lulls: 17
    average: 22
    gusts: 24

Scroll down to the end if you want the windsurfing... To beat the heat in the gorge, we had planned to go camping at Mount Rainer, but when we got to Mount St Helens, we found out that the road was blocked by 10 foot snow drifts, not due to melt until the end of July. So we headed east towards Mount Adams, forging the Explorer through some small snow drifts across the road. We found an official forest service campground to stay at, but the only occupants (family?) there had three huge cow-dogs and, once we arrived, starting shooting off shotguns and handguns at targets (or maybe the cow dogs? ) in their campsite (never seen that before). Well, obviously they were the only ones there for a reason, so we headed elsewhere. Found a great commando campsite in a clearcut off one of the gravel side roads. It was hot, even at 4,000 feet. But we had a great time hiking through the still snowy and cool woods. And there was a big snowbank next to our tent site. We put the air mattress on top of it and had a nice cool afternoon nap, buffetted by the occasional 100 degree breeze. The next day we headed back by way of Trout Lake, but got stuck all the way up to the differential in one of the icy compacted drifts. After digging out with boots and a dead tree trunk, we backed up and found a lower elevation forest road to get back home. In the gorge the heat was soaring to 100, and Windfest at the event site was alas windless (just like last year). I headed down there just to see what was up. Saw Wyatt Miller give his usual great freestyle clinic. Kai Lenny, Bern (killing everybody on the SUPs.. no wind remember), and Rob Warrick were there too. With an hour left in Windfest, thunderclouds started to gather and the wind began to build. I dressed out and got a JP XCite 120 from Big Winds and a 7.5 Retro from Sailworks. After finally getting things balanced on the 7.5 I had a few good rides. Went in and exchanged the 7.5 for an already set up 6.5 Retro as the wind got stronger. Some more sailing and it was time to return stuff, plus the thermal wind was getting too strong for the 6.5 with the dark clouds over Hood River and the heat out east. The XCite was a favorite low wind board from Baja and worked well again. The Retro.. well.. the folks at Sailworks were really great but it just never felt right for me at least. I know others like them. Right now it is raining, after some lightning. Quite a weekend.