Jim - showing off his Sailing Style

Photo by Greg

June 15, 2008 - The Way Home - air Museum

One more post....

On the way home I stopped at the Nanton Lancaster Air Museum.

It is a wonderful facility staffed by volunteers.

Many interesting aircraft and displays....

Avro Lancaster

Nose on...
Gun Turret - too small even for Harold to fit in!!
View inside the fuselage - looking toward the cockpit. Not many comforts....
Looking out the top gun turret, down the fuselage towards the rear.
Side view of the Lancaster

Nose Art. Each of the diving ladies represent one successful mission... Memorial to the lost bomber crews.....

Interesting end to a great trip!!!

Too bad you missed it guys!!!!!

Ted

June 14, 2008 - Saturday - Get Home Itis

When I woke up, Kent and Greg had already left for home. The river was capping, but the temperature was quite cool. The rest of us followed the usual routine - Dog River Coffee Shop, followed by Breakfast at Bett's. Cam and Moritz are staying until Sunday. After much discussion the rest of the gang ignored the wind in the corridor and headed East with the thought that if it was blowing in Roosevelt (contrary to the weather forecast), they would stop for a few hours and sail. I said goodbye, and then went to visit my "Nitinat" friends Jon, Michelle, Tim and Val. Jon and Michelle were going to a strawberry fest with their kids. I had just missed Tim and Val - who were going to the Event Site to Sail.

I met up with them there, and had a great sail for about an hour on my 4.8m Hucker and Seatrend Comp Wave Board. Great seeing them again. The sailing was good, but I remember now why we don't sail the Event site very often. Lots of beginners, and the waves are all chopped up on the outside. Some good rollers to have fun with, but probably more difficult to sail than the Hatchery or Swell City...

4.8 Hucker at the Event Site. Quinn and Val
Tim, sailing a 78l board and 5.0.

I packed up and left by about 1:00.
The river was glass when I passed Roosevelt, so I don't imagine the rest of the gang got a last days sailing........Ha Ha Ha!!! Sorry Guy's - You missed the last one!

What a great trip!!

Friday June 13 - Swell City

Friday was more of a typical Gorge day. After Coffee and Breakfast, we decided that Swell City would be the call. We arrived at noon, just as the wind died. We sat around for a couple of hours talking to the locals before the wind started to pick up. We had a great 2-3 hour session. Sails ranged from Harold on his 3.7, to me on my 4.8. The wind was up and down like usual, and the current was very fast. I tried out Kent's fish, and ended up down river and had to use the "Elevator" (eddy current) right by shore which brings you right back.

Moritz and Cam probably had the best day. Moritz stayed on the inside with his Go Board. He was regularly doing water starts, and was even hooking in a bit. Cam (especially late in the day when the wind died a bit and steadied), had a super day!

The waves were very big, but irregular, particularly going out. Coming in, they were lots of fun, and over head high.

Greg, Blaine and Harold at Dog River for a morning Coffee
Brad, snapping a few shots at Swell
Moritz Planing!!!

Hood river Bridge - Mount Hood in the Background.

It's been a great trip! We sailed every day!!

We are all worn out, tired and sore!!! What a great feeling!

Don't know if we will sail tomorrow or just head home.

See you all next time...

Ted

June 12, 2008 - Thursday - Hatchery

We arrived at the Hatchery after breakfast at Bett's. The river looked calm compared to yesterday. Should be an easy sail........

This place always has a way of humbling a person.

Probably partly because we were all sore and tired from the great session yesterday. The wind was blowing 3.3 to 5.6. Hang on in the gusts, and float around in the lulls. Huge swells on the inside, sometimes with wind and sometimes not.....

Harold and Kent, won the day with the most time on the water. All the rest of us sailed as much as we could, but it was exhausting sailing.

Mortiz took the day off, and went for a bike ride. Bad sunburn on his dome...

Cam worked hard, but ended up down stream of Kodiak point a couple of times. One Rescue by the guy's, and one self rescue over the rocks.

I sailed on my 4.8 and Seatrend Comp wave 90litre. That was probably the best choice - I was able to handle the gusts, and the floaty board kept me above the water in the lulls.

