the gorge
Balance
It’s seems like only moments ago I was writing a column on the early summer and late spring months that give us locals a last chance at significant peace, quiet and contemplation before the much needed influx of tourists, day-trippers and wind dancers. And then all of a sudden summer has blown by and the clouds have begun to roll in every morning. There’s already a cool fall chill to the air, and we’ve just now reached September.
It was in that column just a few months ago that I wrote about taking the time to learn something new or to do something all over again that you haven’t done in a while. I myself chose kiteboarding and fly fishing this summer. My fiancé and I took to kite surfing like a fish to water, and fly fishing is so perfectly the opposite in terms of the sustained rush and the adrenaline fix (though a fish on that fly will get the blood flowing) that I found myself in perfect balance this summer. I made headway with both, and I can’t wait to pick up where I left off with kiteboarding as the spring and early summer months roll back in next year. Fly fishing will continue as the fall months push through, and with both sports there are significant steps I can take to practice and perfect as much as possible before the prime season returns. Part of me can’t wait, but there’s the other part of me that embraces each season no matter the rain, snow or wind, and that part is already excited for what the fall will bring.
I’ve already waxed poetic in past columns about the stunning beauty and sheer awe that a Columbia Gorge fall can inspire in us. There will be long scenic drives through the valleys, hills, mountains and high prairie, all of which sing the season in the prettiest of notes. Oh, and there will be cider and ale, hot chocolate, apples, pears and pies. It’s a great season to be a resident of any Pacific Northwest town as produce ripens on the branches and wine grapes ready for picking. There’s so much beauty and contemplation in a typical fall day, but somehow this year I want more.
Maybe I just caught the adventurous spirit. Maybe I’m just trying to hold on to the premier outdoor season until it has all but disappeared. Either way, I’m getting back out there. As kiteboarding and fly fishing worked in perfect balance to satiate my adventurous and Zen spirit, I hope the fall season itself provides the relaxation, calm and solitude I’ve been subconsciously and quietly yearning for. And as its counter point? What balance is to be struck to this refreshing and passive season? Perhaps it’s late fall skiing, which I haven’t done since I was in grade school. Maybe until then I’ll take up mountain biking. I had a rough go when I was 13 or 14 and I never tried the trails again. It looks exhilarating, and I’m a complete nut for a sport when it means I can buy and acquire more gear.
A small voice is telling me to relax and enjoy the fall. It was a very fast and adventurous summer, and I know that painful feeling of seeing the snow fall earlier then expected—of knowing it all went by and you didn’t take enough time to savor it. I think that voice comes from the side of me that’s always trying to slow things down and to take in a moment. It’s as if, at times, I can almost stop the world with the perfectly written line or the timely photograph that just stops you in your tracks and begs the question: Why move forward from here? And then it too is gone.
The other voice, the louder one, is telling me that there’s no way to capture life. It’s a futile act that will leave even the most hardy and ambitious with feelings of bitterness and regret. But to embrace life—to capture moments with memories of great adventures, challenges bested—that leaves a lasting impact that breathes and speaks back to you far beyond its seasonal boundary. I can not capture, in words or photographs, the tingle in my stomach that I can recreate whenever I sit and think long enough about the rush of being pulled up out of the water on my first kiteboarding lesson, and it’s with that spirit and that sentiment in mind that I’ll attack this fall. I think as a child I was imbued with a sense that we aren’t here long enough to enjoy what’s out there, and that made me slow things down and savor them as much as I could. Now, I still think our seasons and years are far too fleeting, but I’m taking the opposite approach. I’m living each day fast and full, and when it’s all said and done, I’ll be filled with memories that don’t lose their spirit over time.
It almost seems too easy, but for some reason it’s felt counter intuitive at times. Fill your life with adventure, excitement and just the right amount of time to sit back and smell the fall leaves, and you’ll be rewarded with memories that fade much slower. Try to slow down too much, and you’ll find that time has passed that cannot be captured again. I know these things, and yet they are often at conflict within me. Finding that yin and yang balance within myself sounds challenging, but it’s a challenge I embrace with a smile. Bring on the fall, bring on the adventure, and when it too has passed, half of me will be fondly looking back while the other half braces for the winter of a lifetime.
