Leavin' the Hood...

Darn jobs... they sure get in the way of funtime...!! Unfortunately, Todd has to work Friday, so we had to depart Hood River just a few days shy of the Gorge Games - http://www.gorgegames.net/ - which will no doubt be a blast! We will definitely try to make it back there next year for the festivities.

The Gorge is certainly a beautiful area - scenic, great weather, with tons of activities that are guaranteed to interest just about anybody. I look forward to returning, and I recommend visiting Hood River if you get the chance.

So, until our next adventure (which we decided today is going to be Maui in October!!!)... I'm saying "Ciao!" In the meantime, feel free to check up on me at http://www.freespiritphotographics.blogspot.com/ if you like...

Mountains, mountains, everywhere!!

Mount Adams to the north... Mount Hood to the south... it's cool to see these massifs, as they are hulks in the middle of nowhere, really. Next trip, we'll definitely bring some alpine gear... apparently the summit of Hood is less than 8 hours from the car... amazing!! Yesterday, we drove to the coast, to Fort Stevens Park, to check out the ocean kitesurfing. On the way out, we took the scenic route, stopping at viewpoints, waterfalls, and a town called Seaside. The valley is unbelievably lush and green! Then on the way back, we had supper in Portland. It was nice to spend the day in more moderate temperatures. This morning, we are (impatiently) waiting for the wind to pick up... Todd's anxious to get out on the water. Cheers.

Escape from Alcatraz.... I mean, the HEAT....!!

Holy heatwave, Batman! We haven't seen a cloud since we arrived, and the average daily temperature is around 30 C... Us northerners just can't take it! We tried to elude the weather yesterday, by heading out to Mount Adams, but it was still a balmy 25 degrees. Today, since it is calm again, we are driving to Portland and perhaps to the coast. We'll be back in the Hood tonight however and Todd will be kiting tomorrow - forecast is for 20-30mph winds! I'll post more pics this evening. Cheers!

Fun in the sun...

Well, it was a busy day out in the Gorge yesterday... at one point, I counted around a hundred kites!! Not to mention the windsurfers, sailboats, and even a barge... it's quite the place! The weather was great and the wind was ripping for most of the afternoon. A young Naish rider named Josh Griffiths did a few tricks for the camera, which was fun, and Todd came through as promised... some back rolls, jumps, and a couple of fabulous yard sales! We're heading out soon to perhaps beat the crowds. Later!

Dust in the wind...

Whoa!! What a place! We made it to Hood River - which is absolutely beautiful - mid-afternoon on Monday... and the wind was a howlin'!! Todd got out riding for a few hours, then we scoped out the town and found a place to bunk in for the next 10 days. Tuesday morning, it was a windless 32 degrees C... so we took a quick tour out to Lost Lake, where there are spectacular views of Mount Hood. By the time we returned to town, it was blowing enough for the 17m, so Todd was able to fly the pink tank right until the sun started to set... stellar!!! Today, it is smokin' hot again... and presently not that breezy... but it is forecasted to pick up this afternoon, which seems to be the norm. We are realizing one super-duper bonus about kiteboarding as opposed to climbing... NO ALPINE STARTS!!!! Heh heh heh!! We are free to eat, drink and be merry into the wee hours of the morning, with no danger of oversleeping and messing up our day.

So far, I'm too chicken to join the crowds... but I'm working on my neurosis and trying to talk myself into taking a lesson... I find water alot more intimidating than snow!! But, my camera is attached to me 24/7 and I'm having a great time photographing all the activity!!

Today Todd has promised to try all sorts of tricks, so the next post should have either a) some fantastic big air shots, or b) some fantastic big wipe-out shots...!!

Cheers.

Summer is here!

Finally! We've been experiencing some beautiful summer weather, and Todd and I have decided it's time for a road trip! Sunday night we are gettin' the heck outta Dodge (a.k.a. Red Deer), and hitting the highway for Hood River, Oregon. Hood River is the land of kitesurfing, rock climbing, skiing, etc... pretty much sounds like paradise! Neither of us has been there before, so it will be a great adventure, I'm sure.

Other than that, the past three months have been fairly uneventful. We've managed to get out climbing a bit, Todd's been kitesurfing up a storm, and we even made it out to More MOO Ice Cream Shop in Sylvan once already! I'm looking forward to taking the exploder full of gear to the 'Hood, with hopes of partaking in a few different activities over the next couple of weeks. I'll post an update once we get there and let you know how it's going.

Cheers!