It was a hard day. I shot some video and took some photos, but unfortunately most of the guy's were on the beach watching/resting so it was mostly the Harold and Kent show, with a bit of Blaine and Mike....

It was overall a great (challenging) day. We probably learned more than any other day of the trip.

Strange spring. It snowed 2 feet on Mount hood the other morning.

(Photo by Brad)

The boys watching the action from the beach.
Kent riding a wave. Kent - enjoying the swell...

Kent - Airborne
Harold Slashing
Kent again... Come on Kent, Lean more forward and straighten your arms!!!
Harold - Energizer Bunny - Kept going and going and going....

Moritz - Bike ride

Sunburned...

Dr. Cam, enjoying a cool one, after a hard day on the water...
Kent - over handle bars....
Kent Showing Off..

Ted coming in, and Kent going out. (Photo by Brad)
Ted Jibe - Need to lean more forward...but hey - I made it around!!!
(Photo by Brad)
Mike fully powered on his 4.0. (Photo by Brad)

June 11, 2008 - WOW!!! Roosevelt

Wow! The forecast was Good for anywhere between Doug's and Arlington. We made the call for Roosevelt. Great Call. It turned out that Doug's went Nuclear, over 50mph, blowing even the locals off the water except for the real pro's.....

I sailed my 4.8 and 78 litre Acid all day - at times way overpowered. The other guy's were on 3.7's or 4.0's. Everyone had a great day, with the possible exception of Moritz. While he started to nail his port (outbound) waterstarts, he is still having trouble with Starboard (towards the beach). This resulted in an issue with getting back, and eventually a drift down wind. We mounted a rescue and caught up with him a few KM down wind. We tied a rope to his board and Brad dragged him to shore. He was very happy to get his feet on the shore.... Jim S. drove down with the Van to pick him up.

Swells were great, I did one of the best jumps of my life, and Kent saw it!! Very good day for everyone. We sailed until 6:30pm. It was still blowing when we left, but none of us had anything left.....

Kent and Blaine rigged a special fin for Jim Soneff

4.2 was the call!!!
Mid afternoon, I tried out may Helmet Cam.

Mixed (poor) results. I didn't have the resolution set right.

May try again tomorrow....

Jim had a great day. His Jibes started to work!!! His Knee hurts now, but he figures he will be ready for tomorrow.
Cam had a great day!
Somebody stole Ted's Camera and took this photo....

Jim S. Loading the van after a Great Day!

I sailed until I had nothing left (Around 6:30pm). The wind on the river hadn't even started to back off.

Sunset photo looking back on the river about 1/2 way home. Still capping!!

When I drove by Doug's at about 8:30, there were still huge swells. Glad I wasn't there, I would have had to try it, and would not have had fun....

It's supposed to be windy again tomorrow!!

June 10, 2008

Sorry - no photos today. I did take some video, but not for the blog.

The Gorge is a strange place. Sometimes the difference between a great day and a no sailing day is just timing and luck.

Mike has stayed at Threemile last night because he had sailed late. He called in the morning, that it was already blowing 4.0. The forecast was for out east, so we headed to Threemile again.

When we arrived, it was very windy, almost scary. Mike had already been out.
It looked like it would be a great day, the wind was right down the river.

Kent and Andreas rigged right away and headed out. Most of the rest of us held back to watch the "Wind Dummies", to make sure we would get our sails right.

I rigged my 4.2 and took my small board (acid). I really downhauled the sail, because I was afraid I would be over powered. I got to the river and headed out. I drifted out waiting for a gust to waterstart. I never did get on a plane. I did stand on the board twice, but only for a few seconds, before I fell back because there wasn't any wind. I made my way most of the way to the Islands, and noticed that none of the people out in the river were planing either. I flipped the board and sail around and drifted back to shore - WAY DOWN WIND.

The others struggled back. Harold ended up dinging his board when he got washed by a wave out by the Island, and had to walk it back all the way around from the Island.

We all waited around in our wet wetsuits for the wind to build again. (Did I mention that the temperature was about 10c). The wind died totally and even started to blow in the opposite direction.

