SUMMER 2014 thegorgemagazine.com
PADDLE HERE NOW Outrigger Canoe Club
KLICKITAT RIVER For Love of a Canyon
Trout Lake Abbey Feeding the Soul
summer sipping Wineries, Breweries, Cideries and Distilleries of the Gorge (P. 66)
Griffith Motors New and Pre-Owned Inventory Full-Service Dealership
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2014 HONDA CR-V AWD, 5DR, EX-L 2014 HONDA PILOT 4WD, 4DR, EX-L
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2014 TOYOTA TUNDRA 4WD, 5.7L V8
(800) 395-0250 I (541) 296-2271 1900 West 6th Street I The Dalles, OR www.griffithmotors.com PLEASE CONTACT GRIFFITH MOTORS FOR FURTHER DETAILS. VEHICLE INFORMATION MAY VARY.
Visit Historic Downtown
TRouTdAlE the gateway to the gorge Visit our many Specialty Shops, Art Galleries, Antique Shops, Fine Restaurants, and more! Take Exit 17 off I-84
Taste of Village Two floors full of: Kitchenware, Glass, Native American, Pottery, Furniture, Primitives, Toys, Artwork & more! public parking available behind antique mall
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Chinese RestauRant & Lounge { Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine }
A rt- G l A s s J ew e l ry of f ice / studio / galler y
oRDeRs to go: (503) 666-7768 302 e. historic Columbia River hwy
149 e. Historic Columbia river Hwy (503) 328-8661 • (877) 919-1217 www.marcopolodesigns.com
sun-thur, 11-10pm • Fri & sat, 11-10:30pm
gifts HomE dECoR EspREsso
Troutdale Vision Clinic (503) 618-9394
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café • gifts • candy • souvenirs espresso • ice cream parlour
(503) 492-7912
289 E. COLUMBIA RIVER HWY
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 3
contents features 42
51
58
67
on the water with oiwi The “ohana� spirit is alive and well with the Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club
school away from school The Cascade Mountain School takes learning into the great outdoors
caught by a river Discovering the bounties of the Klickitat River Canyon
the meaning of wilderness A photo essay by Peter Marbach
by don campbell
by janet cook
by christopher van tilburg
Summer Sipping, p. 66
summer sipping
Wineries, Breweries, Cideries and Distilleries of the Gorge
4 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
THE MEANING OF WILDERNESS, p. 67
contents departments
14
28 24
OUr gorge 12
Person of Interest
14
Business Highlight
16
Best of the gorge
20
home+garden
24
locavore
28
style+design
30
roadtrip
84
Partake
90
epilogue
16
OUtside
76
72 worth the wait Climbing Mount Hood presents challenges—and rewards—for a would-be climber with a fear of heights by adam lapierre
arts+culture 76 f or art's sake The Big Art Walking Tour adds public art to Hood River by janet cook
wellness 80 f eeding the soul Spirituality and free range chickens come together at the Trout Lake Abbey by ruth berkowitz
6 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
80
summer 2014 Janet Cook Editor Rachel Hallett Creative Director/Graphic Designer Micki Chapman Advertising Director kris goodwillie Account Executive Jenna Hallett Account Executive Adam Lapierre Contributing Editor Robin Allen Wardrobe Stylist Contributing Writers Ruth Berkowitz, Don Campbell, Eileen Garvin, Adam Lapierre, Peter Marbach, Kacie McMackin, Christopher Van Tilburg cover photographer Blaine Franger Contributing Photographers Jennifer Alyse, Paloma Ayala, Scotia Bauer, Silvia Flores, Blaine Franger, Jennifer Gulizia, Trent Hightower, Jen Jones, Adam Lapierre, Tom Larimer, Kacie McMackin, Peter Marbach, Carrie McCarthy, Michael Peterson, Eric Sanford, Eric Silberg
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We appreciate your feedback. Please email comments to: jcook@thegorgemagazine.com
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 7
Real Estate Sales and Service Beekeeper Tina Hightower (left) shows me her bees.
chris emerick
When I was a kid, I spent a year living on a small sailboat with my family in the South Pacific. It was an incredible adventure, and one of the most memorable things about it was seeing the native Polynesian islanders in their outrigger canoes. They were ubiquitous—paddling out to our boat to offer fruits, vegetables and other wares; pad-
There’s no place like home. Residential · Vacation Investment · Commercial
dling across lagoons from one village to another; paddling to go fishing; paddling their goods to market; paddling in outrigger races; paddling for the sake of paddling. The hand-carved wooden outriggers were everywhere and, among a few other things, they came to symbolize our time in that alluring place. So when I saw an outrigger canoe being paddled on the Columbia River last summer, I was thrilled. It turns out that the canoe belongs to the Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club, a group of outrigger enthusiasts who paddle regularly—and whose ranks are growing. Club member and frequent contributor Christopher Van Tilburg writes about outrigger canoeing, its history and how it came to be in the Gorge beginning on page 42. One thing I love about the Gorge is that, no matter how well you know it, there always seems to be more to discover. Writer Don Campbell found that out when he set out to explore the Klickitat River. Located just miles from his Mosier home, he’d nonetheless rarely set foot there in his many years spent in the Gorge. He writes about the Klickitat—and why he fell so hard for it—beginning on page 58. Other stories in this issue include a profile of Slingshot Sports and the wood core kiteboards and wakeboards the Hood River company makes in its North Bonneville manufacturing facility (page 14); a feature on the Trout Lake Abbey (page 80); a story about backyard beekeeping (page 20); and a round-up of Gorge food trucks (page 24). You’ll also find a special section devoted to the wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries of the Gorge. And there’s a whole lot more in here. Welcome, friends, to summer in the Gorge! Janet Cook, editor
Hood River 541-386-2330 The Dalles
541-296-1045
www.copperwest.com
8 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
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.
SUMMER 2014 thegorgemagazine.com
PADDLE HERE NOW Outrigger Canoe Club
KLICKITAT RIVER For Love of a Canyon
TROuT LAKE AbbEy Feeding the Soul
lifestyle photography by silvia flores
visit online portfolio at silviaflores.com
summer sipping Wineries, Breweries, Cideries and Distilleries of the Gorge (P. 66)
Keep in touch with life in the Gorge…all year long PADDLE HERE NOW Outrigger Canoe Club
KLICKITAT RIVER For Love of a Canyon
TROuT LAKE AbbEy Feeding the Soul
SPRING 2014 thegorgemagazine.com
Subscribe to the area’s premier lifestyle magazine Art HAppens Here the Open studio tour
FALL 2013 thegorgemagazine.com
Blaine Franger took this photo of Oiwi being paddled downriver with his Quadcopter drone-mounted camera. Oiwi is one of three outrigger canoes owned by the Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club. It is a 43-foot-long, six-person outrigger canoe, officially known as an OC6. Photo by Blaine Franger, beautifulhoodriver.com.
SUMMER 2014 thegorgemagazine.com
about the cover
Fly-Fishing secrets
IntO tHe WIld the essence of Art
HIstOrIc HIgHWAy A ride like no Other
summer sipping
WINTER 2014 thegorgemagazine.com
Wineries, Breweries, Cideries and Distilleries of the Gorge (P. 66)
The Gorge Magazine is being produced by an environmentally conscientious group. Our publication is printed with text paper that is produced by a local mill located in West Linn, Oregon. West Linn paper mill and Journal Graphics, our publication printer, both follow FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) practices in the manufacturing and the printing of our product. This publication is also produced with soy based inks. 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.
from bean to brew Coffee roasters rising
making traCks
snowshoe Here, now
port-style wine
it's what’s for Dessert
the deschutes
sunshine mill
more than a Winery
AbrAzo style
Fashion With a mission
a complete guide to
weddings in the columbia gorge 2014 wedding booklet see insert page 56
the tilly Jane Cabin on mount Hood
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the gorge magazine // summer 2014 9
5
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#5 PORT OF CAMAS-WASHOUGAL MARINA
6
#6 STEIGERWALD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
WA S H O U GA L 10 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
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FOR MORE OF THE TOP
10
ATTRACTIONS
person of interest, Best of the Gorge, Business Highlight, Home+Garden, style+design, RoadTrip, locavore
locavore p. 24 the gorge magazine // summer 2014 11
our gorge
Gorge Grown Farmers’ Markets
person of interest
Hood River Farmers’ Market Thursdays, 4 to 7 p.m 1620 May Street Hood River Middle School Hood River Saturday Market Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 5th and Columbia streets, downtown Hood River Mercado del Valle Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (starting June 21) Mid Valley Elementary School Mosier Farmers’ Market Sundays, 4 to 7 p.m. (starting June 22) The Dwelling Station, downtown The Dalles Farmers’ Market Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. City Park, Union and E. 5th Street, downtown
Todd Dierker
Walking the walk, talking the talk for the Gorge Grown Food Network By janet cook / Photos by jen jones
T
odd Dierker’s love for gardening started early. His mother kept a vegetable garden, and he grew up snacking on vine-ripe tomatoes and other veggies plucked from his back yard in Denver. He carried the gardening ethos on into adulthood. “Everywhere I’ve ever lived,” Dierker says, “I’ve gardened—or tried to garden.” He tended a garden during college in northern California. While serving in the Peace Corps in Thailand, he grew what he could in the clay-laden soil. Ditto on a meager, windswept patch in South Africa. Stints in Portland and Othello, Wash., also involved gardening. So when Dierker and his family landed in Hood River seven years
12 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
ago, it was like arriving at gardening nirvana: a place where many things grow well, and easily, and lots of people are doing it. Hood River was also a place where a group of motivated community members, known as the Gorge Grown Food Network, were working to help largescale gardeners and small farmers make their food available on a widespread basis throughout the Gorge. Dierker was a stay-at-home dad at the time. Shortly after arriving in town, he saw a notice in the paper about a meeting for Gorge Grown, then in its infancy. “I went to the meeting, and I felt like I’d come home,” he says. His wife, Stacey, jokes that he’s the only person she knows who moves to town, goes to a meeting
Goldendale Farmers’ Market Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ekone Park, corner of Broadway and Wilbur Stevenson Farmers’ Market Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (starting June 21) Courthouse lawn, downtown Trout Lake Saturday Market Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (starting June 28) Trout Lake Grange White Salmon Farmers’ Market Tuesdays, 4 to 7 p.m. (starting July 1) 320 E. Jewett Street, downtown For more information on Gorge Grown Food Network and farmers’ markets, go to gorgegrown.org
and comes home with a career. And that’s exactly what happened. Dierker was invited to join the Gorge Grown steering committee, and he was soon hired as the Hood River Farmers’ Market manager, a position he held from 2008 through 2012. Under his watch, the market grew from $70,000 in annual gross sales to $250,000. He also oversaw the extension of the market’s season from May through November, making it one of the longest running farmers’ markets in the region. During his tenure, Gorge Grown also became one of a small number of farmers’ markets set up to accept food stamps. Through the market’s Snap-match program, shoppers using Snap food stamp cards get an extra $5 free to spend with their first $5 in purchases at the market. Snap sales at Gorge Grown’s markets grew by 22 percent from 2012-13. Dierker has also been instrumental in developing the Mobile Farmers’ Market project, which now has two vans that travel to small communities around the Gorge with fresh, locally grown food. The Mobile Farmers’ Market has served as a catalyst for the launch of two regular weekly markets: in Stevenson and Mosier. Dierker’s role with Gorge Grown has grown and changed over time just as the organization itself has. Two years ago, he moved from managing the farmers’ market to co-directing the organization with McGrath. Last year, he started working as Gorge Grown’s food access programs manager— working to promote community access to farmers’ markets and increase low-income residents’ access to local food. “As market manager, Todd worked to make
the market an attractive place for food stamp shoppers to shop,” says Michelle McGrath, Gorge Grown’s outgoing executive director. “Now it’s his job to really focus on that piece and make it grow even more—to make local food truly accessible to all residents of the Gorge.” Toward that end, Dierker has worked for more than a year on a project set to launch in June: Mercado del Valle, a brand new farmers’ market in Odell aimed at attracting the Hispanic community. “We’ve tried lots of things to get representative shopping at the farmers’ market,” Dierker says. Mercado del Valle is the result of extensive outreach with the Hispanic community, and features music, kids games, dance troupes and other activities that people from the community felt were important at a gathering place. Dierker also has helped bring the former Hood River Saturday Market into the Gorge Grown fold, and spearheaded the move of the long-time weekly market back to its former location in the parking lot at 5th and Columbia streets, with a greater focus on local food and produce. Dierker seems to relish his ever-changing role with Gorge Grown. Like gardening itself, working to create a sustainable local food system accessible to everyone is something he believes in—and wants his two kids to grow up with. “It’s hard for me to have a conversation about sustainability without thinking of my kids,” he says. He’s also raising them with a large back yard garden, which they help with. “We even have 15 chickens we inherited when we bought our house,” Dierker says. “I’ve never had chickens before.” This summer his kids, for the first time, are in charge of egg sales.
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 13
our gorge
business highlight
Slingshot Sports
Local watersports company builds sustainability into its popular boards By eileen garvin / Photos by Adam Lapierre
D
riving east on Interstate 84 near Boardman, you might have noticed a curiously uniform forest on the south side of the road, its perfect rows of trees marching off to the horizon. For some, this forest is a sign that they’ve missed the Umatilla cutoff. For Slingshot Sports, this sustainable forest is a key ingredient to success in the world of wakeboarding and kiteboarding. Founded in 1999 by brothers Tony and Jeff Logo-
14 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
sz, Hood River-based Slingshot distributes kiteboard, wakeboard and SUP products to 56 countries. In the U.S. it sells to hundreds of watersports and specialty stores, and its kiteboards and wakeboards are leading products in those industries. Until a few years ago, Slingshot was manufacturing those boards like the rest of its industry peers—with a foam core. In 2010, it transitioned to a wood core for its twin tip kiteboards and wakeboards—specifically, a hybrid poplar produced by Collins Lumber on a 30,000-acre plan-
tation near Boardman that is certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council. “It’s strong, it’s relatively light and it has good flexibility—all the things that are good for a board,” said Bryan Trullinger, chief operating officer at Slingshot. “And it’s affordable.” On a recent day Trullinger walked the floor at the manufacturing facility in North Bonneville, Wash., where 17 of the company’s 41 employees turn out about 15,000 wakeboards and kiteboards every year. The air hummed with the sound of machines as Slingshot employees cut, shaped, laminated and polished the wood core boards. The manufacturing facility and distribution center are located just off of Highway 14 west of Stevenson. Trullinger said that Slingshot initially experimented with the wood core as a way to differentiate itself in the highly competitive watersports market. Soon the company saw a host of advantages. For one thing,
producing wood core boards in the Gorge was cheaper than making them in Asia, which Slingshot did until 2010. Rising costs in materials and labor had taken the bargain out of that option. “If we went to Asia to build these boards, we’d pay more than we pay here,” Trullinger said. The wood core also offered ideal flexibility for kiteboards and wakeboards. “The wood core is basically the secret ingredient for us to make the board flex,” said Jeff McKee, brand and team manager for Slingshot’s wakeboard division. “It adds dynamics to tricks on rails and gives you a bigger lift when you’re going off a jump or a boat wake.” Boards made with foam cores were stiff and inflexible. The wood core concept, first introduced in kiteboards, was a game-changer. McKee said Slingshot was the first to introduce the wood core to the wakeboarding world and that other companies then raced to do the same. Using locally sourced wood also offers the element of sustainability to Slingshot’s business practices. Wood is naturally renewable and biodegradable. Scraps and sawdust from the board-making process are recycled or reused by others, decreasing waste. Dave Nunn, owner of Hood River-based Windance Boardshop, points out that Slingshot also has a smaller carbon footprint than companies shipping products from Asia, and that’s something his customers value. “When I can say not only is it made in the U.S., it is made right here in the Gorge, that is massive. It makes them want to buy it,” Nunn said.
Slingshot continues to record positive growth in the global market, with sales numbers trending upward every year for the past six years. The company has strong global distribution and typically finds itself within the top four kiteboarding brands in every major market in the world. In 2013, the company was named kiteboarding brand of the year by the Association of Wind & Watersports Industries. For Trullinger, while it feels good to incorporate sustainability in the business, it’s really just icing on the cake. “You still have to build a great product,” he said. For more information, go to slingshotsports.com. Eileen Garvin is a travel writer and editor. She lives in Hood River and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
Bryan Trullinger
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 15
our gorge
best of the gorge
A few of our favorite things this season
Oneonta Gorge
1
This is a most amazing place, even among so many in the Gorge. A “hike” up this narrow passage between towering basalt walls is actually a wade through Oneonta Creek. It’s best done when the water level goes down in mid- to late-summer. You’ll have to negotiate an unstable log jam, slippery rocks and varying water levels (which can still be up to three feet deep in places, even at its lowest), but it’s worth every step. After little more than a quarter mile, you’ll end up at spectacular Lower Oneonta Falls. The trailhead is located on the Historic Columbia River Highway, just over a mile west of Ainsworth State Park. (gorgefriends.org)
16 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
David Cobb (left) and Michael Peterson
Road Biking
2
The Gorge is home to some of the best road biking known to man, with hundreds of miles of rural roads on both sides of the river, taking riders on terrain ranging from woodsy countryside to hilly desert, and everything in between. Try Rowena Crest for a classic Gorge road ride. Park at the west Mark O. Hatfield trailhead and head east on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. Keep going to Mosier and continue on Highway 30 toward Rowena Crest. If you’re really feeling energetic, head past the viewpoint and down the Rowena Curves to Mayer State Park and go for a swim in the Columbia before heading back—or continue on low-traffic Highway 30 to The Dalles. (thegorgeismygym.com)
Photo Walks
4
Looking to improve your photography skills to better capture the beauty and action of the Gorge? Join professional Gorge photographers Michael Peterson and David Cobb for their Hood River Photo Walks. The first hour is spent photographing with a theme in mind (action sports, sunsets, waterfalls) and the second hour is spent reviewing and critiquing the photos. Peterson and Cobb offer tips and help participants with technical questions and composition. The Photo Walks are open to all skill levels and take place monthly through December. (Facebook.com/HoodRiverPhotoWalk)
Zip Line Tours Fly-Fishing
3
The Deschutes River is known worldwide for its flyfishing. Lucky for us, it’s practically right out our back door. June brings early steelhead to the river, and is prime time for trout fishing. (Resident rainbow trout, called “Redsides,” can be found in the river year-round.) In July, steelhead fishing heats up and crowds are low. August brings even more steelhead as the season ramps up to its peak in September. If you’re new to angling, consider hiring a guide from one of the many fishing guide services in the Gorge, or even sign on for a multi-day steelhead camp. (larimeroutfitters.com)
5
For something different, head to Stevenson for the Skamania Lodge Zip Line Tour. The tour consists of seven different zip lines and three sky bridges. The lines range from 100 to 900 feet long, taking zip-liners on a 2½ hour-long adventure soaring through oldgrowth forest. The tours come with two guides and all the necessary gear, and can accommodate up to 10 people per group—with special arrangements available for larger groups. (zipnskamania.com)
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 17
our gorge
Cascade Locks Sailing
6
Cascade Locks has become a major hub for small sailboat sailing and racing in the Northwest. Home of the Columbia Gorge Racing Association, the central Gorge town hosts a nonstop series of regattas, clinics and sailing events all summer long—including the 2014 Laser Masters North American Championship ( July 1113), and the Columbia Gorge One Design Regatta & Fireball U.S. National Championships (August 1-3). Watching professional sailors is thrilling, but the CGRA also offers learn-to-sail programs for youth ages 8-17 and recreational sailing opportunities for everyone. In addition, it hosts weekly family-friendly “Open Sail Evenings” at Cascade Locks Marine Park. (cgra.org)
Maryhill Loops
7
The Maryhill Loops Road is worth checking out by itself. Built in 1911 as a demonstration road by Sam Hill (founder of what is now the Maryhill Museum of Art and a roads advocate), a refurbished 3.6-mile section of the road traverses harrowing curves and hairpin turns at a five percent grade. Each June, the Maryhill Festival of Speed happens here and if you’ve never seen it, put it on your bucket list. More than 250 of the world’s best downhill skateboarders and street lugers converge here for what has become the most anticipated event on the sport’s world cup tour. The five-day-long festival features races, food, live music and other entertainment. (maryhillfestivalofspeed.com)
18 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
SUP Tours
8
If you’re ready to step up your SUP game, or just want to experience paddling on the Columbia with an experienced guide, sign up for a guided SUP tour with Big Winds. The tours range from easy to advanced, although all are designed for paddlers with some experience. The “Cocktail Cruise” starts in Mosier and ends at the Big Winds Event Site Center. The cruise is designed for no-wind days, and paddlers go downriver with the current. The “High Wind” tour runs the same course in reverse—Hood River to Mosier—with the wind. This tour offers a great first-time downwind experience with the advantage of having a guide to offer local knowledge and tips. The “Viento Downwinder” is the signature downwind run. Beginning at Viento State Park west of Hood River and running eight miles upriver to the Event Site, it’s one of the most spectacular SUP downwinders anywhere. (bigwinds.com)
PREMIERE PROPERTIES
Washougal MotoCross
9
Established more than 40 years ago in the rolling forested hills at the mouth of the Gorge, the Washougal MX Park is one of the most renowned motocross tracks in the region—and one of only three natural terrain raceways in the country. The track plays host to a range of national and regional races and events as well as individual and group lessons. New this year is “Washougal Ride Days,” where the entire track can be rented for private events or small groups that want it all to themselves. (washougalmxpk.com)
Exceptional Family Home Immaculate & Turn Key Mt. Adams View 5.88 Secluded Private Acres 5 bedrooms / 3 bathrooms
Offered at $719,500
Accents of tile, Australian wood floors, venetian plaster fireplace, granite countertops, Medallian cherry cabinets are just a few of the many amenities.
