above, is one of the smaller houses, at 196 square feet. It sleeps three, with a loft queen bed and a single bed on the main floor.

Getting There—Mt. Hood Tiny House Village

Hood River $950,000 Two tax parcels totaling 13.07 +/- acres has an older MH and a 1986 custom home w/ a view of Mt. Adams.

Exclusive Farm Use zoning of approx. 9.5 acress of pears. Several farm buildings, horse barn and lovely home. Perfect for the gentleman farmer. 3BR, 3.5BA, 3802 sqft

Distance: 56 miles, Driving Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes From Hood River, take Highway 35/OR-35, and then Mount Hood Hwy/US-26 W. East Salmon River Road and East Welches Road take you the last two miles to the Mt. Hood Tiny House Village.

Eastside Hood River $775,000 2 acre parcel with views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams & East Hills! Built in 2008, full suite on lower level, kitchen w/ granite countertops & maple cabinets. Hickory, slate & travertine floors, cathedral windows, floor to ceiling rock fireplace & more. 4BR, 3.5BA, 3204 sqft.

Hood River $285,000 Sweet little ranch style home on .18 acre.

Fenced backyard & covered patio area. Large lot in a great location w/ easy access to downtown or uptown. One car attached garage and driveway parking. Great one level home with stability features for seniors or makeover for first time homebuyer. 3BR, 1BA, 968 sqft

541-490-5099 • 800-544-1930 Oregon & Washington Broker

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 33

33

8/24/16 11:37 AM

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

Maryhill Winery

The eastern Gorge destination winery is a showcase for the Washington wine scene STORY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYHILL WINERY

W

hen Craig and Vicki Leuthold began looking for a place to start a winery, the Spokane couple arguably could have gone anywhere. They each had successful careers in marketing and distribution and were ready to turn their passion for wine into something more.

Their choice of a bluff in the remote eastern Gorge raised more than a few eyebrows. “We looked all over the state,” Vicki said. “But we kept coming back to this area. The lower Columbia Gorge kept calling us.”

As Maryhill Winery marks its 15th year, the Leutholds’ vision of a destination winery producing quality, award-winning wines and drawing visitors from around the region and beyond has proved more than providential. In 2014, the San Francisco International Wine Competition—the largest and most influential wine competition in the U.S.— gave Maryhill its prestigious Winery of the Year award. Last year, Maryhill was named Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year by Wine Press Northwest. In all, Maryhill Winery has garnered more than 3,000 awards since it opened in 2001.

“It’s been a very full 15 years,” Vicki said.

The Leutholds fell in love with wine in the early 1980s. “We took a tour of Napa and we were fascinated by it,” Vicki said. “We threw ourselves 34

into learning everything about it.” They were no strangers to the specialty beverage world. In Spokane, Vicki launched and eventually sold an office coffee service company. The couple also owned a brewpub.

As their passion for wine grew, they became business partners in Cascade Cliffs Vineyard & Winery in the eastern Gorge.

As the couple turned their focus more and more on the Gorge, they sought to partner with Maryhill Museum of Art, hoping to put a winery on the museum grounds. After they were unable to come to an agreement with the museum’s nonprofit board, Dan Gunkel, a fourth-generation fruit orchardist who also runs Gunkel Vineyards—one of the oldest and most established vineyard sites in Washington—offered the Leutholds a place for a winery on his vineyard property, a mile west of the museum. It was a perfect fit.

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 34

8/24/16 11:37 AM

Mt. Hood Winery

Experience finely crafted wines and extraordinary mountain & vineyard views .

The view from Maryhill Winery captures the vineyardcovered hillsides of the eastern Gorge and the Columbia River, above. (Photo by Andrea Johnson.) Maryhill Winery owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold, opposite inset, from left, and winemaker Richard Batchelor. (Photo by Maryhill Winery.)

A view of the winery’s expansive tasting room, above.

(Photo by Dean Davis Photography.)

The Leutholds set out to build a destination winery at a time when there were fewer than 100 wineries in the state. “When we built Maryhill, Washington wasn’t building wineries like this,” Vicki said. “They were more of a shed behind a house.” The Leutholds pursued a different model, building a stunning 3,000-square-foot tasting room with a vine-covered terrace overlooking the breathtaking landscape of the eastern Columbia River Gorge.

Maryhill Winery opened in the spring of 2001, serving wine from the 1999 and 2000 vintages made by the Leutholds’ newly hired winemaker John Haw, who had established his reputation at Sokol Blosser Winery in the Willamette Valley. Maryhill Winery produced 4,000 cases during its first year. The next year, it doubled production.

“From there, it doubled every year,” Vicki said. “It was a really fast, aggressive growth.” The Leutholds marketed the winery as a destination where people could come, taste good wine, bring a picnic and linger in the beautiful setting. And people came. It helped that the winery early on earned a reputation for quality. It began bringing home wine awards from its very first vintages. In 2004, Maryhill’s Zinfandel bested more than 100

Oregon Winery of the Year - 2016 and Oregon Wine of the Year - 2014 Pinot Noir Wine Press Northwest

Wine

tasting daily from

11am

to

5pm.

2882 Van Horn driVe, Hood riVer / 541-386-8333

info @ mtHoodWinery . com Photo by Jennifer Gulizia

farmed, fermented and bottled — Pouring at Memaloose / Idiot’s Grace Tasting Room — 34 State Street (HWY 14) Lyle, WA 98635 • WinesoftheGorge.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 35

35

8/24/16 11:37 AM

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

other Zinfandels (all from California) at the West Coast Wine Competition to win “best of class.”

Maryhill was on the map.

From the time the Leutholds sited the winery atop its bluff, they’d been eyeing the natural “bowl” that sat just to the east of the tasting room.

In 2003, they terraced the bowl, creating an amphitheater. With rented stages, the winery hosted its first concerts that summer. The events proved so popular, the couple eventually decided to construct a permanent stage, and the upgraded 4,000-seat concert venue opened in 2008. The venue was closed to concerts in 2015 while the Leutholds addressed parking and road access issues, but was up and running again this summer, with three shows making up its 2016 Summer Concert Series. “Music has always been a big deal here,” Vicki said. In addition to the amphitheater concerts, the winery hosts live music on the terrace every summer weekend from Memorial Day through September. A compilation CD of each summer’s performance highlights is sold at the

The 4,000-seat Maryhill Winery amphitheater hosts summer concerts, top. (Photo by Jesse Larvick.) The Maryhill Winery Vineyard Series, above left, is made available primarily to wine club members. The Leutholds, above right, pictured with winemaker Richard Batchelor, have grown Maryhill Winery into the ninth largest winery in Washington. (Photo by Ashley Anderson, “Face of Washington Wine,” Seattle Met.)

winery, with proceeds benefiting the non-profit Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which helps artists, composers and songwriters in need across the country.

Maryhill Winery is now the ninth largest winery in the state of Washington (where there are now more than 800 wineries). It currently produces 80,000 cases of wine annually with an astounding 33 varietals, all overseen by winemaker Richard Batchelor, who has been with Maryhill since 2009. Its thriving

Elegant, Vibrant and Pure Gorge From exclusive estate vineyards, on both banks of the Columbia… Our wines express this breath-taking place.

Fresh, intense and spicy–without excessive oak and alcohol. Bring the brilliance of the Gorge to your table.

Memaloose / Idiot's Grace • 34 State Street (HWY 14) Lyle, WA 98635 • 509-774-9050 • WinesoftheGorge.com

36

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 36

8/24/16 11:37 AM

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 37

8/24/16 11:37 AM

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT

wine club includes more than 1,500 members from across the U.S. (the winery produces more than 30 wines exclusively for wine club members) and Maryhill welcomes some 75,000 visitors to its tasting room each year.

Along with the wide variety of small-batch wines it produces, Maryhill has also built a reputation for quality, accessible wines—including its popular Winemaker’s Red and White. These blends vary every year but are unfailingly quality, accessible wines (they retail for $14-16 a bottle).

Despite the success of their winery, the Leutholds haven’t let up. “A lot of what we do is education,” Vicki said. The winery sources fruit from 13 different AVAs, including all of the smaller appellations that make up the vast Columbia Valley AVA. In addition to Gunkel Vineyards, which is Maryhill’s “estate” vineyard, the winery buys grapes from 17 other growers. In all, Maryhill Winery has 60 different individual bottlings throughout the year.

“We want to show what Washington can grow, what Washington can produce,” Vicki said. That task is clearly in good hands.

Maryhill Winery’s outdoor terrace overlooks the amphitheater and the vineyards below, above. (Photo by Jesse Larvick.) Grapes are brought onto the crush pad during harvest, below. (Photo by Maryhill Winery.)

For more information, go to maryhillwinery.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, only 75 breathtaking minutes east of Portland.

For individual winery info: WINERIES OF LYLE.COM

38

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 38

8/24/16 11:38 AM

C athedral r idge W inery Award Winning Wines // Amazing Mountain Views

come experience Harvest

Art Gallery Grand Opening Weekend October 14-16th Artist's Reception October 14th 5-8pm

Music | Fine Art | Wine Butler Bank 301 Oak St.

info@anichecellars.com

Winery Tasting Experiences A FLIGHT FOR EVERY LEVEL OF INTEREST!

{

From Standard Tasting to VIP Connoisseur Tasting

4200 P ost C anyon D rive , H ooD r iver or, 97031 // 541-386-2882

Viento wines are created by Rich Cushman, winemaker for over 30 years and native of Hood River. The results are wines of balance, softness and wonderful flavors…

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS!

