After buying an ePass, recreationists have two days to print the pass before it expires. This allowed people to use their mobile devices to buy the pass and then have time to access a print.
There are 31 trailheads, boat ramps and locations in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest where day-use passes are required. Included are the Goose Lake and Coldwater Lake boat ramps, plus Ape Canyon, Ape Cave, Lahar, Lava Canyon and Climbers Bivouac on the south side of Mount St. Helens.
Moon Spotlight Columbia River Gorge is a 60-page compact guide covering the best of this spectacular geological wonder of the Pacific Northwest. Award-winning travel writer Ericka Chickowski offers her firsthand advice on must-see attractions, as well as maps with sightseeing highlights, so you can make the most of your time. This lightweight guide is packed with recommendations on entertainment, shopping, recreation, accommodations, food, and transportation, making navigating this region of incredible wilderness and artistic attractions uncomplicated and enjoyable.SRC: Google has easy to download pdf, download yours here.
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| The apple, pear and cherry orchards of the Hood River Valley spread beneath the northern slope of 11,245-foot Mount Hood. (Photo by Barb Gonzalez) |
A city of about 7,500 people, Hood River is well known not only for its orchards, but as an international hub for wind surfing and kiteboarding on the Columbia River. The top venue for those water sports is Hood River Waterfront Park, across Interstate 84 from the downtown sector.
But the most surprising attraction in town is three miles south of downtown, in the orchard-rich valley. Locals know it as “WAAAM,” an acronym for the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum.
Lodged in a historic bank building, its Grecian columns rising high above Hood River’s main street, this combination art gallery, wine and tapas bar displays an intriguing variety of creations — canvas, metal, fabric — including co-owner Claudia Lane’s own collection of 1960s’ psychedelic concert posters.
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| Water's Edge Fitness Festival |
The run will be an out and back course on Riverfront Trail.#Starting at the Discovery Center, runners will head east to the Taylor Lakes region.#Upon their return, runners will transition onto bikes and head west on the Historic Columbia River Highway to the Rowena Lookout.#From there, they will turn around and return to the Discovery Center and retrace the run course a second time.#The Half Marathon and 10K run will start after the duathlon and take competitors along the Columbia River trail.#Scenic views of the gorge and aid stations will keep runners moving along.SRC: Read the full article from The Dalles Chronicle here. Visit Water' Edge website here.
Just a short drive from Portland, you’ll find the amazing view from Crown Point, where you can see the mighty Columbia nestled in the Gorge unfurl before your very eyes. Multnomah Falls and dozens of other falls like Horsetail, Ponytail and Bridal Veil line the way along the Historic Columbia River Highway. In the town of Hood River, you’ll find hand-scooped ice cream, hand-crafted beer, windsurfing, kiteboarding and parasailing. There’s the view from Rowena Crest, the loop up and around Dog Mountain and browsing the shelves of the oldest bookstore in all of Oregon in The Dalles – not to mention the world of wine you’ll find in just a 40 mile stretch.
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| Dicentra Designs – Photo Courtesy of Lesa Hanners |
The show boasts a marketplace with more than 25 artisan vendors from around the Pacific Northwest, including hand-dyed yarn and fiber artists, locally grown fiber, and even a creamery which will be offering both fiber and cheese from its farm.SRC: Read full article from Hood River News and Visit the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival's website, for more information.
In addition to the market, attendees can find workshops ranging from knitting to rigid heddle weaving. A new addition this year will be free demos in knitting, drop-spindle spinning, and rigid heddle weaving, which will run in the marketplace during show hours.
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| Bike The Seven Wonders of Oregon |
Some of the wonders, such as the Oregon Coast and the Columbia River Gorge, are bikeable themselves. Others, including the Painted Hills and Smith Rock, welcome cyclists with nearby mountain biking trails and wide-open, low-traffic roads.SRC: Full article from Ride Oregon
The majestic Columbia River Gorge is the nation’s largest National Scenic Area. You can cycle along this wonder on the 73-mile Historic Columbia River Highway, or take to the hills — Gorge mountain biking is some of the best you’ll find anywhere.
