hr sandbar

wakeup · Since 11 Sep 2005 328 Posts always Obsessed

anyone seen it lately????
what is everyone's stance on it?????
windsurfers and port want to get rid of it and they have taken the liberty of saying that it is unsafe for kiters also(in the hr news)

to me it just looks like a giant launch pad and plenty of space for launching and landing (no more parking lot launches)

not to mention lots of flat water on the leeward side

if this place is going to be a world kite destination, it has to have a good, safe launch

to me it looks like a lot more money to dredge than that boat or the windsurfers would bring in to the community (over 30 acres now)

voice your opinion
should it stay or should it go now
if it stays there might be trouble
if it goes it might be double

we may need to organize and be heard as a unit

and for all you hippies that aren't sure
mother nature is just putting it back the way that it is supposed to be
in 1930's the bar was as big as it is now except it went all the way past what is now wells island
ill have a photo to explain this later

here is the pic i wanted to add
circa 1930's before the dams----check out the white salmon sand bar
the red line shows the current soreline including wells and the hook

the port doesn't own the sandbar
if they do anything they have to get permission from the blm or someone similar(not the army corp) info was in the hr news

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

If they dredge at all they should pile it on top of the sandbar, maybe making it smaller area wise, but tall enough that it won't get knocked down by high waters.

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

IMO because there are pros and cons to leaving it, and also to removing it, I'm finding it difficult to decide.

1) more sandbar means less river to kite on and more space for people to launch like you said. So that means more kiters on a smaller river. BUT If anyone has a problem with all the extra kiters, then going upwind to the windward side of wells island or the white salmon bridge is the answer. It is never crowded up there (wells island not the bridge) and i personally think the wind is less holey (sp?) all across the river once you reach the near side of wells. Athough i had one freak session last year, where i made it up past the hatchery and the kiting was good up there, but when i had to come back i just barely made it in because the wind had died down so i could just barely plane going straight downwind.

2) if the sandbar is left just how it is, i know i personally (among others I'm sure), will be tempted to park at or around the event site and walk 50 feet instead of 150 yards from the spit parking lot. I'm almost sure this will cause problems, but i feel it is our right. We're not launching from the event site, we're just parking there and walking a shorter distance to our sandbar. But i can just see the pissed off windsurfers right now, thinking we are encroaching on their territory. well if any windsurfers are reading this, learn to share! I'm not asking to launch from your event site, i just want to park there.

3) to counterpoint my first point, if they dredge the sandbar out, there is lots more river to play on. Less inexperienced kiters on the water, and more room for us to play. I know the parking lot launches last year kinda sucked, but it sure kept all the n00bs off the water in the spring time when the winds were pretty gnarly anyway. You can view this however you want, good or bad. It did get pretty old when June rolled around and there was 20+ people trying to setup at the same time and launch from the parking lot, but even if they do dredge it, something tells me we're going to have a little more sandbar this springtime even with the water high; so i dont think this will be a problem.

4) if they dredge it out, the port needs to pay for it and definately not pass the cost on to the kiters because that is bullshit. Like i said, i'm indifferent, but i think having to pay anymore to park at the spit is ridiculous. so if they think they can just dredge it out without asking our opinion and then pass the cost on to us.

5) lastly, if they just dredge part of it out so the tourist boats can dock, then wont the remaining sand just flow down the river and fill in where they dredged out? negating all the time and money spent dredging only a portion of it out.

I guess in the end, i'm for keeping the sandbar the way it is. It is much safer with more space to land and launch kites. I can't believe the HR news would print that garbage saying it is unsafe, that is ridiculous. The only thing that is unsafe is all the debris which we could easily just pile up and burn.

boardrider · Since 05 Apr 2006 1034 Posts Ventura, CA XTreme Poster

This X-tra sand is a gift (think about last years situation).

Lets use it to our advantage.

With a little planning and some movement of the sand we can have

1. a nice launch - even in the early spring (use some of the x-tra sand to 'build up' the main launch close to the parking lot)

2. a shallow area for rails/ kicker etc.

3. a good area for nOObs to practice/ lessons.

It seems as if this area is going to need yearly 'maintenance', the extent depending on the year.

Ryan · Since 14 Jul 2005 536 Posts Oregon Addicted

I am for waiting to see what happens with the bar after the spring snow melt. my guess is that the bar will significantly change in shape and size before the season is underway.

endoshred · Since 22 May 2006 232 Posts HR Stoked

just checked the sandbar out on friday. it is big. very big. and it blocks a third to half of the event site launch. i mentioned earlier there will be a battle on this. I have not seen the hood river news report and cannot substantiate that the port and windsurfers want the sandbar gone.

please check out the earlier post.

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-3344.html&highlight=sandbar

we better start addressing this asap. if not we will be third in line behind the needs of the port and the needs of the windsurfers. i am also a still a windsurfer (20%), but it is obvious that kiting is the future in this spot.

march westerlies are soon to arrive. lets make sure our access and launch site is secure.

