Hood River in early August?

tjmiller76 · Joined: 10 May 1998 Posts: 48

I have a chance to spend a week in Hood River in early August. Any input on conditions (i.e. gear reqd) & favored sites is appreciated. Thanks!

max1 · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 8

Was there last July - 6 out 7 sailing days, ranging from 6.5 to 3.5!

My favourite was Rowena (good wind, good grass rigging area which is semi-sheltered from the wind), but it largely depends on wind direction on the day - can be going off at one spot and a few miles up the river there is nothing.

I would suggest checking in with Winddance (on the South side of the town) in the morning - they have good forecast and also access to this web-site = real time wind. Besides, I found that I was generally there once a day to replace broken gear or buy a smaller sail.....enjoy!

rasdpm · Joined: 17 Apr 2000 Posts: 149

August finds the Columbia thick with sailors, so all sites can be crowded. Selection depends largely on your ability. If you like big swell and are at least intermediate level, head to the Hatchery, Dougs, Roosevelt, Three Mile. Equipment ranges from 3.0 to 6.0 to Mountain Bike/Golf clubs/hiking boots. Be nimble and mobile, ready to drive to the spotof the day, withing the 60 mile stretch. Its all beautifull and worth seeing anyway.
Check out the Bonneville Dam and fish ladder, Gorge interpretive center (The Dalles), Twin Tunnnel Trail, Eagle Creek Trail, Climb Beacon Rock and Dog Mountain, Drink Full Sail IPA and eat Mikes Icecream and ask him how he jumps so damn high and get back to me.

tjmiller76 · Joined: 10 May 1998 Posts: 48

Thanks for the input! Ill have my truck loaded to the gills.
Cheers,
Tom

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Getting to choose our sites in midsummer is rare. The only wind then is often from Swell City to the Hatchery in the AM, then MAYBE further east at Rowena to Dougs in the PM. The wind there in early Aug can be dead damn flat calm for a week, solid 3.5 all day for 5-6 days despite same-day forecasts of 6.0 at best, or ANYTHING in between. Aug forecasts --even mid-day updates -- mean little. If H.R. is baking and calm, Clatskenie a couple of hours west can blow for days and nights on end (usually dying off mid-day, but NOT always) with the steadiest wind this side of a fan.

An iWindsurf pager is a NECESSITY in the summer, because the wind can shift locations significantly ... or just die off everywhere for a few hours and come back right where you are parked.

Mike \m/

rasdpm · Joined: 17 Apr 2000 Posts: 149

M is right on. August Forecasts mean little, and pin point winds are common, ie dead calm at HR but steady 5.0 at Viento (if wind is coming SW), so a couple miles either way can make a huge difference. i would also agree that Catskanie can be fun, but prefer Nuclear Alley on the WA side. Also Manzanita on the coast will often blow on those days. Thus, you must have the ability to shift gears and expectations, cruise the River looking for wind and soaking in the beauty, dont take the forecast as last word, and realize that it can also be fun to stay where you are and find a non-windsurfing adventure. There arent many places in the world where you can have this much fun being skunked, just gotta shift gears and stay positive.
If on the other hand your whole being aches to sail every waking moment and nothing else in life means squat, plan your trip for earlier in the summer. My favorite time is late Spring, early summer. Water is still cool, river is relatively uncrowded (shared the Hatchery with 3 others on a fully powered 4.2 day 2 weeks ago) and the wind machine is on 70% of the time, often offering 3.5 days on end. Roosevelt can blow in Aug very late in the day, allowing time to rip at the Hatchery early, break for lunch and pack it out to Roosevelt (1 1/2 hr drive) for the evening session and good camping.
Or just hanging out.