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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:45 am Post subject: Potholes Reservoir in N/NE winds? |
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Potholes blew hard for a while Friday from the NE and is forecast to repeat today. With its three-mile fetch, the SW side may get some swell. Has anyone sailed off that beach near the main south end marina in those conditions? Is there a better launch site for N-NE winds? Is there swell or just flat water? Or is it nothing but a powerboat madhouse like so many lakes on Memorial Day?
Mike \m/ |
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jota
Joined: 28 Feb 2001 Posts: 205
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 12:00 am Post subject: |
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Ok, I'll bite: what the hell is potholes? |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 8:58 am Post subject: |
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Am I the only one here with Google and Google Earth?
"The biggest swell this side of the Gorge", according to eastern WA expert "Rocky", aka crazyboardhead at
http://home.earthlink.net/~crzybdhd/wind/wa-sites/beebee.html
Right off I-90 1.5 hours W of Spokane and an hour N of TriCities, it's a good sized lake with reaches 5-10 times the reaches available in the central or near-eastern Gorge. The Columbia is a joke in N winds, but if they hit Potholes, they blast down or diagonally across the lake towards the State Park and public beaches. It's probably even better in W to NW winds, since the eastern shore is also user-friendly. The problem with SW winds is a ridge that blocks the wind.
Rocky also describes a mini-Gorge on the Columbia north of I-90, where wind and current meet head-on to produce good swell. And, of course, Vantage, where I-90 crosses the Columbia, blows possibly stronger and more often than the Hatchery in the summer, the river there is very big and broad, and launches are plentiful. The problem is the chop; it makes Celilo seem like ice skating right behind a Zamboni. Southerly winds fix that problem in the fall.
Mike \m/
Last edited by isobars on Tue May 29, 2012 11:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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PennyB
Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 49
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:34 am Post subject: |
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The Columbia @ Vantage and Potholes are close to the family homestead, and a nicer drive from Seattle than the slog on I-5 S. I would love to hear from anyone who sails there on any regular basis, in any season. I could not access the link to "crazyboardhead" although I think I have seen it in the past.
Penny |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:47 am Post subject: |
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PennyB wrote: | I could not access the link to "crazyboardhead" although I think I have seen it in the past. |
You're right! Sorry about that. (???)
Try this, skimpy as it is:
http://home.earthlink.net/~crzybdhd/wind/wa-sites/beebee.html
Maybe more useful, coupled with Crazyboardhead's swell comment, is Google Earth.
I was much more willing to simply drive to a promising lake to check it out @ a buck a gallon. I'll take swell (almost) anywhere I can find it, and in N/NE winds that's not likely on the Columbia.
Mike \m/ |
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PennyB
Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 49
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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OK, I can see that the launch loks to be about 10 minutes from the state park, and about an hour from Vantage (not 10 minutes from Vantage). Not so handy to Seattle, but interesting anyway.
Penny |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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Yes ... Rocky must have a much faster car than I do. It looks like 50-60 miles from Vantage. But in N winds, it beats most other options I'm aware of on or east of the Columbia.
Mike \m/ |
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