Built for entertaining, large open floor plan with kitchen island. Main level leads to 780’ ft deck perfect for sunset bbq’s. Master suite on upper level with private deck, jetted tub, stunning views.
Tamanawas Falls
10
The Gorge is rife with amazing hikes, so it’s hard to pick out just one to highlight. But one of our favorites on a hot summer day is Tamanawas Falls. Located about 25 miles south of Hood River off Highway 35, the trail follows Cold Spring Creek through the forest for about two miles to the falls. There are plenty of places along the trail to stop and hang out by the creek. Once you get to the falls, the spray will cool you off. You can even hike in to the dry cave behind the falls; just be careful of the slippery rocks. (thegorgeismygym.com)
Kathy Palmieri / Principal Broker (541) 806-3900 kathy.premiereproperties@gmail.com
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 19
our gorge
home+garden
Saving the Bees Backyard beekeeping is a buzz By janet cook / Photos by trent hightower
T
ina Hightower looks like a natural in her white protective jacket and beekeeper’s hood. On this sunny spring afternoon, she’s checking on her hives to make sure the queens are laying eggs and all else is well in each of the three hives she and her husband, Trent, keep on a friend’s property in Hood River. Tina expertly pulls a frame out of one of the hives and shows me larvae tucked into several cells of the honeycomb, a sign that the queen is doing her job. After watching the bees work busily in the hive for a minute, Trent suddenly points to a bee that’s noticeably longer than the others. “There’s the queen,” he says. “It’s usually pretty hard to find her, but there she is.” The Hightowers didn’t set out to be beekeepers. In fact, suffice it to say they’d
20 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
COLUMBIA GORGE REAL ESTATE
www.thedallesrealty.com
$449,900–FAA airstrip, 3600 Sq Ft hanger on 84 acres. 2900 Sq Ft home built in 1999 Mountain views.
Tina and Trent Hightower
$375,000–Stylish contemporary home: lofty ceilings, walls of windows and balconies with creek view.
rarely given bees a second thought until one night three years ago when they stumbled on a documentary on Netflix called “Vanishing of the Bees.” It changed everything for them. “When it was over, we just looked at each other,” Tina recalls. First, they were stunned. Then, they decided to do something about it. “We bought a book called The Backyard Beekeeper,” Trent says. Within a couple of months, they went from knowing nothing about bees to acquiring their first hive. This marks the couple’s third year as beekeepers, and they now have four hives— three on the friend’s property on Hood River’s west side and one in their small backyard in town. The Hightowers are among a rising number of backyard beekeepers in the Gorge. Jeff Jerome, who sells a wide variety of beekeeping supplies at his Hood River garden and farm supply store,
$475,000–Custom home with wrap around porch and quality finishes, country setting, Mt Hood View.
Grow Organic, sells about 30 to 40 hives per season. “In a small community, that’s significant,” he says. He estimates that, Gorge-wide, there are between 20 and 40 new beekeepers every year. Jerome got interested in bees three years ago and has been consumed by it ever since. “It’s all-encompassing,” he says. “It’s the best hobby I’ve ever picked up.” He has several hives on his property south of Hood River, and offers classes
“Sisters by Chance, Partners by Choice”
Becky Schertenleib, CRS, GRI, SRES Nan Wimmers, CRB, CRS, EPRO 714 W 6th Street I The Dalles, Oregon facebook.com/columbia.gorge.real.estate licensed in oregon and washington
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 21
our gorge
Did you know? Bees Help Put Food on Your Table Bees are vital to the ecosystem. As pollinators, they transfer pollen and seeds from one flower to another, fertilizing the plant so it can grow and produce food. Some thirty percent of food crops in the world rely on pollination. However, over the last few years, bee populations have been dying off in record numbers. Researchers estimate that nearly one-third of all honeybee colonies in the U.S. have vanished since 2006. There may be a number of factors contributing to the demise of the bees, including global warming, pesticide use, habitat loss and parasites.
These are some things you can do to help save the bees
through Grow Organic. He also spearheaded a beekeeping club a year ago, which meets monthly at Hood River’s Rockford Grange. “We bring in guest speakers, talk about community outreach, what to do on a seasonal basis and how to be a good beekeeper,” Jerome says. Grow Organic also acts as a sort of honeybee swarm hotline, where people can call if they have a swarm appear in their backyard that they don’t know what to do with. Swarming is the natural means of reproduction of honeybee colonies, but most of them don’t survive in nature, according to Jerome. “The swarm will die in a few days if it’s not caught and housed quickly,”
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he says. “We try and go get them and put them in hives.” Members of the beekeeping club are notified if Jerome learns of a swarm needing removal, and it’s up for grabs. Jerome’s advice for someone interested in becoming a backyard beekeeper is simple. “Read,” he says. “Then read, and then read. The more you learn, the better beekeeper you’re going to be.” That’s how Trent and Tina got started. Now, along with being completely fascinated by bees, the couple shares their story with as many people as possible to try and persuade others to become backyard beekeepers—or, simply, to learn about the importance of bees in the ecosystem. “Something like one in three bites of food we eat depends on bees,” Trent says. Tina, who works as a neonatal intensive care nurse, says her co-workers now call her “the bee nerd.” And that’s just fine with her. “I like coming out here to our bees,” she says, “and knowing we’re doing something good for the community.”
• Create habitat by planting bee-friendly flowers and herbs • A void using chemicals and pesticides on your lawn and garden • Buy local, raw honey • Become educated about bees • Become a backyard beekeeper • I f you find a honeybee swarm, or nest, call Grow Organic at (541) 632-3478
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. Enjoy our many amEnitiEs Complimentary Hot Breakfast Indoor Salt Water Pool & Spa High-Speed Wireless Internet In-Room Microwave & Refrigerator Fitness Room & Guest Laundry conviEntly locatEd off i-84 2625 Cascade Avenue • Hood River, OR (541) 308-1000 • www.choicehotels.com
d e s i g n • b u i ld • r e m o d e l • r e pa i r
We are your local source for backyard beekeeping
b e e k e e p i n g su p p l i e s p rot e c t i v e g e a r b e e k e e p i n g c lu b
serving the entire columbia gorge
Help save tHe bees
(541) 436-0736 • curtishomesllc.com CCB# 188273 WA# CURTIHL901CS
2035 12th Street • Hood River Heights (541) 632-3478 • groworganics.org
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our gorge
locavore
Luckily, food trucks have come along way since then. The Gorge is home to an ever-growing fleet of them, serving up everything from gourmet lunches to smoothies to cheap (but yummy) tacos. Here are a few highlights from the local food truck movement. (Speaking of which, some of them do move so take these locations with a grain of salt.)
Mobile Foodies
A surge in food trucks brings variety to the eateries scene Photos by jen jones
M
odern food trucks trace at least one branch of their roots to the chuck wagon of the 18th century. These horse-drawn food wagons (named after a then-popular nickname for food) were created to feed cowboys on long cattle drives across the plains. The wagons were stocked with items that wouldn’t spoil like salted meats, beans, sourdough biscuits and coffee.
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Cicci Gelato Find them on Facebook, (541) 490-7100 With brand new gelato equipment straight from Italy, Cicci Gelato serves up yummy goodness this summer from a new location across from Waterfront Park. Owners Theresa Labriola and Jason Horn use fresh local ingredients, as well as some imported from Italy, to create truly unique and fabulous flavors. Located on Portway Avenue across from Waterfront Park in Hood River.
Celilo Restaurant and Bar Pacific Northwest cuisine with an emphasis on locally grown products, extensive wine list, and full bar.
Herbette Find them on Facebook, (541) 399-0892 Serving Mediterranean fare, Herbette meshes owner/chef Liz Paoenick’s southern Italian background with her partner Kaan Oral’s Turkish roots. The result is a delightful menu featuring items like ground lamb kabob, falafel and baba ganoush. Located at 1235 State Street, in the parking lot of Dirty Fingers Bicycle Repair and 10 Speed Coffee Roasters, Hood River. dogzilla hot dogs Find them on Facebook, (360) 852-4923 Eric Jon, aka the The Hot Dog Guy, serves up every sort of edible dog from his big red truck—hot dogs, chili cheese dogs, kielbasa, brats and more. Located at 3141 Evergreen Way in Washougal, Wash.
Juice Bros. juicebros.net, (541) 860-5934 These guys (Matt and Pat Joyce) make seriously yummy, fresh squeezed juices and smoothies using organic fruits and veggies sourced locally. They even provide juices for a 3-day juice cleanse. Located at 5th and Cascade streets in Hood River.
El Monte Taqueria (541) 300-0873 Run by the Barragan family, El Monte serves a variety of tacos, burritos, tostados and other Mexican fare. Located at 1001 Tucker Road in Hood River. Four and Twenty Blackbirds fourandtwentyblackbirds.me, (970) 379-4121 Chef Shane makes killer breakfast burritos, as well as tasty and healthful items ranging from pita sandwiches and quinoa salads to fish tacos and lamb gyros, leaning heavily on locally-sourced ingredients. Located at 5th and Cascade streets in Hood River.
Open Daily: 541-386-5710 16 Oak Street, Hood River, OR www.celilorestaurant.com Lunch 11:30-3, Dinner from 5
Celilo Catering: 541-490-0275 Weddings • Private parties • On/Offsite
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our gorge
teriyaki chicken, pulled pork and veggie yakisoba. Located adjacent to the Event Site in Hood River. Pirate’s Fish and Chips Find them on Facebook, (509) 637-3615 Salmon, steelhead, halibut, coconut shrimp and cod are among the seafood delights served here. There’s even gluten-free fish and chips. Located next to Thunder Island Brewing in Cascade Locks. Sandbar Café Find them on Facebook A Gorge summer staple, the Sandbar is a great place to hang out and watch the kiters and paddleboarders. New menu items include Asian-infused hot wings and fresh beer-battered cod. Five local beers are on tap, as well as cider from The Gorge White House. Located adjacent to the Event Site in Hood River. Lampoei’s Thai Kitchen Find them on Facebook, (541) 340-0576 This long-time food truck has garnered a reputation in the Gorge over many years for its authentic Thai food. From pad thai to curries, Lampoei’s is the real deal. Located at 108 Highway 35, in the Windance parking lot, Hood River. Leah’s Lunch leahslunch.com, (541) 490-4595 The ever-changing menu here includes breakfast scrambles and wraps, seasonally-inspired tapas, curries, pastas, smoothies and desserts—including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Located at 108 Highway 35, in the Windance parking lot, Hood River. Local Grind Hawaiian Style Plate Find them on Facebook, (503) 853-0807 Chef Larry Abell specializes in bento-style meals reminiscent of the islands, featuring items like grilled
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Skyline Grill Find them on Facebook, (541) 993-9237 Jesse Brewer serves smoked meats and other items from his signature red bus in The Dalles. He uses locally sourced meats and veggies for menu items ranging from burgers to smoked ribs, served with plenty of fresh greens. Skyline will be mobile this summer in The Dalles; check the Facebook page for current location.
Solstice Mobile Pizza & Catering Find us on Facebook, (541) 399-6605 Solstice Woodfire CafÊ takes its goodness on the road with its mobile woodfire kitchen. It churns out the same delicious pizzas, s’mores and other goodies as the popular restaurant on the Hood River Waterfront. Look for it at special events and regular gigs throughout the Gorge all summer long.
A local resource guide for the discerning foodie
Reviews & recipies: gorgeinthegorge.com
The White House Cafe thegorgewhitehouse.com/fresh-food-cart, (541) 386-2828 Using fruits and vegetables from the century-old Gorge White House farm, chef Jack Kennedy creates menu items ranging from pizzas to grilled sandwiches and burgers (served on fresh home-made buns), soups and salads. Located at The Gorge White House, 2265 Highway 35, Hood River.
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our gorge
style+design
Ombre Opticals
Dylan: Doug’s Sports skateboarding team/Ground Coffee barista. Oakley “Breadbox” ($120), left. VonZipper “Mindglo” ($105), above. Find both pair at Doug’s Sports: 101 Oak Street/Downtown Hood River, dougshoodriver.com. Outfit: Doug’s Sports.
Go-to-Classics
The Shades of Summer 2014
Five styles to keep you on trend this season Styled By robin allen / Photos by jennifer alyse
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ne thing we all love about summer in the Gorge is the plentiful sunshine. But all those ultraviolet rays can also harm our eyes, leading to serious vision problems over time. Wearing sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays is vital, so we’ve scoured Hood River looking for stylish shades that will protect your eyes and keep you looking good.
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Stephanie: Gorge Unveiled, founder and Stephanie Laur Creative, owner. Prada “Opticals” ($315), above. Pucci “EP7325” ($290),below. Find opticals and sunglasses at Cascade Eye Center: 2025 Cascade Avenue/ Hood River or 301 Cherry Heights/The Dalles cascadeeye.com Outfit: That’s Swank Vintage, etsy.com/shop/ThatsSwankVintage
Perfectly Circular
Rayna: Flow Yoga and Big Winds SUP yoga instructor. Spitfire “England” ($38), left. Spitfire “Flick Cat.3” ($38), above. Find both pair at The Ruddy Duck: 504 Oak Street/ downtown Hood River, ruddyduckstore.com. Outfit: The Ruddy Duck and OM Life Boutique: 118 3rd Street/ downtown Hood River, flowhoodriver.com
Modern Squared
Michael: Doppio Coffee + Lounge, owner. Peepers “Havana” Bifocal Peppers ($21), right. Filtrate “Drop City” ($82), above. Find both pair at The Ruddy Duck: 504 Oak Street/downtown Hood River, ruddyduckstore.com. Outfit: The Ruddy Duck.
Bold Colors, Bold Frames
Kate: Ascendente Winery, tasting room associate. Tom Ford Aviators “Cyrille” ($475), left. DITA “Vesoul” ($350), above. Find both pair at Plenty: 310 Oak Street/downtown Hood River, plentyhoodriver.com. Outfit: Plenty.
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our gorge
roadtrip
The Gordon House (left), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is located at the Oregon Garden. One of the many waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park (below left). Seven Brides Brewing (above). The Oregon Garden (below).
Silverton
For Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts, The Gordon House does not disappoint. Designed by Wright in 1957, the house was built in 1964 in Wilsonville for Conrad and Evelyn Gordon. After Evelyn’s death, the house was sold and new owners planned to demolish it in 2001 to make way for a new house. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy helped save it, and the home was donated to the Oregon Garden Foundation and moved to its current location in Silverton. I discovered while visiting that the house can be rented for weddings and other social events. Good to know, since I'll probably never actually live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
This historic Willamette Valley town offers visitors a wealth of attractions in a small area By janet cook
I
admit that, initially, my only interest in Silverton, Ore., was its Frank Lloyd Wright house. It’s the only Wright-designed structure in Oregon and the only one open to the public in the entire Pacific Northwest. (One of my secret fantasies is to live in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I know, kinda weird.) Beyond that, I didn’t know much about Silverton—or care, for that matter. But after exploring the area, I came to realize what a gem this historic Willamette Valley town is. Founded in the 1850s around an ancient white oak tree that had long been a Native American meeting place on the Santiam Trail, the town grew up around its beautiful natural surroundings. Silver Creek runs through its heart, and the town’s neighborhoods roll up and down the undulating hills. Historic buildings line the downtown streets, as do nearly two-dozen large, painted murals—a tradition begun in the early 1900s. Situated in the western foothills of the Cascade Range (read: lots of rain, mild climate), Silverton is one of the greenest, lushest, most plant-prolific
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places you’re likely to see. It’s no accident that the Oregon Garden is here, an 80-acre botanical garden showcasing the incredible diversity of plant life in the Willamette Valley. The area surrounding Silverton is rife with tree farms and nurseries, as well as farms, orchards and vineyards. Silverton is also the gateway to Silver Falls State Park. The 9,000-acre park—the largest state park in Oregon—includes more than 24 miles of walking trails, as well as still more terrain for biking and horseback riding. As its name suggests, the park is home to many waterfalls, including ten of them on the aptly named Trail of Ten Falls.
Getting There
Roundtrip: 106 miles, Driving Time: 2 hours Silverton is located northeast of Salem, and is less than a two-hour drive from Hood River. Take I-84 to Portland, then I-205 south. Take Exit 10 toward Molalla/Oregon City and enjoy this scenic highway all the way to Silverton. For information, go to silverton.or.us.