Open Sun-Thu 12-5pm • Fri-Sat 12-6pm 301 Country Club Road • (541) 386-3026 • vientowines.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 39

39

8/24/16 11:38 AM

OUR GORGE : WINE SPOTLIGHT WINE EVENTS Viento Winery Harvest Soiree Join Viento Winery for its Second Annual Harvest Soiree Oct. 15-16. The event features a vine-to-glass cellar experience with Viento winemaker and owner Rich Cushman. It will also be the official release of the winery’s 2015 Chardonnay. vientowines.com

Award winning wines, friendly staff, bocce courts and a beautiful deck.

Come see us!

Aniche Cellars Crush Weekend Celebrate crush weekend at Aniche Cellars in Underwood, Wash., Oct. 15-16. There will be special wine tastings (including tasting wines in fermentation), foot stomping the grapes and punchdowns. anichecellars.com

Maryhill Winery Harvest Celebration Maryhill Winery hosts its Harvest Celebration during two fun-filled weekends this year, Oct. 1-2 and Oct. 8-9. The event features wine tasting, live music, grape-stomping, barrel tasting, and a hot dog and marshmallow roast. Create and purchase a commemorative grape tie-dyed Harvest Celebration t-shirt.

There will also be case specials up to 50 percent off. maryhillwinery.com

Thanksgiving Wine Weekend welcoming tasting room & patio

5.5 scenic miles south of hood river on hwy 35

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

The more than 30 wineries and tasting rooms of the Columbia Gorge celebrate Thanksgiving Wine Weekend Nov. 25-27. Individual tasting rooms celebrate the holidays with special wine tastings, unique activities and donation opportunities benefiting local charities. columbiagorgewine.com

GENERAL TIPS FOR VISITING GORGE WINE COUNTRY Courtesy of the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association

• Consider hiring a designated driver.

• Refrain from wearing heavily scented items, such as perfumes and lotions. Even lipstick can affect your wine tasting experience. Allow the day to be filled with the aromas of wine!

• Explore varietals unfamiliar to you. Often these can be a delightful surprise.

• Ask tasting room staff questions. Gorge residents are proud to live here and serve local wines, and love to share wine knowledge with others. Ask staff where to have dinner, or where to stay, hike and play.

• Try a mid-week excursion. Often tasters who visit on a weekday find the tasting rooms more intimate and the experience more one-on-one.

• Have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. After all, wine is about enjoyment on your personal level.

Drink what you like and enjoy with others.

40

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 40

8/24/16 11:38 AM

HOOD RIVER VALLEY HARVEST FEST October 14-16, 2016

Celebrate the bounty of the county and surrounding region!

Family-friendly with games and contests • Hundreds of vendors Arts and crafts • Food • Local brews and wine PACKER ORCHARDS & FARM PLACE

Packer Orchards B A K E R Y & FA R M P L A C E

Farm fresh fruits and vegetables.

U-Pick gardens. Cookies, jam, and pies. Pumpkin patch and corn maze opens in October. Visit website for hours.

541-234-4006 PackerOrchardsAndBakery.com 3020 Thomsen Road, Hood River

BONNIE WHITE WATERCOLOR A local artist who paints in both watercolor and oil and sells both her originals and images of her paintings on prints, cards, calendars and magnets throughout the Columbia Gorge.

509-637-4098 • bonniewhite.net Made in the Gorge, 108 Oak Street, Hood River

never miss another issue of

MELANIE THOMPSON ARTWARE Organic shape and delicious color have inspired my Eggware Collection. Dinnerware, bowls, platters and vessels of altered shapes and tactile finish are refreshing and fun to use every day.

Handcrafted in Hood River 541-386-5740 • eggware.com

A GATHERING OF SPIRITS STEVE STEGALL

1 year $19.99 2 years $29.99

For over 40 years my love of creating with natural materials has kept my interest. The art I create reflects my aim to share the magic I feel in each piece. Come and appreciate my efforts.

503-477-2600 • agatheringofspirits.com facebook.com/agatheringofspirits

Get each quarterly issue delivered directly to your home. order on-line at thegorgemagazine.com

or call 541-399-6333

PAST ISSUES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE

Hood River Event Site at the Waterfront 541-386-2000

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 41

41

8/24/16 11:38 AM

Discover Beautiful

HOOD RIVER OREGON :

Spend some time in Hood River this fall, one of the town’s showcase seasons. Summer crowds have dissipated, fall harvest is in full swing and the trees are turning beautiful shades of red and gold. This hub of the Gorge is full of unique shops and boutiques, jewelers, restaurants, breweries, wine tasting rooms, bakeries, coffee shops, galleries and more. Explore both downtown and the Heights, and see what autumn in Hood River is all about.

42

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Marketplace_DwntnHR_FL16.indd 42

8/24/16 11:38 AM

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

mark etpl ace: ho od ri ver

TACY’S PLACE TRINKETS & TREASURES BOUTIQUE There’s a little something for everyone at Tacy’s Place. Featuring Silver Forest Earrings, Papaya Art, Pre de Provence Soaps Raku Pottery, Jenteal Candles, and coming soon Denali Throws, Jim Shore Heartwood Creek, SnowBabies, Suzy Toronto, Lolita, Flourish, Britto, Disney, Let it Bee and so much more.

Open Monday – Saturday 10am-6pm

APLAND JEWELERS Craftsman jewelers and designers, we sell and repair in our state of the art shop. A second generation jeweler, Ken Apland brings 33 years of experience.

Our other goldsmiths and designers bring an additional 31 years of combined experience. We have an intimate understanding of what an item might need, from rebuilding an heirloom to creating your own unique design from scratch.

1106 12th Street • Find us on Facebook

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

HOOD RIVER COFFEE ROASTERS

GORGE DOG

We have changed our name from Hood River Coffee Co. to Hood River Coffee Roasters to better reflect what we do! For 26 years we have been the Gorge’s premier roaster supplying fine restaurants, espresso bars, grocery stores, and we even sell our fresh-roasted coffee by the pound to retail customers, like you! We are open Mon-Thurs, 9am-5pm and Fri, 9am-3pm.

With our love for animals and longtime relationship with retail, we set out to offer great canine products with excellent service and a fun store environment.

We invite you to dig through our vast collection of animal accessories, bedding, treats and more. And of course, friendly dogs are always welcome.

412 Oak Street • 541-387-3996 gorgedog.com

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

HOOD RIVER JEWELERS

PLENTY

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.

YOU are beautiful.

WE love to help you FEEL it.

Clothing . Shoes . Beauty Open 11-6, closed Wednesdays 310 Oak St. • 541-386-5000 Join us on Instagram @ Plenty Hood River

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

ROSAUERS

WAAAM

At Rosauers Supermarket you will find: a floral, deli, bakery, and meat department as well as Huckleberry’s Natural Foods section. We offer you one-stop shopping for a broad array of natural and organic products that are viable and wonderful alternatives to the conventional supermarket world. We bake everything from scratch using only the finest, fresh ingredients… let us help you create the perfect wedding or special event cake!

Visit the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum and see one of the largest collections of still flying antique vehicles in the country. A large new expansion has recently opened to accomodate more cars and antique engines, and allow for an expanded Kid’s Zone. Open daily from 9am-5pm.

1600 Air Museum Road • 541-308-1600 waaamuseum.org

1867 12th Street • rosauers.com THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Marketplace_DwntnHR_FL16.indd 43

43

8/24/16 11:38 AM

Amber Waves THE UNDULATING FIELDS OF WASCO COUNTY HAVE BEEN HOME TO FIVE GENERATIONS OF THE KELLY FAMILY, WHICH BEGAN WHEAT RANCHING NEAR THE DALLES IN THE LATE 1800s.

Story by PEGGY DILLS KELTER Photos by RENATA KOSINA

44

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 44

8/25/16 2:12 PM

of Grain

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 45

45

8/25/16 2:12 PM

AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN

T 46

he Kelly family’s roots run deep in the soils of Wasco County, both literally and figuratively. In the late 1890s James Kelly arrived there with his wife. Together, they established a small farm up on Tygh Ridge, where they hoped the soil would be productive. Soon, James dreamed of bigger things than what a subsistence farm could yield. He traveled into the town of The Dalles, walked into the banker’s office, and requested a loan.

Pete Kelly, at 75 the historian of the family and a great storyteller, fills in the details. “In 1896 William McKinley was running for president against William Jennings Bryan,” he says. “My great-grandfather says to the banker, ‘I think McKinley’s going to win and we’re going to come out of this Depression. What we ought to do is buy a trainload of cattle and ship them back to Kansas City.’ And the banker says, ‘You’re right, I’ll loan you the money.’”

James Kelly had no collateral. “But that’s the way it used to be with bankers,” Pete says. “If you believed in the guy, you loaned him the money. So he did. Bought a trainload of cattle.” James didn’t have enough feed, so he turned to neighboring farmers. “He said to them, ‘Take two or three and I’ll pay you back in the spring,’” Pete recounts. “So the election comes in November and McKinley wins and by spring they’re out of the Depression and prices are going through the roof. They round up the cattle and they decide to buy hogs and run them underneath the cattle on the way back east. They made a fortune! And that’s how the Kellys got started wheat ranching in Wasco County.”

One needs a diagram to keep track of this prolific family. James Kelly had five sons: Louis, Ed, Virgil, Ray and Leo (who died in a childhood accident). Brother Ed became Father Ed, and eventually became the Bishop of Boise. The other three brothers farmed.

Louis fathered two children. His son Ray fathered ten. Six of those ten remain, and four live in The Dalles—including Pete. Fifteen years ago, Pete’s son Mike took over the ranch, which now encompasses more than 2,000 acres. Only Mike currently farms, but it’s obvious wheat farming runs through all of their blood.

