Windiest Gorge Trip EVER!
Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 3:14 pmI drove up to HR on Friday June 30th, taking my time - since there was no wind forecast for that day.
Saturday: very very warm (95 degrees in HR), but the race of the falling barometers provided excellent slalom sailing conditions in the corridor. I launch from the event site on my Xantos 295 and 6.7 m sail and had a great time dodging Canucks on their national holiday.
Sunday: ditto on all aspects of the previous report, except with a little more push from the west. Xantos 295 and a 6.0 m
Monday: Still warm in HR, but with an on-shore flow and cooling in Portland, there is more wind. I can ride my little board now (Carve 111) with a 4.7 m. I'm still at the event site. I just love the amenities there.
Not long into my rides, I see a kite boarder who is in obvious distress. This guy was being dragged at about the speed of the wind (30 kts) both way above and sometimes under the water. When he finally was able to cause the kite to collapse, I was the first person to arrive at his position. I asked him if he needed assistance. He said that he'd need a rescue because he was certain that he had a broken arm. Since another kiter who apparently knew him had just arrived, I let her remain with this guy to stabilize him. I went to the shore and called 911 and gave them directions to the victim. I monitored the rescue from the shore with a borrowed pair of spotting glasses. I don't know anything else about that guy, I hope he is going to be OK.
After all that excitement, I felt like I deserved some quality sailing time just to myself. I rode what I like to call a winduro; from the event site up to just past swell city and then back down to the start. It took several hours and was probably the funnest thing that I have done in a long long time.
Tuesday: The fireworks display put on by Port of HR is the best one they have ever had. However it pales compared to the fireworks on the water. The marine layer has fully pushed into the W'et Valley and is augmented by the latent heat of the desert. Winds are strong but extremely gusty (30-40+). I'm still at the event site because the forecast is not yet good for the eastern sites. Today I ride the Carve 111 and the 3.8 m sail (my smallest set-up). I will continue to ride this combination for the remainder of the trip.
Wednesday: Dougs beach. Near nuclear from 10 am til 2 pm. After 2 PM full on melt-down. I see lots of locals who show up and sail for less than 45 minutes of actual time on the water then pack up and leave. I theorize that they are folks who squeeze riding in-between other commitments and/or they are savvy enough to realize that 45 minutes of that kind of intense activity is their personal limit.
Thursday: I am looking for something a little more mellow after the wind-torture of what will long be remembered as Windy Wednesday of 2006. However, I can't find it. As I am traveling east along I-84, liquid spray from one of the cutoff ponds is overtaking me! I settle for a couple of brief but intense late afternoon sessions at Maryhill day use area.
One consolation of having to cope with such intense conditions is that there are no crowds (on the water). The only crowd is on the beach where onlookers stare in stupification at mother natures raw power and those foolhardy enough to ride.
Friday: Finally! A shopping day! A little bit of hot and calm weather to help reset the wind machine for the next batch of visitors. I'm spent. After making a few purchases I head home content in the knowledge that I need a little bit of down time to get rested enough to go back to work next week!
I saw a lot of the Utah crowd there and hope that everyone was safe and had a good time.
Saturday: very very warm (95 degrees in HR), but the race of the falling barometers provided excellent slalom sailing conditions in the corridor. I launch from the event site on my Xantos 295 and 6.7 m sail and had a great time dodging Canucks on their national holiday.
Sunday: ditto on all aspects of the previous report, except with a little more push from the west. Xantos 295 and a 6.0 m
Monday: Still warm in HR, but with an on-shore flow and cooling in Portland, there is more wind. I can ride my little board now (Carve 111) with a 4.7 m. I'm still at the event site. I just love the amenities there.
Not long into my rides, I see a kite boarder who is in obvious distress. This guy was being dragged at about the speed of the wind (30 kts) both way above and sometimes under the water. When he finally was able to cause the kite to collapse, I was the first person to arrive at his position. I asked him if he needed assistance. He said that he'd need a rescue because he was certain that he had a broken arm. Since another kiter who apparently knew him had just arrived, I let her remain with this guy to stabilize him. I went to the shore and called 911 and gave them directions to the victim. I monitored the rescue from the shore with a borrowed pair of spotting glasses. I don't know anything else about that guy, I hope he is going to be OK.
After all that excitement, I felt like I deserved some quality sailing time just to myself. I rode what I like to call a winduro; from the event site up to just past swell city and then back down to the start. It took several hours and was probably the funnest thing that I have done in a long long time.
Tuesday: The fireworks display put on by Port of HR is the best one they have ever had. However it pales compared to the fireworks on the water. The marine layer has fully pushed into the W'et Valley and is augmented by the latent heat of the desert. Winds are strong but extremely gusty (30-40+). I'm still at the event site because the forecast is not yet good for the eastern sites. Today I ride the Carve 111 and the 3.8 m sail (my smallest set-up). I will continue to ride this combination for the remainder of the trip.
Wednesday: Dougs beach. Near nuclear from 10 am til 2 pm. After 2 PM full on melt-down. I see lots of locals who show up and sail for less than 45 minutes of actual time on the water then pack up and leave. I theorize that they are folks who squeeze riding in-between other commitments and/or they are savvy enough to realize that 45 minutes of that kind of intense activity is their personal limit.
Thursday: I am looking for something a little more mellow after the wind-torture of what will long be remembered as Windy Wednesday of 2006. However, I can't find it. As I am traveling east along I-84, liquid spray from one of the cutoff ponds is overtaking me! I settle for a couple of brief but intense late afternoon sessions at Maryhill day use area.
One consolation of having to cope with such intense conditions is that there are no crowds (on the water). The only crowd is on the beach where onlookers stare in stupification at mother natures raw power and those foolhardy enough to ride.
Friday: Finally! A shopping day! A little bit of hot and calm weather to help reset the wind machine for the next batch of visitors. I'm spent. After making a few purchases I head home content in the knowledge that I need a little bit of down time to get rested enough to go back to work next week!
I saw a lot of the Utah crowd there and hope that everyone was safe and had a good time.