Hood River is a small town about 60 miles east of Portland, Oregon. The town is a wonderful quaint little place that is home to some killer (literally) windsurfing. The woman's speed record was set at the gorge games one year. Also, the first double flip unofficially marks the start of the windsurfing season. Hood River is home to many acres of apple, pear, and cherry orchards. Lumber used to be a major industry, but was given up in favor of skiing and tourism. The climate is interesting. The town lies right on the cusp of the Oregon desert and thus has a more arid climate then the coast, but temperate enough for beautiful Douglas Furs and blackberry bushes.
The Hood River is a small river that starts at the base of a glacier on Mount Hood, in Oregon. Hood River feeds into the Columbia Gorge. It is part of the Bonneville watershed, and supplies water to the town of Hood River (Pop. approx. 30,000), and other small localities. Salmon and some other fish live in the river, making it a wonderfull place for weekend fishermen. Sadly fishing has declined due to clear cutting and other abusive logging practices. The river is thoughly enjoyed by many local residents. Also nearby are the Klamath falls, and of course Mt. Hood, with its' three ski resorts.
The Hood River and Mt. Hood were named after The British lord, Hood, in 1792.
Quick Stats:
Basic Characteristics:
Climate
- Hood River has a temperate climate. It is right on the border between the desert part of Oregon and the temperate rain forest coastal zone.
- It receives moderate amounts of rain per year, averaging 14.92 inches per year.
- Major crops include apple, pear, and cherry orchards, vineyards, and a small amount of olive tree orchards.
- Climate-centric hazards include severe wind, 2-6 feet of yearly snowfall, and the occasional flooding of the Hood river.
Geology
- Earthquakes rarely happen, and usually are below a 4.0 on the Richter scale.
- Both Mt. Hood to the south and Mt. Adams are semi-active volcanoes. Mt. Hood last erupted minorly in 1892.
- Oregon is located on the North American plate.
- This area of the country has very interesting topography. The most notable feature is the Columbia River Gorge. The gorge formed after the last ice age ended. A huge inland lake covering Idaho, Nevada, and a few other states existed. The lake sprung a leak, which grew quite large. This leak became the Columbia Gorge. Since most of the lake emptied into the Pacific Ocean, large amounts of erosion took place. Giant rocks that sit on the Oregon coast were previously in Nevada. The Columbia River still exists, being fed from many tributaries, including the Hood river.
- The local geography provides many recreational areas. Mt. Hood has almost year-around glacier skiing. Multnomah Falls is nearby. This is the third tallest falls in the US.
- Major rock types include volcanic rock, some shale, and quite a bit of granite in the Gorge.
Environmental Threats:
- Logging: before regulation, logging companies clear-cut huge tracts of land. Local environmentalists, fishermen, hunters, and hippie nudists came together to protest this. Logging is now done with renewable methods.
- The Hanford Nuclear reservation lies upriver of Hood River in Washington State. Radioactive gases have spread over three states, including Oregon. The Columbia River tests higher then it should, for certain radioactive salts.
- The local news media has traditionally been very harsh on polluters in Oregon. Unfortunately, the national media chooses to ignore many of these issues. The millions of acres of wheat in southern Oregon are the country's biscuit basket. The fruit from various orchards is extremely valuable.
Since the town is near its' Urban growth boundry, the County of Hood River is encouraging development in Parkdale, Oregon and Dee, Oregon