Pepi · Tue Jan 30, 07 10:44 am

Is anyone from the CGKA in town this winter to take a lead role in representing the kiting community on this subject?

I've submitted emails on the CGKA a couple of times, but have yet to get any reply.

Any ideas?

Pepi

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

Pepi · Tue Jan 30, 07 11:19 am

Actually, my thoughts were more for having a representative meet with the Port of Hood River todiscuss the current situation at hand and to evaluate improvment options for the Spring and Summer season.

Before we go running out on the Sandbar and possibly having our efforts either not be put in the right direction or destroyed by mother natures wraith during Spring run off, it might be a good idea for a representative to speak with the regarding the concerns and interests of the local kite community and to then report back to the kite community on the current situation at hand, possible future options and alternative ideas.

Pepi

magicmaker · Since 29 Oct 2006 895 Posts da Hood Opinionated

Pepi that is a greatidea, like i said i'll call Jim and talk it over with him, maybe he knows who to contact at the BLM.

My brain is in the gutter in that i'm just thinking i want to get out and kite as soon as march rolls around and i'd like to have a cleaner sandbar when that time comes.

Any CGKA board members reading this?

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

The CGKA will be at the meeting. I apologize for the lack of response to emails. The person who has the email account has been out of the country.

The CGKA is gonna rise up this spring, and we have some really good stuff in the works in addition to preserving access. Stay tuned

pacifichigh · Since 11 May 2005 1004 Posts ATX Texan

The CGKA is gonna put on a spring sandbar cleanup clean-up with a bbq and swag to give away. We don't have a firm date, but it will be announced on nwkite.com ASAP.

robkov · Since 03 Jul 2006 90 Posts 97031

If you are going to burn THAT much wood you need to check the burn advisory from DEQ or from the NWS.

Right now there is a stagnate air advisory in effect. If you burn that debris you will cover the city, it will hang there for days.

I am all for keeping the launch site as is. The more launchable space the better. It should help the schools and keep everyone safer.

Rob

endoshred · Since 22 May 2006 232 Posts HR Stoked

thank you pepi and pacifichigh for chiming on this. I'm probably overly concerned about the sandbar access. It is good to know that we have great individuals from the cgwa and the cgka working hard for all kiters and windsurfers. hoping someone from the port can respond also.

Is it possible to get permission to drive out there and haul out the debris? some people have noted that the spring run off may do much of the work for us clearing debris. but i hope most will remember that the water levels have been extremely high (as high or higher than a normal spring run off) during several periods since the november floods. This may be as clear as the sandbar will get.

spoke with someone yesterday who suggested that the safety issues may not be for the kiters, but for windsurfers who attempt to launch from the event site if the sandspit remains at its current size and location. many windsurfer racers will use big boards and long fins. there will be definate safety issues for them if they catch a fin in the sand or on submerged debris. most of the debris is currently on the northern extent of the sandspit. the west end looks clear and could launch kiters now if an early west wind day arrives.

many in this forum may have no interest in ever launching from the sandspit with the crowds and gusty winds. however its continued presence as a major launch site is important to us all. if lost, it will displace many kiters that will move to other locations, placing those areas under heavier pressure. this is not what we need, currently we do not have enough sites (at least legal sites).

windsurfing is at a flat growth level. you go to the beach and you don't see as many young windsurfers as 10 years ago. but check out the kite launches. lots of young rippers. continued growth. more crowds and crowded launch sites. the central gorge will need to make room for all of the long term windsurfers and growing kite community. maybe we will eventually need to rethink the idea that some areas are only for windsurfers. sounds like the similar debate between skiers and snowboarders 10-15 years ago.

hopefully all will volunteer to cleanup and improve this and all other launch sites... for kiters and windsurfers. we are in it together.

Wyo Kiter · Tue Jan 30, 07 4:51 pm

I'd say let the water do the work for you and move the sand downriver in and arround wells Island and this will make a sand causeway from the hook to the Island. Then you have a good kite spot on this strech of the river and the mosquitos will be fat and happy!

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

I would agree with the rest that waiting till spring and seeing what the high water does is probably the best bet for now. If the wood is still around by then, a chainsaw or two and work party could probably make short work of it.

Sauvies Island beach had tons of debris last year and about 10 of us got together and got it cleaned up. The real miracle though was Mark's chainsaw, which made the whole thing happen very quickly. We just tossed everything in the water to float downstream.

Make sure you all read the post from Sherry about the meeting next month:

http://www.nwkite.com/forums/t-3772.html

KITEADDICT · Since 13 Apr 2006 117 Posts PDX west side Stoked

We should cut down all the trees and brush from wells island and build a cable car to it. That will give more launch area and get rid of the wind shadow. Second take all the extra sand from the sand bar and dump it in Stevenson!