Jim, Cam, Moritz and others decided to drive to Roosevelt (about 1hour 45 minutes away - down river to a bridge and then most of the way back..). We ended up all stopping at Arlington (about 10 miles west of Threemile). It was very windy. Huge swells. Lots of experts. Forward loops, Back Loops, Twisty things etc..... The launch at Arlington is very scary. You walk down a steep bank and launch by some big rocks with huge waves crashing across your rig. I saw a few guy's almost lose their rigs on the rocks.

Kent rigged right away. He looked a bit apprehensive about the launch, but made it out without a problem and had a great sail. We all sat in our vans and watched. I shot a bit of video.
Kent came back in and tried to convince us to go out with him. No takers except for Harold.
Some of the group left for Maryhill to try to find a spot to sail. I watched for a bit more, and then left. I checked out Rufus, but the current was so strong that the waves were actually travelling upwind... There were no other sailors there, so I didn't think that would be a good idea.

Next I stopped at Maryhill. The guy's weren't there, and the current looked almost as bad. Again no other sailors - that probably tells you something...

I headed for Doug's Beach. I talked to a fellow who had been sailing there all day on a 3.7. He was about my size. He said it was gusty, but that he had had a great day. Unfortunately the wind looked like it was dying. It was now 6:30, so I headed back to Hood River, went to Safeway and got an oil change for my Van (I had meant to do that before I left Camrose).

When I got back to the house, most of the guy's were there, but we heard that Kent and Blaine were now sailing at Rowena. They had another great session on 4.8's.....

Go figure.....

Oh well, it's supposed to be good tomorrow. Will try again then.

Andreas and David flew home, but Cam and Moritz are due to arrive tomorrow.

Ted


Hi. It's Harold. Actually, I didn't hit Rowena. I stayed at Arlington, sailed the giant swells for about 3 hours (great fun and really, really exciting) and dragged my sorry ass into Hood River at about 930PM. Mucho thanks to Kent - he inspired me (shamed me?) into trying Arlington, encouraged me trying to get out of the harbour, and finally helped me lug my rig down the rock wall. Without his help I wouldn't have had a memorable day.

hi it's Kent. Thanks to Blaine I did my first (last) tripple ses day. 3 mile, arlington, and rowena. Arlington was the best day I think I've ever had. Massive glassy swells. Rowena was a blast just running fast and straight. Thanks Blaine! (By the way, the team seems to forget that I was the last off the water at 3mile because I swam across 1/2 the river....)

Greg tells a story about his bike ride today. It was cold, rainy and windy. He rode to Moiser, and then headed South into the back country. He climed a big hill with the wind at his back. When he turned around to go downhill, he found that the wind was so strong that he had to pedal. He got as much as a workout going downhill as going up. Riding back in the rain gave him a chill. He had to stand in a hot shower for 10 minutes to warm up.....

Lost of experiences.... Interesting day.

June 9, 2008 - Threemile Canyon - Again

A wierd angle day.

The call was for 4pm Way East. After a visit to Sailworks, Coffee at Dog River and Breakfast at the Hotel, we headed East. We arrived just as the wind picked up around 1:30. It looked very windy. Kent headed out, and we quickly learned that the wind was at avery weird angle comming across the river from the North. It was very difficult to get past the Island because you couldn't sail upwind enough. Outside, the waves were huge. The wind angle made the port tacks a lot of fun running down and with the waves. Starboard was straight into the massive swells. I had to re-learn how to waterstart, with the nose of the board heading straight into the huge waves. Lots of fun, but scary and lots and lots of work. Did I mention that it was also gusty. Sails ranged from 3.7 to 5.6. Both were just right at times and not enough/too much at other times.

Mike probably had the best sail. He stayed late and slept in his car.

Andreas had a great kite session with some big big air.

Everyone was exhausted at the end of the day. Back to hood river by 9:00 and supper at 6 Street.

Jim and Blain after a good day sailing.

David

David on his 3.7

Kent

Blain - Which way?

David had a very good day.

Big Jim - powered...

Jim heading into a jibe!

Dave heading out...

Jim modelling his new wetsuit - Looks good!!

Our Rigs...