I am leaving for a road trip to the West coast next week. On my way back, I am planning to spend some time in the Gorge. Any pointers on where to stay and where to ride? I am bringing my 10m Toro, my 122 misfit and board shorts. Should I bring bigger gear and kite pants instead? Not sure about kite-fashion anymore.
Denis
Question for you Gorge-ous people
Moderator: MK
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Portland Pete
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2003 7:06 pm
- Location: pete at petegoodrich dot com
Dennis
Going West to East (starting at the Pacific Ocean)
16M was my bread and butter kite on my trip end of July
I think a 12-14M would be a really good one kite quiver for ya
I know 10M you will be chasing the wind alot, but if you
plan on homebasing in Hood River you will find places
to fly the 10M. KitePants, I think Euros still wear those.
Start in Astoria at Fort Stevens, excellent ocean and river riding
Good when it is hot in Portland and Hood River.
Ben at Pacific Wave aka Kiteworld.net (local kite shop)
can help once you are there.
http://www.kiteworld.net/about.shtml
Camping is nice, the 5 mile downwinder from the South Jetty
to the Peter Irdale shipwreck if a blast and a good way to learn waves.
If you dont like the waves you can go on the mouth of the Columbia.
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_179.php
Jones Beach (Clatskanie is the town on the map)
lots of sand for self launching, good when Portland
is really hot and there is no wind in the Gorge.
Sauvies Island, the portland after work spot
http://www.allsurfindustry.com/
http://www.gorgeperformance.com/
when it is hot, flat water, narrow beach.
When you get off Hwy 30 onto Sauvies Island proper
you have to drive all the way to the end of the island 5 miles.
you wont be able to see kites until you get pretty close.
parking permit required, they dont check too often
but you can buy the permit at an RV place 3/4 mile before
the beach.
Stevenson, Sandbar, Rufus, Roosevelt (are the core spots for me)
Wells Island and the White Salmon River bridge are both upwind
from the sandbar and offer great riding once you work
your way upwind of the chaos of the sandbar on a weekend.
So launch at the sandbar and get out of there quick
and you will be rewarded with open water and some
of the smoothest wind up towards the Hatchery.
Get lucky and some nice swell rolls thru all the way
to the White Salmon from the Hatchery.
During the week the sandbar is bearable but if the wind is blowing
there will be 20-30 kites in the air with 20 on the ground.
http://www.e-stormwarning.com/kite_cam.shtml
Camping Hood River Tucker Park is 7 miles South of town
on Tucker road. Keep going until you cross the Hood River
and then it is a mile on the right.
My favorite local shop is Stormwarning (old Sailworld)
and definitely stop in at Airtime above the gas station
closest to the sandbar downtown Hood River
http://www.e-stormwarning.com/
Pete
Going West to East (starting at the Pacific Ocean)
16M was my bread and butter kite on my trip end of July
I think a 12-14M would be a really good one kite quiver for ya
I know 10M you will be chasing the wind alot, but if you
plan on homebasing in Hood River you will find places
to fly the 10M. KitePants, I think Euros still wear those.
Start in Astoria at Fort Stevens, excellent ocean and river riding
Good when it is hot in Portland and Hood River.
Ben at Pacific Wave aka Kiteworld.net (local kite shop)
can help once you are there.
http://www.kiteworld.net/about.shtml
Camping is nice, the 5 mile downwinder from the South Jetty
to the Peter Irdale shipwreck if a blast and a good way to learn waves.
If you dont like the waves you can go on the mouth of the Columbia.
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_179.php
Jones Beach (Clatskanie is the town on the map)
lots of sand for self launching, good when Portland
is really hot and there is no wind in the Gorge.
Sauvies Island, the portland after work spot
http://www.allsurfindustry.com/
http://www.gorgeperformance.com/
when it is hot, flat water, narrow beach.
When you get off Hwy 30 onto Sauvies Island proper
you have to drive all the way to the end of the island 5 miles.
you wont be able to see kites until you get pretty close.
parking permit required, they dont check too often
but you can buy the permit at an RV place 3/4 mile before
the beach.
Stevenson, Sandbar, Rufus, Roosevelt (are the core spots for me)
Wells Island and the White Salmon River bridge are both upwind
from the sandbar and offer great riding once you work
your way upwind of the chaos of the sandbar on a weekend.
So launch at the sandbar and get out of there quick
and you will be rewarded with open water and some
of the smoothest wind up towards the Hatchery.
Get lucky and some nice swell rolls thru all the way
to the White Salmon from the Hatchery.
During the week the sandbar is bearable but if the wind is blowing
there will be 20-30 kites in the air with 20 on the ground.
http://www.e-stormwarning.com/kite_cam.shtml
Camping Hood River Tucker Park is 7 miles South of town
on Tucker road. Keep going until you cross the Hood River
and then it is a mile on the right.
My favorite local shop is Stormwarning (old Sailworld)
and definitely stop in at Airtime above the gas station
closest to the sandbar downtown Hood River
http://www.e-stormwarning.com/
Pete
Last edited by Portland Pete on Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Question for you Gorge-ous people
dang, I wish I was going out ther with you! One of the first things to do when you hit Hood River is to get a "gorge guide" magizine. It's a free pub that has all of the spots on it. But like Pete said, there are so many good spots between Poopland and Hood River that you don't want to miss one. Rooster Rock is one of my favorites.Denis wrote:I am leaving for a road trip to the West coast next week. On my way back, I am planning to spend some time in the Gorge. Any pointers on where to stay and where to ride? I am bringing my 10m Toro, my 122 misfit and board shorts. Should I bring bigger gear and kite pants instead? Not sure about kite-fashion anymore.
Denis
Where to stay? In your van! No seriously. There are plenty of camp sites out there. If you need to stay in a hotel yer prolly going to spend about 40 bucks a night.
What kite to bring? I'm not a hard core kiter but if I was out there for the first time I'd bring a 12M as my only kite (actually I'd bring a 16M but I'm alot heavier than you.). You can ALWAYS find a spot on the river that is blowing less than the max at some spot. You can move around and find where your 12 works.
I'll put it this way. The smaller the kite you bring out, the more 'wind chasing' you'll have to do. You'll also prolly encounter more crowds since that's what all the other kite dweebs are doing too.
Bring a nice medium sized kite and you will have FUN and uncrowded lanuches. If you 10M is your "Medium" kite bring it. For me a 12 is my med kite.
Board Shorts? Yep, that should work in late Aug. I'm doing that in June.
You'll be fine hucking in boardshorts in Aug.
eric