I meet Pete and his wife Carol at the old Sunshine Mill in east The Dalles. It seems an appropriate place to meet—Wasco County is known for its superior soft white wheat, which when milled becomes

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 46

8/25/16 2:12 PM

Hood River Team

The Dalles Team

Two Locations One Great Team Pete and Carol Kelly, above, sit on the porch of their house in The Dalles, which Pete and his son Mike remodeled. A historic family photo, below, shows harvesting on the ranch with the help of horses in the 1920s. Pete points out his father, Ray Kelly, opposite, in another family photo. Mike Kelly drives the modern combine, opening spread, during the 2016 wheat harvest.

the flour that then becomes delicious cookies, pancakes and noodles. When I was growing up, Sunshine cookies and crackers were always a staple at my house. The Sunshine Mill is now a winery, but remnants of its previous life as a flourmill are evident everywhere in the building.

Pete’s dad was a wheat farmer right out of high school, but Pete had no intention of following his father’s footsteps as a farmer, and deliberately chose to attend the University of Oregon rather than the agriculture-focused Oregon State University. “I wasn’t going to be a farmer,” Pete says.

“I had helped in the summers all along and it seemed kind of hot and dusty to me, and dirty. I took economics instead of agriculture.”

Pete hoped, after college, to become a sales representative. All that changed one spring day when he received a call from his dad. Ray had thrown his back out, and there were fields to seed. Pete was needed at home. So he took his finals early and travelled back to Wasco County.

Normally, Wasco County’s wheat crop is seeded in October and harvested in mid-summer.

But the year Pete came home to help was a year when the ranchers were “froze out” in the winter and had to replant in the spring. Pete had never spring seeded before. Normally, spring-seeded grain yields much less wheat. But in the year in question, the yield was tremendous. “I was so proud of what I did that I decided to come home,” Pete says. “It just changed the way I thought about farming.”

When Pete was 23, tragedy struck the Kelly family when Ray, the family patriarch, was killed in a wheat fire. “Dad was retired, but he was out helping me,” Pete says. “I had just gotten married.

One of the neighbors had a fire that came onto our place. My dad jumped in the tractor and was pulling the plow to try and make a fire break. The fire caught up with him.” He left wife Peg and eight children behind.

Pete took over running the ranch. There were fields to till, seeds to plant, fertilizers to apply, thousands of acres to harvest, equipment to repair, prices to haggle over, and weather to worry about—especially the amount of rainfall.

Hood River • The Dalles We are a team of professional Realtors who are committed to our communities throughout the Columbia Gorge and on both sides of the river.

Committed to your needs We are trusted advisors for buyer or seller representation, first time home owners, vacation and rental homes, commercial and investment properties.

We know the Gorge.

We know Real Estate.

Call us today!

Hood River 541-386-2330 The Dalles

541-296-1045

www.copperwest.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 47

47

8/24/16 12:21 PM

AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN

Stay & Play in The Dalles Free SuperStart® breakfast All Guest Rooms are Smoke Free High Speed Wireless Internet Microwave • Refrigerator Cable/HBO Guest Laundry Pool • Pet Friendly 609 Cherry Heights Road The Dalles OR 97058 541-296-6888

www.super8.com

Oak Grove Store a place to remember

Mike Kelly harvests wheat near The Home Place, top, where he grew up and now lives with his family. Mike is the fifth generation of the Kelly family to work the ranch, which encompasses more than 2,000 acres. Old and new farm equipment and grain storage can be found at the Kelly Ranch, above left and right, which has been in operation by the family since the late 1800s.

Antiques • Collectibles • Vintage An historic gathering place since 1908, restored in 2015.

Shop for unique treasures... old and new.

2120 Country Club Road, Hood River 541-490-8992 • 541-399-6650

oakgrovestore@gmail.com • oldoakgrovestore.com

48

Unlike most of the agriculture in the Columbia Gorge, wheat isn’t irrigated. Instead, wheat ranchers rely on the rains to come at the right time and moisten the soil. The rain situation is such that each year the farmers can only grow the crop on half of their land—the other half must remain fallow.

Pete’s brother Henry also returned after college to try his hand at farming. At first, he grew hay, and then acquired enough land of his own to turn to growing wheat. Like Pete, Henry had worked on the ranch throughout his childhood. “I started when I was pretty young, about third grade,” he says. “I made a dollar a day during harvest.”

Pete and Carol raised their two children on The Home Place—the house built by his grandpa Louis where son Mike now lives with his wife and two kids. Both Mike and his dad say they always

knew that Mike would be a wheat rancher. He was driving farm equipment when he was 10 years old, even though he could barely reach the pedals. At 14, he was driving the huge wheat trucks from the harvested fields to the storage bins. He worked on the ranch until he graduated from high school, when he moved to Portland to attend Lewis & Clark College. Stints as a potter and a remodeler followed, until the lure of the wheat carried him back home for good.

Wheat ranching has dramatically changed since the days when the first generations of Kellys farmed the land. Today ranchers operate huge computerized combines that rely on GPS and self-leveling technologies. The combines harvest the kernels and cut the chaff fairly short. Farmers no longer till the fields, opting instead for no-till drilling, a method in which the machines fertilize

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 48

8/24/16 12:21 PM

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

OakStreetHotel.com

Mike and Anne Kelly and their children, Mikayla and Paul, above, pose at the Kelly Ranch. Anne grinds wheat kernals with a small electric mill and makes Kelly Wheat Pancake and Waffle Mix, below left, which she sells to local bakeries, retailers and online. Mike sits in the cab of his combine, below right, whose computerized technologies have dramatically changed the way wheat harvesting is done.

and plant the seeds in one quick action, directly through the previous crop’s remaining stubble. Pete explains, “In the old days we fertilized the whole ground and then the roots had to go find it. Everything is computerized now. When we go around the fields we’re looking at a screen in the tractor that tells us how far in or out we are from the previous row.”

The changes in technology have brought with them not only more productive fields, but more expensive equipment. Henry endured fires and floods on his farm, but the cost of farming and the dwindling profits ultimately ended his career as a wheat rancher. Mike knows firsthand about the hardships, but is still eager to farm.

Mike’s wife Anne grew up in a suburb of Seattle, but she feels as at home on the ranch as her husband.

Since 2010 she’s had her own farm-related small business—she grinds the Kelly Ranch’s wheat kernels using a small electric mill, and sells fresh flour and whole wheat pancake mix to Pine Street Bakery, the Sunshine Mill, Cannon Packer Gifts, and directly through her website, kellywheat.com.

Plan Your Gorge Escape HOA

541-387-4080

GorgeRentals.com

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

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

610 Oak Street Hood River, OR 97031

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 49

49

8/24/16 12:21 PM

AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN

We have everything from edibles to concentrates and incredible crafted glass work from local artists.

All members of the extensive Kelly family who grew up on the ranch have vivid memories of the sights, smells and sounds of living in the wheat. “When it’s green it makes a different sound than when it’s ripe. It almost rattles when it’s ripe,” says Rose Kelly, one of ten children born and raised on the Kelly Ranch—the fourth generation of Kellys to work the wheat fields of Wasco County.

While the other family members no longer work on the farm, their memories are strong. Rose, at 59 the youngest of the eight siblings, recounts a favorite tale. “We had a horse named Major that was super tame,” she says. “When I was 4 or 5 I would go out and catch him—if you had a bag full of grain he would come right up to you. I couldn’t lift the saddle but I could bridle him.

I climbed up on the pegged fence and I’d climb on Major and ride bareback.

Of course no one knew I was doing that. Then I’d go out in the wheat fields and try to find the tractor. My cousin was plowing at the time. I didn’t do a very good job with the bridle so I got off to put it back on. I realized I was in the middle of the field and there weren’t any fences! So I just waited until my cousin came around and put me back up on the horse.”

Some of sister Ginny’s fondest ranch memories are from her early years living at the Creek Place (pronounced krik), a home that’s no longer part of the Kelly’s ranch. “We got our first phone out there, and there was an article about it in the Ruralite magazine,” she recalls. “It was such a big deal to 50

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 50

8/24/16 12:22 PM

have phones come out that far—about five miles from The Dalles. It was a party line. I can remember listening in—of course we weren’t supposed to!”

When asked about their most vivid memories, all of the siblings mention the sights, sounds and smells of living in the wheat. Henry says, “I remember the wind because the wind blows all the time, especially during harvest. It makes a special noise.” Rose continues, “When it’s green it makes a different sound than when it’s ripe. It almost rattles when it’s ripe.” They both compare the wheat to the sea.

“When it’s green and the wind blows it’s like waves on the ocean,” Henry says. And for all of them, the smell of freshly tilled soil lingers in their olfactory memories, a smell that’s no longer part of the modern wheat rancher’s work and life.

Connie, the oldest living Kelly sibling, sums up the life of her wheat ranching family in a poem she sent me:

“Grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins Visiting on weekends. Horses to ride.

Hills to climb, trucks to learn to drive.

The heat of harvest. Chaff in hair, eyes, shirts, shoes.

We learned to help with chores, to love the outdoors.

The sound of crickets, cows, crows, children.

The sight of sky, the sun, dusk, stars. The touch of rough wool from blanket & jacket. We learned to honor the seasons, each other, births, growth, death.”

Tacy’s Place llc TRINKETS & TREASURES BOUTIQUE

A little new, A little old, A little bit of everything

 1106 12th Street • Hood River

541-806-4869

Visit our

Tasting Room

I ask Mike to speculate about the Kelly family’s future growing wheat. He’s philosophical. The notill method is helping save the rich soil from eroding away, but the cost of high tech equipment and the dwindling price of wheat makes it increasingly difficult to support a family.

