I hope you Corridor stiffs are getting some of this

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

We are just getting blown off the map out east this winter. The wind, swell, blue skies, and air temps have been absolutely chart-busting by a HUGE factor throughout January. I'm amazed how lonely it is out here for the poor guys forced to sail this stuff day after day after day alone or with one other guy. At these gas prices there's no reason the gloved brigade should be missing this stuff ... unless, of course (I haven't even looked) the Hatchery January also looks like a windy July. This can't last, folks; get it while you can. Last year's record early spring winds gave way to a mediocre early summer.

Mike \m/

fearnobeer · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 78

Water temps in the 40's?

Air temps in the 50's?

< 100 rule ????????

Not for the faint of heart.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Or for me ... the faint of hands. But a large handful of locals sail as long as the water and air temps are each above 32 (the water's in the 30s; I'm fine above 45). Properly dressed, they stay comfortable with both temps in the 30s. My only problem is my hands, and people willing to wear DaKine mitts do fine in that regard. We set some snowfall records in Dec, but now we're setting some January wind and air temp records.

Mike \m/

WMP · Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671

Best January westerlies I can remember...... air temp hit 68*f on Thursday at The Dalles with 3.7 conditions at Dougs and nice swell.... light show on the water with colorful rainbows that I will never forget, like a dream. One of the top 10 sailing days of my entire life and nobody there..... to be honest, I was hot and the water really felt good.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Well, lessee ... 38 plus 68 ... umm ... 6 or so ... carry the 1 ... get out the calculator and the slide rule to double check ... That's 106 degrees.
106 DEGREES AIR + WATER TEMP IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY! And since the 100 degree rule is for sailing barefoot and barehanded, I missed a good day there.

Worse yet, I just checked. For the first time I've ever noticed this time of the year, the river temp went up 2 degrees since last week; it's now 40 degrees ... 5 more and I'm barefooted and barehanded on the 55 degree days. Too bad this is a fluke that can't last.

Oh, well, we can dream, can't we? Too bad my hands are such wusses. Even our resident gorilla's hands went south quickly from "glove fatigue" last week, but when the swell's overhead five minutes from the office, that's a good session.

Mike \m/

WMP · Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671

It's a shame you don't slide down mountains.... Timberline was 'suffering' from a tropical heatwave today at 60+ f degrees. I tele skied up there from Gov'y Camp and kept shedding clothes until I couldn't go down any further (I was skiing only in my shorts at 6,000 ft. in the midle of January!!!!)

Well, looks like we got a few days of east winds coming down the pike next few days. Unfortunatley, maaa will most likely be serving up the COLD chilly on da river to go along with this inversion layer we are under.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

WMP · Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671

Alas, winter weather pattern is now upon us when you folks TC to HR get the big 'nothing'.... while we on the western side get the shiney golden star in the sky.

It's certainly nice to live at the cloud line on both sides of the Gorge east/west climate dynamics..... best of both worlds.

BTW, east winds have been slow to start out this AM, but are now picking up the pace.