Tags: adventure, fly fishing, Kiteboarding, matt werbach, the gorge, View From the Gorge
Columbia Gorge Events
http://columbiagorge.com/events/
Check the link above to view the Columbia Gorge Events Calendar or pick up the latest issue of Columbia Gorge Magazine today! Every issue of Columbia Gorge Magazine features compelling stories and stunning photographs that capture the spirit and style of the Columbia Gorge.
Tags: Hood River, print, The Dalles, the gorge, web
Hood River Fashion Show
The Hood River County Gala Fashion Show is a Fashion Show Extraordinaire. The Gala continues to be a huge success! For all ages. The proceeds are donated to The Hood River County Christmas Project. (Winter and Holiday assistance for low income families and seniors)
To watch the 14th Annual Gala Fashion Show broadcast click here
Tags: cathy carter, fashion show, gorge network, Hood River, hood river inn, the gorge
Mt. Hood Cycling Classic
PO Box 1432, Hood River, OR.
www.mthoodcyclingclassic.com
mhcc@gorge.net
The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic is one of most difficult stage races in the U.S., with tough climbing and beautiful scenery. The popular event always delivers a top-notch field.
Tags: Hood River, mt hood, mt. hood cycling classic, portland, the gorge
The Dalles
404 W. 2nd, The Dalles, OR.
541.296.2231
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is an organization that gets things done – things that you and your company can’t do alone. Chamber membership is an investment in your company’s future and the vitality of the community.
Our diverse membership represents the entire community with members from business and industry, civic and non-profit organizations, social service agencies, education, government, home-based businesses and individuals. Nearly 500 members representing 2,000 individuals believe that Chamber membership is an important component to business growth, job development, and a healthy economy.
The Chamber and its activities are managed by the Executive Director and a professional staff under the leadership of a 17 member Board of Directors, who serve without compensation and are elected by the membership. Through countless volunteer hours, members accomplish much of the work of the Chamber by serving on committees and task forces.
Tags: Businesses, The Dalles, the dalles chamber, the gorge
Waterleaf Farm Estate
b
y jamie hartford
As your tires crunch down the gravel of the unassuming private drive off of the Historic Columbia River Highway, it’s easy to think you’ve made a wrong turn. The shady tunnel of trees belies the stunning vista awaiting at the house ahead, and the drive’s length—perhaps designed to build anticipation—is enough to make you momentarily question your GPS. But any doubt about the accuracy of your directions fades when you see the lions. Standing guard on either side of the iron entry gate, their frozen concrete forms are your first clue that something spectacular lies beyond.
That something is Waterleaf Farm, a 20-acre estate perched high atop a ridge overlooking the Columbia River. California residents Gregg Fletcher and Byron Page purchased it as a vacation home nearly three years ago. They were captured by its beauty and convenient location in Corbett, Oregon, a small town situated midway between downtown Portland, to the west, and the heart of the Columbia Gorge, to the east.
“It’s 30 minutes to Portland and amazing restaurants and 30 minutes to Hood River and anything and everything you can do outdoors,” says Fletcher, a real estate broker. “Yet you feel like you’re a million miles away. That’s the beauty of this property; you feel so isolated.”…
Tags: california, columbia gorge, corbett oregon, Real Estate, the gorge, waterleaf farm
West Columbia Gorge Chamber
226 West Historic Columbia River Hwy., Troutdale, OR.
503-492-7912
How do you want to spend your days in the Gorge? Hiking the popular trails? Sailing the mighty Columbia River? Shopping our art, antiques or unique gifts? Enjoying the breathtaking scenery made famous by world-class photographers?
Come and stay awhile, and you choose from the many wonders that await you in the West Columbia River Gorge.
Tags: art, first friday, hiking, Shopping, the gorge, Troutdale, troutdale chamber
Where the Asphalt Ends
by hoot ramsey
Travelling along the asphalt highways and byways that crisscross the fertile Columbia Gorge, one need only to glance in either direction to view myriad shades of green, covering soil that is black as asphalt and rich as gold in its suitability for cultivating crops. At the many nurseries throughout the area, environmentally conscious tree and native flower growers are making it possible for individuals and landscaping companies to responsibly incorporate native species in every aspect of yard and garden design.
Many have said, “It takes a lifetime to grow a tree.” Undaunted by the challenge, budding botanists and seasoned old-timers throughout the Columbia Gorge stand ready to embark on the venture one tree, one plant or one shrub at a time…
Tags: columbia gorge, good news gardening, Hood River, hood river ornamentals, humble roots farm, the gorge, wind river nursery
