2011-09-16 Get Home Itis..

Today started as usual.  For many of us, this would be our last day in the Gorge, but some were thinking of spending the night before heading back on Saturday. Mike is the only one who will be staying for the weekend - he is to pick Barb up at the Airport in Portland, and then they will spend a week or two on the coast.

At the Dog River Coffee shop, we all analyzed the weather.  While it may have looked like a great forecast for Pigeon Lake or Dried Meat Lake - after 4 days of big winds and huge swell 15-20 didn't sound stellar.  Worse - the forecast was for no wind, and probably rain on the weekend. Undeterred, we headed to Bett's for breakfast. After breakfast, Handre and Lazelle told us they were heading for home.  Handre was still not feeling right after hitting his head, so he decided that he shouldn't sail.

Ted setting up a "Hero" cam on his boom...  too bad he forgot to put in the sd card....

There was a lot of discussion about where we should sail. Everyone agreed it had to be to the East, but Rowena,  Doug's,  Mary Hill, Rufus, or Roosevelt?  After a bunch of shopping, and visits to Sailworks and Big Winds, (which took up the rest of the morning), the group finally decided on Rowena. The wind at Rowena would have had us stoked if we were at home - but it looked light - so the gang decided to press on to Maryhill.

Maryhill is a beautiful park-like setting, but the wind was off shore - and it didn't look very sailable.  Now it was after 2:00.  People were talking about going across the bridge to the Oregon side to try Rufus.

At this point - I decided to pull the pin, and just keep on going.  Funny how four really great days of sailing makes a marginal day seem not that important, even if it may be the last day of the trip... I said my good-bye's, and headed out.

A few minutes after I left, I got a call from Kent, saying that he and Rene were right behind me.

I am not sure what happened to the rest of the group - I hope they got in some sailing.  Gerry and Blaine were planning on heading home after sailing, while the rest were heading back to the house for one more night.  I hope they have pictures and stories that we can use to finish up the blog.

This was one of the best trips yet for high wind sailing.  The reputation of the Alberta Boys to bring the wind is turning into legend......  hope we don't disappoint the locals next year by bringing in the doldrums...

Saying good-bye to Mount Hood until next year -- photo by Brad