"Each time we try and top ourselves and do better than the previous year, and 2014 is no exception. We're looking forward to another fun and crazy weekend with top notch talent."
More acts are expected to be announced soon.SRC: For full list of acts for Watershed visit RTT NEWS.
Combine that with the rugged outdoorsy-ness of the region, and there seems to be less pressure on the paddlewheeler to be anything too fussy or even anything beyond a reasonable means of transport through this wondrous landscape.SRC: View more pictures and read more about what the American Empress has to offer from Travel Weekly.
But of course, the American Empress is much more than an adequate vessel.
Having learned from the relaunch of the 436-passenger American Queen in 2012, the executive team at AQSC has allowed that this project was far easier and the launch far smoother than that of the American Queen
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| Src: Kyle Johnson for The New York Times |
5. Wind and Water | NoonEat lunch on the drive back down and head to Big Winds on Front Street, or the Big Winds Event Site Beach Center on the Columbia River, open mid-May to late September. Stand-up paddleboard rentals ($35 for two hours) and lessons with gear included ($49) are available daily, so hop on and paddle along the waterfront, or across the river on low-wind days. Up the ante with windsurf rentals ($25 for two hours for beginners; $55 for advanced) and lessons ($79) and head to the 20-plus launch locations up and down the river, including the famed Hatchery, where the pros catch big air. Afterward, stop in at Solstice Wood Fire Cafe & Bar to replenish with a Country Girl Cherry Pizza with chorizo and goat cheese ($13) and local wine.
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| Wheatfield run generates record crowd |
The 3k race saw some of the closest times with the top-9 finishers coming in less than two minutes apart.
Cole Kortge proved to be on his game to headline the boy’s division with a final tally of 13 minutes and four seconds.
Right behind him was Rhett Mosqueda (13:23), John Iremonger (13:49), Luke Petroff (14:11, Cullen Bryant (14:14), Gabe Petroff (14:38), Will Booth (14:39) and Paul Kelly (14:39).
In the girl’s portion, Antonia Swan had no issues staking claim to her blue ribbon as she crossed the tape in an impressive 13:32.
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| Analemma Wines |
Analemma Wines tasting room is located at 1120 State Road just south of Mosier. Current releases include a 2011 pinot noir, a 2012 rosé of pinot noir and two distinct 2012 gewürztraminers.
Nestled among the cherry orchards of the Mosier Valley, Analemma Wines is an hour drive from Portland and less than a 20-minute drive from Hood River and The Dalles. Analemma Wines will also be participating in the Gorge Passport, with events happening every weekend throughout the month of April. Vineyard tours will also be available by appointment only.SRC: Read More About the Opening of Analemma Wine's New Tasting Room from Oregon Live.
SRC: Read the full article from the ColumbiaThe work between Vancouver and Wishram, 90 miles to the east, will include a replacement of the 106-year-old Washougal River bridge east of Camas. That work begins this year and will be mostly finished by the end of next year, Melonas said"The backbone of an efficient and safe rail operation is a strong track structure," he said.The railroad says it intends to hire 100 workers in Vancouver for jobs including track maintenance, signal and mechanical operations workers, and conductor trainees. Melonas said. The Vancouver terminal currently has about 750 employees, he said.
On the second day, we made our way down the gorge, stopping for a little hike along the Deschutes River, then lunching at a roadside overlook near The Dalles, Washington after our first two choices (both nearby parks) were, once again, closed for the season. In the afternoon, we drove out of the gorge toward Mt. Adams, exploring the area a bit and getting some great views of the mountain.SRC: Read about Lisa and Andrew's entire trip with great photos at Off The Written Path
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| Trillium's in the Columbia Gorge |
SRC: Check out the Seattle Times for the entire article.You’ll see the flowers in early spring in any forested area; late March and early April are prime time. Trilliums thrive on well-watered, undisturbed hillsides. You might even have them in your backyard. But there’s nothing like seeing broad swaths of them, especially during hikes that offer their own intrinsic rewards.The greater Portland area is one of the best places to see these flowers in the wild. And the Columbia Gorge’s steep, waterfall-splashed and sun-dappled slopes are perfect habitat for both the flowers and the hikers who love them.