Worry less... Play more! • • • •
Stunning views of the Columbia Gorge Endless recreational opportunities out the door Private pool, hot tub and gym Turnkey living with more time to play
mosiercreek.com 2-3 bedroom homes starting at $245,000 Psales Windermere/Tim Donahue, broker 541.386.3078 timd@gorge.net
MOSIER CREEK HOMES Psales Copper West Properties/Bill Irving, broker 503.816.9251 bill@copperwest.com
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Enjoy an espresso and a fresh-baked goodie while shopping for clothing, accessories, shoes and gifts at A. Boutique Columbia River Wine Sellers features wines from more than 70 regional wineries.
Enjoy Our Scenic City s t e v e n son , wash i n g ton
Explore this eclectic town in the heart of the Gorge
Go antiquing at Tin Roof Rusted.
9 am: Start your day at Robbie’s Coffee House. 10 am: Stroll over to Tin Roof Rusted for some antique shopping. 11 am: Head to River House Art Gallery to see the work of curator Marilyn Bolles, as well as other Columbia Gorge artists. Noon: Choose from a variety of lunch spots, including Big River Grill, Big T’s Diner or Andrew’s Pizza.
Find contemporary clothing and accessories as well as gifts and home decor at Out On A Limb. 1 pm: Do some shopping at A. Boutique, Out on a Limb, Bloomsbury and Lizette Boutique. 3 pm: Drive to Gator Creek Gardens and find everything you need for your garden. 2 pm: Head to Lesley’s Books & Beers for a break in the outdoor beer garden. 4 pm: Visit Columbia River Wine Sellers for wine tasting or to pick up some bottles. 6 pm: Have dinner at El Rio Texicantina.
Find original watercolor art and more at River House Art Gallery.
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8 pm: End the day with a craft beer from Walking Man Brewing.
Lesley's Books & Beers offers four Amnesia Brewing beers on tap.
Find vintage and natureinspired items for home and garden at Bloomsbury.
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m a rketpl ace: d owntown stevenson BLOOMSBURY
OUT ON A LIMB
Vintage and nature inspired collections for home and garden. Stevenson’s finest selection of gifts featuring cards, bath, candles, accessories and clothing, linens, and vintage finds. European style flower shop specializing in natural, organic designs and weddings throughout the Gorge. Our flower farm provides a unique seasonal selection of fresh flowers and herbs. Great resource for the DIY bride.
Stevenson’s newest retail shopping experience. Modern cottage lifestyle and unique gifts. Contemporary women’s clothing and accessories collection with a hip vibe. Pared down, repurposed, industrial inspired interior sets the tone for an urban shopping experience in the small historic mill town of Stevenson, Washington, out on a limb— playful, fresh and on trend.
240 SW 2nd Street • Find us on Facebook
Columbia River Wine sellers
240 SW 2nd Street • Find us on Facebook
crestrail carriage
Come visit Stevenson’s only wine bar featuring regional wines from over 70 wineries! Tastings and retail sales of well known and boutique wineries. We are located just a block from the wharf where several stern wheeler cruise ships dock weekly. Stop in and say “hello” to Helen and Rob!
Add elegance and romance to your wedding or other special event with the addition of a horse drawn carriage. Serving the West end of the Gorge—Hood River to Cascade locks on both sides of the river, our well trained Clydesdale “The Colonel” will be happy to transport you in style with our white French Vis-à-vis carriage.
(503) 970-3371 • 77 Russell Street Find us on Facebook
(503) 701-7974 • ctcarriage.com Find us on Facebook
Tin roof Rusted
lesley’s Books & beers
New this year, Tin Roof Rusted carries on the tradition of antiquing on Russell Avenue in Stevenson. When you visit our quaint shop you will find vintage treasures, unique finds, eclectic collections and antiques. It’s a must see when visiting the area.
Oh my…a bookstore and four Amnesia Brewing beers on tap in the same place! What more can you ask for? A unique selection of new books—including over 50 Pop Up books, excellent Brews and fun people watching in downtown Stevenson.
(509) 427-7020 • 66 Russell Avenue Find us on Facebook
(503) 278-0959 • Like us on Facebook
River House Art Gallery
A. Boutique
Established in 1992, the River House Art Gallery in Stevenson has been a community treasure. Marilyn Bolles, artist and curator, displays her watercolors alongside other local artists’ works. Through her world-wide travels Marilyn has developed her artistry. The works available capture the splendor and culture, both ancient and modern, of The Columbia River Gorge.
A. Boutique…exquisite taste in friends, clothing and coffee.™ Our focus at A. Boutique is affordable quality clothing, accessories, shoes, and gifts made in the U.S.A. and by fair trade companies. Inside the shop you will find the Tea & Coffee Café featuring pastries from a local baker as well as locally sourced coffee and tea. Come enjoy relaxing retail therapy and revive your soul in the café. Enjoy life’s journey.
(509) 427-5930 • 115 NW Second Street
256 Second Street • aboutique.us
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Blues & Brews Festival Stevenson is home to the renowned Gorge Blues and Brews Festival, happening at the Skamania County Fairgrounds June 20-21. Marking its 20th year as an annual event, the festival features food vendors, local and regional craft brews, wine from Gorge wineries and a stellar line-up of performers—seven bands on two stages. The festival opens Friday night with the free Friday Night Waterfront Jam, featuring local food, beer and music—including The Love Skunks. The festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday. Performers include Dusu Mali, Billy D and the Hoodoos, Jimmy D. Lane and Soul Vaccination. The fairgrounds offers onsite camping for festival attendees. (gorgebluesandbrews.com) Based in Portland, Dusu Mali plays improvisational African blues rock-and-roll.
Music Schedule for Saturday, June 21 12:30-2pm
Dusu Mali
2:10-3pm
Spruce (local stage)
3:10-4:40pm Billy D and the Hoodoos 4:45-5:30pm Eddie Corduroy and the Lighters (local stage) Billy D and the Hoodoos have been playing the blues since the mid-1990s. Their latest CD, "Somethin's Wrong," has received widespread critical acclaim in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Billy D and the Hoodoos have been playing the blues since the mid1990s. Their latest CD, "Somethin's Wrong," has received widespread critical acclaim in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
5:35-7:05pm
Jimmy D. Lane & Guests
7:10-7:45pm Lady Luck & the Living Legends (local stage) 8-10 pm
Soul Vaccination
Stevenson Service Companies horse-drawn carriage for hire For a romantic ride or special occasion, take a horse-drawn carriage from Crestrail Carriage. The company’s purebred Clydesdale will pull you in a Victorian-era French carriage with a convertible top. Crestrail offers its carriage service on both sides of the river, from Cascade Locks to Hood River. professional transportation service With its fleet of vehicles ranging from luxury vans
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Soul Vaccination has been a fixture on the Northwest funk and soul scene for 18 years. The 12-piece band plays covers and originals.
to stretch limos and even a 30-passenger Party Bus, Aspen Limo can take you anywhere you want to go in style and safety. The company offers customized tour packages—including winery and brewery tours— as well as for-hire services. Insurance Judith Lanz Insurance Agency provides one-stop shopping for all your insurance needs. From personal insurance to commercial and health insurance for small- and medium-size businesses, Lanz offers many options through Farmers Insurance.
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m a rketpl ace: d owntown stevenson Gorge Blues & Brews Festival
ASPEN LIMO
Friday-Saturday, June 20-21, 2014 at the Skamania County Fairgrounds in Stevenson. Free admission on Friday with local beer, food and bands, 6-10pm. Saturday admission is $15 per person, noon-10pm with 16 craft breweries, regional wineries, fabulous food, and outstanding blues music on the main stage including: Dusu Mali, Billy D and the HooDoos, Jimmy D Lane, and Soul Vaccination. Buy tickets in advance and get five FREE tokens!
Since 2003 Aspen Limo Tours has passionately strived to obtain the finest vehicles in the industry. We cover the entire Northwest and Wine Countries from Walla Walla to the Willamette Valley for year-round executive transportation.We invite you to experience the high level of service from the only truly compliant company registered with the State of Wash. Dept of Licensing, UTC, USDOT, State of Oregon, City of Portland, and PDX approved.
(800) 989-9178 • gorgebluesandbrews.com
phone number • website
farmers insurance
gator creek gardens
Judith Lanz Insurance Agency
We invite you to wander leisurely along the pathways of our “secret” garden. Our gardens were created with love and a passion for plants and we are certain they will inspire you to build your own piece of paradise. You will find a small gift shop filled with handmade treasures, a vast array of pottery as well as winding trails of majestic trees, unique shrubs, and assorted flowers. We also carry bark, compost, and rock.
Insurance and financial services agency, licensed in Oregon and Washington. I can assist you with: auto, health, homeowners, renters, and business insurance. Ask about commercial and health plans for small to medium size businesses. Open Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm. (509) 427-5517 • 25 SW Russell Avenue farmersagent.com/jlanz
51 Hot Springs Avenue • Carson, WA gatorcreekgardens.com
hiking Dining
The water is always running. Follow iT.
Hiking
Relaxation
History
Adventure
Fishing
Need a home base for your hiking spirit? You already have one. With hundreds of trails nearby—ranging from Beacon Rock to the spectacular Dog Mountain—Stevenson, Washington, is hikers’ paradise found. And at the end of the day, we have the spas and cozy beds to soothe tired soles.
CITYOFSTEVENSON.COM
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Satisfy your shoe fetish at Arktana.
Visit Historic Downtown
Birch Street Uptown Lounge offers classic cocktails, along with draft beer and wine.
c a m as , wash i n g ton
Noon: Have lunch at Nuestra Mesa. 1 pm: Hit the boutiques, including Lily Atelier, Bella Vita and Lil’ Dudes and Divas for the younger set. 3 pm: Shop for shoes at Arktana. 5 pm: Head to the Camas Hotel's Harvest Restaurant for happy hour. 6 pm: Have dinner at K'Syrah Nuestra Mesa features authentic Mexican food.
Discover this charming, historic town at the gateway to the Gorge
8 pm: Settle in at the Birch Street Uptown Lounge for a nightcap and, on weekends, live music.
Special Summer Events
9 am: Start your day with coffee and a pastry at Caffe Piccolo Paradiso.
Don’t Miss Camas Days, July 25-26, when the whole community celebrates with a parade through downtown, music, street vendors, a wine-and-microbrew street and kids activities.
10 am: Go shopping for gifts and antiques at Camas Antiques. 11 am: Head to Lizzabeth A for unique home décor.
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Stay overnight at the historic Camas Hotel, which has been hosting guests for 103 years. The boutique hotel features elegant rooms and a light-filled atrium, and its location in the heart of historic downtown Camas makes it the perfect base for guests who want to explore the city on foot.
K'Syrah bistro and wine bar offers an eclectic menu paired with fine wine.
The Camas Farmer’s Market is held every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. on Fourth Avenue downtown, between Everett and Franklin. Dozens of vendors are on hand along with healthy living demos, live music and kids activities.
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m a rketpl ace: hi stori c d owntown camas birch street uptown lounge Our vision was to create a space that you might find in the entertainment districts of Portland, Seattle or New York City. We serve classic-style handcrafted cocktails, draft beer, wine, and a little food in a beautiful setting with a vintage vibe in a building that dates to 1928. Live entertainment every Friday and Saturday, open 4pm to midnight every evening. (360) 210-7219 • 311 NE Birch Street birchstreetuptownlounge.com
CAMAS HOTEL This delightful boutique hotel is located in the heart of Historic Downtown Camas, and is walking distance to nearby restaurants, shops, salons and spas. Located just 12 minutes from PDX, it provides a unique and comfortable landing spot to explore Portland or Vancouver and the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Most rooms include: breakfast, wifi, offstreet parking, and movie tickets for the Camas Liberty Theater. (360) 834-5722 • camashotel.com
Lizzabeth A
K’Syrah
You’ll love the experience of shopping at Lizzabeth A! Browse our wonderful selection of home accessories and gifts and, chances are, you’ll find just what you’re looking for! For those of you who love setting a beautiful table, we also have a wide array of great table linens and servingware. Last but not least, we believe in treating our customers as friends—just what you’d expect in a charming downtown like Camas!
We are a bistro and wine bar that also offers gourmet catering services. The bistro is where we demonstrate a passion for food with old-world style dining in the heart of Downtown Camas. Dining here lends the perfect opportunity to explore combinations of texture, flavor and wine. Enjoy wine tasting every first friday and live music most saturdays. Check our website for special events, inluding cooking classes.
(360) 834-6071 • 339 NE 4th Avenue LizzabethA.com
(360) 833-9429 • 316 NE Dalles Street bistro.ksyrahcatering.com
Nuestra mesa
camas antiques
Owner Todd Moravitz lived in Mexico and his wife Tania was born and raised in Mexico City. Together they brought the vibrant flavors of Mexican cuisine to their restuarant, Nuestra Mesa. Enjoy delicious food and signature cocktails in their unique downtown setting. Locally sourced, sustainable and organic options are used whenever possible.
Stop by our eclectic shop located in Historic Downtown Camas and find the perfect something for your home and garden, or a one-of-a-kind gift. We have over 10,000 square feet of antiques, primitives, and cottage decor. Check our blog for frequent updates, events, and special workshops. Open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm and Sundays, 11am to 5pm.
(360) 210-5311 • 228 NE 4th Avenue nuestramesacamas.com
(360) 834-4062 • 305 NE 4th Avenue camasantiques.blogspot.com
Arktana
downtown camas association (DCA)
We are a new shoe boutique in downtown Camas and because we believe that fashion, and comfort are a perfect fit, we offer stylish, high-quality footwear for men and women. Come see our new boutique and experience our passion for beautifully comfortable shoes. We carry women’s sizes 5-11 and men’s sizes 9-13. Open: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm. (360) 210-4077 • 415 NE 4th Avenue arktana.com • Find us on Facebook
We invite you to come enjoy Downtown Camas! Stroll the charming streets, shop in our boutiques, dine in one of our many eateries and pubs. Take in a movie at the historic Liberty Theatre and enjoy live music every weekend. Pamper yourself with a spa massage and unwind at our beautiful hotel. We are proud of our heritage and community. We have a vibrant historic downtown and we want to share it with you! (360) 216-7378 • downtowncamas.com
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WAAAAM has one of the largest collections of still-flying antique airplanes and still-driving antique vehicles in the country.
Welcome to the Heights H o od R i v e r , OR e g on
Get to know this unique part of town by visiting the many local businesses 9 am: Start your day with a fresh pastry and espresso from Pine Street Bakery. 10 am: Take a stroll among the retail and service shops on 12th Street, including Apple Green, Daniel’s Health & Nutrition, Hood River Sewing and Vacuum, Farm Stand, Tammy’s Floral and Morgan Paint. Noon: Choose from a wide variety of lunch spots, including Marley’s Corner Pub, the Hood River Taqueria, Thai House, the Farm
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Cool off with one of 11 beers on tap or choose from more than 200 bottles of craft brew at Volcanic Bottle Shoppe— which you can also get to go. Relax inside or sit in the outdoor courtyard.
Get all the ingredients for a Summer BBQ at Rosauer's Supermarket. Stand, Ovino Market, the Pita Pit or Good News Gardening Garden Café. 1:30 pm: Grab dessert at Heights Ice Cream or Froyo. 2 pm: Take a scenic drive south to WAAAM, the renowned Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum. On the way back, visit Good News Gardening and Grow Organic for all your gardening needs. 5 pm: Head to Volcanic Bottle Shoppe for happy hour.
Try an authentic British pastie and imported beer or hard cider from Marley’s Corner Pub and Drive-Thru.
Visit Good News Gardening for plants, flowers and shrubs as well as everything you need for the vegetable garden. Stay for lunch in the Garden Café.
6 pm: Grab some fresh, organic produce and meat for the grill at Rosauers Supermarket. Or, if you don’t feel like cooking, hit the Mesquitery for dinner.
Thursday Farmer’s Market Hood River Farmer’s Market happens every Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. outside Hood River Middle School, 1602 May Street (across from Jackson Park). Dozens of local vendors are on hand, as well as mobile food trucks, live entertainment and activities for kids.
s p e c i a l
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m a rketpl ace: ho od ri ver hei ghts volcanic Bottle Shoppe For the most extensive and diverse selection of craft and import beer, cider, mead, and gluten-free beer in the Gorge visit us! Discover what’s new to tickle your tastebuds…we rotate at least 220 beers, 20 hard ciders, 50 wines, and 10 meads with 11 beers and one cider on tap. Enjoy your drinks in our private beer garden or carry them out to wherever the wind blows you.
photo by silvia flores
WAAAM Visit the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum and see one of the largest collections of still flying antique airplanes, and still driving 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 • waaamuseum.org
(541) 436-1226 • 1410 12th Street volcanicbottleshoppe.com
rosauers 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! 1867 12th Street • rosauers.com
Hood river sewing and vacuum We proudly carry premier brands such as Miele and Simplicity vacuums and Janome sewing machines. We offer on-site service and repair plus we carry a full line of accessories. You can shop with confidence since we encourage you to try the equipment before you purchase. Looking for a great gift? We have gifts cards! Visit our web site for a schedule of our sewing classes. 1108 12th Street • hoodriversewandvac.com
MARLEY’S CORNER PUB & DRIVE-THRU Marley’s is a relaxing pocket-sized, family-owned neighborhood pub and drive-thru. The menu has something for everyone including savory homemade pasties (European-style hand pies), fish & chips, delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, and more. Enjoy British and Irish imported beers and cider, a nice wine selection, and two rotating imported beers on tap. (541) 386-0153 • 1216 C Street at 13th Find us on Facebook
GOOD NEWS GARDENING Our nursey carries everything you need for your summer vegetable garden plus herbs, vines, roses, shrubs, trees, annuals, and perennials. We have a great selection of seeds, fertilizers, soil, tools, and decorative pots. Visit our Garden Café for breakfast or lunch and enjoy something off the daily menu (salads, sandwiches, homemade desserts, tea, espresso). We use fresh, organic sustainably-grown food from the garden. 1086 Tucker Road goodnewsgardening.com
Thanks to all the businesses in the Gorge—and beyond— that support the area’s premier lifestyle magazine. Be sure to check out The Gorge Magazine's new website, launching this summer.
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 39
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Mike's Ice Cream and The Ruddy Duck are a popular place to be most summer evenings, and particularly on First Friday.
Take a Walk Downtown
Find upscale consignment items for kids age 0-10 at Cutie Pie.
Apland Jewelers is a craftsman jewelry store, specializing in designing custom jewelry items and rebuilding heirloom pieces.
H o od R i v e r , OR e g on
Summer Art Events
Discover this beautiful and vibrant hub of the Gorge 9 am: Have breakfast at Bette’s Place, a Hood River icon for nearly 40 years.
Don’t miss Hood River First Friday, happening the first Friday of every month. Stores and galleries stay open late and the streets are filled with entertainment, booths and kids activities.
10 am: Go jewelry shopping. Check out the variety of unique jewelry retailers, including Hood River Jewelers, Apland’s, Twiggs and Silverado.
