9/20-9/23 Gorge 6.7-4.2 8'2" Clubber and a dose of Rick

[Craig Goudie]

Thursday sailed Swell City during the fire on 4.2. Only a few people
actually got there before traffic was pretty messed up so Gunars
and I pretty much had the river to ourselves. Strangely mixed feelings
knowing your source of joy is someone elses source of disaster and misery.
Rick H. showed up Friday, and with a marginal wind forecast,
(and no potential to launch in the Washington corridor) we decided
to try Viento. Those of you who've sailed there know you only go in
desperation. Gusty, holey, shifty......... Rick and I threw down with
our near floaters and big 6 Meters. I remember many atheletic
feats and catlike manouvers on the water, and that was just
so we wouldn't get slammed. At one point I'd just made it back to the
beach to find Rick standing in waist deep water. we looked at each
other and just started laughing! Some gusts with smoke, some
holes with no wind at all, and some 90 degree shifts. My arms and
legs were burnt after an hour. Rick said it was still better than his
last sesh at MM19. Jeeze, sorry I missed that one, dude!
We were rewarded on Saturday with premium 4.7 conditions at
The Wall, where it was wall to wall (yuk, yuk) smooth swells, and
clean clean air from 2 to 7 PM. One of those days you remember
the rest of your life, just Me, Rick Gunars, and 3 others.
Sunday continued great conditions at Doug's where we started
on 4.7s and ended on 4.2s. Rick and I both broke our HPL boom heads
within about 30 minutes of each other. There's some weird
synchronicity for ya.

Another great trip.

-Craig

[RickHeninger]

This is my first chance to get on the forum since coming back from the Gorge...

Thoughts on Thursday sept 20th: "I have some things to pick up in the Gorge, and a couple of quick meetings to make with donors of swag (Dakine, Big Winds etc.), I'll catch a couple of easterlies at Stevenson's... Hang with Gunars and Craig... See the fish ladders during the run..."

NOPE!!!

To the contrary it was a quick trip to the Gorge with sweet rewards... Drove all night Thursday night... Friday at Viento, we paid the price... And yes, that (4.2/4.7) day at the Wall was one of my top 5 all time Gorge sessions. Felt like the wind blew 32.634 Gusting to 32.635 for hours... Then Doug's! With a "?NEEDED?" rest on Monday!?!?! Then 3.7 at the Hatchery on Tuesday... A drive back Tuesday night!

P.S.> Craig, a dose of me is better for you than a dose of "Perc" that you wrote about in the thread talking to Marty! Especially if it comes with melt in your mouth Alaskan Salmon and Halibut I wish it would've been a two week dose the way that wind was blowing! thx again...