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A Season for the Senses

by matt werbach    

      After a summer that seemed to sputter at the start and finish with a fury of sun and heat, the fall has arrived all at once. Pear and heirloom apple seasons are in full swing. Grapes are being plucked from the vine and bottled up for winter, and pumpkins are approaching their full size. The jet stream held cooler temperatures and wetter weather north of the Pacific Northwest for a few extra days, which kept the Columbia Gorge warm and sunny for almost all of September. Then in just a day it all seems to have turned.

I drive hundreds of miles on I-84 each week between Portland and Hood River—often even further east—but just when the driving begins to wear on me the seasons flip over, and I once again have to force myself to keep my eyes on the road. There was no gradual transition to autumn this year. It was as if a curtain was raised at the start of a show and the entire set had been changed. I could almost hear the gasps from the crowd. There were a few signs—the winds died, then switched direction as they roared back to life; the fog began to pick up as mornings cooled down—but for the most part this fall took full advantage of the element of surprise. Now that its beautiful oranges and reds have been revealed I am left with that familiar feeling of a sort of tranquil excitement, of a fresh new way to look at things, and of course, a gentle sadness at the passing of another summer.

Apple Cider and pumpkin pie. Dry leaves crackling under-foot. The first few inches of soft white snow falling thousands of feet up the mountainsides. I find myself presented with a choice when the fall bursts through. I can sit and reflect on the days of summer gone by, or I can embrace what lies ahead—a season for the senses. Warm sun on my face is replaced with a cool breeze carrying the scent of fallen leaves. Tourists and weekend warriors head back to their homes and batten down the hatches while locals venture out into the land they love. Is there anything more perfect than an empty hiking trail now that its scenery is painted with a fall brush? White wines sound less appealing than warm and robust reds, and hops season is fully upon us with local brewers pushing their newest blends. I choose to embrace the way this season makes me feel with its tastes and sounds. I will miss the steady warmth of summer, but that balance of sadness to see a season go and excitement for the next is just one more thing I love about the Columbia Gorge.

For weeks now I will carry my camera with me in an attempt to capture some small part of the wonder surrounding me. It never quite works. What stops me in my tracks as I walk, drive or hike around the area doesn’t seem to translate in a still image. I’ve grown comfortable with this sort of inevitable failure or short-fall. These moments captured in digital format now serve as a reminder of the emotions a bright yellow tree inspires as it jumps forward from the dark green background of pines. The pictures are like mementos left behind from people no longer with us. They carry an often eerie reminder or a subtle scent of what once was but will never be again. Not having them would give birth to a whirlwind of emotions—a deep seeded feeling of loss—but having them doesn’t begin to do justice to the real thing, to being there.

The soft scratch of pencil on paper is another constant companion of mine. It has its shortcomings too. I can record the way autumn sounds with comparisons and descriptions, or I can endlessly expound on the feelings it stirs up, but the fall season with its accompanying splendor is elusive. Still, it’s worth every effort to encapsulate just one fleeting moment of this splendid time of the year, and to be able to share that, or at the very least carry it with me for a while.

The only way I have found to truly embrace autumn is to absorb it in every way feasible. The taste of a crisp cold apple just off the tree is only available for a short time, as is the smell of toasting pumpkin seeds. The chance to hear brittle leaves crunching under your feet or rustling as they dance in the wind will soon pass. And the look—what more can be said about the visual feast that fall offers. Soon trees will be bare, snow will blanket much of the area and Mount Hood and Mount Adams will be glowing in their fresh white coats. This fall I will exhaust myself as my senses devour all they take in. Autumn serves as a reminder that winter isn’t far behind, and we all understand that next spring and summer will be upon us before we know it. I choose not to reflect on the season lost or the one bearing down on me, but instead to imbibe the current season, the season of the senses.

Tags: adams, apple, autumn, burst, calm, cider, color, columbia, crackling, drive, embrace, fall, gorge, grape, heirloom, hike, hood, imbibe, leaves, locals, orange, paper, peace, pear, pencil, photo, pie, pumpkin, red, season, senses, smell, snow, sounds, spring, still, summer, taste, trail, tranquil, trees, Visitor's Center, wine, write, yellow

Columbia River Gorge Visitor’s Association

404 W. 2nd Street, The Dalles, OR.
800.98.GORGE

Welcome to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a year-round recreational area offering the best of outdoor activities including camping, hiking, biking, golf, whitewater rafting and kayaking, windsurfing and kiteboarding, boating, bird watching, photography,  downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing – the list is endless.  Indoor options are also readily available with world-class museums, wine tasting, superb dining opportunities, shopping and spa services.  There is truly something for everyone in the Columbia River Gorge.

Just taking a drive through the Columbia River Gorge is an experience in itself as you will be in awe of this spectacular geological wonder. The Columbia River is the second largest river in North America, starting in northern Idaho and southeastern British Columbia, and traveling over 1,200 miles to the ocean.  Through millenniums of geologic events, waterfalls have found their home in the Columbia River Gorge. A visit to the area is not complete without a visit to the breathtaking waterfalls.

The Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association is a non-profit organization representing various businesses and organizations that provide services and information to visitors throughout the Gorge.

Tags: biking, Camping, columbia river, columbia river gorge, Dining, Golf, gorge camping, hiking, Kayak, kayak columbia, Kayaking, Museums, Shopping, snowboarding, spa, Wellness, whitewater rafting, wine, wine tasting

Doing it All Again, For the First Time

matt werbach

It’s beginning to look a lot like summer. It didn’t happen overnight this time. The winter, though mild, had its claws in deep, and while spring is finally blooming all around the Columbia Gorge, the Cascade Mountain passes are still getting more than their fair share of snow. For a few long weeks, it seemed as though spring might not make it, and then all at once, the fruit trees bloomed just in time for the annual Blossom Festival, and the green shoots of this year’s leaves are starting to dot the branches of our deciduous neighbors. For some, it couldn’t have happened a second too soon, and for others, there’s an apprehension that comes with spring and summer in this area.

Our local business owners need that influx of spring, summer and early fall tourism more than usual this year. It’s become incredibly repetitive and redundant to say it, but there has been a world-wide economic recession, and when your local economy is so dependent on the presence of visitors from out-of-state or even other countries, it’s no wonder many Columbia Gorge small business owners are anxious and excited for the boon in business that follows the return of abundant sunshine throughout the region. From fishing guides, to winery tasting rooms, to restaurants and our local groceries, there can be no doubt of the imperative role our swelling summer population plays in the continued economic success of the communities that surround the Columbia River.

There’s already a noticeable increase in people, though at this point, many of them are residents who’ve simply come out of hibernation or returned home from warmer winter climates. As I walk the streets, it’s easy to see that there are more smiles, more waves, and with that, hopefully more optimism. They, the visitors, the tourists, the curious, and the adventure seeking, they will come. But May is that precious month that serves as a bridge between the somewhat peaceful and idyllic calm that so many residents embrace, and the adventurous, boisterous summer season that follows.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the last time I tried something new—something “touristy” or “vacationy.” I, like so many of you, live in a place that allows for an endless stream of new adventures, new sports, new restaurants and new art displays. I update the columbiagorge.com events calendar just about every day, and it’s filled with things I have either never tried or have written off as one-time experiences. What better month than May, while the streets and trails are just a bit less crowded, to venture out into the ever increasing sunshine and to explore the Columbia Gorge, my home, as if I’d never been here before.

So you’ve lived here for years, maybe even your whole life, but have you done everything you can to experience the natural playground you have in your own backyard? You’re a windsurfer, kiteboarder and maybe even a stand-up paddler, but have you sailed the river? Maybe you fish, but when was the last time you gave a fly rod a try? Or perhaps you’re a hiker, but have you ever strapped on a pair of trail running shoes with a few days’ supplies and fast-packed your way through the area’s wilderness? I’m sure many of you are nodding your heads, yes, you’ve done all of these things, but I know there’s something out there you haven’t tried, and that very something is what a vacationing guy or gal is going to come here to do. Can you really get bested—get out adventured—in your own backyard?

We’re not all athletes or adventure seekers either, I certainly know that. Maybe you’re a self-proclaimed foodie, a wine aficionado or an art connoisseur. Well, then the Columbia Gorge is your playground too. Have you tried the new varietals at Maryhill or Pheasant Valley? When was the last time you rounded up the family, or perhaps better yet, took your significant other, and headed downtown to your local First Friday Art Walk? And for you foodies, much like the adventure seekers, simply because a few months have passed, I can guarantee that new menu items are featured at a place you haven’t visited in years. I don’t know where, yet, but there’s some new renegade chef who’s taking your old favorite and spinning it in a direction you never thought it would go, and as soon as you or I can find him or her, we’ve got to try it out.

This very spirit—this kind of pioneering attitude—is a huge part of what has made the Columbia Gorge such a success and such a fresh new place, no matter how long you’ve lived or visited here. This May, as temperatures climb and spirits lift, let’s take a few days, a few weekends, and head out into the great-known, to find what we haven’t yet discovered in our neighborhood. Thankfully, we’ll soon be sharing our restaurants and trails with those who play such a huge role in the economic and social livelihood of the Columbia Gorge, but for just a few more weeks, the numbers of residents will far outnumber the visitors. For the next month, I’m going to be a visitor. I’m going to see and experience everything this playground we call the Columbia Gorge has to offer. And when someone approaches me on the street in June or July and asks where to rent the right equipment for this, or to find a guide for that, I’ll know, because I’ll have tried it first hand. Come this summer, I may give a different answer when someone asks me where there’s a good place to grab a bite, or what gallery they’ve got to see before they leave. Let’s all take a little vacation in our own backyards.

Tags: art, columbia gorge events, Dining, Gorge Events, Shopping, wine, Wineries

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