The Columbia Center for the Arts has changing exhibits every month in the main gallery as well as in The Nook, along with classes, workshops and theater performances. Don’t miss the Art of the Wild exhibit, running in August to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
11 am: Head to Sparkling Creations for beads and other supplies to make your own jewelry. Noon: Choose from a variety restaurants, pubs, cafés, or food trucks for lunch. 1 pm: Cool off with an iced coffee drink at Ground, Doppio or Dog River Coffee. 2 pm: Go shopping at one-of-a-kind boutiques, including Ruddy Duck, Plenty, Melika, Parts & Labour and Doug’s. Send the guys to check out 2nd Wind Sports and Big Winds. 4 pm: Don’t forget the little ones—head
40 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
Bette’s, a Hood River landmark, serves breakfast and lunch. to Cutie Pie for a wide selection of quality, gently used clothes and toys. 5 pm: Hit one of the tasting rooms for a glass of wine or have a drink at the Pint Shack or 301 Gallery, where you can get tapas, too. 6 pm: Head to Celilo for dinner. Other good options include Sushi Okalani, Nora's Table and Brian's Pour House. 8 pm: Go to Mike’s Ice Cream for dessert. 9 pm: Find some live music at River City Saloon, Double Mountain Brewery, or one of the wine tasting rooms.
A unique variety of jewelry and home decor items can be found at Twiggs.
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m a rketpl ace: d owntown ho od ri ver HOOD RIVER JEWELERS
TWIGGS
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 will find a great combination of home decor items plus unique artisan jewelry. Twiggs has beautiful glassware, ceramics, candles, wall decor, and more. This is the perfect place to find gifts for brides and bridesmaids.
(541) 386-6440 • 415 Oak Street hoodriverjewelers.com
(541) 386-6188 • 305 Oak Street Find us on Facebook
BETTE’S PLACE
APLAND JEWELERS
Bette’s Place has been a Hood River landmark since 1975. From French Toast to Omelets and everything in between, we’ve got your breakfast covered. Not in the mood for breakfast? Have one of our specialty burgers or homemade soups. Satisfy your sweet tooth and try our legendary cinnamon rolls or Prize Winning Blue Ribbon pies made by Bette herself. Breakfast and lunch.
Craftsman jewelers and designers, we sell and repair in our state of the art shop. A second generation jeweler, Ken Apland brings 32 years of experience. Our other goldsmiths and designers bring an additional 30 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.
416 Oak Street • (541) 386-1880 bettesplace.com
216 Oak Street • (541) 386-3977 info@aplandjewelers.com
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Let us help you ease childhood transitions and make active parenting fun! We are an upscale consignment store with items for new moms and children (0-10): cloth diapers, nursing supplies, natural body products, toys, books, high-end gear, clothing, and shoes. We rent infant and toddler beds, backpack carriers, strollers, safety gates, high chairs, etc. for families visiting the Hood River area. Under new ownership.
There is just no better place to take toddlers AND their grandmothers. For 28 years, Mike’s has been scooping up cones and shakes and sundaes and fresh huckleberry shakes to die for. You can still get a cone for a buck. Best spot to chill in Hood River, while shoppers find everything they need next door at The Ruddy Duck. (541) 386-6260 • 504 Oak Street
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Commercial printing at an affordable price. the gorge magazine // summer 2014 41
On the Water with Oiwi by Christopher Van Tilburg photos by Blaine Franger
The ohana spirit is alive and well with the Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club
42 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 43
E
arly on a summer Monday in the Gorge, the air is silent, still. The wind that brings windsurfers and kiteboarders flocking is absent, so the town is still asleep. The river is so glassy that sailboat masts reflect in the still pool of the marina.
I’m first to arrive at the Port of Hood River seaplane dock at 7 a.m., but within a few minutes, five of my buddies pull in. We are in varied states
his enthusiasm while paddling with the legendary Kailua and Lanikai
of waking up so conversation is sparse. We wax the wooden handles of
Canoe Clubs in Hawaii. Eventually, he started poking around for a boat
our paddles, pull on short-sleeve rash guards, and make our way down
of his own.
to the dock. Dockside, we await a seat assignment for Oiwi.
“I bought a used one-person outrigger canoe to paddle in the Gorge and quickly realized how perfect Columbia River conditions are for an outrigger canoe—big wind and big waves.” Sceva said. “So many Gorge
Oiwi
residents love being out on the water—kiting, sailing, kayaking, row-
Oiwi, “native son” in Hawaiian, is a 43-foot-long, 9-foot-wide six-person
ing, windsurfing—I couldn’t help but wonder ‘Who wouldn’t want to
outrigger canoe (officially known as an OC6). This is the inspiration of
do this?’”
Hood River resident Josh Sceva, whose interest in outrigger canoes began when he paddled as a child in Hawaii. A few years ago, he rekindled
44 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
With the thrill of a one-person canoe firmly seated, Sceva set out to find a bigger boat.
“Outrigger canoe clubs practice a founding principal of ohana, a Hawaiian term for family or a community,” Sceva explained. So when Sceva reached out, clubs responded. The Bend Outrigger Canoe Club, founded by Dave and Meg Chun of Kialoa Paddles, helped Sceva purchase the well-used Oiwi, which Sceva set about to refurbish. Then he began looking for paddlers. Rounding up a few enthusiastic buddies turned out to be easy. Within a few months, Oiwi was on the water several hours a week and the Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club (HROCC) formed. Membership dues were used to purchase Oiwi from Sceva and to cover insurance. The club now has 25 members, according to board member Kassen Bergstrom. Because of the surge in interest, Sceva recently acquired two more boats for the club, a pair of sun-worn OC6 canoes from a defunct club in Ashland. From ancient to modern times For millennia, South Pacific islanders used outrigger canoes for sea travel between islands. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan’s documentarian Antonio Pigafetta spied the Chamorro peoples of the Mariana Islands using outrigger canoes with sails. In 1770, Captain James Cook saw the fast canoes traversing the Whitsunday Passage off Australia. In the beginning, hulls were carved from a single trunk of large tropical hardwood, like the koa tree. The sleek, streamlined hulls were speedy in the water but unstable in rough seas. To stabilize the craft in wind, choppy water and surf, an ama, or outrigger float, was lashed with ropes to the hull via a pair of wood i’akos, or crossbeams. Nowadays, the boats are made from fiberglass and carbon fiber and come in one-, two-, four- and six-person versions. Paddles are constructed from wood (traditional) or carbon and fiberglass (high tech). Paddles measure from 45 to 60 centimeters in length. HROCC members spend lots of time working on the boats. “These boats require annual maintenance, inevitable ongoing repairs to keep them seaworthy in our rough conditions,” Sceva said. Members strip and
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 45
addition to helping with forward propulsion, is to keep the boat tracking and to guide it into waves and through turns. Seat one is the stroker, who sets the pace: Todd will mark a brisk cadence at 60 to 65 strokes per minute. Bernie assigns me to seat two, the caller. I call the switches for paddling from port to starboard, back and forth, every 16 strokes (we alternate port and starboard every other seat so three people paddle on each side). When it’s time to switch, commands “hut” and “hoe” announce two and one strokes before the switch respectively, so the team can gear up for simultaneous switches. Seat three, four and five are the powerhouse. Sometimes I favor seat five to hunker down and paddle hard, without having to focus on setting pace or calling switches. Today, Jon, Dan and Andrew take those spots. It is no easy task for all six paddlers to switch in unison without breaking pace. We have to shift hands on the paddle, bring it over the gunvarnish the wooden i’akos, and repair dings, gouges, and stress cracks in
wales, and strike the blade back in the water for the next stroke—all in
the fiberglass hull. The biggest problem, according to Sceva, is finding
an instant.
indoor space to store and repair the huge boat.
Sometimes, we’ll sprint: four cycles of ten strokes per side—close to 80 strokes per minute. If we’re trying to catch a wave, we speed up sub-
On the water
tly and dig the paddle in a bit deeper for more power for three to four
On this early morning, I am about to embark on a modern incarnation
strokes.
of an ancient watersport. All the great watersports in the Gorge require
Today, as we push off the dock and into the river, Bernie sets a course.
stamina, strength and agility. But paddling Oiwi requires something
If it’s windy, we head upwind past Wells Island, a burly workout. Once,
special: strict, synchronized teamwork. On the dock, Jon, Andrew and
paddling into eight-foot wind-whipped waves at the Spring Creek Fish
I make small talk about the whereabouts of our teenage daughters last
Hatchery, we swamped the boat up to the gunwales, but avoided a huli,
night. But, the banter stops abruptly when Bernie assigns the six seats.
capsizing, by brute strength. We bailed what seemed like hundreds of
Today, Bernie commands Oiwi in seat six, the steerer, which uses a
gallons of water. On the way home, riding swells is euphoric, but unlike
special paddle with a wider and longer blade. Steerers give commands
surfing waves in a smaller vessel like a kayak, windsurfer or kiteboard.
like “hit,” start paddling, and “let it run,” stop paddling. Bernie’s task, in
Oiwi speeds up, then the midsection of the giant hull is picked up and
46 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
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creates a concentrated thrust resulting in much faster boat speed than trying to go it alone,” he said. “We can make the boat fly.” I have paddled several times with Sceva, who is skilled at any of the six seat positions, and relish his instruction on technique and teamwork. Bergstrom agrees. “Individuals have to let the group be more important,” she said. “When you are out on a big day, you have to trust your team not to let up. The hard work really bonds a group.” It’s this synergy amongst friends that creates such a powerful and unique watersport. The six of us today are working hard, paddling fast. Beyond Koberg, Bernie calls for a rest. But it is a scant few minutes before we practice a half-dozen tight fast racing turns around a fishing float. Andrew, Jon and Dan make power strokes into the turn, Bernie pitched forward in the wave, and the bow rises out of the water. It’s a heavy boat, so it feels like slow motion. But today the Columbia is glassy, so we choose to head upriver past Koberg Beach. Within a few minutes, our morning chitchat dissipates to a focused, meditative silence and swift, clean, quiet strokes. Ohana spirit Sceva cites the ohana spirit of teamwork and community as being a prime drive for paddling an OC6. “When paddling with a good crew in an OC6, working hard and blending paddle technique in unison, it
steers, and Todd and I do two quick unis, strokes in which we poke the paddle in the water to turn the bow around the buoy. Then, it’s a high speed sprint down the channel back to the dock by 8:15 a.m. At Bernie’s call, Todd and I make a few kahes, draw strokes to bring the boat sideways into the dock. We are just in time to hand off Oiwi to the next HROCC crew and scoot to work.] Christopher Van Tilburg is the author of The Adrenaline Junkie's Bucket List: 100 Extreme Adventures to do Before You Die. He lives in Hood River and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
Anyone interested in a trial paddle or in learning more about the club can check out hroccblogspot. com. Waterwalker in Carson, Wash., has been selling outrigger canoes for 20 years and will host the 18th annual Gorge Outrigger Races, July 19-20 (nwoutrigger.com).
48 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
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50 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
A School Away From School
The Cascade Mountain School takes learning into the great outdoors by Janet Cook • photos courtesy of Cascade Mountain School
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 51
“It was so transformative for me,” says Goodwin, who returned to complete high school in Atlanta—where, among other legacies of her semester away, she helped implement a school-wide composting program. She went on to Stanford, where her semester school program informed her chosen major: earth systems. She earned a masters degree in the same discipline. After graduate school, she got a job with a foundation, where she worked on state and national ocean policy. But her semester school experience was never far from her. After five years with the foundation, she took a sabbatical to teach marine biology to high school kids in San Francisco. After that, she knew her passion lay in teaching kids. After moving to Portland, Goodwin began to think seriously about cre-
A
ating a program like the semester school that had so impacted her life. None existed in the region, and she exhaustively researched the issues in-
semester in high school was all it took to set Emily
volved in launching one—even commissioning students at Portland State
Goodwin on her life’s path. But it was one unlike most
University to do a financial viability study as part of a class.
typical high school semesters. At age 16, she left her
She began laying the groundwork for a science-based outdoor educa-
comfortable, predictable Atlanta prep school and went
tion program for high school students. She felt strongly that it needed to be
to live, study and work on an organic farm on the coast
grounded in ecological and community values, with local teachers and ex-
of Maine with 35 other high school students from around the country.
perts in their fields available to enhance the STEM (Science, Technology,
The program, called the Chewonki School, is part of the Semester
Engineering and Math) focused curriculum. When she and her husband
Schools Network, a group of a dozen or so programs offering high school
moved to the Gorge five years ago, Goodwin knew she’d found the final
students a semester of learning and living with other students in an un-
critical element for her school: the ideal location.
conventional setting. They range from the Maine coast to New York City
“When I look at the Gorge in terms of what I want to do, it’s perfect,”
to the Bahamas. What the schools have in common is their academically
she says. “Everything is in place here: the human community, all the great
rigorous coursework (often with a specific focus related to their setting)
biologists, the natural resource managers. All the environmental questions
and the life skills they instill in students—maturity, self-confidence and
are ripe here—fisheries, forestry, agriculture, hydropower, wind energy,
self-reliance among them.
Columbia River issues, tribal considerations, the rural-urban dynamic,
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52 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
and on and on. I realized this could actually work here.” In the summer of 2011, Goodwin launched Cascade Mountain School with a week-long pilot program for high school students called “Mount Hood: Mountain to Mouth,” where students start at 8,000 feet on Mount Hood and work their way by foot, bicycle and kayak down the Hood River Valley to the Columbia River studying glaciers, climate change, fisheries and conservation along the way. For the initial program, Goodwin partnered with Portland’s Catlin Gabel School, which provided insurance, gear, permits and other necessary elements—along with many of the students who enrolled. “Mountain to Mouth” is still the flagship program of Cascade Mountain School, according
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 53
agriculture programs, the school also offers field ecology and watershed science programs. Mackenzie Ross, who just finished her junior year at the Metropolitan Learning Center in Portland, participated in the Farm to Table Bike Camp last summer. “I’m not one of those people who enjoys summer camps,” Ross says. “I don’t like being away from home, and I don’t make friends easily.” But by the end of the week-long program, “we’d become like a big family,” she says. The daily visits to organic farms left such an impact on Ross that she’s now planning to go to college to study plant genetics. “It was really eye-opening going to all organic farms,” says Ross, who’s interested in keeping genetically modified food out of the system and helping small organic farms thrive. “It really helped me narrow down what I’m passionate to Goodwin. But the school, now in its third year, offers five programs this
about and enforce why it’s important not only to me but to the commu-
summer—two of them spanning two weeks—for both middle and high
nity.”
school students. Two programs—the Sustainable Agriculture Course and
Many of the courses can be taken for high school credit or service
the Farm to Table Bike Camp—are based in Trout Lake, where students
hours. The for-credit courses meet national and Oregon and Washington
camp at an organic farm and bike to various farms and food producers
high school science standards. In addition, the two-week courses are el-
in the picturesque valley each day to work and study. In addition to the
igible for college credit. “We place a big emphasis on learning by expe-
2014
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54 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
rience,” Goodwin says. “But we don’t sacrifice scientific rigor.” Enrollment in each program is limited to about 10 students. Even as Goodwin has worked to expand the summer offerings at Cascade Mountain School, her long-range goal is still to launch a semester program. “That’s the light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “That’s what gets me up in the morning.” Cascade Mountain School recently formed a partnership with the Mount Adams Institute, a non-profit organization based in Trout Lake that provides educational programs, service learning, career development and research aimed at strengthening connections between
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 55
people and the natural environment. Among other things, the partnership
rigor and out-of-the-box experience to be equally beneficial to a local kid
provides Cascade Mountain School the access and permits it needs for
as to one from across the country.
conducting educational programs on public lands. In addition, the MAI
“Students come back from semester schools with a greater sense of ma-
has a dorm, kitchen and dining hall in Trout Lake that the school uses for
turity,” Goodwin says, citing research on the benefits of semester school
some of its programs.
programs—some of which have been around now for a quarter-century.
Goodwin foresees the MAI facility as being a possible location for the launch of her semester program, which she’s readying for the fall of 2015.
Along with academic benefits and improved college readiness, the programs foster personal growth.
“It doesn’t have to be the long-term home,” Goodwin says. But it would
“Kids have to present themselves as an individual to people they don’t
be a place where students could live onsite, and serve as a base for the inau-
know,” Goodwin says. “They have to define themselves. They have to find
gural semester school program. Like the other programs in the Semester
out what’s at the core.” For Goodwin, it’s all about creating a place where
Schools Network, Cascade Mountain School would have its own charac-
that can happen for as many kids as possible.]
ter, firmly rooted in the rhythms—both in nature and community—of the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River Gorge. “I want this to be a program that people come to from California and Georgia and Maine—and the Gorge,” she says. Her goal is for the academic
For more information about Cascade Mountain School, go to cascademountainschool.org.
56 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
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Caught by a River By Don Campbell
photos by michael peterson
discovering the bounties of the klickitat river canyon
58 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 59
many others. I will, in that short amount of time, develop a feverish love for the Klick, and go back to it many times. The Flow What I learn about the Klickitat River is that there are two ways to look at it. One is within the flow as nature intended it. The first glacial waters begin to fall from the remote Tieton Peak on the 12,280-foot Mount Adams to the northeast at the edge of Yakama Nation land, and drain the large Lincoln Plateau rangeland down to the Columbia Gorge. The region supports a rich habitat of wildlife—including eagles (with winter habitat for the bald eagles near the mouth of the river), hawks and osprey, turkey, deer and elk, black bear, cougar and bobcat, and even pond turtles—and a thriving fishery of native steelhead, Coho and Chi-
I
nook salmon, and a few rainbow trout. The beauty of the oak and Pon-
am up where eagles fly. On a lofty no-name turnout of Fisher
derosa Pine and stunning eruption of spring and summer wildflowers is
Hill Road, between the highway-side town of Lyle on Washing-
second to none.
ton’s State Route 14 and the edge of the Klickitat State Wilderness
The river was named for the Native American Klickitat tribe that
Area, I take a long look down into the expanse of the Klickitat
flourished in the region for centuries and was part of an active gathering
River canyon. The river has snaked and bullied and tumbled its
of tribes that stretched from the Pacific to well beyond the Cascades and
way down some 100 miles, through the wild, the basaltic, the alluvial, the
met regularly along the Columbia River. The tribe would eventually align
forested—through land that is much as it’s always been. I, however, am
itself with the Yakima Nation during treaty signings in 1855, but life here
experiencing it with new, fresh eyes.
before then was surely idyllic, and one can still find many vistas that have
It takes three or four looks to see what I can see upriver to the north-
remained largely unchanged, evoking a vision of timelessness.
west, where I know the tiny burgs and wide-spots of Klickitat and Wahkiacus sit (and farther on, Goldendale), and south to the river’s mouth
The Push
and the last push before it is swallowed up into the mighty Columbia. I
The other way to look at the Klick is as a push upstream, like spawn-
will drive, hike, clamber and wonder over the next few days at how a riv-
ing fish struggling against a heady current. Nature blessed the area with
er such as this—minutes from my Mosier home—escaped me, and likely
abundant beauty and magnificent balance. Man, ever the opportunist,
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came to see it in terms of commerce. Settlers from the Willamette Valley and elsewhere made their way here to forge new lives. The Columbia River & Northern Railway was built in 1902 to connect the agriculture-rich plateau around Goldendale with the port capabilities of Lyle. No road had previously existed. Lumber mills sprang up along the Klickitat and on the Glenwood Highway toward Mount Adams, employing many. People came. Klickitat County’s economy has been based over time on sheep and cattle ranching, wheat, orchards, timber and aluminum. Around the town of Klickitat, other small industries emerged. At this site 15 miles up Highway 142, there existed naturally carbonated mineral springs where tribal people once gathered. The springs became the source for health spas, a soda maker that bottled “Klickitat Pop,” and eventually a dry-ice plant.
