View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
blythefly
Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 22
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:17 pm Post subject: Home Valley |
|
|
Anyone ever sail out of Home Valley? Is it ever any good? I've driven by a few times and seen it look windy sometimes. I can't remember seeing any sails out there. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Sure. It's by no means the Hatchery or Doug's or The Wall, but that's not all bad. It used to get very crowded on land, but seldom on the water because there's lots of space. The swell there is nothing like those other spots, but it's also not as choppy as Celilo or as the Hatchery can get on crowded, gusty days. It's generally a pretty mellow spot even when it's very windy ... a good spot for sailors who feel a bit overwhelmed by windy July weekends at SwellHatch. Some sailors launch there to sail the windier narrows east of Home Valley, or to do downwinders to Stevenson on east winds. We've also seen many days of blazing hot late summer blasts of strong wind there.
Mike \m/ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
WMP
Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Not been good in awhile. Home Valley is always super hard to predict, always a surprise package.
No sensor, no cam = no crowd.
Summer pattern usually serves up a good, consistent 2-3 hour AM sesh between 9:30 and 12:30, then wind pattern shifts more from the south which splits Home Valley wind with a big ugly hole down the middle... need to sail 1/2 mile east or west of the launch site in this case where the wind pattern comes back together.
Home Valley is best known for the early season east winds (September - October) early in the day 9:30 AM until about noon..... about the time Stevenson powers up.
WMP |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jota
Joined: 28 Feb 2001 Posts: 205
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Home Valley is great for downwinders to Stevenson on East wind days! It's a classic downwinder, probably my favorite.
Choosing the right sail can involve a bit of guesswork as the wind generally picks up as you head downwind. If you're leaving a car at Stevenson, check out the wind there carefully before rigging back at Home Valley.
If you are alone or otherwise don't have an extra car to shuttle, it's pretty easy to hitchhike back to Home Valley if you catch a departing windsurfer leaving Stevenson. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
blythefly
Joined: 01 Jun 2009 Posts: 22
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks to all for the answers.
WMP wrote: | No sensor, no cam = no crowd.
WMP |
Interesting thought. I've often wondered about how this increased availability of hi-tech affects our sail time in the gorge, with everyone flocking to the highest reading site of the hour. Probably leaves a lot of potential quality sailing hours (uncrowded + wind + swell) unused. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Maybe so, but it sure jams up the best spots. We used to be able to have the premiere spots to ourselves when they blew outside their usual pattern or against the forecast, but alas, no mas, or at least rarely. Real time data is both a blessing and a curse, but one thing it seldom does is leave "uncrowded + wind + swell unused".
Mike \m/ |
|
Back to top |
|
|
jota
Joined: 28 Feb 2001 Posts: 205
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
blythefly wrote: | I've often wondered about how this increased availability of hi-tech affects our sail time in the gorge, with everyone flocking to the highest reading site of the hour. Probably leaves a lot of potential quality sailing hours (uncrowded + wind + swell) unused. |
<cough>mosier<cough> |
|
Back to top |
|
|
WMP
Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 4:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
jota wrote: | Home Valley is great for downwinders to Stevenson on East wind days! It's a classic downwinder, probably my favorite.
|
Also great on those filled in west wind days for combo upwinder / downwinder HV to Bob's Beach. Best when Stevenson sensor averages 25+ directly from the west. Couple summers ago I did this stretch at least 10 times.
Last summer I was doing Bingen to Mosier quite often..... I can't think of a more enjoyable, peaceful, scenic cruise. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
westender
Joined: 02 Aug 2007 Posts: 1288 Location: Portland / Gorge
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's hard to judge the sail size from shore there. Rig about a size bigger than it looks in a W wind?? There will probably not be anyone there to ask.
Back in the day you could drive out to the point and hang out. Now you have to wade through the swill pool to get to the river.
If it's not lined up right, the wind can be REALLY bad out in front. When it's good, up by the river mouth is about as good a slalom reach as you'll find anywhere. Then you can go into Scorpion beach for a rest.
Haven't driven through yet this year but for the last several, the outhouses were decommissioned??
Last edited by westender on Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
|
WMP
Joined: 30 May 2000 Posts: 671
|
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
westender wrote: |
Haven't driven through yet this year but for the last several, the outhouses were decommissioned?? |
Yep, outhouses are boarded up. However, there's full service restrooms with running water near the swimmers beach parking lot. |
|
Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You can attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
|
|
|