“When I was a kid it was easy to turn me loose on a tractor,” he says. “I couldn’t really screw up.

Dad did the first round and got me away from the fence. You can’t just hop on a piece of equipment anymore. It’s all technologically driven so any screw-up is going to be very expensive now. It’s complicated.” Farming may be more complicated now, but Mike’s grandparents, aunts and uncles are hopeful that he’ll be able to continue the family’s farming legacy for many years to come.

Peggy Dills Kelter is an artist and writer who lives in Hood River. She’s a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.

TASTE SHOP ENJOY! OPEN DAILY 12 - 6* 304 Oak St., Suite 3, Hood River, OR www.hrdspirits.com *Winter hours subject to change 541-386-1588 ext. 234 ©2016 Hood River Distillers, Inc., Hood River, OR USA Pendleton Blended Canadian Whisky, Pendleton 1910 Canadian Rye Whisky, 40% ALC./VOL. The Bucking Horse Logo and Let’er Buck are registered trademarks of the Pendleton Round-Up Association. PENDLETON is a registered trademark of Pendleton Woolen Mills. Stay in control.®

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_KellysRanch.indd 51

51

8/24/16 12:22 PM

Experience Skamania County, Washington!

BEST WESTERN PLUS COLUMBIA RIVER INN

THE PORT OF CASCADE LOCKS

Stunning views and spacious guest rooms on the Columbia River at the Bridge of the Gods. Close to waterfalls, trails and outdoor activities.

Complimentary breakfast, pool & spa, fitness room.

An economic development partner in Cascade Locks, Oregon. The Port offers property for sale or lease, manages the Marine Park for your special events, and supports outdoor recreation development in the Gorge.

541-374-8777 • bwcolumbiariverinn.com 755 Wanapa St. • Cascade Locks

For more information: 541-374-8619 portofcascadelocks.org

BUNGALOW BAR & GRILL

MARTIN’S GORGE TOURS

Established in 1932

Guided tours for individuals, groups, families, or couples. Including waterfalls, wildflowers, wineries, breweries, trail hikes, scenic drives and more. Sit back and relax as we explore the hidden treasures of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

We have Prime Rib Friday, Broasted Chicken, Bungalow Burger and so much more. 2 pool tables, dart board and friendly atmosphere.

Come by and see us.

509-427-4523 812 Wind River Hwy • Carson

NORTH BONNEVILLE ROCK QUARRY Your crushed and natural aggregate supplier in the Gorge, We opened the quarry in 2013 and look forward to servicing the communities rock needs. We are open for business Monday thru Friday. Schedule your delivery today.

509-427-4402

503-349-1323 • martinsgorgetours.com

FARMERS INSURANCE

Judith Lanz Insurance Agency, Inc.

Insurance & financial services agency specializing in all lines of property, home, & auto insurance. Also offering commercial and health insurance for small and medium size businesses.

For more information: 509-427-5517 farmersagent.com/jlanz 25 SW Russell Avenue • Stevenson

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

SkamaniaChamber_Spread_FL16.indd 52

8/24/16 11:47 AM

DAN & KATHY HUNTINGTON, REALTORS

BONNEVILLE HOT SPRINGS RESORT & SPA

Rural property and view homes on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Expertise, integrity, passion for the beauty of the Gorge.

Feel the rejuvenating effects of pure, natural mineral water. Our luxurious amenities prove that we’re more than a resort and spa. We’re an escape. Just kick back, relax, and enjoy your stay.

360-253-1120 • CapeHornLand.com CapeHornLand@gmail.com Dan and Kathy Huntington Windermere/Crest Realty

877-364-4021 • bonnevilleresort.com 1252 E Cascade Dr. • North Bonneville

OUT ON A LIMB

BLOOMSBURY

Contemporary women’s clothing and accessories, unique gifts and modern cottage lifestyle collection. Pared down, repurposed, industrial inspired interior sets the tone for an urban shopping experience in a small historic mill town.

Vintage and nature inspired collections for home, garden and gifts.

European-style flower shop specializing in natural, organic designs and weddings in the Gorge. Our flower farm provides a seasonal selection of fresh flowers (for the DIY bride).

509-427-2271 240 SW 2nd Street • Stevenson

509-427-4444 • bloomsburyshop.com 240 SW 2nd Street • Stevenson

SKAMANIA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CARSON RIDGE LUXURY CABINS

Visit Skamania County, Washington soon and often. Rich in natural beauty with something different to see and enjoy around every corner. You might even encounter Sasquatch.

Rejuvenate at our romantic getaway cabins. Soak in a spa tub with lavender bath salts. Enjoy a relaxing in-cabin massage. Dream it and we’ll work to deliver it.

Playful, Fresh and On Trend

800-989-9178 • skamania.org

509-427-7777 • CarsonRidgeCabins.com 1261 Wind River Rd • Carson

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

SkamaniaChamber_Spread_FL16.indd 53

8/24/16 11:48 AM

STORY BY DON CAMPBELL • PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DATNOFF

WITH THEIR COLUMBIA WILD SALMON BUSINESS, DOUG RIGDON AND NICK ALLEN HELP KEEP THE TRIBAL FISHING CULTURE ALIVE WHILE PROVIDING QUALITY FISH FOR THE HOOD RIVER COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.

T

he Creator, invokes Yakama lore, made the salmon and planted it in the Columbia and its many tributaries for all the people. It is said the Creator taught them how to care for the salmon and warned them not to “neglect this important food,” and admonished them to remember the sacred rules, the most important of which is never take more than you need.

Salmon is sacred food. That innate, almost divine, notion is not lost on Doug Rigdon and Nick Allen, partners at the Gorge’s popular Wild Columbia Salmon business, which sells fresh Native-caught fish at its small colorful stand just off Highway 35 as well as to most of this region’s best restaurants.

Rigdon is a fully enrolled Yakama Indian, born in Silverton, Ore., and raised in Wapato, Wash.

Ohio-born Allen is of Cherokee blood. The pair met several years ago when Rigdon was selling fish out of his pick-up truck and gazebo at parking-lot space secured from Dave Nunn at Windance. Allen had moved from Ohio to chase the wind on a surfboard while working as a snowboard sales rep. He lived near the Windance spot where Rigdon began selling his fish.

“I knew he was a fisherman and started giving him salmon eggs,” says Rigdon, a Navy veteran and business graduate from the University of Washington. Allen had ties to local restaurants, and Rigdon needed some help. That was 2011 and “we’ve been friends ever since,” Rigdon says.

“I’d come by and we’d swap fishing stories,” Allen recalls. “And he’d give me smoked salmon backbones. Being a hungry windsurfer, I’d eat those up everyday.”

The business has grown significantly but, not unlike the salmon that swim upstream in their annual migration home, the business partners’ rise has not been without its dams and waterfalls. The first couple of seasons, the business nearly went under as it struggled to find a foothold.

54

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_SalmonFishing.indd 54

8/24/16 11:52 AM

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_SalmonFishing.indd 55

55

8/24/16 11:52 AM

SACRED SALMON

“We’ve always had salmon in abundance,” says Rigdon, “and have always shared it with travelers.” It became a mantra and the business eventually began to grow.

Their motivation is basic Business 101: better facilitation, distribution and service of fish to their customers. Rigdon has full Indian fishing rights for the Columbia and its tributaries, but he and Allen have gone the extra steps to attain federal and state issued commercial fishing (and even weighing) licenses, “so we can be competitive at all levels,” offers Allen.

With that level of compliance, Rigdon is able to have non-Natives work at his hut to sell the fish, which also frees him up to fish and make deliveries.

He employs some 10 people at the Windance location. “The way they wrote the rules for Natives was really hindering them from having good customer service to the restaurants and the people,” Rigdon says. “My goal was to facilitate the fish and give the best service I could seven days a week. So it’s a mixture of the white world and the Indian world put together that’s given me this identity.”

Working with the salmon on this river, he offers, entitles him to many rights—fishing, free commerce, trade, fish processing and retailing. But by lining up all the non-Native rights as well, he’s earned a solid reputation as a Native buyer (of which there are not many) in the community that has enabled him to contribute to the economic wellbeing of many others. In addition to the 10 employees, Rigdon has earned the trust of between 25 and 35 other Native fishers, buying their catch as part of the WCS business, and giving other established buyers on the river a run for their money, based on his reputation among Natives.

56

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_SalmonFishing.indd 56

8/24/16 11:52 AM

Fishermen Lew Alan Sampson, opposite top, Casper Spino, opposite bottom, and Sunny Spino, below, catch fish for Wild Columbia Salmon. Previous page, a fall run king Chinook salmon jumps into a hoop net.

is now

4070 Westcliff Dr. Hood River, OR

541-386-2992

westclifflodge.com

“They tell me I’m doing the right thing,” Rigdon says. “You smoke it, you honor it, you treat it well. It comes down to how I treat my fishermen on one side, how I treat my customers on the other. We all share the river.”

People here seem to care about the river across all of the segments that use it, work it, enjoy it, Rigdon offers. “We need them all,” he says. “They all have to have an interest in clean water and the habitat, not only for the fish, but for us.”

Early on they smoked the salmon bellies and spines to give away to customers as a small token of service, and a delicious tease. Service is everything. Once word spread about the quality of WCS fish, the company got tremendous business and community support. “Everyone has gone out of their way to help us out,” Rigdon says. “I really feel like our success has been a group effort. A lot of restaurant owners have come down and let us know how we can better serve them.”

Many of the fishers Rigdon buys from catch their fish in the millennia-old Native dip-net method that sharp-eyed observers can see on the Klickitat, Wind and Columbia, whereby netters perched precariously on rickety platforms dip into the icy waters and pull out the enormous fish. This method causes less bruising, a good thing in the fish trade.