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Lumber was once king here. The first mill in Klickitat was built in 1909, and logging thrived for generations before its decline in the 1980s. The mill, by then known as the Champion Mill, closed permanently in 1994, hitting the county, and the town of Klickitat, hard.
motion I spor ts I lifestyle
Out of the struggle to forge an economy, often against the forces of nature, good things have happened. The Klickitat has emerged over the last few years as a recreation paradise, offering an amazing array of outdoor activities. For those in the Gorge, it’s like discovering a new playground right outside your backdoor. Rails to Trails Barbara Robinson is the vice president of the Klickitat Trail Conservancy, but more she is a driving force among a group of dedicated volunteers who have helped reclaim the old railroad, turning it effectively into a 31-mile gentle-grade hiking/biking route that rolls from the somewhat remote Swale Canyon down along the Klickitat to Lyle. The trail came to be over the course of a decade. In 1992, the railroad was abandoned due to the decline of the lumber mills in Klickitat and Goldendale. The national organization Rails-toTrails Conservancy purchased the right-of-way in 1993, and then ownership of the rail line was transferred to Washington State Parks in 1994. It wasn’t always easy. Local opposition threatened to derail the project, but public support prevailed and by 2003 a number of ardent local supporters of the trail formed the Klickitat Trail Conservancy (KTC). A longtime conservationist, activist and historian, Robinson, who helped establish the Tom McCall Nature Preserve at Rowena, is a walking encyclopedia of the area. She got her first brush with the Klickitat doing a plant survey some years ago. A Rowena resident, she spends countless hours leading hikes, improving areas and maintaining the trailhead. “I’m here because of beauty,” she says. “I think Hood River to The Dalles, both sides of the
t re n t h i g h to w e r ph o to g ra p h y t re n t h i g h to w erp hotograp hy.com
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 61
tive steelhead, Coho and Chinook, who migrate from the Pacific Ocean home to their native waters. Travis Wallace runs one of the half-dozen guide services that help fishers find fish here. He lives minutes from the river, and knows the bends and eddies and best fishing conditions as well as anyone working these waters. A native Washingtonian with a degree in geography and land studies from Central Washington University, Wallace has spent time guiding in Montana as well. But this is home. "I've loved this river since I started fishing it," he says. Wallace offers education as much as he offers his skills as a drift boater. The steelhead average eight to 10 pounds, “And we’ve got a lot of native steelhead,” he says. Those get put back. Hatchery fish can be kept. This is, river, is some of the most beautiful land in the world. When I did that
he says, a well-managed fishery. “We’re hooking good numbers of steel-
first plant survey up the Klickitat River, I thought this was spectacular.
head every year, and about 70 percent are natives.”
I’m from Chicago, where there’s no public land. For me this is spiritual. Being out in nature feeds my soul. I want to share that.”
Wallace pulls clients in from all over, including as far away as Texas. He offers a two-bedroom yurt on his property for those who want to
The trail affords anyone, from solo walkers to large groups, including
stay over, hand-ties his own
children and cyclists and even runners, the chance to commune with the
flies, and provides a full day
river and the natural surroundings. “It’s easy,” says Robinson, because of
of fishing and drifting—one
the gentle grade of the rail bed. The public right-of-way trail is currently
of the best ways to see the
managed cooperatively by Washington State, the U.S. Forest Service and
river on beautiful runs like
the KTC.
that from Stinson Flats to the Slide, and especially in
In the Water
the fall when the fish are
The trail is one way to enjoy the river and the canyon. The other is in it.
running thick.
There are long wild stretches where there is no actual road or foot access, and the only way to witness the beauty is to drift the river’s waters. The Klickitat is known as one of the best fisheries in the west, with na-
“This sounds like a cop out,” he offers, when asked about his favorite spots,
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62 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
“but I like all of it. I could keep talking about the Klickitat all day.” There are plenty of opportunities to explore the fishing side. Paddle Faster The water perspective for Jaco Klinkenberg is a bit different. As the owner of Wet Planet, the Husum, Wash., whitewater rafting and kayaking service, she sees the Klick as a source of river-running pleasure for her clients. Wet Planet runs rafts down the river in April, May and sometimes early June, and also runs one- and two-day kayak schools throughout the summer. “It’s a beautiful river,” she says, “and not very crowded compared to the Deschutes, for example. The rafting that we do upstream is Class III, 18 miles, and a fantastic day trip. It’s a massive basalt canyon and walls, really you get a sense of wilderness there. Coming from Portland, it might be the only raft trip that really puts you in the wilderness. Even the drive to it is beautiful, and there are some great campgrounds.”
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 63
REST AND RELAXATION The river also affords the chance for some pure relaxation. Audrey and Myrin Bentz own Morning Song Acres, a vacation rental house minutes from the river. Its expansive views of rolling hills, Mount Hood and Mount Adams are heaven on a front porch. The greeting party, one dog and one small goat that thinks it’s a dog, lead you to the front door. Headed for retirement, the pair began looking for a place suitable for conferences and retreats. They quickly fell in love with the Lyle area and purchased what would become Morning Song Acres. Five years short of retirement they began building the expansive multi-story house. It’s transformed from a retreat center to a bed-and-breakfast to its current recreational property status, managed by Vacasa Rentals. “The Klickitat is a real draw,” says Audrey, “especially for fishermen.” Myrin, a retired Lutheran minister, fell sway to its watery charms, and is part of the reason they landed here. The home itself holds to strong green principles (passive solar and geothermal), and the Bentzes offer 25 additional acres just up the road for hiking. What’s at Steak No visit up the Klickitat would be complete without a stop at Huntington’s Steakhouse Bar & Grill. Run by Peggy and Richard Bradberry, the place is the de facto hub of the lower region. “We basically bought ourselves a job,” says Peggy. When the previous owners decided to sell, she and Richard were ready to move in. The place has a reputation far
and wide over several counties for Richard’s hand-cut steaks and special dry-rub seasonings and Peggy’s huckleberry cheesecake. Their fare is unpretentious and bountiful. The funky charm draws locals and tourists, fishers and hunters.
Richard and Peggy Bradberry, owners of Hungtington's Steakhouse Bar & Grill
If you need something—fishing or lodging advice, a shuttle service, a cold beverage or a steak as big as your head—this is the place. Like so many others, they’ve been drawn in by the Klickitat. “There are just so many hidden treasures in the river and the trail,” says Peggy. Giving Up and Giving In Northwest writer David James Duncan may best explain this mystical, spiritual hold the Klickitat River now has on me. In a story called “First Native” from his book of essays River Teeth, he writes of how he came to love fishing after catching his first. “By the time you hold the native in your hands,” he writes, “it is you who has been caught; you who shines, and feels like silver; you who came, long ago, from water; you who suddenly can’t live without this beautiful river.” I know it in my bones.] Don Campbell is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Mosier. He's a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
64 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
STAY, PLAY & ENJOY KLICKITAT COUNTY WASHINGTON
Finish a beautiful driving loop tour with a visit to our premium wineries, museums, colorful shops, farmers markets, and festive restaurants. Oh, and meet some of the friendliest folks around. Life is just better on the northside, join us…WE KNOW SUMMER. Enjoy a scenic whitewater rafting excursion, kiteboarding or windsurfing, world-class fishing, cycling trails, or star-gazing at the Goldendale Obeservatory…Klickitat County has it all! Whitewater Rafting
Farmer’s Markets
Maryhill Museum
Wine Tasting
Maps and Activity Brochures available at: www.KlickitatCounty.org/tourism www.MtAdamsChamber.com • (509) 493-3630 • Highway 14 at the Hood River Bridge www.GoldendaleChamber.org • (509) 773-3400 • 903 Broadway, Goldendale the gorge magazine // summer 2014 47
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: WINERIESOFLYLE.COM
THE INDUSTRY HAS SPOKEN WITH OVER 2,000 AWARDS SINCE 2001.
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- Wine Press Northwest, 2009
- Seattle Magazine
Open Daily 10-6 | 9774 Hwy 14, Goldendale, WA 98620 | maryhillwinery.com
summer sipping
Wineries, Breweries, Cideries and Distilleries of the Gorge
summer sipping
Wineries, Breweries, Cideries and Distilleries of the Gorge
Experience artisan chocolate paired with local wines, vinegars, decadent culinary salt, and so many more gourmet treats.
Wine tasters kick back at Syncline Wine Cellars, near Lyle, Wash. Syncline, which bottled its first vintage 15 years ago, pioneered several of the Southern Rhone varietals that are now grown in the Gorge (photo by Peter Marbach). HO OD RI V E R • T HE DALLES
110 3rd Street • Downtown Hood River • Find us on Facebook OPEN: Monday-Saturday 10-8pm, and Sunday 11-6pm
C athedral r idge W inery Amazing Mountain Views
Award Winning Wines
M AG A ZINE STA FF Janet Cook / Editor Rachel Hallett / Creative Director Micki Chapman / Advertising Director Kris Goodwillie / Account Executive Jenna Hallett / Account Executive CON TR IBU TOR S Writers Eileen Garvin, Amber Marra Cover Photographer Peter Marbach
OPEN DAILY 11-6
Photographers Laurie Black, Silvia Flores, Blaine Franger, Jennifer Gulizia, Kyle Johnson, Adam Lapierre, David Lloyd, Peter Marbach, Brad Peebles, Michael Peterson A SPECI A L TH A NK S TO Business Contributors pFriem Family Brewers, Memaloose Wine, McMenamin’s Edgefield, Thunder Island Brewery
4200 P ost C anyon D rive , H ooD r iver or, 97031 // 541-386-2882 www.CatHeDralriDgewinery.Com
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Published by The Gorge Magazine www.thegorgemagazine.com phone (541) 399-6333 • fax (541) 386-6796 PO Box 390 • Hood River, Oregon ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
wineries summer sipping
A family affair The McCormicks offer a taste of both sides of the Columbia with their Memaloose and Idiot’s Grace wines by a mber ma r r a
W
hen Brian McCormick came to the Columbia Gorge looking for the perfect spot to grow grapes that he hoped would make unique wine, he was lucky enough to have his family tag along for the ride. Brian has been here since 2002 and makes Memaloose and Idiot’s Grace wines from the grapes he and his family grow at two locations separated by the Columbia River—with the winery’s namesake Memaloose Island right smack in the middle. More than 20 varietals have been planted between the three vine-
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yards at McCormick Vineyards in Lyle, Wash., and two vineyards at the certified organic Idiot’s Grace Farm and Vineyard in Mosier, Ore., making for an impressive list of wines that can be sampled at the Memaloose tasting room in Lyle. Other than the vineyard locations being in two different states, the differences between the wines of Memaloose and Idiot’s Grace are subtle, according to Brian’s father, Rob McCormick, who moved from California with his son to help manage the business side of the vineyard and winery. While Memaloose wines consist of all estate
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Our casually, sophisticated tasting room offers an up-close and personal look at our winery. From the event room enjoy views of the river, vineyard cliffs, and Mount Hood. Have a picnic or glass of wine on the patio, shaded by a grape arbor. Visit our Library Room and browse through books on viticulture and enology…ask questions, stick your nose in a glass.
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fruit, some portion of the blends under the much smaller Idiot’s Grace label have come from other vineyards in years past, like Underwood Mountain in Washington. For Brian, the Gorge was the “magical sweet spot” of cooler weather, volcanic soil, and topography needed to grow the grapes that would create the distinctive wines he craved and found were harder to come by in California, where he obtained a degree in horticulture from the University of California at Davis. “There are lots of great wines down that way, but they tend to be of a certain style that is driven by the climate down there, which means there’s not as much vintage variation,” he said. “So if you go to a place where things are more marginal, there’s more of a difference from year to year.
Some years are special and others are unfortunate and that can be financially difficult, but it makes it really interesting.” The urge to make wine came from a healthy appreciation of food. As Rob McCormick puts it, his is a “food family”— not just because of his 13 years spent back East with the family business, McCormick Spices, or his years doing marketing work and consulting for the produce industry in California. Barbara McCormick trained at
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Memaloose distributes about 2,000 cases of wine annually now, but the transition from California to the Pacific Northwest was not necessarily an easy one. Dealing with fluctuating weather patterns and the impact on the harvest has been an adventure, albeit with some delicious rewards for the McCormicks. And they’ve garnered some accolades along the way—including, most recently, shout-outs in the San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Magazine for both Memaloose and Idiot’s Grace wines. “The ultimate aim of all this is to try to speak for a place, to try to make what comes in the bottle taste the way it only can taste from that one spot,” Brian said. “So it’s easier to get that singularity, that kind of site-specific flavor and character, when grapes are kind of on the edge of where they can successfully ripen.” the California Culinary Academy and during her time as a chef instilled that appreciation in her husband and son. Eventually, Brian picked up cooking and learned more about wine pairing, the “classic partners” that drive his desire to create wines of lower alcohol content that are made to stand well with food, rather than only on their own. “The nature of new-world wines is that they tend to be more powerful, they tend to be high in alcohol with an extensive use of new oak barrels and high levels of extraction,” Rob said. “So what we’re doing is a roll back to how wines used to be made in traditional European areas, based on the premise that all wines are to go with food. We want to get back to clean, bright, good acidity wines that are complementary to food and don’t overpower it.”
“wine on our scale is an intimate encounter– a snapshot of a grape, a place, and a season, transmuted by human influence” –Grower and Winemaker, Brian McCormick
Memaloose 34 State Street (hwy 14) Lyle, WA 98635
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•
360-635-2887
•
WinesoftheGorge.com
Enjoy wine tasting this Summer Though the farm Brian tends is home to some of the vines that produce his wines, Idiot’s Grace also sports a grove of ancient cherry and pear trees that explode with blossoms in the spring. A flock of chickens, a few goats, two dogs, and even his oldest son’s newly hatched emu complete the scene at Idiot’s Grace, which gets its name from a song by Kevin Salem. Despite plans to add a few acres to Idiot’s Grace, Brian is happy with where his distribution is now. The only struggle he really deals with is dividing his time between the field and the wine cellar.
For information about advertising: Micki Chapman (541) 380-0971 www.thegorgemagazine.com p l e a s e dr i n k r e s p o n s i b l y
“We want it to be personal, we want it to reflect the amount we’re able to grow so we don’t grow to the point where we need to buy other fruit or to the point where we would have too much fruit and need to sell it,” he said. “We’re trying to keep that balance.”
and Columbia GorGe
W i n e ry
Dry wines made using old world traditions: fermented on native yeasts, organically processed and sulfite-free. Nothing But the Grapes. Visit our tasting room 350 Highway 14 • Stevenson, WA www.klickitatcanyonwinery.com Facebook.com/klickitatcanyon
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Tasting tips Generally, white wines are tasted first, followed by red wines and then dessert wines. It’s okay to skip any of the wines on a tasting list by politely declining. If you’re genuinely interested in purchasing a particular wine, it’s okay to ask for a second taste. What to do Swirling the wine in your glass helps aerate the wine’s many aromas. When tasting, hold the glass by the stem rather than the bowl as holding it by the bowl can disturb the temperature of the wine. Inhale before taking a sip to appreciate the wine’s aromas. Likewise, swirl the wine around in your mouth once you sip to coat all the surfaces; we detect different flavor sensations in different parts of our mouths.
T ips and tasting eti q uette If you’re heading out to experience some of the many wineries in the Gorge, you’re in for a treat. More than 30 wineries dot the landscape from Hood River and Underwood in the west to The Dalles and Maryhill in the east. In this unique and prolific winegrowing region, each tasting room has its own unique character and varietals to offer. And though the Gorge is known for its casual, laid-back vibe, minding some basic wine tasting etiquette will enhance your experience and that of your fellow tasters. Salud! Confirm hours Gorge wineries and tasting rooms vary in their hours and days of operation. Call ahead or check websites to make sure the tasting rooms you want to visit are open. It’s also a good idea to call ahead if you’re planning to visit with a large group.
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Hip to spit You don’t have to drink all the wine in your glass. Toss the unwanted wine into the dump bucket provided for this purpose. You can also spit all or a portion of your tastings into a spittoon or cup.
Dress for the weather Dress appropriately, especially if you plan a vineyard picnic or tour. In the Gorge, in summer, that usually means sun and wind. But it can also include light rain, and temperatures can vary depending on where you are in the Gorge. Don’t wear fragrances Perfume and cologne to tasting rooms, as the scent can interfere with the subtle aromas in wine. Ask about fees Some wineries charge a fee for tastings. Some will waive fees with a purchase, so ask if this is an option.
Pace yourself Don’t try to visit too many wineries in one day. Keep in mind that tasting room samples are usually one-ounce pours, and a typical glass of wine is 4-6 ounces. Know your limit and stop when you reach it. Ask questions Tasting room servers (who are sometimes the winery owners themselves) love to share their knowledge about their wine and the stories of their wineries. Have a designated driver This will ensure your wine tasting adventure is fun and safe for you and others.
Rose Summer
`
in a glass
It’s PATIO TIME Relax Daily 11-5pm
man y wags for yapp y hour Cascade Pet Camp has solved a dog lover’s dilemma: what to do with Fido during happy hour? The camp hosts weekly Yappy Hour, where dog owners can come for a refreshment while their dogs have their own social time with others in the big yard (separated into areas for big and little dogs). Yappy Hour, held every Thursday from 5-7:30 p.m., costs $10 per dog, with the first glass of wine or beer included. Cascade Pet Camp is located at 3085 Lower Mill Drive in Hood River. (cascadepetcamp.com)
We specialize in estate grown Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling; along with Chardonnay, Barbera, Malbec, Syrah and Zinfandel, crafted from locally grown grapes.
