Kitesurf Atlas, Kiteboarding Holidays, Kite Surf Lessons

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Gorge & NW Pacific Coast Float Plane and Kite Expedition , 28 September 2008.

September winds on Lake Michigan had been somewhat of a disappointment so an impromptu trip to the Pacific NW and Gorge seemed like an excellent idea. Although the forecasts for the Gorge and coast areas were not much more encouraging, this would be a great opportunity to explore, test logistics and Cam's new float plane for future kite trips, and enjoy some new scenery in the process.

I made a rendezvous with my good friend of 35 years and adventurer Cam Lewis in Seattle where we were to pick up his Cessna 180 Amphibious at the Renton Sky Harbor. After packing the plane and pre-flighting we took off southbound leaving Mt. Rainier to port and Mt. St Helens to starboard as we made our way over this scenic territory toward the mighty Columbia River, where Cam's ancestor, Meriwether Lewis - barely 30 years old at the time - along with William Clark, had explored over 200 years ago! (Read more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition). Flying conditions were superb and we had nice visibility of Mt. Hood in the distance as we banked to a (one-three-zero) heading for Hood River (HR), and eventually Lyle, WA.

We circled and surveyed our landing zone at the mouth of the Klickitat and then came in low for a water landing among the fisherman stalking salmon beyond the sandbar on the Columbia River. Our friends and gracious hosts, Morgan and Christa Larson, were waiting for us along the bridge over the Klickitat and we taxied in under the 2 bridges, much to the amusement of some old geezers fishing on the river, and then upstream about 500m to the cove across from the banks of Morgan and Christa's cabin and grove. After sorting out our tie-down strategy we used some SUP's (stand up paddle boards) to ferry some gear across the to our “campsite” on the Larson property, amongst the small orchard trees and berry bushes overlooking the river.

After a nice coffee (from Morgan and Christa's magic coffee machine) we went into HR for some lunch and then a visit with Stevie “Wonder” Erickson over in White Salmon to pick up another 2 SUP's. Later that day we used the SUP's to paddle upstream a mile or so, until the current became to strong to continue. “Tugboat”, the Larson's mellow chocolate Newfoundland, came along as a passenger but he capsized Morgans SUP a few times favoring a run along the river banks when possible. We floated back downstream to get ready for a BBQ that evening with other friends.

On Wednesday the morning wind was from the East, not encouraging for kiting. The water level had dropped by over a foot (by dam control) so the plane was high and dry! We hung around at the Larsons after breakfast, their fancy coffee machine deepening my coffee addiction to new levels. Morgan and Christa were racing their Moore 24 sailboat that evening, so we headed into town to wander around. Cam and I took a pass on the invitation to crew on another boat...the wind had freshened and shifted to the West, but it was cool and rainy so we opted to look around HR some more, do some window shopping in this veritable “action sports” shopping mall called Hood River, and then checked out “Two Peaks'”,” the new microbrewery in HR, eating pizza and watching a new ski video.

Thursday we went down to the Lyle Sandbar and the conditions were 9m to 14m conditions. Cam was doing well getting up on the board, but then the wind died. So Stevie suggested going out East where the skys were clear and perhaps better chances of decent wind, so we packed up and headed to Rufus. Well....the wind seemed OK when we arrived but it got really CRAZY after we launched. I put up my 7m Hypertype and Stevie was on his 9m North. I think Stevie did about 4 tacks and then bailed after getting worked and having his kite tumbled by the insane gusts. I was having a “bitch” of a time as well...one second 10 kts and then the next 35+!!!

This was the craziest (and scariest) wind I've ever been in...more gusty than any papagallos I've experienced in Costa Rica with the old C kites! I tried to tough it out, trying to find a sweet spot...but the wind kept going more North producing really funky wind, plus now it was almost blowing onshore to our launch/landing zone, which was sketchy to begin with...With the super gusty conditions I finally decided that it was not worth it. Turns out we should have just stayed at the sand bar. Oh well. And that was pretty much the end of our kiting for this trip...I think it's now safe to say that after mid September in the Gorge it's pretty hit or miss.

Oddly, this was the first time I had been back to the Gorge since I took my first kite lessons at the, then much smaller, sandbar with “Crazy Jerry” back in 2000. I had wondered since then what it would be like to kite in the river that I had windsurfed so many times, leading up to my transition from sailboards to kiteboards. When we kited Rufus that day I was astonished by the effect of the opposing current and wind – I really had to try hard to go downwind/upstream, even in strong wind. It was really awesome to get on a river wave and ride it, and it seemed that these would be sweet boosting conditions – although I was afraid to send it big in the totally wacked devil wind we rode that day. My kite once literally fell out of the sky seconds after being overpowered in 35+kts. But I now am more eager to return next summer for some real Gorge wind, and some epic wave riding on the coast.

For our last night we visited Jim and Courtney Dey's beautiful and elegant restaurant for cocktails, and then tried the new Sushi restaurant in HR, followed by nightcaps at the Pour House. It had been nice waking up in the tent these last few days, looking out over the river, eating the fresh berries and fruit on the property...and the coffee!!! But we decided it was time to move on the next day.

On Friday morning Cam took Morgan for a quick ride in the plane as I broke camp and began ferrying gear back to the West bank of the Klickitat. We said a quick goodbye to Morgan, Tugboat, and our campsite, taxied under the bridges and flew off to HR for a fuel stop and a Twin Peaks burger. We then flew west above the Columbia toward Portland, and continued to Tillamook on the coast. We did a quick pass over Tillamook and then flew North over Manzanita, the mouth of the Columbia, and then up along the coast to Ocean Shores (WA) where we landed for the evening. Nothing special going on in Ocean Shores, just a good staging point for the next leg. We found a nice little “locals” restaurant (Mikes Seafood) and sampled some fried razor clams, nice local oysters, and clam chowder.

It's hard to imagine what it was like for the first white explorers here, making there way over mountains, down river valleys, trying to make friends with the native Americans, trying to survive in an unknown land, running for your life from bands of irate Indians. And then it is also something to ponder the eventual plight of these native people, their lands virtually stolen from them, large swaths of forests leveled by axes and chain saws, rivers and bays polluted by industry – and perhaps in exchange they received some token payment for all of this if they were lucky not to have been killed outright, forced to live on “reservations” poisoned by the food, disease, and alcohol provided by the newcomers who claimed sovereignty over their lands.

Winds on the coast were light so we had abandoned our idea of going South to Floras Lake and Florence, in favor of exploring the Olympic Peninsula, up the Quillayute River and Quinalt Lake, then flying along the Straits of Juan de Fuca and then down into SeaTac airspace. We did a quick stop in Port Angelas for fuel and then another quick stop at Kenwood at the North end of Lake Washington to pick up some items. That was pretty cool to see all sorts of float planes, from burly Beavers with composite floats to wispy old Cubs, and experimental planes as well. On our short last leg we flew over Bill Gates house on Lake Washington with the Seattle skyline on starboard, and then did our final water landing/dry land taxi at our starting point next to the Boeing plant at Renton.

Altogether it was another great trip, in spite of the lack of wind. We had great weather, I got to spend some time with a good old friend, making new acquaintances with some really nice people - all of them world class sailors, kiters, and watermen - talking about the next adventures, and we learned a few things about traveling in a float plane that should enhance the next trip, so no complaints here!

Thankfully, Lake Michigan welcomed me home with 3 days of classic Fall north wind and some awesome wave riding.