Good morning and happy Earth Day weekend everyone! It's also Hood River Blossom Fest weekend, but it's really a blossom-less fest weekend, sadly. However, it's a beautiful weekend for playing in the Gorge, as long as you're not a windsurfer or kiter (sorry guys and gals).
It’s hard to pick just one sport to do today. Let the sunshine and warmth make it two or three sport day!
If you’re a windsurfer or kiter, you’re pretty much out of luck this weekend. The closest you’ll get to windsurfing and kiting today and tomorrow is epic surfing at the coast. 9 feet today and 7 feet tomorrow with light wind earn both days a four star rating for surfing. Perfect.
Skiers are looking at an icy early morning followed quickly by excellent spring skiing. Wax for warm weather and slather on sunscreen. There’s also a fabulous reggae band at Meadows today, so you’ve got multiple reasons to hit the slopes!
If you’re a cyclist, you have many options today, but you’ll have to mosey over to Hood River to take advantage of them. You can meet at Discover bikes for the 8:30 am Saturday bike ride. Or you can meet at the Post Canyon Kiosk at 9am for a work party. Or you can meet at 5th and Cascade at 10:00 for the Columbia Gorge Earth Center’s super-commuter-freestyle-bike race. I don’t know that much about this event, but the name is cool enough to make me want to join in.
In other cycling beta, Post Canyon is reported as a muddy mess. The back side of Hospital Hill is in excellent shape, with a few muddy spots. I can verify this, because I rode it last night. The upper section leading to the bench is full of cow poo and cow tracks, but is still rideable. I have heard the front side of Hospital Hill is cow poo central.
Road bikers, this is your weekend. Calm wind and sunshine… I expect to see you guys out in droves. Don’t forget to watch for winter gravel on the roads! State Road-Rowena Crest-Seven Mile are mostly gravel free, except in spots where rockfall occurs. Thanks to the Cherry Blossom Classic race organizers for having the road swept to perfection. While you're riding that loop, remember that the Cat 1 riders did it three times. Insane.
Make it a multi-sport day today, and have an awesome day no matter what you do!