2882 Van Horn Drive, Hood River / 541.386.8333 info@mthoodwinery.com / mthoodwinery.com
Mt. Hood Winery
award-winning hand-crafted wines from estate grown grapes & fruit sourced from top notch vineyards
welcoming tasting room & patio
5.5 scenic miles south of hood river on hwy 35
541.386.1277 / wyeastvineyards.com currently open on weekends: noon-5pm or so after mid-april, open daily: 11am-5pm or so
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cideries summer sipping
The Gorge White House
cider made here Seeds of the cider movement are well planted in the Gorge by eileen ga rvin • photos by jennifer gulizi a
I
t should come as no surprise that the Columbia River Gorge—the fruit basket of Oregon—is making a strong showing in the world of hard cider. At six and counting, the region’s cider makers are staking their claim in the young industry. Jeff Alworth, author of the Beervana blog and a forthcoming book on cider, sees cider as a natural outgrowth of the craft beverage movement in the Pacific Northwest, which has included coffee, beer, wine and spirits. “Cider comes along and slides into a groove that is already well worn,” Alworth said. And people are embracing it in the Gorge. More than 1,500 people showed up for the inaugural Hood River County Hard Pressed Cider Fest in April. Here’s a quick roundup of Gorge cider makers. 10
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Gorge Cyder House
cider garden at Ovino with brats, homemade sauerkraut and live music. Rack & Cloth 1104 1st Street, Mosier rackandcloth.com Hours: Thur-Sun, Noon to close Ciders: Stony Pig, PommePomme Farmhouse Cider
Gorge Cyder House 1209 13th Street (Ovino Market), Hood River ovinomarket.com Hours: Tues-Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ciders: York Hill Cherry, Knee Drop Hopped, Lost Lake Honey and Traditional Vintage Gorge Cyder House co-owner Stefan Guemperlein loves to make and sell good drink, but he’s not snobbish about how you get it home. “You can bring anything in here. If you have an old orange juice jug and it is clean, we can fill it up,” Guemperlein said. He began making cider for Ovino Market, which he owns with his wife Erika, in 2010, and launched the Gorge Cyder House label last year with Chip Dickinson. The ciders are unfiltered, all natural and not back sweetened. Tart and dry, they are aged for at least nine months and their alcohol by volume (ABV) hovers between 6 and 7 percent. Guemperlein uses a variety of Hood River Valley apples, including jonagold, pippin and braeburn as well as cherries from The Dalles. This summer, look for a beer and
Rack & Cloth got off to a fine start by winning the People’s Choice Award at the Cider Fest. The cidery, which takes its name from a traditional European cider press, is the work of Silas Bleakley and Kristina Nance. The two farm nine acres and will also operate the cidery as a mercantile, selling produce and simple, farm-to-table meals. They are going for unfiltered, traditional European-style ciders. “I’m in love with apples,” Bleakley said, when asked to explain the endeavor. The award winner, Stony Pig (named for the farm’s porcine residents) is fully dry and aged in oak and stainless steel for a month. PommePomme Farmhouse Cider, back sweetened with fresh cider, is off dry (and honors a matriarchal ewe). Both have 6.9 percent ABV. The cider makers use local jonagolds, winesaps, Fujis and Cripp’s pinks as well as wild crab apples.
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Fox-Tail Cider facebook.com/FoxTailCider Corner of Highway 35 and Ehrck Hill Drive, Hood River Hours: Fri-Sun, noon to 6 p.m. Ciders: Johnny Apple, Fuzzy Haven, Gilhouley Blue, Apfelwein, Red Raz, The Kurgen, The HMS Bob and Sarah Fox started making cider as a natural addition to their orchard business. The couple grows more than 40 varieties of apples, which they sell at Smiley’s Red Barn adjacent to FoxTail Cider. Bob Fox describes his cider as Cascades-style. “It is somewhere in between beer and wine. It is a little heavier, toward the beer side,” he said. The cider is partially filtered, lightly carbonated and run through a draft system. The ABV ranges from 5.2 to 6.9 percent. All seven of Fox-Tail Cider’s varieties, made with the Foxes’ fruit and other fruit from around the region, are available in the tasting room. Fox said he enjoys being part of the new trend. “Cider was America’s drink of choice before Prohibition,” he said. “America is becoming reacquainted with it.”
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HR Ciderworks facebook.com/HRCiderworks Available at: Pint Shack, Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, Brian’s Pourhouse, Sushi Okalani and other locations around the Gorge Ciders: Apple Cider, Perry Cider, Oaky Cider A joint effort between two wine makers, HR Ciderworks illustrates how cider can be more akin to wine than beer. Rich Cushman, co-owner of Viento Winery, has been making wine for more than 30 years. Steve Bickford co-owns Mt. Hood Winery (where Cushman serves as head winemaker), and his family has run Bickford Orchards for more than 100 years. The two have been friends since high school and founded HR Ciderworks in 2013. Cushman says the quality of fruit in the Hood River Valley made the cider an easy evolution from wine. “We’re trying to offer a fresh, enjoyable cider that is a reflection of what we grow here in the Hood River Valley,” he said. HR Ciderworks uses juice from red delicious, golden delicious, granny smith, jonagolds and gala apples as well as locally grown comice pears to create their off-dry Apple Cider, slightly sweet Perry Cider and a aged Oaky Cider. The Oaky won gold at the Cider Fest for best dry apple cider.
Hood Valley Hard Cider 4950 Baseline Road, Parkdale hoodvalleyhardcider.webs.com Hours: Wed-Sun, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ciders: Draft Cider, Apple Maiden, Black Apple, Whole Cone Hopped
Gorge White House 2265 Highway 35, Hood River thegorgewhitehouse.com Hours: open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ciders: Perry Cider, Apple/Pear Cider, Blueberry Cider and Mixed Berry Cider
Brian Perkey got into cider following more than 20 years in the craft beer industry. Starting out with companies like Bridgeport Brewing Company and Full Sail Brewing, Perkey landed back in the Gorge after working in the United Kingdom. He runs Hood Valley Hard Cider (HVHC) with three childhood friends and is the only Gorge cider maker using beer yeasts. He said he started experimenting with small batches of cider while working at Wyeast Laboratories, one of the largest beer yeast providers in the U.S. “With all this fruit up here, it is really easy to squeeze off a small batch, he said. “Some of them were awesome.” HVHC uses local fruit and juice to create filtered ciders that average about 6.2 ABV. HVHC won silver for its Apple Maiden in the semi-sweet category at the Cider Fest.
The Kennedy family, which has been farming in the Hood River Valley for three generations, makes cider at the Gorge White House with the help of veteran winemaker Rich Cushman. Andy Kennedy, who farms and handles behind-the-scenes work with cider, explained that the family is keen to highlight local fruit. “We want it to be clean and refreshing and the fruit to stand out,” he said. Gorge White House uses honey crisp apples and Bosc and Bartlett pears from its own farm and neighboring farms as well as berries from Gorge Delights. Its ciders are filtered and run at about 7 percent ABV. Kennedy said it’s exciting to be involved in the growing trend. The Gorge White House won two awards at the Cider Fest: gold and silver in the berry category.
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breweries summer sipping
pFriem Family Brewers
craft beer mecca Ten craft breweries in the Gorge help quench a growing thirst by ja net co ok
T
he roots of craft beer in the Gorge date back to the founding of Full Sail Brewing Co. in Hood River in 1987. Part of the first wave of craft brewers in Oregon, Full Sail helped put the state—and Hood River—on the map for the growing craft beer movement. Big Horse Brew Pub followed Full Sail, and for a decade or so the two brewpubs, located a few blocks from each other, made up the craft beer scene in the Gorge. In 2000, Walking Man Brewing opened in Stevenson. Then in 2007, the “modern” era of craft brewing in the Gorge began with the launch of Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River. Suddenly, there seemed to be an unquenchable thirst for craft beer here. The next year brought 14
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Everybody’s Brewing to White Salmon. In 2011, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales opened in the Hood River Valley, and 2012 saw the launch of Solera Brewery in Parkdale, pFriem Family Brewers in Hood River and Backwoods Brewing Company in Carson. Last year, Thunder Island Brewing opened in Cascade Locks, bringing the number of craft breweries in the Gorge to 10 (more per capita in Hood River County alone than in any other county in the country). Two nanobreweries round out the craft beer scene: Acadian Farms and Barnstormer Brewing Company, both in Carson. With this much craft beer flowing up and down the Gorge, no one should go thirsty around here.
craft breweries of the gorge
Backwoods Brewing Company 1162B Wind River Highway, Carson, Wash. (509) 427-3412 backwoodsbrewingcompany.com Demand for Backwoods beer has risen so quickly since the brewery’s launch two years ago that a new brewing system was installed this spring, doubling production capacity. The brewery, which serves pizza and other menu items, is located next to the Carson General Store. It serves as a gathering place for the small community—and is equally welcoming to visitors.
Big Horse Brew Pub 115 State Street, Hood River (541) 386-4411 bighorsebrewpub.com
Mountain produces four year-round beers, as well as an ever-changing selection of seasonals and other specialty brews.
Big Horse marked its 25th anniversary last year, and is heading into the next quarter century with a focus on brewing small batches of fine craft beer paired with a quality “gastropub” menu. The pub’s casual ambience is all Hood River, and the view from atop 2nd Street is one of the best in town.
Everybody’s Brewing 151 E. Jewett Boulevard, White Salmon (509) 637-2774 everybodysbrewing.com Everybody’s has become a community gathering spot, where people come for good beer and good food. Everybody’s focuses on session beers, with big flavor but more moderate alcohol content. The brewpub’s laidback vibe and outdoor deck, with seating for 50, is one of the more perfect places to enjoy a cold one on a hot summer day.
Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom 8 Fourth Street, Hood River (541) 387-0042 doublemountainbrewery.com Double Mountain seemed like a brewery whose time had come when it opened seven years ago. With its varied selection of quality beer and great food (pizza!), it hit the ground running and has become one of the most popular places in town. Double
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for its sustainability practices—including reducing the amount of water used in the brewing process to less than half what average breweries use. The Full Sail Brew Pub is an icon in Hood River, with views of the Columbia River and a large, varied menu designed to complement its beers. Full Sail Brewing Co. 506 Columbia Street, Hood River (541) 386-2247 fullsailbrewing.com
Logsdon Farmhouse Ales 4785 Booth Hill Road, Hood River (541) 490-9161 farmhousebeer.com
Full Sail brews a selection of beers yearround, and specialty beers throughout the year. Over the last quarter-century, Full Sail has won more beer awards than you can count. It also has won numerous awards
Logsdon produces small batches of award-winning Belgian-inspired beer in the farmhouse tradition of old. The brewery is located in a barn on Dave Logsdon’s family farm, where he uses fruit from the sur-
rounding orchards in many of his beers. The brewery recently added a small tasting room adjacent to the barn. pFriem Family Brewers 707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101, Hood River (541) 321-0490 pfriembeer.com For so young a brewery (it celebates its second anniversary in August), pFriem Family Brewers has garnered an array of awards as well as a serious Northwest following for its Belgian-style beers. Most recently,
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Solera Brewery 4945 Baseline Drive, Parkdale, Ore. (541) 352-5500 solerabrewery.com Located in the upper Hood River Valley, Solera is the neighborhood watering hole for the scenic burg of Parkdale, but the laidback pub is welcoming to all—and the beer brewed here is quality stuff. The pub fare is good, and the outdoor patio features a stunning view of Mount Hood. Walking Man 240 S.W. 1st Street, Stevenson, Wash. (509) 427-5520 facebook.com/WalkingManBeer Walking Man is a mainstay in the central Gorge, and has attracted a following from beyond for its quality, hop-heavy beer and good pub fare. And really, how can you go wrong with beers like Homo Erectus Imperial IPA and Jaywalker Russian Imperial Stout?
Portland’s Willamette Week named pFriem’s Belgian Strong Dark its Beer of the Year for 2014. A pub menu that includes Belgian-inspired items, along with its location across from Waterfront Park, makes it an easy place to end up on a summer day—especially with its new outdoor seating area. summer sipping
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Thunder Island Brewing Co. 515 N.W. Portage Road Cascade Locks, Ore. (971) 231-4599 thunderislandbrewing.com The newest craft brewery on the scene in the Gorge, Thunder Island opened last fall and has been attracting beer lovers since. The brewery has already expanded its production capacity, and is renovating its taproom with an eye toward serving more food. With its location in the hiking and biking mecca of the central Gorge, Thunder Island makes for a perfect stop after a day on the trails.
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your neighboorhood bottle shop VOLCANIC BOTTLE SHOPPE 1410 12th Street, Hood River Heights
@TIBrewing
thunderislandbrewing
@thunderislandbrewing
(541) 436-1226
volcanicbottleshoppe.com Volcanic was launched four years ago when proprietors Abe Stevens and Amanda Goeke found themselves, like many others at the height of the recession, unemployed. The Hood River couple had long been going to Portland to hit up their favorite bottle shops there—the renowned Belmont Station among them. “We started thinking about it,” Stevens said. “We felt like there was a market for it with all the beer lovers here.” Stevens and Goeke were right. Their shop began attracting a regular crowd, and in less than two years, they expanded to nearly double the size and added an outdoor beer garden. Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, located in the Heights, has a laidback feel, with couches and tables where you can sit with a drink and feel like you’re at a friend’s house. Volcanic maintains 12 taps, which are rotated constantly. One tap is dedicated to cider. The more than 200 bottles stocked in the coolers are also in constant rotation. “We don’t have an allegiance to any
ENJOY
HOOD RIVER’S one beer,” Stevens said. “We’re constantly changing them.” The shop also carries wine, cider and mead as well as a selection of gluten-free beer. All products can be consumed on site or purchased for takeaway. With all the craft breweries in town, Stevens and Goeke like to think of Volcanic as “neutral ground.” The shop has hosted debut parties for several local breweries, and it always has a rotating selection of local beer. Volcanic Bottle Shoppe is a 21-andover establishment—something Stevens and Goeke will gladly maintain despite the fact that they recently had a baby. “Sometimes you want to just have adult time,” Goeke said. “There aren’t many places in town where you can get that.”
BELGIAN-INSPIRED BEERS & FOOD
at FAMILY BREWERS
Visit our brewery located on the Columbia river ADDRESS 707 PORTWAY AVENUE, SUITE 101 TELEPHONE 541 321 0490
VISIT PFRIEMBEER.COM
summer sipping
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distilleries summer sipping
Camp 1805
in the spirit
Craft distilleries bring a new chapter to the Gorge's liquor history by ja net co ok • photos by silvi a flor e s
I
t didn’t take long after Prohibition ended in December 1933 for Oregon’s first licensed distillery to be born. And it happened right here in the Gorge. Capitalizing on the prolific fruit grown in the valley, Hood River Distillers opened in 1934, making apple and pear brandies. Eighty years later, the distilling business is thriving in the Gorge. Hood River Distillers, which is now the Pacific Northwest’s largest
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producer, importer and bottler of distilled spirits, has recently acquired Clear Creek Distillery, one of the oldest craft distilleries in Oregon. The move is a nod to the recent rise of craft distilleries nation-wide—and particularly in Oregon, where a combination of state regulations, premier agriculture and a widespread locavore mentality has made the state home to more distillers per capita than any other. Although based in Portland, Clear Creek’s roots are in Hood Riv-
Whiskey, Rums & Vodka hand-CRafted on site tasting Room . guided touRs . Bottle sales
er. Founder Steve McCarthy, from a multi-generation Hood River Valley orcharding family, launched the micro-distillery in 1985, blending fruit from his family’s orchards and European brandy-making techniques to create eau de vie and grappa. Clear Creek also makes a single malt whiskey. “Hood River Distillers got its start producing apple and pear brandies grown right here in the Hood River Valley,” said Ronald Dodge, company president. “This takes us full circle back to those roots with an opportunity to usher in a new generation of premium fruit spirits.”
N
SKU
wash.
BROT
ERS
New on the scene in Hood River is craft distillery Camp 1805—the first craft distillery in the Gorge—located in a brand new building on the Hood River waterfront. Named in honor of the year the Lewis and Clark expedition camped along the shore of the Columbia here, Camp 1805 is the long-held dream of Gorge residents Roy Slayton and Chris Taylor. The duo have spent the last couple of years learning the art of distilling—including
stevenson
K
H
apprenticing at craft distillers around the country. They’ve also meticulously built out their 2,000-square-foot distillery so that visitors can see the distilling equipment (including their custom handwrought copper pot still from Spain) and watch the process through floor-to-ceiling windows. “When people come to Hood River, it’s about the experience,” Slayton said. “We wanted to be part of an experience, not just a place that someone goes in.”
sign up for tours at www.camp1805.com Visit us on the hood River Waterfront: noon to 7pm folloW us@Camp1805
S
established
2014
S PI R IT
distilling and bottling locally crafted spirits enjoy free tastings
moonshine, apple pie & cinnamon corn whisky
opening soon
40 sw cascade ave, ste 45 • stevenson, wa www.skunkbrothersspirits.com find us on facebook
summer sipping
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Camp 1805 produces rum, whiskey, vodka and gin. Slayton and Taylor plan to start making bourbon as well as fruit liquors down the line. Visitors to the tasting room can sample ½-ounce tastings and mini-cocktails (the tasting room offers snacks but not a full food menu) as well as buy bottles of Camp 1805 products. Another craft distillery set to open by mid-summer is Skunk Brothers Spirits in Stevenson. Brothers Scott and Steven Donoho have been readying a portion of the town’s Port Building for a distillery and tasting room named in honor of their father (his nickname, Skunk, was so widely used that as kids, Scott and Steven say, they didn’t even know what his real name was).
The Donohos will start with moonshine (corn whiskey) and flavored whiskey and add more spirits—including gin and vodka—as they go. They plan to source all their ingredients from Washington. At the west end of the Gorge, Edgefield Distillery at McMenamins Edgefield has been in operation since 1998, producing craft brandies, whiskey and gin. Located in a former vegetable storage shed on the property (which was once a poor farm), the distillery maintains a rustic air. The adjacent Distillery Bar offers an inviting place to sample the wares. The bar also serves as the clubhouse for the Edgefield’s par-3 Pub Course.
D istilleries of the gorge Camp 1805 Rum, whiskey, vodka, gin 501 Portway Ave., Suite 102 Hood River, Oregon (541) 386-1805 camp1805.com Hood River Distillers Whiskey, gin, absinthe, vodka, schnapps 660 Riverside Drive Hood River, Oregon (541) 386-1588 hrdspirits.com Skunk Brothers Spirits Moonshine, flavored whiskey 40 S.W. Cascade Ave., Suite 45 Stevenson, Washington Find them on Facebook Edgefield Distillery Brandy, whiskey, gin 2126 S.W. Halsey St. Troutdalde, Oregon (503) 492-5442 mcmenamins.com/edgefield Clear Creek Distillery Eau-de-vie, brandy, grappa, whisky 2389 N.W. Wilson St. Portland, Oregon (503) 248-9470 clearcreekdistillery.com
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The Ruins at Springhouse Cellar Winery, Hood River
2014 sipping events Every Tuesday Live Music springhousecellar.com Every Friday Live Music thepinesvineyard.com Every Friday Live Music Happy Hour volcanicbottleshoppe.com Every Saturday & Sunday Live Terrace Music maryhillwinery.com
june June 11 Gorge Green Drinks at Viento Winery gorgeowned.org June 12, July 10 & August 14 Limited Edition Beer Tasting McMenamins Edgefield mcmenamins.com
June 20-21 Gorge Blues and Brews Festival Stevenson gorgebluesandbrews.com June 28 Best of the Northwest Dinner and Wine Auction Maryhill Museum maryhillmuseum.org
july July 12 Volcanic 4th Anniversary Party volcanicbottleshoppe.com July 22 Stars Over the Gorge Dinner maryhillwinery.com July 26 White Salmon Art & Wine Fusion artandwinefusion.com
august
october
August 2 Pfriem 2nd Anniversary Party pfriembeer.com
October 11-12, 18-19 Harvest Celebration maryhillwinery.com
August 14 Gorge Green Drinks at Ovino/ Gorge Cyder House gorgeowned.org
October 17 Fall Crush Dinner McMenamins Edgefield
August 30-September 1 Labor Day Weekend Winery Open House columbiagorgewine.com
september September 27 Hood River Hops Fest hoodriver.org
november November 8 Skamania Lodge Winemaker’s Dinner maryhillwinery.com November 28-30 Thanksgiving Weekend Winery Open House columbiagorgewine.com
66 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
The Meaning of Wilderness a Ph o t o e ss a y b y P e t e r M a r b a c h
I owe my embrace of wild places to my mother. When I was a child, she took me on walks into the woods behind our home in upstate New York. I held her hand tightly as the forest rose dark and terrifying. Soon my fears melted away as she described the beauty of the canopy above and names of flowers like Jack in the Pulpit and Skunk Cabbbage that made me giggle. It was a magical time that left a deep impression on me about learning to be at home in the wild.