As for Rigdon, his lifestyle revolves around his house on the Columbia River at Cooks Landing, the Klickitat Falls (a great spot to watch dip-netting), a small office at Monica Romero Insurance where he does paperwork, and the WCS hut on Highway 35. “That’s pretty much my day right there,” he says. “It’s not work. It’s a lifestyle. I am salmon clan, my beliefs come from salmon clan discipline and lifestyle.”

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_SalmonFishing.indd 57

57

8/24/16 11:52 AM

SACRED SALMON

In terms of general duties, Allen handles and services most of the company’s accounts, while Rigdon wrangles every aspect of fish. The pair has made inroads into the Portland market, where they’ve found success because their prices are better and their fish is fresher. “It took us only one day to open up 12 new accounts,” says Allen. “The chef would take one look at the eyeball and go, ‘Holy crap. That’s fresh.’”

The economic pull of Portland has been great, but the lifestyle pull of the Gorge has been greater, more satisfying. They revel in the tiny parking-lot

A Native fisherman dip nets from a platform on the Klickitat River, top. Nick Allen, above, co-owner of Wild Columbia Salmon, with some fresh catches at the business’s fish stand in Hood River. Cassandra Green, right, cuts salmon into fillets at the stand.

community where their hut is, the greater Hood River community that has supported them, and the Gorge itself, that wondrous, bountiful stretch of river that seems to be able to sustain itself.

“It’s such a small town,” says Nick. “And to get the community to back you, a small business, especially such a niche style like this—fresh fish. We have everybody supporting us in town. We’ve been putting in so much more effort here because it’s getting so much busier. The last three years I’ve gone into businesses in October and November, and they’re still posting record days. Every day is a record day for these restaurants. We feel happy to be a part of that, to offer something special on their menu. If it was the same old farm-raised fish, it wouldn’t be successful. This fish has a story.”

Rigdon and Allen are proud of their economic impact on the community: the employees they pay, the fish they buy from Natives who know these rivers, the contribution and service level they provide to the restaurants.

They could sell to bigger corporate buyers, but the overall impact wouldn’t be nearly the same.

58

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_SalmonFishing.indd 58

8/24/16 11:52 AM

Help us stock our pantry.

There are simple things you can do everyday to help support FISH Food Bank.

FOOD BaNkS 1130 Tucker Rd, Hood River (541) 386-3474 3440 Odell Hwy, Odell (541) 354-1900 4910 Baseline Drive, Parkdale (541) 352-3500 140 SW Wa-Na-Pa St, Cascade Locks (541) 374-8484

The fishery returns are healthy and sustainable, especially compared to a century ago and with the impact of the Columbia’s many dams.

But it also takes great care and attention on many levels, says Rigdon. The tribal investment is huge and according to a major treaty with the Yakama nation, the federal government matches the monetary investment in the fisheries every year. “That means a lot of money is put back into hatchery programs, habitat restoration and enforcement needed to protect the entire program,” says Rigdon, “allowing thousands of local families the ability to make a living off fishing.”

But there is something deeper, more meaningful, at the heart. “Our goal,” says Rigdon, “is to supply everyone in the Gorge with a chance to share in the ceremonial event of eating king Chinook salmon on a regular basis. It’s been considered a very healthy medicine for thousands of years. We aim to help everyone in the Gorge improve their lives at a price they can afford.”

It’s likely the Creator would agree.

FISH Food Bank

Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help Visit www.fish-food-bank.com for more information.

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 : FALL 2016

Feat_SalmonFishing.indd 59

59

8/24/16 11:52 AM

REACHING HOME

THE Photo essay by Peter Marbach

“There’s no place like home...”

At the end of The Wizard of Oz, Oz Dorothy clicks her heels three times and repeats this mantra over and over until she awakens back in Kansas.

Ten years ago, I sat by the Columbia River’s shoreline at Viento State Park and with eyes closed imagined a journey that reached back in time to the origins of the mighty Columbia. I tried clicking my battered hiking boots three times, and when that didn’t work, I piled all my gear into my truck and drove for 14 hours to the river’s headwaters in British Columbia. There were no munchkins, flying monkeys, or a yellow brick road to lead the way, but from the moment of arrival I knew I had discovered a place just as magical as Oz. The Columbia begins humbly near the tiny town of Canal Flats, B.C., bubbling up from an underground spring so narrow you can straddle the headwaters. From there it meanders through a marshy area and forms Lake Columbia. And it is from here where the unspeakable beauty of the last remaining wild and free section of the river truly begins.

60

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_WildColumbia.indd 60

8/24/16 11:56 AM

COLUMBIA Wedged between the soaring heights of the Rockies to the east and the snowcapped ranges of the Purcells and Selkirks to the west, the river flows north for nearly 200 miles, at times just ten yards wide, in a series of undulating curves. It has remained miraculously unchanged since the beginning of river time.

I have returned a number of times over the years, in freezing rain, snow, and brilliant moments of light. I have seen all manner of wildlife. The knowledge that salmon once migrated all the way here from the Pacific now inspires me to someday tell the whole river story.

From the moment we come into this world, like the salmon, the rest of our life is about reaching for home. Standing at the source of the Columbia River, time stands still, and the otherworldly beauty reminds me that I’m far from Kansas, but close to home.

Peter Marbach, a landscape photographer from Hood River, will host an exhibit called “Born Free—The Wild Columbia,” at the Hood River County Library during November. An opening reception and lecture will be Nov. 2 at 6:30 p.m. (funded by a grant from ArtPlace America from the Libraries of Eastern Oregon). Marbach is also preparing for a three-month solo exhibit, “The Columbia—From Source to Sea,” debuting at the Oregon Historical Society in January. For information, go to www. hatchfund.org/project/nchi_wana_the_columbia_from_source_to_sea

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_WildColumbia.indd 61

61

8/24/16 11:56 AM

THE

COLUMBIA

ABOVE Retired Idaho wildlife biologist Jim Witham begins a 60-day journey from the shores of Lake Columbia to the Pacific. In recent years, traversing the entire length of the river has been done by canoe, kayak and even swimming.

LEFT The Columbia River begins its wild and free run from the north shore of Lake Columbia. It is primeval here, and in places the river is a mere 10 yards across as it flows north in a series of undulating curves for nearly 200 miles.

PREVIOUS PAGE The Purcell Mountains reflect in the calm waters of the Columbia near Spillimacheen, B.C. The glacier-fed creeks and rivers that originate in the Purcells and the nearby Rockies flow into the Columbia, adding volume on its northward journey.

62

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_WildColumbia.indd 62

8/24/16 11:56 AM

Provisions • Libations • Distilled Spirits Cocktails • Small Plates • Private Parties

FINE ART LANDSCAPES for the Wild at Heart

PETER MARBACH PHOTOGRAPHY

BOOKS CALENDARS FINE ART STUDIO COMMISSIONS

Based in Hood River, OR

541-490-2254 marbachphoto@gorge.net www.petermarbach.com

501 PORTWAY AVE. HOOD RIVER • (541) 386-1805 CAMP1805.COM • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_WildColumbia.indd 63

63

8/24/16 11:56 AM

THE COLUMBIA LEFT A self-portrait of the photographer straddling the headwaters of the Columbia River near Canal Flats, B.C. It took several hours on a frigid morning, trudging through a frozen marsh, to locate the river’s source.

BELOW The Columbia courses onward near the town of Fairmount Springs, B.C. This area is home to the largest intact wetlands ecosystem in North America. It is a critical stopover for thousands of birds on the great Pacific Flyway migratory route. Each May, the annual Wings of the Rockies festival in Invermere, B.C., celebrates this seasonal miracle.

64

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Feat_WildColumbia.indd 64

8/24/16 11:56 AM

Is technology straining your eyes?

Affecting your sleep?

BluTech Lenses ImpROve

• depth and color perception • visual acuity and night vision • contrast and reduces glare uv ray and high-energy blue light protection

r e v o Lu T I o n A ry T e c h n o Lo g y

BluTech Lenses. The Lens for Life.

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Feat_WildColumbia.indd 65

65

8/24/16 11:56 AM

OUTSIDE

Head for the Hills

Columbia Hills Historical State Park offers a lake, trails, history and more STORY AND PHOTOS BY BEN MITCHELL

D

uring the hot, dusty summer, the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge doesn’t get quite as much love as the west side. Many people look to escape the heat, heading up to the mountains or into the central Gorge for a waterfall hike.

But in the fall, both the temperatures and the wind die down in the east, and while the west mostly stays ever-green, the oaks and other deciduous trees of the Gorge’s dry side turn shades of brown and gold.

Autumn is a great time to check out the eastern Gorge, and one of the larger expanses of public land in the area is located on the Washington side in the form of Columbia Hills Historical State Park: a 3,338-acre patchwork of smaller parks that offer up plenty of different recreational opportunities. The park is located across the river and east of The Dalles off Washington State Route 14. A Discover Pass is required ($10 for a day, $30 for an annual pass) or you can take advantage of several free days offered (go to discoverpass.wa.gov for more info).

66

HORSETHIEF LAKE

Horsethief Lake is a park and campground that has opportunities for history buffs and recreationalists alike. One of the most notable aspects of the park is its collection of petroglyphs created by the First People.

The majority of this collection was purposely cut out from rock faces around the area in order to preserve them from submersion following the completion of The Dalles Dam in 1957. They were stored at the dam until 2003 when, at the request of the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez Perce tribes, they were displayed to the public at the Temani Pesh-wa (“Written on Rock”) Trail located at Horsethief Lake. Interpretive signs tell their conservation history and guided tours are available by reservation.

