Skiing is HOT
Downtown shop owners report decent holiday season with sales in ski gear holding strong
With more than a foot of fresh snow on slopes overnight and another foot forecast through the day, Pepi Gerald, like any true-blue powderhound, is staring out the window of his Oak Street shop working but wishing he were somewhere else.
Enjoy holidays on the hill
Cooper Spur Ski Area opens Friday, Meadows hosts variety of activities
Cooper Spur Ski Area opened for the season Friday. The lifts officially start turning at noon, and the ski area will offer skiing, snowboarding and tubing every day through Jan. 6 for the holiday season.
Join touch rugby Tuesdays
Join the fun every Tuesday evening, rain or shine, for friendly touch rugby action under the lights at Collins Field (across from Hood River Middle School). Games are informal, co-ed and open to players of all experience levels. Cleats are recommended during the wet season; no other gear is required.
On the Hood, fishing’s good all year
For best results, bounce bait along the bottom says Ernie Delgado
Buzz Ramsey’s Outdoor News column this month covers winter steelhead fishing using a type of vibrating lure, called a plug, from the back of a boat. For local rivers, the tried-and-true technique of back trolling works particularly well on the Deschutes and the John Day. In the Hood River, however, a drift boat would get smashed to bits on the rocks long before any steelhead were brought in.
Outdoor News: Plugs are tried-and-true for winter steelhead
When it comes to steelhead, there is just nothing like the arm-wrenching strike produced when one hits a plug. The rod-bending strikes, most believe, are due to steelhead treating plugs as invaders to their territory. One thing for sure, no other technique makes steelhead as bad-tempered. I’ve had them pull rod and reel from my boat in an effort to kill my vibrating plug.
Enjoy Teacup Lake with demo Sunday
Teacup Lake Nordic Club is gearing up for another busy season on its 12 miles of scenic and forested trails in the Mt. Hood National Forest. The popular Nordic ski area is maintained and operated by the Teacup Lake chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club through volunteer efforts, membership fees and donations. The entire network of trails is groomed multiple times per week and offers a variety of experiences, from the leisurely stroll through snow-covered forests to the hard-core skating terrain fit for a biathlete.
Trail work highlights forward momentum
Volunteers, County Forestry cooperate; result is world-class trail network
Gary Paasch is hard at work and covered in a healthy layer of dried mud.
Kiteboarding schools reduced for 2013-15
The number of kiteboarding schools operating on Port of Hood River property will be reduced from seven to five through at least the summer of 2015. The number of windsurfing schools will remain at three.
Turkey Trot top finishers announced
The annual Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot brought more than 300 runners and walkers to the Hood River end of the Twin Tunnels trail. With only about 30 participants pre-registered, organizers had their hands full getting everyone signed up for the 3K, 5K and 12K events. Despite the last-minute chaos, however, the event was an overwhelming success, with proceeds benefiting Mosier Community School.
Forest Service approves Timberline bike park
Record of Decision shows ‘no significant impact’; pending appeals process, resort hopes to begin trail work next summer
Supporters of a proposed mountain bike trails and skills park at Timberline Ski Area got an early Christmas present last week from Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor Christopher Worth.
Hood River’s newest ‘rest stop’ dedicated at Wilson Park
City dedicates bench to 101-year-old Clyde Wilson
Hood River residents now have a “rest stop” to stop and smell the roses…and lilacs.
Kegler's Corner
Michael Allen is the bowler of the week
Silky smooth Michael Allen was in the zone in last week’s Fraternal league. He scattered the sticks to the tune of a mighty fine 679 series, which was 148 pins over his average. Allen’s easy style is yet another way to make those 3lb-6oz pins dance. He rolls a nice, controllable hook, right in the track area around the second arrow to make the ball do most of the work. This outstanding performance makes him the latest Bowler of the Week and lands him on the Team of the Week at Hood River’s Orchard Lanes.
Gorge waterfalls are at their finest this time of year
GET OUT! A series of adventures in the Gorge
If solitude and self-reflection beneath the awe-inspiring thunder of a waterfall bursting at its seams sounds like your thing, this is the best time of year to take a hike in the Gorge.
Outdoor News: Elk are ‘ghosts of the woods’
For humans, elk are the most challenging of North American big game animals to hunt. Don’t let their size fool you; these critters can be as quiet as an empty cartridge case and avoid detection far better than a set of misplaced car keys. In fact, seasoned hunters often refer to elk as “the ghosts of the woods” for their stealth-like abilities.
Sports Briefs for November 17, 2012
Charley’s Trail Day Saturday; Seedings on the line Sunday in Gorge Hoops; Box lacrosse leagues forming; Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving