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 67
Rooted in the comfort of that childhood memory, I have managed to maintain a childlike awe and reverence for wild places. For many years now in early August, I return to a hidden wildflower meadow high off the beaten path in the Mount Hood Wilderness. It is a place of otherworldly beauty, at once foreboding yet familiar. The meadow is vibrant, a frenzy of flowers each jostling for my attention, welcoming me back. The meadow hangs like a skirt flowing down from the edge of a glacier. Camera in hand, I stumble upwards through a chaos of color, searching for an orderly composition. The assault on my senses knocks me to my knees, forced by the universe to stop and take in the moment. And right in front of me is a boulder echoing the shape of the mountain above. I linger for hours mesmerized by the view and caressed by a gentle wind. This area is so small yet every year I discover something new—a snake-like wood fragment resting on a boulder, a piece of sun bleached pine bark, a seasonal shallow pond that puts on a weeklong performance then vanishes without a trace, and sunsets that are poems of endless ridgelines. There is a presence here that defies description, a feeling of being observed in the abode of spirits. Last summer, the memory of my childhood mentoring came full circle as I introduced my daughter to the magic of this place, now our place. And so I will return year after year to this holy place until my time comes, in an August of a life well lived, when once more a loving hand reaches down to guide me home into the Wilderness.] This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Peter Marbach, a long-time Gorge resident and photographer renowned for his wilderness and landscape images, wrote this in tribute to the federal law that has protected more than 100 million acres of wildlands since its passage in 1964.
68 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
The Dalles
Sunsational Charm Trail With over 40 locations to collect from, come to The Dalles to create your one-of-a-kind 'Sunsational' Charm Bracelet! Charm Trail Maps are available at The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce Office. Start your ‘Sunsational’ journey today! GM2
Bring this cut out into the Chamber office for a free charm
541.296.2231
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Explore the Gorge with the comforts of home…
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the gorge magazine // summer 2014 69
Ascendente Winery White Salmon’s newest tasting room!
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165 NE Estes Avenue • PO Box 735 White Salmon, WA 98672 Phone (509) 493-1965 • Fax (509) 493-1905 whitesalmon@ameri-title.com www.Ameri-Title.com
Feast Market & Delicatessen 320 E Jewett Boulevard • White Salmon, WA feastmkt.com • (509) 637-6886
Local organic produce, fresh sustainable seafood. Natural meats, artisan cheeses, charcuterie, beer & wine. Fresh salads, soups, entrees & sandwiches. Gluten-free & vegetarian.
Trout Lake Festival of Arts
troutlakefestivalofarts.com Trout Lake School/Hwy 141 July 12 & 13th 2014 Art, Music and Food with a Mountain View
Dickey Farms Store & Angel’s Bakery
Maryhill Winery
806 West Steuben Street • Bingen, WA • (509) 493-2636
9774 Highway 14 • Goldendale, WA • (877) 627-9445 maryhillwinery.com • info@maryhillwinery.com
Speciality Groceries and Meats • Local Produce Gifts and Cards • Local Arts and Crafts • Local Wine Selection Fresh Pastries, Pies, Breads, and Cake • Hard Ice Cream Garden Center • Feed, Grain, and Pet Supplies
Doctor Roscoe’s Holistic Bicycle Repair
One of the largest and most-visited wineries in Washington state, and a true destination for exceptional wines, scenic views and live summer music.
AniChe Cellars
River Drifters
209 East Steuben Street • Bingen, WA (509) 281-3500 • doctorroscoesbikes.com
71 Little Buck Creek Road • Underwod, WA (360) 624-6531 • anichecellars.com
(800)972-0430 • riverdrifters.net • Follow us on Facebook Book your next rafting adventure online!
Doctor Roscoe is a swell guy and he wants to keep your favorite bike on the road or trail. Stop by and see what he can do for the well-being of your ride.
A family-owned winery located in the heart of the Gorge. Our wines are almost entirely varietal blends which creates an ecletic mix of characteristics and complexity.
White Salmon, Deschutes, Clackamas Rivers and More! The perfect adventure for families, friends, or special event groups. Multi-day pacakages. Fun for all ages and abilities.
Discover your aDventure! For information visit: mtadamschamber.com or call (509) 493-3630
outside
Worth the Wait
Climbing Mount Hood presents challenges— and rewards—for a would-be climber with a fear of heights story and photos by adam lapierre
I’m at Mt. Hood Brewing Co. in Government Camp, sitting with two friends fueling up with food and drink after work on a Friday evening before our pre-dawn trek the next morning up the south side of the mountain. The trip is to be my first summit of Mount Hood, and after growing up in its shadow, in the quaint little town of Parkdale, I keep telling myself, it’s about darn time, to help override the inescapable anxiety someone with a fear of heights has before climbing a 12,000-foot volcano. Ironically, it’s after my first sip of the brewery’s iconic Ice Axe IPA that I remember a key piece of gear I don’t have for the climb—an ice axe. I was supposed to remind my friend, and our guide for the trip, John Rust, to pack an extra for me, but was so preoccupied with packing and repacking enough food, water and clothing for the trip that I forgot. No worries, John says, snow conditions look pretty good and I can probably just use my ski poles for safety during the final, steepest pitch up and back down from the summit. This is my third such adventure in as many years with John, an experienced climber, mountaineer, guide and outdoor educator with a penchant for showing action-sports
72 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
Located 22 miles South of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area. Find us on the Top of the Fruit Loop Map in the beautiful town of Mt Hood.
LODGING Reservations: 541-352-6692
junkies like myself the true meaning of “nerves of steel.” Two years ago I joined his Hood River Community Education kids’ rock climbing class at Smith Rock in Central Oregon, where he set a 300-foot-high Tyrolean traverse into the mouth of the famous Monkey Face monolith. Last year it was a five-hour climbing and rappelling expedition inside Dynamite Cave, near Trout Lake. For someone with a solid background in extreme sports but little experience with heights, both took me out of my comfort zone but were clearly stimulating enough to keep me coming back for more. We watch the summit glow a fiery red as the sun sets over the distant west hills, then pile into John’s Volkswagen campervan for a few hours of interrupted shuteye in the parking lot of Timberline Lodge. It’s midnight and pitch black when we awake, gear-up and depart, joined by light from headlamps and the sounds of footsteps and clanking metal gear of several dozen other climbers headed up the same route. Late spring and early summer is prime climb-
Private Cabins, Condos, Lodge Hotel Style Rooms, and a Log Home.
ing season on Mount Hood, and on this early June night there must be about 50 others headed up the mountain in close proximity. Mount Hood attracts about 10,000 climbers a year, making it America’s most visited snow-covered peak. Such high numbers of climbers compressed into a short climbing season also makes Hood statistically one of the most dangerous mountains in the country. In the last 20 years alone, 30 people have died climbing the mountain. For those attempting the safest route up the south side, starting at Timberline Lodge, there are a few options. The one we go for is to start at the parking lot and hike through the night to reach
WEDDINGS & EVENTS
DINING
The Crooked Tree Tavern & Grill Happy Hour Specials Dining Reservations: (541) 352-6037
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the gorge magazine // summer 2014 73
outside
the Hogsback by dawn and the summit another hour or so later. This time of year, reaching the summit early and heading back down before sunshine and daytime temperatures start loosening ice and rocks is crucial, so John wastes no time setting a blistering pace up the climber’s trail. The guy’s six-foot-something and built like a horse; keeping up with him is no easy task. With a steady, cold headwind to keep things interesting, we follow what equates to a game trail uphill in the pitch black for about four hours. We stop briefly a few times to snack, and reach the area known as Devil’s Kitchen in time to see the predawn hues set the sky aglow around us.
74 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
This is the point, under decent conditions, where most climbers gear-up with crampons, harnesses, ropes and ice axes to cross the Hogsback and ascend the final pitch to the summit via either the Old Chute or the Pearly Gates. Having carried a snowboard strapped to my pack and about 30 pounds of other gear, food, water and clothing—much of which goes unused—up the mountain, against the wind, I am completely knackered, and dizzy to boot. Although in hindsight the safer decision, not having an ice axe is just a convenient excuse for me to turn back, while the other two go on to the summit. Talk about a long solo back down the mountain; not only had I failed in reaching the summit, but the snowboard I had just lugged 4,500 feet up is useless until the sun softens the snow, which won’t be for another couple of hours. So I haul it all the way back down, thighs quivering as the parking lot grows slowly closer with each toe-jamming step. Thankfully, after a few weeks of self-deprecation, I
have a second go at it. We start pretty much the same as before: dinner and a beer in Government Camp, an attempt at sleep in John’s van and a cloudless midnight start—with an ice axe this time—in the company of several dozen others. Knowing what to expect this time around, I’m much more comfortable as I get into a rhythm: one step after the other, keep up with the mountain goat ahead of me, regulate body temperature, hydrate, breathe and repeat. Before long we pass Timberline’s mid-slope Silcox Hut, then the top of the Palmer Chair at about 8,500 feet. From there it’s another 2,000 feet of steep, open slope along the Triangle Moraine to reach Crater Rock and the Devil’s Kitchen. This is when the climb goes from grueling to spectacular. On clear mornings the sunrise casts a perfect pyramid shadow of Mount Hood halfway across the state, while in the other direction the peak of Oregon’s tallest mountain glows gloriously overhead. Resting very little so as not to get cold, we fix crampons to our boots, rope-up and depart straightaway, but not before snapping a few photos. A large group in front of us turns left at the Hogsback and heads up the more straightforward Old Chute route, so we turn right toward the Pearly Gates. For me, the choice to ascend the more technical, vertical route isn’t exactly settling. Then again, I’m roped to John, who seems about as comfortable with heights as one of those crazy mountain goats you see on the Discovery Channel, perched precariously on a cliff face, munching weeds from cracks as if in a grassy meadow. Keeping in mind the age-old saying, “don’t look down,” I climb the steep narrow ladder of ice through the Pearly Gates with surprising ease and wellbeing, and from there the summit’s just a few hundred yards away. For the sake of pointing out the obvious, the view from the top is spectacular. But having pushed the climb into late June, there’s little time to savor it. We pass a camera around for obligatory portraits, snack on some trail mix and start back down the same way we came up—but not before I manage a great big smile, a few deep breaths and an unforgettable moment of wide-eyed self-reflection.
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the gorge magazine // summer 2014 75
arts+culture
Art of Community founders (clockwise from top left): Cathleen Rehfeld, Karen Watson, Kristen Godkin, C.J. Rench and Mark Nilsson.
For Art’s Sake
The Big Art Walking Tour adds public art to Hood River by janet cook
CJ Rench has a simple vision: completely transform the face of Hood River within a year through public art. The sculptor knows a few things about transformative public art. The self-taught industrial engineer-turned metal sculptor has created and installed more than two-dozen large and small works of art in cities and towns across the country, from Washington’s San Juan Islands to Orlando, Fla. In fact, traveling the country to install his work in other places is what made him want to bring more public art to his own hometown. “I’ve traveled all over, and I always love to see the public art,” Rench said. “I remember a lot of the plac-
76 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
es I’ve been by the public art in that place.” Despite all the great artists in the Gorge, he says, “From an outward visual perspective, there’s not much art.” He set out to change that in Hood River. Rench turned to Kristen Godkin, long involved in the area’s arts community, and the two rounded up some of the Gorge’s best known artists: Mark Nilsson, Cathleen Rehfeld and Karen Watson. Together, they founded Art of Community, with the mission of installing permanent public art. Their first project is to exhibit rotating sculptures in set locations along the waterfront and downtown known as the Big Art Walking Tour. The group identified a few sites they thought
C.J. Rench at work in his studio.
Columbia Center for the Arts
OREGON WILD! A five month series of art shows in celebration of the Pacific Northwest
215 Cascade Hood River, OR www.columbiaarts.org
Painting by Nathan Clements
would be ideal for installations. As word got out about the project, people came forward to make suggestions or offer space. The group initially planned on finding eight sites for installations. To pay for the project, each site requires a $1,500 annual sponsorship. The installed sculptures, essentially on loan from artists, will remain for a year. After that, the pieces can be bought or they’ll be returned to the artists and a new round of sculptures will be juried in for the next year. Within weeks of launching Art of Community in February, the project was riding a groundswell of support. “The Port and the City just jumped on it,” Rench said. Each offered sites on their property for the project. “They were so supportive from the get-go.” The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce offered to pay for the printing and distribution regionally of up to 25,000 walking tour maps. Businesses immediately offered to fund some sites, and community members came forward to sponsor others. Crestline Construction offered to prepare each site for installation free of charge—including pouring concrete pads—and Rench and his studio crew will professionally install each exhibit. “We went from a dream of eight sites to having 15 sites completely funded,” Rench said. “As far as a community getting behind something, this has been amazing.” He thinks it’s partly a reflection of the community simply being ready for it. “It’s really a community project that has exploded,” he said. “We haven’t heard a negative word about it.” In March, Art of Community distributed a na-
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 77
arts+culture
tional “Call to Artists.” The group received nearly 40 submissions and in early May, a jury made up of Art of Community members and site sponsors selected the 15 pieces for this year’s exhibit. “For our first year, we were thrilled to get such a significant response,” Godkin says. “The diversity and the quality was impressive.” The Big Art Walking Tour starts near the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce/Visitor’s Center, heads across the pedestrian bridge over the Hood River to the Event Site and Waterfront Park, loops back to cross the 2nd Street overpass and continues on to several sites in the downtown core, ending at the library. “We think this will have real value for our visitors and locals alike, and will encourage them to get out into the community and look at it from a different perspective,” says Mike Glover, the chamber’s executive director. “To have this quality and quantity of art in a town our size is pretty special, and to have it easily accessible to folks of all ages is a great thing.” In addition, the Big Art Walking Tour connects the wa-
terfront to downtown—something that planners and citizens have yearned for. Along with creating more public art in Hood River, the Art of Community founders want to use the project to boost visibility and accessibility to the arts in the Gorge. Toward that end, the organization will give a portion of sponsorship proceeds remaining at the end of the year to an arts-related nonprofit. This year, proceeds will go to Columbia Gorge Arts in Education, which works to provide arts education and programs to kids in grades K-12 in five Gorge counties. Rench says the Big Art Walking Tour could help draw tourists to town. But equally important is its impact on local residents. “This is really a community-based project,” he says. “It’s about quality of life for ourselves and our kids.” For more about Art of Community and the Big Art Walking Tour, go to art-of-community.com.
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78 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
220 E. 4th Street • (541) 296-4759 www.TheDallesArtCenter.org Open: Tues-Sat, 11am-5pm
Fall
in love with Hood River… Sept. 1
Roy Webster Cross-Channel Swim A Labor Day tradition… hoodriver.org/cross-channel-swim
art of the wild
Sept. 27
Columbia Center for the Arts hosts a summer exhibit that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act
Hood River Hops Fest A beer lovers dream… hoodriver.org/hops-fest
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, a landmark conservation bill signed into law by Lyndon Johnson on Sept. 3, 1964, which established a unique land preservation system that now includes more than 100 million acres of wilderness areas from coast to coast. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act regionally, the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River partnered with the Mount Adams Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service to organize an art show that will hang in the gallery during August. Twenty-one artists, selected by jury last year, have been venturing into designated Wilderness Areas surrounding the Gorge—Mount Adams, Trapper Creek, Indian Heaven, Badger Creek, Mark O. Hatfield and Mount Hood—to create art that celebrates the beauty, character, history and solitude of the wilderness. For more information, go to columbiaarts.org.