The lake itself is part of the impoundment that is Lake Celilo, created by The Dalles Dam. According to Washington State Parks, the area around the park at Horsethief Lake was once the site of a Native

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 66

8/24/16 12:39 PM

Follow your feet to Footwise for Birkenstock

Horsethief Lake, opposite top, features several picnic areas complete with barbecue grills. Horsethief Butte, opposite middle, is a towering landmark that can be seen for miles and has a hiking trail around it that provides stellar views. The grounds at Horsethief Lake, opposite bottom, as seen from SR14. Petroglyphs and an interpretive display, above, can be found at the Temani Pesh-wa Trail at Horsethief Lake.

American village. However, the name for the lake has no historical context. According to the park’s website, it was named by workers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who helped develop the site. “The workers thought the terrain was similar to that of horsethief hideouts in popular 1950s Hollywood westerns,” the website reads. “The abundance of horses kept on the premises by local Indians apparently gave the workers their inspiration.”

Camping is available at the site, as well as charcoal grills and picnic tables. Fishing is possible at certain times of the year in the lake, which is also a popular place to swim on warm days. Pedal boats and kayaks can also be rented for reasonable fees at the lake, and a boat launch for larger craft is available at the south end of the park.

HORSETHIEF BUTTE

Just east on SR 14, and visible from Horsethief Lake, is Horsethief Butte. The butte’s broad columns

of basalt create a landmark that can be seen for miles, towering above the land around it. A trail around the butte provides hiking opportunities and a bird’s-eye view of the Columbia River.

For those who are feeling a little more adventurous, the butte is also popular among rock climbers looking to scale its sheer basalt faces.

Note: some areas are marked as off-limits for climbing in order to protect cultural resources.

THE DALLES MOUNTAIN RANCH

Just west of the entrance to Horsethief Lake is one of the more well traveled areas of the park, The Dalles Mountain Ranch (head north onto The Dalles Mountain Road from SR 14). As the name suggests, it was once a ranch, first settled in 1866

by William T. Murphy, according to the Friends of the Columbia Gorge. It passed through a number of hands until the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) acquired it from the Bleakney family in

Hood River • 413 Oak St 541.308.0770 Mon-Sat 10-6 & Sun 11-5 THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 67

67

8/24/16 12:00 PM

OUTSIDE

Fall foliage at Crawford Oaks, left, provides brilliant color in the high desert landscape; the trailhead is located right off SR14.

Walking among the sand dunes at Miller Island, above, takes you close to the island’s basalt cliffs.

1993, who recognized the importance of opening up to the public an area that has so much natural beauty. The ranch buildings and some vintage farm equipment can still be seen on site.

The DNR originally acquired the land in order to preserve rare plant communities present in the area and in the spring, like other parts of the eastern Gorge, The Dalles Mountain Ranch burgeons with balsamroot. But the two-mile, oneway hike up to Stacker Butte (take a left for the trailhead before you get to the ranch buildings on The Dalles Mountain Road) is good any time of year, and boasts views of Mount Hood, Mount Adams, the Columbia River, Stacker Canyon, and if you’re lucky, views of Mount. St. Helens and Mount Rainier, as well. Sorry, animal lovers: no dogs allowed on this trail.

68

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 68

8/24/16 12:00 PM

FALL-A PERFECT TIME FOR SUP CRAWFORD OAKS

Located less than a mile east of Horsethief Lake and just south of the Stacker Butte hike is one of the newest recreation areas in the Gorge, Crawford Oaks. The trailhead, located right off SR 14, is named both for the numerous oak trees present, as well as for the Crawford family, who owned nearby ranchland in the early 20th century.

The area features hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails through rolling, east Gorge hills that are broken up by creeks and copses of oak. The lower loop trail is about five miles of hiking; adding on the upper loop will bring your total up to eight or nine miles.

Come see us at Big Winds.

We stock one of the largest selections of SUP boards in North America – and we test them all so we can advise on the perfect set-up for your budget and needs.

CLOSE-OUT pricing on all 2016 SUP boards!

2017 GEAR arriving.

For those looking for something more off the beaten path (and with access to a power boat or a kayak) consider checking out Miller Island. It’s not part of the Columbia Hills Historical State Park, but it’s located only about 10 miles east of Horsethief Lake.

It is not a developed site, and those who decide to make the journey should be prepared to simply enjoy the solitude—a swim at the beach, a walk on some of the sand dunes featured on the island, and a glimpse of some of the deer that live there.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area has managed the island since the 1980s, taking over a site that had been used for grazing. Long before that, First Peoples inhabited the island. Those who go to the island must respect that history and follow the Forest Service’s rules: No metal detecting, no camping, and no open fires. To get to the island, launch from Deschutes River State Recreation Area in Oregon, or Maryhill State Park in Washington.

Come check it out!

Visit our Shop or Website .com

BONUS: MILLER ISLAND

photo: Gorge-Us Photography

207 FRONT STREET • HOOD RIVER,OR

Amazing deals on all of our 2016 Demo and Rental boards on sale too!

541-386-6086•888-509-4210•BIGWINDS.COM

For more information, go to parks.state. wa.us/489/Columbia-Hills.

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

Gorge Trip Planning Help With the increasing popularity of visiting the Gorge, three agencies—the Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon), the Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Forest Service—have created ReadySetGorge.com, a new trip-planning resource that takes visitors to a Travel Oregon webpage devoted to touring tips. The site includes public transportation options and tips on planning a trip to the Gorge, including when to go, where to go and how to travel in and around the Gorge, as well as how to travel safely on the road, on the trails and in the water. ReadySetGorge.com

Doug’s A Hood River Favorite Since 1984

101 Oak St. Downtown Hood River THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 69

69

8/24/16 12:00 PM

ARTS + CULTURE

Teachable Moment Art for the Sky project seeks to impart a lasting environmental message STORY BY BY JANET COOK • PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANIEL DANCER

T

he irony was as thick as the black smoke rising above Hood River’s East Hills.

It was an unusually hot day in early June and photographer and artist Daniel Dancer of Mosier was at Hood River Middle School for the second day of his Art for the Sky project. After two days of teaching students about the interconnection of all things, about working together and seeing problems from a larger worldview, the entire student body was on the football field forming themselves into the shape of a giant balloon.

The culmination of Dancer’s curriculum, which he has been teaching in schools across the country and beyond for 16 years, is what he calls “performance art without practice.” With the help of a handful of students, Dancer creates a giant outline on a school field of the object the students are going to simulate—on this day, it was a hot air balloon, which tied in with a weather balloon project that many of the students had been working on during the spring.

As the students got into position on the field, Dancer was raised high above the field in a fire department ladder truck (this is one mode of ascending that he uses, but he’s risen in helicopters, cranes and even an ultralight) to photograph the students from above. As Dancer gave instructions through a megaphone, the students crouched on the field and then, in unison, began crawling forward, as if the balloon were lifting off across the field.

As the human balloon formed, moved and then dispersed, a plume of ugly black smoke filled the clear blue sky in the east. Word was already spreading: an oil train had derailed in Mosier and caught fire.

“That billowing plume of oily black smoke rising straight up into the sky on that rare and lucky windless day was an exclamation point, I suppose, on how critical it is that we understand the big picture,” Dancer said later. The “big picture” is precisely what Dancer seeks to impart on students during his Art for the Sky projects.

“I have six teachings that form the basis of my curriculum,” Dancer said. “Number one is a strong

70

environmental message—especially about climate change.” The very title of his project, Art for the Sky, speaks to this. “What do we do for the sky except pollute it?” he said. “We need to be cognizant of the damage we’re doing. There’s nothing more important we need to learn as a species than to have a different relationship with the sky.”

Other elements of his curriculum include teaching the power of collaboration, interconnection, and impermanence. Dancer also introduces students to what he calls “skysight.”

“Skysight is using your imagination to rise above your world, to see a different point of view,” Dancer said. Both individual problems and societal ones can benefit from skysight, according to Dancer— from learning how to see the “big picture,” how each part fits into the whole. “Our current way of seeing the world is totally obsolete,” he said.

“We’re making mistakes because our vision is too small, too limited.” He encourages students to see through the eyes of others, and future generations.

Dancer, who has a master’s degree in child psychology, became fascinated with sky art while

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 70

8/24/16 12:00 PM

Daniel Dancer’s projects include a hot air balloon in Hood River, opposite; a sandhill crane in White Salmon, inset; and a salmon in Lyle. Dancer, below, photographs a project.

traveling in Peru in the 1980s. When he returned home, he began working with Kansas crop artist Stan Herd. His decade-long collaboration with Herd formed the basis for a touring art exhibit called Fields in Focus: Art for the Sky and a book entitled Crop Art and Other Earth Works.

A project Dancer collaborated on with Herd ultimately led him to create his Art for the Sky curriculum. Herd had meticulously formed a 25acre Indian head in the middle of a field, using a combination of mowing, plowing and burning to create the image. Dancer decided to bring all the students from an elementary school—450 kids— out to form beads in the Indian’s headband. The result, photographed from above, was stunning.

But it wasn’t until years later that the pieces for Art for the Sky fell into place. By chance, Dancer encountered one of the kids who had been part of the bead project. The former student told him that it had been the most memorable thing he’d done in school—that it had taught him to look at things from a different perspective. That chance encounter set Dancer on his path.

Over the past 16 years, Dancer has led his Art for the Sky projects at schools in 41 states and seven foreign countries. He often gets requests to return to schools where he’s previously brought his project, and where administrators and teachers “had such a great experience, they want to do it again with a new round of students,” Dancer said.

