Is Millacs the new Gorge?

[jimoakes]

Hi everyone,
I had to get on here and tell you guy's this little story.

I live in Hood River OR, have you ever heard of it? Just kidding. Anyway's I lived in Minnesota for years, sailed most of the local spots and have many good friends on this forum I'm sure (well except Tighe) do you guys know him? Again, just kidding. Tighe, great site! How are you?

O.K. here's the story:
I was at the Hatchery rigging a 4.2 sail and John Leppa from MN walked up. I asked if he was in shape to sail in strong wind, and he said "YES,we had a big weekend at Millacs"" it was a planned wind party and it blew!"
Wow, how wonderfull is that, you guy's had a windy weekend at Millacs in the summer.

Here I was sailing a 4.2 in the Columbia River and I found myself missing Minnesota.

So happy for you all, I hope you all get more Millacs days in .

P.S. Just to let you know I'm still a wind addict. We had a no wind day last week and I looked up Millacs lakeshore real estate. For a few minutes I could see living on Millacs Lake in the spring and fall, but then the wind picked up here.
I miss you guy's, please P.M. me here if you need any details on the Gorge or are coming out.

[steveb]

knock me down with a wet feather....Jim how the heck are you?.
I think you took the wind with you when you moved, so you'd be welcome back if you had the decency to bring the wind with you.
The Gathering was a great weekend of two days of 30 gusting 40 mph, not what you'd expect for a scheduled event.
Many of the old faces are still around,don't you ever get to Mn anymore?

[DavidKnight]

Hey Jim,

I didn't make it up to Mille for The Gathering- I was at White Bear. The strong winds brought out quite a few (now older) faces. Your name came up in several conversations... "Wonder what Jim's up to?" Glad to hear you're still enjoying the wind. I'll look you up if/when I come out to the one and only Gorge... it's been a few years.

[Geo]

JIm -

See? only 2 hours after posting, and you get all sorts of responses....we are all looking at the site 'cause it is finally "blowing" above 15 for maybe the first time in 3 weeks in a spot that's not named Mother Superior (I bet you miss that place, too.) no wonder we're all kiting.

It was fun to watch you causally shape the Hatch a few weeks ago, forward loop on cue, etc. I don't think there was a day I was there I didn't run into you! (now that's a life). I thought I was in good surf shape, but the technique differences out there are subtle, and my shoulders got a workout for sure.

Geoff Warner

[Paul F]

I was sailing way out on the east end of the Gorge at Threemile Canyon a few years ago and the swells were huge and smooth, like a liquid golf course. Everyone out here goes as far east it is blowing for the swells. After, I said to Jim Oakes, "That was the best conditions ever, for me." Jim says, "It was almost as good as Mille Lacs."

[jimoakes]

Steve,
I'm doing great, hope all is well with you. Have not been to MN for 10 years. I even sold my house on White Bear and apartments in St.Paul 4 years ago from my desk in Hood River without even getting one mosquito bite!

I would move back in a heartbeat if that would make it blow. I'll give you a little notice when I buy my house on Millacs so you can all buy small sails and kites.

Remember when Steve Mertz was way overpowered on his 3.7 at Doug's Beach and you said "I wonder if it's enough for me to get going, may I try sailing your tiny board with a 3.7 ?" So you hopped on and went like a bat out of hell on a broad reach straight accross the whole river. Jack Mertz(God we all loved Jack)and I said wow,look at him go,he is into speed sailing, but in this wind?
So when you got back we all said Steve why the super fast broad reach? You said "I couldn't get my feet in the straps so I hung on for dear life and did what I could" Man we had some fun. I still tell that story on big days.

Dave,
How are you? You mentioned seeing the older faces. I was worried that the sun was making mine look old,so I went to a plastic surgeon and had him pull mine as tight as the downhaul on one those big 10 meter sails you guys use. You probably won't recognize me when you come to the Gorge.

Remember when we were standing at Ramsey Beach and your brother was learning how to sail. Uphaul after uphaul and putting around for a few seconds we watched him of and on all day. Then at the end of the day you hollered "look my brother finally got planing". We all witnessed him lean back and skip across the water, remembering when we first got addicted to windsurfing. Jack said " you better tell him to get his check book out!" All my good stories have Jack Mertz in them.

[steveb]

Ha Jim, funny you remember that . I can still break into a fear sweat just thinking about those couple of minutes.
Talking about Jack that's the trip he tied all the boards ( 7 of them ) on the van roof, 1/2 a mile down the road the whole lot came off the roof and the only board that got damaged was his board with the tight footstraps, I guess Jack was never a boyscout.He just looked at the pile of boards on the road, ran to pick them up once the van stopped and just shrugged his shoulders. I don't think anything ever really pissed off the guy.
I shared a tent with him for 10 days up at Carls that trip, in fact I remember you coming to the site to get us in the mornings and giving up waiting for Jack to be ready ( Mertz time ), I can honestly say that in the whole 10 days I never had a moment of frustration with the guy. Not many people you can spend 10 days in a tent with and not be pissed off at some point. Just the kind of guy Jack was.
You know that's got to be damn near 18 years ago....sheeeeite.
Whatever happened to that fully rigged trailer of yours?

[Judd or Dianne]

Hi Jim - long time

Judd and I planned a trip to HR, day before we left we found out his appendix ruptured, thankfully it had not bursted, so... he's walking around like a old man for now. So now I leave him at home and go to the beach by myself, funny though no house work is done when I have a hard day on the water it's still waiting for me.

Glad everything is great with you, would of loved to of caught up on old times, and made a few new ones.

Dianne

[jimoakes]

I can just see that scene like it was yesterday, Steve. I probably said wake up Jack it's blowing good, and he'd say"oooooohhhhh"

Hi Dianne,

I hope Judd recovers fast and glad he's O.K. I'm no doctor but I'd say it would take some major brain surgery to get him to do housework.
Terry (the woman who tamed me) says Hi.