Oct. 17-19 Hood River Valley Harvest Fest A celebration of the season… hoodriver.org/harvest-festival Dec. 5 Hood River Holidays Kick-Off Small-town holiday excitement… hoodriver.org/hood-river-holidays
participating artists Renee Couture
Jurgen Hess
Venka Payne
Hannah Viano
Jonathan Erickson
Darryl Lloyd
Ann Chadwick Reid
Paul Zegers
Gillian Freney
Peter Marbach
Mary Rollins
Greg Zuck
Anthony Gordon
Alex McDermott
Liz Roth
Rachel Harvey
Jan Muir
Jeff Stewart
Leah Hedberg
Sally O'Neill
Donna Van Tuyl
For more information, visit hoodriver.org 541-386-2000 the gorge magazine // summer 2014 79
wellness
Feeding the Soul Spirituality and free range chickens come together at the Trout Lake Abbey by ruth berkowitz • photos by jennifer alyse A dozen eggs from The Trout Lake Abbey costs $8 at the Hood River Farm Stand, and they sell fast. Hood River resident Mark Fuentes says they are worth it— “good karma,” he told me many years ago when we fried an egg in his Hood River kitchen and marveled at the sunset orange yolk. With a plethora of farmers and chickens here in the Gorge, why are these eggs that are packaged in a pink carton and come with a prayer—may all beings find peace—so popular? Reverend Kozen Sampson, the practicing monk at the Trout Lake Abbey and caretaker of the chickens, invites me to his farm to find out. “Call me Kozen,” he says and tells me he would be honored if I wrote about his chickens. “But you know, there’s a lot more here than our chickens,” he says. “You’ll have to come up and see.” After providing directions, Kozen instructs, “Take your time coming up. Enjoy the drive.” Always in a rush these days, I heed his advice and drive slowly up Highway 141. Mount Adams in its marshmallow white cap has a grandmotherly pres-
80 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
ence looking over the valley. Passing BZ Corner, I notice a few courageous kayakers ready to plunge into the frigid While Salmon River. Then come the open fields with grazing cows and alpacas. I turn right on Stoller Road, named after the Swiss family who settled here in the late 1800s. A larger-than-lifesize stone Buddha greets me as I turn onto the gravel driveway. Donned in earth brown robes, six-foot-two Kozen and his German shepherd rescue dog, Greta, greet me. He ushers me in to the living room of the bedand-breakfast. I tell him that I took his advice, slowed down and soaked in the scenery on my drive up. “It’s so peaceful here,” I add. “Good, then my work is done,” he responds with an infectious smile. Kozen says he felt a similar feeling of peace when he arrived at the farm six years ago in search of land for a retreat center. Kozen and his spiritual partner, Reverend Kirk Thomas (who used to practice Buddhism before discovering Marion Zimmer Bradley’s book, The Mists of Avalon, which inspired him to become a Druid), planned to build a retreat center in Tucson, Arizona, where they were living. But their concerns about water shortage and long term climate change pointed them to the Northwest. “When I saw the mountain and the farm, I knew it was perfect,” Kozen says. In a sense it was meant to be, he continues, because the previous owner, Abby Gail Layton, a Jewish Buddhist, had started a spiritual retreat center, and hosted a number of religious classes here. Layton held meditation sessions in the spectacular stone cobb sanctuary that she built. Layton decided to sell the farm after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Kozen and Thomas got right to work, building two very different monasteries. On the east side of the property is the Buddhist Monastery, and on the west side is the Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. (otherwise known as ADF) Druid Monastery, with its stone circle and sacred fire pit. Founded in 1983, ADF Druidism is a form of spirituality that promotes harmony, worship of nature and scholarship of ancient paganism. The bed-and-breakfast and the chickens live happily in the middle. Remodeled with recycled wood, marmoleum floors, LED lights and a passive solar hallway, the bedand-breakfast attracts people for spiritual retreats and those just looking to get away and enjoy the view. We tour the kitchen, filled with canned goods from the organic garden. Kozen and Thomas’s goal is to be 80 percent organic in both food and practice. Kozen bends down to show me their humane no-kill mouse
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trap, used to contain mice and bring them back outside where they belong. Kozen grew up in Guam, where most of the South Pacific Islanders were Baptists, Quakers or Catholics. One day, at the age of 15, he attended a service at the Baptist Church and the minister scolded him, insisting that if he didn’t wear a suit and tie, God wouldn’t love him. Confused and saddened, Kozen spoke to a friend who inspired him to learn about Buddhism. “That summer, I told my mother I was going to visit friends and would be back in a while,” Kozen says. He managed to board a plane to Kyoto, Japan. With little money in his pocket and eager to learn about Buddhism, Kozen began knocking on doors, meeting mentors, including Ruth Fuller Sazaki, the first American woman to become a Zen Buddhist priest. Kozen never looked back. Buddhism and its philosophy of loving kindness made sense to him, and after rigorous practice, he eventually became an ordained monk of the Vietnamese Rinzai Zen line.
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the gorge magazine // summer 2014 81
wellness
We head outside and as soon as we open the gate to the luxurious chicken area, the hens cluck toward him, anxious to see an old friend. “Sometimes I chant to them,” Kozen says. “I chant that they reincarnate to a higher species.” These 205 chickens live a good life. Here they spread their wings on the agility course and munch on organic seed. On special days, they eat bananas, mung sprouts and discarded cheese from the Trout Lake Cascadia Creamery. Because the eggs are certified organic and meet Animal Welfare Approved standards, the hens can’t be treated with antibiotics. Instead, when they’re sick, Kozen gives them acupuncture and massages and he says it works most of the time. Kozen also takes pride in the fact that, unlike most chicken farms, when a hen stops laying eggs here, she lives out her life in the one-acre pasture. We walk to the hundred-year-old red barn. “Be prepared, it’s not much,” he tells me as we climb the wooden stairs to the upper level of the barn and open the door to the temple. This is where Kozen and others come to meditate and practice Buddhism. Behind the altar with its golden Buddhas and evocative candles, the wall holds a life size rendering of a Bodhi tree, the famous fig tree where Buddha sat on the night he obtained enlightenment. The tree grows out of the ocean with turbulent waves. These waves, Kozen explains, symbolize that there is no end to life, but a connectedness to all. The ceiling is painted with Buddhas and soothing blue skies. “It’s beautiful,” I tell him. Kozen smiles, ready to wow me more and takes me back outside. “Spin the prayer wheels and walk around them,” he instructs. Colorfully painted, the wooden wheels with their Sanskrit prayers spin artistically. We walk into the garden of Buddha statues, filled with 60 different Buddhas, each placed on a wooden stand with room for a pot of incense. “When you see a Buddha, it reminds you to open your heart,” Kozen says. He hopes some day to have 1,000 Buddhas in the garden. Before I leave, I stop at the small self-serve store on the farm and buy not one- but two-dozen eggs for $6 apiece. Good karma, I think to myself. Kozen was right. There is a lot more here than just the chickens. For more information, go to tlabbey.com. Ruth Berkowitz is a lawyer, mediator and writer. She lives with her family in Hood River and Portland and is a frequent contributor to The Gorge Magazine.
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541-386-1700 // www.icfec.com // find us on Facebook 1700 12th Street, Suite A // Hood River, Oregon
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 83
our gorge
partake
Ingredients
Grilled Eggplant Tartine
Eggplant, feta, green olive, arugula, and honey tartine paired with local wines. Bon appétit! By Kacie McMackin
A
quickly whisked aioli, bitter arugula, smokey eggplant, salty feta and olives, sweet honey. The marriage of these flavors is absolute perfection. They can be made and served while warm, or made ahead of time and served at room temperature. These would make fantastic appetizers too, simply use small baguette slices instead of larger bread! For more original recipes and restaurant reviews by Kacie McMackin visit gorgeinthegorge.com.
84 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
1. Lay the eggplant slices out on paper towels or thin dishtowels. Sprinkle the slices of eggplant with a tiny bit of kosher salt, flip and repeat. Lay another layer of towels over the top of the eggplant slices. Place a large roasting pan, with a heavy cookbook on top, to help press out a bit of the moisture for twenty minutes. 2. Paint both sides of the eggplant with a bit of olive oil and grill on medium high heat until nicely browned. Set them aside and allow them to cool a little while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
• Loaf of French bread, sliced • Two medium eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch discs • Baby arugula • 1/2 Cup of mayonnaise • A pinch of fresh thyme • Feta cheese • Green olives, thinly sliced • Extra virgin olive oil • Honey • Kosher salt • Freshly ground black pepper
Wine Pairings Try these local wine selections with Grilled Eggplant Tartine. Memaloose Wines (Lyle) Estate Cabernet Franc Idiots Grace Vineyard Columbia Gorge 2011
3. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise with the thyme and a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a little pepper. 4. Smear a very thin layer of the aioli onto your toasts, drizzle them with a little olive oil and pop them under the broiler until they are slightly bubbly and golden. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. 5. Spread the rest of the aioli on the cooled toasts, top them each with a small handful of arugula, a few slices of eggplant, some crumbled feta, and sliced olives. Finally, drizzle each toast with a little slightly warmed honey, olive oil, and a little freshly ground black pepper.
Syncline Wine Cellars (Lyle) Grüner Veltliner Underwood Mountain Vineyard Columbia Gorge 2013
Phelps Creek Vineyards (Hood River) Le Petit Pinot Noir Columbia Gorge
andrew's pizza & bakery
(541) 386-1448 • andrewspizza.com 107 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River 310 SW 2nd Street • Downtown Stevenson Since 1991 Andrew's Pizza has been serving New York-style, hand-tossed pizza. Topping selections from basic to gourmet. Feel like a movie? Step through the Hood River restaurant and enter the Skylight Theatre…sit back and enjoy a firstrun movie while sipping on a pint of beer or a glass of wine. dine-in, take-out or delivery.
backwoods brewing company
aniche cellars
APPLE VALLEY BBQ
(360) 624-6531 • anichecellars.com 71 Little Buck Creek Road • Underwood
(541) 352-3554 • applevalleybbq.com 4956 Baseline Drive • Downtown Parkdale
We are a small family owned and operated winery located in the heart of the Columbia Gorge. We make wine with an eye to European tradition and a particularly Washington sense of terroir and style. Our wines are almost entirely varietal blends which creates an eclectic mix of characteristics and complexity. The fruit we use comes from Washington’s plethora of renowned AVAs, including our very own Columbia Gorge AVA.
• 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 Open: Wed-Sun at 11am to 8pm. Closed: Mon & Tues.
casa el mirador
cascade locks ale house
(509) 427-3412 • Open Thur-Sun, 3-9pm 1162B Wind River Road • Carson
(541) 298-7388 • casaelmirador.com 1424 West 2nd Street • The Dalles
(541) 374-9310 • cascadelocksalehouse.com 500 Wanapa Street • Cascade Locks
We, the Waters family, decided to open a new brewery in Carson, Washington. Our brewery is inspired by the finest craft breweries of the Columbia River Gorge and all around the Pacific Northwest. We are locally owned and our beer is locally brewed in the “Backwoods”. Enjoy delicious pizza, fresh salads and tasty appetizers in our family-friendly pub.
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 1/2 off appetizers 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.
• Great pizza and an awesome beer selection • American: new and traditional • Lunch and dinner • Burgers and sandwiches • World-famous horseradish • Outdoor seating • Take-out • Groups welcome
celilo restaurant & bar
grace su’s china gorge
(541) 386-5710 • celilorestaurant.com 16 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River
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. experience the freshest foods here, today!
(541) 386-5331 • chinagorge.com 2680 Old Columbia River Drive • Hood River (Located off I-84 and the base of Hwy 35) While visiting the Gorge…take a trip to China. Great Szechuan-Hunan taste. No airfare. Free Parking. Very happy family. great plates for more than 30 years.
open: Fri & sat 11am-11pm; Mon, Wed, Thurs, & sun 11am-9 pm, and closed Tuesday.
dog river coffee
(541) 386-4502 • dogrivercoffee.net 411 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River 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
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 85
(541) 308-0304 • indiancreekgolf.com 3605 Brookside Drive • Hood River
(541) 386-3000 • doppiohoodriver.com 310 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River
doppio CoFFEE
double mountain brewery & taproom
A scenic choice with excellent food and personal service located in the heart of the Hood River Valley just minutes from downtown. Unwind with breathtaking views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams from our covered, wind protected patio. Relax with a beverage from our full service bar or enjoy some fabulous northwest cuisine at a reasonable price. Open Daily for lunch & Dinner. happy hour 3-6pm.
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 dogfriendly. Open daily at 7 a.m.
A local favorite, serving up an ever-changing variety of ales and lagers that are brewed onsite. The highly-regarded brews are complemented by a menu of sandwiches, salads and delicious thin-crust New York-style pizza that has earned rave reviews. Outdoor seating available.
DIVOTS clubhOuSe ReSTAuRANT
(541) 387-0042 • doublemountainbrewery.com 8 Fourth Street • Downtown Hood River
open 7 days a week at 11:30am
everybodysbrewing.com White Salmon, WA
EVERYBODY’S BREWING
FULL SAIL brew pUb
GROUND Espresso Bar & Cafe
(509) 637-2774 • everybodysbrewing.com 151 Jewett Boulevard • Downtown White Salmon
(541) 386-2247 • fullsailbrewing.com 506 Columbia Street • Downtown Hood River
(541) 386-4442 • groundhoodriver.com 12 Oak Street • Downtown Hood River
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. Open 7 days a week, 11:30am to closing
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.
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.
Mothers Marketplace
ovino market & delicatessen and gorge cyder house
mcmenamins edgefield
(503) 669-8610 • mcmenamins.com 2126 SW Halsey Street • Troutdale (off Exit 16)
(541) 387-2202 • mothersmarketplace.net 106 Highway 35 • Hood River
The Power Station pub combines casual dining with a movie theater and artfully decorated atmosphere. In the summertime, the fun and food of the Power Station expands outdoors to the Loading Dock Grill, adjacent to the Edgefield Brewery. Stop by for a beer and more. ales, wines, and spirits are handcrafted onsite.
We are a locally-owned vegetarian health food market that emphasizes organic foods. Our deli features pizza by the slice, a juice bar, fresh soups, and smoothies. We have an organic produce section, over 100 bulk bins of “real food”, grocery items ranging from boxed and frozen foods to natural beauty care products, plus bulk herbs and supplements. Follow us on Facebook
86 the gorge magazine // Summer 2014
(541) 436-0505 • ovinomarket.com 1209 13th Street • Hood River Heights
We carry a variety of cheeses and charcutery, local bread, antipasti, chocolate, olive oil, vinegar, and other gourmet items to create the perfect picnic. Try one of our Europeanstyle sandwiches for lunch and enjoy it in our Beer & Cider Garden with a glass of Gorge Cyder House “old world style” hard apple cider crafted right here at our location.
PFriem Family brewers
pietro’s pizza & Gallery of Games (541) 386-1606 • pietrospizza.com 107 2nd Street • Downtown Hood River
(541) 387-7600 • pintshack.com 105 4th Street • Downtown Hood River
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. Open 11:30am to 10pm daily
We offer fun games for all ages and three TVs so Mom and Dad can catch the game. Our extensive menu consists of a variety of pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, and a 24 item salad bar. It also includes broasted chicken, chicken wings, and seasoned fries. Place your to go orders at pietrospizza.com. Delivery available in Hood River and White Salmon. Free delivery to local hotels.
Welcome to the sunny side, where Hood River and Baja collide! Head on in for a fun vibe and enjoy the great selection of Northwestern craft beers, ciders and wine. 12 taps rotating often and a great selection of bottles. Enjoy it here or take ‘em home. We also offer great pub food! Live Music on Wed and Fri nights
pita pit
riverside & cebu lounge (541) 386-4410 • riversidehoodriver.com Exit 64 off I-84 • Waterfront Hood River
sixth street bistro & loft
(541) 386-5737 • sixthstreetbistro.com 509 Cascade Avenue • Downtown Hood River
We believe you don’t need to sacrifice your health to get a quick, tasty meal. That’s why we start with our unique soft and roll-able pita bread, then fill it with your choice of lean, grilled meats, fresh vegetables, flavorful cheeses, and savory sauces. Conveniently located in the Rosauer’s shopping center next to Cherries Frozen Yogurt. Plenty of free parking! Fresh thinking…Healthy Eating
Diners seek out Riverside for some of the best food in the Gorge—and Cebu for great bar food, drinks and live entertainment. With amazing panoramic river views, Riverside offers fresh menu choices that change seasonally for breakfast, lunch & dinner—plus an award-winning wine list. Check our website for current menus and our Chef’s Blog. cebu lounge: happiest hours in town, Mon-Fri 4-6 pm
A local favorite for over 20 years! We are committed to serving naturally raised, organic and local produce, meats, beer and wine. We have 12 microbrews, draft cider and a full bar. Happy hour daily from 5-6pm. Casual setting, outside seating and family friendly. Located at the corner of 6th and Cascade Streets in downtown Hood River. open 7 days a week at 11:30 for lunch and dinner.
(541) 321-0490 • pfriembeer.com 707 Portway Avenue, Suite 101 • Hood River Waterfront
(541) 436-0600 • pitapitusa.com 1769 12th Street • Hood River Heights
pint shack
What’s for dinner? Find out here...in Partake The dining and drinking guide for the Gorge
the gorge magazine // summer 2014 87
SolStice wood fire café, bar & catering
stonehedge gardens
the subterranean
(541) 386-3940 • stonehedgeweddings.com 3405 West Cascade Avenue • Hood River
(541) 436-4600 • Find us on Facebook 113 3rd Street • Downtown Hood River
Eat like a local…you'll have a fun and authentic Gorge experience at the waterfront! Serving inventive pizzas with perfectly blistered crusts, wood-fired veggies, salmon, burgers, and s'mores. 11 local craft beers, wines and ciders on tap, as well as exquisite cocktails. Large patio and kids play area. Vegan, gluten free, and organic options too.
“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
The “Sub T” has quickly become a favorite of both locals and visitors alike. Striving for the highest in quality and consistency, our goal is to make your dining experience the best it can be. From Steaks to Gourmet Italian and more. Martinis, Cocktails, Beer and Wine. Happy Hour daily from 5-6pm. Seasonal hours: Wed-Fri for lunch from 11:30-2pm and dinner 6 nights a week at 5pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
sushi okalani
the glass onion restaurant (509) 773-4928 • theglassonionrestaurant.com 604 South Columbus Avenue • Goldendale
(541) 386-2828 • thegorgewhitehouse.com 2265 Highway 35 • Hood River
Come find us in the basement of the Yasui Building, the local’s favorite spot for fresh fish, Pan-Asian Cuisine, and a rockin’ atmosphere! Lots of rotating specials, creative rolls, and a large sake selection means you’re always trying something new! Private rooms are available for groups up to 20 people. Take-out menu available online. Open for dinner nightly at 5:00, closing hours change seasonally.
Join us in our cozy dining room for delicious local food made entirely from scratch by Chef, Matt McGowan. His philosophy: use fresh, quality ingredients and let the dish speak for itself, keep it simple and clean. Enjoy local wines and craft beer on tap, free WiFi, featured artist every month, special events and wine dinners. Ask about catering and private parties. summer hours: Wed-sat 11:30am-9pm, sun 12-4pm
Featuring our own wines and hard ciders, regional wines and craft beers, farm fresh cuisine, local and u-pick fruit, cut flower fields, art, and more! Taste wine in our historic home and enjoy spectacular double mountain views. Nestled in the lower Hood River Valley just 4 miles south of town. Open: 10am-7pm, April through October. Days vary, check our website for details and off season hours.
(541) 436-0800 • solsticewoodfirecafe.com 501 Portway Avenue • Hood River, OR
(541) 386-7423 • sushiokalani@gorge.net 109 First Street • Downtown Hood River
the restaurant at cooper spur
VOLCANIC BOTTLE SHOPPE
(541) 352-6037 • cooperspur.com 10755 Coopur Spur Road • Mt. Hood/Parkdale
(541) 436-1226 • volcanicbottleshoppe.com 1410 12th Street • Hood River Heights
Our rustic mountain restaurant offers fresh creative food, a seasonally changing menu, local beers and wines, and wellcrafted drinks. A perfect place to dine after a day of exploring the Mt. Hood National Forest. Come celebrate with a FREE entrée on your birthday. Open daily for dinner. Breakfast and lunch served Fri, Sat and Sun. View our menus online!
We have the most extensive and diverse selection of craft and import beer, cider, mead, and gluten-free beer in the Gorge…enjoy it here or take it with you. We also offer wine, light food, an outdoor beer garden, and the best foosball table in town. OPEN 7 dAyS A wEEk
88 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
the gorge white house
Your partake listing here
Contact Micki Chapman for more information: (541) 380-0971 • mchapman@thegorgemagazine.com (541) 399-6333 • thegorgemagazine.com The Gorge is a mecca for great food and drink: restaurants, cafés, wineries, breweries, food carts, and more. Help visitors and locals decide where to dine and drink. They’ll see your ad in print and in the online digital edition of the magazine…for one affordable price! reserVe a partake listing spaCe toDaY
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our gorge
epilogue
Swimming lessons, Koberg Beach style, circa late 1920s. (Photo courtesy of The History Museum of Hood River.)
90 the gorge magazine // summer 2014
Providence in Hood River Find health care where you need it • Great doctors • Convenient clinics • Award-winning hospital
541-386-3911
www.providence.org/hoodriver