Locally, in addition to Hood River Middle School, Dancer has brought Art for the Sky to schools throughout the Gorge. Local projects have included Hood River’s Westside and May Street elementary schools, where students from both schools formed a giant image of Mount Hood, which then “erupted” as students ran through the top; Chenoweth Elementary in The Dalles, where students formed a giant bee; Whitson Elementary School in White Salmon, where students created bear tracks and a salmon skeleton; and Lyle Secondary School in Lyle, Wash., where students were joined by those from Dallesport and Wishram to form a giant salmon. He’s also done projects in Parkdale and Stevenson, Wash.

But the Hood River Middle School project was the first time a potential environmental disaster occurred at the same time as an Art for the Sky project. “It was rather uncanny,” Dancer said, “watching the enactment of 500 kids rising in a hot air balloon—a metaphor for awakening their skysight—as the Mosier train derailment fire burned just a few miles away.”

As he does with all his projects, Dancer compiled a video of the Art for the Sky project, including the hot air balloon “lifting off ” on the field, to show to the students the next day. Dancer hopes they take away lasting memories from it. “They get to see the final image and their part in it,” he said.

“That’s when the magic happens. I hope somehow they carry that memory on through their lives.”

4 1 5 O A K S T H O O D R I V E R 5 4 1 3 8 6 6 4 4 0

For more information, go to artforthesky.com.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 71

71

8/24/16 12:42 PM

WELLNESS

Cultivating Character

The Next Door’s mentoring programs aim to help at-risk youth STORY BY MADDIE TICKNOR • PHOTOS BY DAVID HANSON

Y

ou may have heard of “Bowl for Kids Sake,” an annual event that takes place each March in order to raise funds for the regional Big Brothers Big Sisters program. You may have donated money, or even participated in the bowling festivities, but you may not be aware of the huge impact that BBBS has on the Gorge community.

BBBS is a national program that serves at-risk youth ages 6 through 14. The program has been serving the Gorge community for more than a decade through The Next Door, a nonprofit organization whose more than 20 programs work to strengthen and empower children and families. Based on the national model, local youth must be matched with a mentor by the age of 15.

72

Five years ago, community members saw a need for a mentoring program to serve older at-risk youth. Mentor for Success was launched, and became part of The Next Door in 2012. MFS matches youth ages 13 through 21 with mentors, with the goal of helping prepare them for the challenges of becoming an independent young adult.

Both mentoring programs require that a mentor commit to one year in which he or she meets with a mentee at least twice a month and communicates in some way at least once a week.

However, the relationships often outlast the one-year minimum commitment. The national average duration of a match for BBBS is one-anda-half years while the Gorge average is three-anda-half years.

Youth are usually referred to BBBS by a school counselor, teacher or parent. School counselors, DHS caseworkers or juvenile department counselors often refer the MFS mentees.

Once a referral is made, the youth must consent to be matched with a mentor.

Christy Stenberg, The Next Door’s match coordinator for the MFS program, says the referred youth usually want a mentor and “recognize the

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 72

8/24/16 12:00 PM

Mentor Leslie Pyfer and her “little sister” Lillian, opposite top, take the dog for a walk. Mentor Ben Berger, opposite bottom, shares a laugh with his mentee, Tony. Mentor Walt Notter and his “little brother” Zach, above left, hang out with match coordinator Justine Ziegler. Ziegler, Christy Stenberg and Kateel Muhs, right, work as match coordinators for the mentoring programs.

need for stability and support in their lives.” Once a youth consents, the match coordinators begin looking for a mentor, but there is often a waiting period between when a child signs up and when he or she is matched.

“Between the two programs, we average over 100 mentor/mentee matches at any given time in Hood River and Wasco counties, with a handful in Klickitat County,” she said. “We also have a wait list of 35-plus kids between us, so there is always a need for more Bigs/Mentors.”

To become a mentor, an adult must complete a background check, orientation, and training course.

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

Youth and mentors are paired based on shared gender, common interests, hobbies and personalities. When asked about how a successful match is made, Wasco County match coordinator for BBBS Kateel Muhs says, “ Usually we follow our gut. We have a feeling who will be a good match.” The first meeting generally takes place at the mentor’s house. For BBBS, the guardian is generally present while with MFS the first meeting usually involves the mentee, the mentor and the match coordinator.

S K Y L INE HOSPI TAL Inpatient Care • Transitional Care Surgical Services • Digital Radiology Physical Therapy • Full-Service Laboratory 24/7 Emergency Services

S PECIALT Y CLI NI CS W H I T E S A L M O N , WA S H. Serving the entire Columbia Gorge area

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 73

73

8/24/16 12:00 PM

This is what pain-free feet feel like!

Did you know we treat...

Ingrown Nails • Diabetic Foot Care Heel / Arch Pain Athletic / Running Injuries • Fungal Toenails Warts • Bunions • Hammertoes • Flat Feet Arthritis • Broken Bones

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

Relax&Recreate IN SCENIC HOOD RIVER Just minutes to the Columbia River, Outdoor fun, Waterfront Park, and Hood River’s many retail stores, dining, breweries, as well as world-class wine tasting. complimentary hot breakfast indoor pool & spa high-speed wireless internet in-room microwave & refrigerator fitness room & guest laundry CONVENIENTLY LOCATED OFF I-84 2625 Cascade Avenue • Hood River, OR (541) 308-1000 www.comfortsuiteshoodriver.com

74

Mentor Walt Notter and his mentee, Zach, above, take a walk by the river. Taylor Alsheimer, right, is a mentor with the Mentor for Sucess program.

“During the first year, we call every month to ask how things are going,” Stenberg says. “If the match continues beyond a year, we call every quarter. That’s what we’re here for as match coordinators, to make a thoughtful match and provide ongoing support.” Mentors, mentees and guardians can call or email any time they have issues, Stenberg adds.

After a match has been made and familiarized, the mentor can begin collaborating with the mentee to plan activities and meetings in order to get to know each other better. A mentor can strategically coordinate activities that will benefit the mentee.

One mentor, Taylor Alsheimer, took his mentee on an outing to WAAAM (the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum) in Hood River because the youth showed interested in pursuing work as a mechanic as a possible career.

Muhs stresses that being a mentor doesn’t have to mean spending lots of money on expensive outings, rather spending quality time doing simple or easy activities that a youth or teen may not have access to otherwise. Stenberg emphasizes, “We really encourage low cost, no cost activities. You don’t need a lot of money to do this.

And we help provide ideas for activities.” There are free activities all around the Gorge, she notes.

“A lot of these youth—their worlds are very small,” Stenberg says. “They go to school, they go home. Having another adult who can expose them to different experiences just opens up their world. And just seeing a different lifestyle—kids can’t imagine for themselves what they haven’t seen, until they’ve seen it!”

Muhs discusses a match that has just had its nine-year anniversary. “When the Little was 8

years old, his grandma heard an ad through the radio,” she says. “His grandma had stepped in to raise him. Now he’s 17. He just started working at his Big’s company this summer doing odd jobs.

It’s his first job—his Big helped him with his resume and gave him an interview.” She adds that the two play Frisbee golf, go to sports games together and do yard work. “He’s really grown and shown improvement,” she says.

All the match coordinators stress the need for more mentors. As the program expands across the river into Klickitat County the need for mentors is even greater. The programs are especially seeking male volunteers. In October, the two mentoring programs will hold a “Calling all Men” campaign in which they hope to recruit 30 male volunteers in 30 days.

“There’s always a need for more volunteers,” Ziegler says. “It really truly is a community based program. It involves people living here, and kids that are part of our schools and towns. Mentors get to do what they love, and just introduce a child to that.”

For more information, go to nextdoorinc.org.

Maddie Ticknor is a student at Lewis & Clark College in Portland and a former intern for The Gorge Magazine.

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 74

8/24/16 12:01 PM

Calling All

MEN

In the Columbia Gorge

HOOD TO COAST

HEALTHCARE Hood River • Portland • Oregon Coast

NATUROPATHIC PRIMARY CARE • MASSAGE THERAPY CHIROPRACTIC CARE • LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH COACHING

For as little as a few hours a month, you could be the best and brightest part of a young person’s day.

Learn more about becoming a mentor at www.nextdoorinc.org

HoodtoCoastHealthcare.com • 800.277.0117 Our Specialties are: Hormone Balancing, Women’s and Men’s Heath, Thyroid and Metabolism Issues, Auto-Immine Disease Management, Cardiovascular Disease Preventions, Nutrient IV Therapy, Pediatrics, Pelvic Floor Therapy, Massage and Chiropractic Therapies and many more...

Our doctors strive to optimize each patient’s health and well-being utilizing years of first-hand knowledge, extensive training, and the most effective treatments currently available.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

Back_Depts_FL16.indd 75

75

8/24/16 12:01 PM

OUR GORGE : PARTAKE

Ramen with Tofu RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY KACIE MCMACKIN

Ramen has become a true staple around our house. We eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The simplest approach is to top the rich broth and creamy ramen noodles with a little scallion, super thin slices of spicy Fresno chili, and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds; this is my favorite way to eat ramen for breakfast or lunch. Sometimes we spice it up with Sriracha. The recipe below is for the version I usually make for dinner, with fried tofu in a sweet, salty marinade, but you could play with whatever toppings and variations you like. This recipe is equally delicious with chicken stock or vegetable broth, depending on your taste and preference.

Ingredients:

For the Broth • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated • 4 green onions, trimmed and chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 3 Tbsp white miso • 1 Tbsp mirin • 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce • 2 tsps toasted sesame oil • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar For the Tofu • 1 package firm tofu, drained • 1 Tbsp soy sauce • 2 tsps agave or honey • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil • 1/2 cup corn starch • canola or vegetable oil For Toppings • toasted sesame seeds • green onions, white and light green part only, very thinly sliced on the bias • Fresno chili, seeded and very thinly sliced (optional) • Sriracha hot sauce (optional) 76

Directions: In a medium sized pot, heat the broth to a simmer. Stir in the ginger, green onions, and garlic, and simmer the broth, covered, for thirty minutes.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the miso until it’s incorporated. Strain the broth using a fine mesh strainer, and discard the ginger, green onions, garlic, and any bits of miso that stay behind in the strainer.

Return the broth to the pot and whisk in the mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar.

Cover and let it sit while you cook your ramen noodles and tofu.

Heat a pot of water to a boil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the toasted sesame oil, honey or agave, and soy sauce for the tofu, and set it aside until the last minute.

Put the corn starch in a medium bowl.

Press the block of tofu with paper towels to soak out some of the water before slicing it into 1” cubes. Toss the cubes around in the bowl with the corn starch to coat, transfer them to a plate. In a large non-stick skillet, heat a few tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil over very high heat. Carefully place the tofu cubes in the hot oil and gently toss until the corn starch has crisped up and the edges are just starting to darken, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain for a few minutes.

Toss the ramen noodles into the pot of boiling water and cook, according to the directions on the package. Drain the noodles and transfer to bowls. Give the broth a good stir before adding plenty of it to the bowls along with the nooFrom left to right: dles. Top the ramen with green onions, sesame • Wy’East Reisling, Tilly Jane 2014 seeds, and chili or Sriracha if you choose.

• Marchesi Anjola Pinot Grigio 2015 Quickly toss the tofu in the marinade and • Analemma Gewurztaminer 2015 serve everything immediately.

Wine Pairings

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Partake_Back_FL16.indd 76

8/24/16 12:49 PM

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

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Partake_Back_FL16.indd 77

77

8/24/16 12:03 PM

EAT + DRINK

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

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

APPLE VALLEY BBQ

BACKWOODS BREWING COMPANY

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

• Our meats are smoked using local cherry wood • Dry rub and BBQ sauces are all made in-house • Pulled pork, chicken, ribs, burgers, salads, vegetarian items • Nightly dinner specials • Local draft beer, wine, hard cider • All desserts fresh-made by Apple Valley Country Store • Outdoor seating available • Ask about catering

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

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

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

BENEVENTI’S PIZZA

Open daily: 11:30am-9pm

BRODER ØST

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

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

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

We are a family owned and operated business Serving one of the best pizzas in the entire Gorge!

Hand-Tossed Pizza • Lunch Buffet • Pasta Dishes 40 Item Salad Bar • Oven Toasted Grinders • Daily Soups Hot Wings • Homemade Sausage • Beer and Wine Kids Play Area • Video Arcade • Special Event Catering Dine in or take out, local and Hood River delivery

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

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

Gift shop • Special event room & terrace

#broderost

CASA EL MIRADOR

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

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

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

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

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

2016 Oregon Wine A-List Award Recipient

Open Daily: 11am-close

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

78

BRIDGESIDE

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

We look forward to serving you!

CLOCK TOWER ALES

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Partake_Back_FL16.indd 78

8/24/16 12:55 PM

EAT + DRINK

CROOKED TREE TAVERN & GRILL

CRUSH CIDER CAFÉ

DOG RIVER COFFEE

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

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

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

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

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

Please call or check Facebook for hours.

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

everybodysbrewing.com White Salmon, WA

DOPPIO COFFEE

EVERYBODY’S BREWING

FULL SAIL BREW PUB

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

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

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

Relax on our patio, right in the heart of downtown…enjoy a hand-crafted espresso drink made with locally roasted, fair trade and organic coffee. Serving breakfast and lunch all day: panini, salads, smoothies, and fresh baked goods (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options). Local beers on tap, and local wines by the glass or bottle. Free Wi-fi and our patio is dog-friendly. Open daily at 7 am.

See for yourself why Everybody’s Brewing is a local favorite!

We brew 12 different styles of beer plus seasonal selections onsite. The menu is filled with affordable food choices made with high-quality local ingredients. The atmosphere is warm and family-friendly. Enjoy the stunning Mt. Hood view from the outdoor deck, listen to free live music on Friday nights.

If there is one thing a brewer loves more than great beer– it’s great food and great beer! Our northwest-inspired menu complements our award-winning brews and features seasonal, local ingredients. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery or just soak up the view. Open daily at 11am serving lunch and dinner. Guided brewery tours are offered daily at 1, 2, 3 and 4pm and are free of charge.

GROUND ESPRESSO BAR & CAFE

INDIAN CREEK GOLF COURSE & DIVOTS CLUBHOUSE RESTAURANT

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

Get your daily fuel for your Gorge sports and activities here!

A long time locals favorite coffee house and eatery, Ground features fresh in-house roasted coffee, house made pastries and cookies with lots of gluten free options. We make our soups from scratch every day and source mostly local and organic ingredients. Feel like a having a brewski? Local beer and cider on tap.

Open Tues-Sun: 11:30am to closing

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

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

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.

The Black Rabbit Restaurant uses ingredients from Edgefield’s own gardens, grown using organic methods – herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers that flourish throughout the property’s 74 acres. We use these in seasonal specials and throughout the menu whenever possible. Stop in for a fresh taste.

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

Ales, wines and spirits are crafted onsite.

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Partake_Back_FL16.indd 79

79

8/24/16 12:45 PM

EAT + DRINK

OVINO MARKET & DELICATESSEN

PFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS

RIVER CITY SALOON

541-436-0505 • ovinomarket.com 1209 13th Street • Hood River Heights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open Daily: 11:30am-9pm

Join us for $5 Happy Hour plates Monday-Friday

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

RIVERTAP PUB & RESTAURANT

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

SOLSTICE WOOD FIRE CAFÉ & BAR

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.

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

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

Enjoy Happy Hour daily, 3pm-6pm and

Inventive pizzas with perfectly blistered crusts, seasonal salads, fresh pasta and amazing s’mores. Creative cocktails, craft beers, wine & ciders on tap. Family dining & kids play area. Vegan and gluten-free options.

Local. Seasonal. Organic.

Live Music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

Heated patio & waterfront views across from the park

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

winter 2017

Reserve space now, on stands December 2nd

For more information contact the editor, Janet Cook: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com or (541) 399-6333 For sales contact advertising director, Micki Chapman: mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com or (541) 380-0971

Read the magazine online, too! thegorgemagazine.com

80

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Partake_Back_FL16.indd 80

8/24/16 12:03 PM

EAT + DRINK

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

STONEHEDGE GARDENS

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

SUSHI OKALANI

TAD’S CHICKEN ‘N DUMPLINS

“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.

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.

TARWATER TAVERN

THUNDER ISLAND BREWING CO

WALKING MAN BREWING

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

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

An adventure-based brewery that is handcrafting creative and innovative beers in the Pacific Northwest. Thunder Island Brewing makes original beers inspired by a love for outdoor adventures, with a nod to local history and with a respect for all that the scenic Columbia River Gorge has to offer. Bring the family in for a meal, well behaved dogs onleash are welcome on our patio. CALL FOR HOURS

Walking Man Brewing began impacting the Northwest craft beer scene in late 2000. Garnering medals in some of the top beer competitions in the world, it has long since become a destination for beer enthusiasts and gorge travelers. Enjoy our dog-friendly beer garden or cozy up with a pint and a bite in the brewpub. Please visit our website for seasonal hours and happenings.

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

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

503-666-5337 • tadschicdump.com 1325 East Historic Columbia River Hwy • Troutdale

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

A local resource guide for the discerning foodie.

Reviews, recipes & more: gorgeinthegorge.com

THE GORGE MAGAZINE : FALL 2016

OG_Partake_Back_FL16.indd 81

81

8/24/16 12:03 PM

OUR GORGE : EPILOGUE

Apple harvest time near Pine Grove in the early 1900s. (Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Hood River County.)

82

FALL 2016 : THE GORGE MAGAZINE

OG_Dept_FL16.indd 82

8/24/16 11:58 AM

We’ve got Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner covered!

Egg River Cafe

&

“BREAKFAST of CHAMPIONS” New York Times, 2014

Mesquitery Steakhouse

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

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

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

Extensive Breakfast

We grill everything over

& Lunch Menus

100% Mesquite Wood

Organic Eggs • Omelets

Steaks, Ribeyes, Prime Rib

Pancakes • Waffles

Ribs, Poultry

Crepes • Skillets

Seafood, Pastas

Organic Coffee

Great Side Dishes

Espressos & Lattes

Homemade Desserts

Soups • Salads

Beer & Wine Selection

Sandwiches • Hamburgers

Cocktails

Family Friendly

Summer Patio Adjoining The Shed Bar

Easy Parking

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

10% OFF

YOUR TOTAL BILL with this coupon

Mesquitery_FL16.indd 83

Not valid on holidays or with any other offer.

Expires 12/02/16

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 12/02/16

541-386-2002

8/24/16 9:15 AM

At Cooper Spur Mountain Resort you’ll fall in love with the charming tavern and rustic log cabins. Our family friendly ski area offers fun snow play activities like ski and snowboard lessons, cross-country skiing and a tubing hill. Plus enjoy wonderful food sourced from a combination of outstanding farms, ranches, and wineries all part of the Hood River Valley’s culinary renaissance.

Be sure to make Cooper Spur Mountain Resort part of your family tradition this season, just 22 miles from Hood River. We’ll be waiting for you. � Perfect Wedding Destination � Historic Lodge � Charming Tavern and Grill � Family Friendly Ski Area � Winter shuttle service available to Mt. Hood Meadows

CooperSpur_FL16.indd 84

8/24/16 9:16 AM